After hanging up with Kaneshiro, Wilder dialed Dana's Den Den Mushi. With his subordinates primarily focused on getting stronger, Kaneshiro and Dana were the only ones he could deploy in the outside world.
Having Kaneshiro establish the building materials business would, one, solve Wilder's current problem, and two, potentially open up a new revenue stream. Thinking of this, Wilder felt he should go bigger. He dispatched a professional construction team to rendezvous with Kaneshiro at the Red Leaf Company. This would not only foster a closer relationship between the two parties but also assist Kaneshiro in getting the construction industry off the ground. Beyond that, Kaneshiro's main task was still to delve into the underworld's businesses, with a focus on infiltrating Doflamingo's trade channels.
For this purpose, Wilder had assigned two monitoring units to him. However, these units operated in secret; they only communicated with Kaneshiro by phone and were never to meet face-to-face, to avoid detection.
In addition, under the guise of recruitment, Kaneshiro had assembled a combat team, which was, of course, another of Wilder's battle units sent over in advance. Their leader was a cadre who had never shown his face publicly, serving as the overt muscle.
As for Dana's assignments, her first task was to provide him with a continuous stream of intelligence. Her second was to integrate her operations with a monitoring unit, using her intelligence business as a front to acquire even more information. Similarly, Wilder had assigned a cadre to "protect" her.
Wilder also gave Dana specific instructions to keep an eye on the situation at Red Leaf. She was to provide Kaneshiro with intelligence if necessary. This was a one-way street; Kaneshiro was unaware of Dana's existence, but she knew all about him.
With those two matters settled, Wilder began planning to establish two other things. These wouldn't cost much money—at least, one of them wouldn't for now.
First was an idea he'd had for a long time: the establishment of a Cadre Factory. As the name suggested, it would be an organization dedicated to producing cadres, reporting directly to Wilder, with no interference from anyone else.
The time was right. Wilder called the Den Den Mushis of Mandigore and Bilvat, the two he had sent out to find orphans long ago, and summoned them back.
While waiting for them, Wilder prepared to tackle another matter: the creation of the Beastland.
Using the swamp as the environmental foundation, he would build a terrifying region teeming with ferocious beasts. Wilder listed out the creatures suitable for survival on a piece of paper.
Crocodiles, snakes, pythons, poisonous insects, and more. Of course, if Wilder wished, he could add his own swamp monsters to the mix at any time, but those required his constant control. If he moved even slightly too far away, they would disappear. Wilder was a bit frustrated by this limitation; he felt it necessary to one day develop a true swamp monster that could exist independently of him yet remain completely under his control.
But that was a matter for the future. Wilder knew he couldn't achieve it now.
The construction of the Beastland was soon on the agenda. In truth, there was very little that actually needed to be built. After all, Wilder just wanted to cordon off an area exclusively for beasts and prevent them from running wild. Using the natural environment was most suitable.
The only difficulty was making these beasts obedient. Yes, Wilder wanted these creatures to become one of his major combat forces, so obedience was essential.
They could be fierce, but they had to know who their master was.
The swamp lake would become part of the Beastland, along with the Blackwood Forest to its right, making the habitat amphibious.
Wilder walked out of the still-unfinished palace and, with a few nimble leaps, bounded up the cliff face. The air boomed with the dull thuds of his steps, and in no time, he had reached the top.
"ROAR!"
A powerful roar, like muffled thunder, echoed from the forest. Wilder had already instructed the science department to establish a Biological Research Institute.
Wilder's science department already had scientists from various fields, including biologists. But in this world, there were very few who could truly study biology to a profound degree. Those capable of modifying living organisms existed in only a handful of powers: Vinsmoke Judge's Germa 66, the Yonko Kaido, the famous scientist Caesar Clown, and perhaps Vegapunk.
The establishment of the Biological Research Institute this time was largely thanks to the data and equipment obtained from Germa 66, which finally gave these scientists the capital to conduct their research.
So, what Wilder needed to do now was to capture the most powerful creatures in this forest and have the science department conduct experiments on them. If successful, they could proceed with genetically modifying these creatures, which was one way to make them obedient.
For now, Wilder would only capture some ordinary beasts for the science department to experiment on. Additionally, some beasts were naturally intelligent. Wilder planned to use both threats and inducements on them. If they could understand and think, they could be used by him. Such beasts would become the first inhabitants of the Beastland.
After all, if they could communicate, they would be easier to manage. Perhaps they could even contribute some DNA or the like to create more obedient beasts.
This wasn't something that could be done in a short time. Wilder just didn't want the Beastland to seem devoid of life, so he had to get one or two creatures in there, whether by force or by persuasion.
On the first day, Wilder encountered a fat crocodile in the forest. Yes, a crocodile. Wilder had no idea why a crocodile would be living in a forest with so little water, and all by itself at that.
"A human?" Their eyes met. Perhaps to avoid the awkwardness of not greeting each other upon their first meeting, the crocodile spoke first, a humanlike hesitation on its face.
Wilder smiled. For some reason, the smile sent a chill down the crocodile's spine.
CRACK! BAM! POW!
The sound of a few quick punches sent birds scattering. Before the crocodile could figure out what was happening, it was lying on the ground, its face bruised and swollen, its white belly turned up to the sky.
With a blank expression, Wilder walked on, gripping the crocodile's thick tail and dragging it behind him, its body scraping against the ground as it moved.
Returning to the palace, Wilder casually flung the massive crocodile, which landed with a splash in the swamp.
"Boss, is this the subordinate you found for me?" Vice, having rushed over on Wilder's orders, scratched his head as he looked at the crocodile still floating belly-up in the swamp.
"That's right. You're a crocodile, after all. From now on, the Beastland is yours to manage. Don't you want to try commanding ten thousand beasts? Make sure they become a powerful fighting force," Wilder said, before dashing back up the cliff.
"What do you mean, 'I'm a crocodile, after all'?" Vice felt a surge of grievance at being inexplicably labeled a beast. He jumped into the swamp lake and began to wash himself in the mud.
"Ahhh, that's the stuff~!" As soon as he was in the water, Vice closed his eyes, a look of pure bliss on his face. He didn't know why he had developed this new habit—this particular love for water and mud, and the occasional sunbathing.
As for the risk of sinking into the swamp, Vice wasn't worried at all. As long as Wilder wasn't intentionally manipulating it, he no longer feared getting trapped.
He had already tested it. As long as he transformed into his crocodile form, he could swim freely in the mud. It was strenuous, though, and required proper technique, or else he could still easily sink.
After a while, Vice's gaze fell upon the gradually reviving crocodile, and a sudden idea struck him.
"Hey, kid, come here! Let your old man teach you how a real beast fights!"
Without giving the still-dazed crocodile any chance to react, his entire massive body pounced!
Subsequently, a brutal scene unfolded in the swamp lake, with a large crocodile repeatedly tossing a "small" crocodile into the air.
The smaller crocodile's screams continued until Wilder returned. This time, he brought back a nest of some unknown species of black insects.
He didn't put them in the swamp this time, but in the Blackwood Forest. Their reproduction rate was fast, and he believed this environment would be very suitable for them.
Over the next few days, Wilder continuously brought back various beasts from the forest. But in the end, the number of beasts in the swamp lake and the Blackwood Forest had only increased to five. And these five were all creatures he had brought back with great effort, every one of them capable of communication.
There were many other beasts, but Wilder had sent them all to the science department. With that, his initial task was more or less complete. The most important thing for building the Beastland was beasts, a large number of them, and that wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. Wilder handed the matter over to the science department and the beast-in-chief, Vice, and then threw himself into other affairs.
June 25th. Nearly four months had passed since the end of the war.
Without the threat or harassment of outside forces, everything was gradually getting back on track.
On June 26th, a Marine warship sailed into the newly completed dock of the Kingdom of Morass. Claire stood on the dock, accompanied by a large group of members, to welcome them.
The warship slowly docked. Dressed in his mustard-yellow—no, golden-yellow—suit, Admiral Kizaru leisurely disembarked.
With the nation newly founded, the dock was naturally heavily guarded. Kizaru's eyes swept over the scene, a sly glint flashing through them. Not that it mattered; no matter his expression, he always looked the same. This was a man whose true intentions could never be gleaned from his face.
Today was the big day for the Marines and Morass to sign a cooperation agreement. As the king, Wilder had to put on some airs, so he sent his capable assistant, Claire, to welcome the Marine Admiral.
Not long ago, Wilder had been worried about money, but he hadn't expected that the Marines, having tasted the benefits of his cannons, would also find themselves troubled by the cannons. And so, that led to today's scene.
As for the reason, Wilder could naturally guess. The Marines had certainly tried to replicate the cannons, but they had ultimately failed.
The reason for their failure was simple. The structure was actually easy to copy, so the real problem that led to their failure lay in the materials.
One shouldn't forget what Wilder had built his empire on.
Munitions.
He couldn't boast about much else, but in the field of armaments, Wilder's technology was absolutely top-tier. One could even say he had things no one else did. The munitions department was filled with scientists—using scientists to create weapons was something other powers didn't do. Combined with the science department, the money Wilder had initially invested in these two divisions was enough to establish a complete nation. He had gathered the most powerful munitions workers, and research and development funding had never been lacking; in fact, it only ever increased. This was why Wilder, despite earning a lot of money, was still short on it.
And the key to the cannons' construction was the metal alloy. This material was the product of countless hours of painstaking work by the munitions and science departments, created specifically to withstand the cannons' power.
So, the Marines had certainly managed to build the cannons, but the crucial metal alloy was the reason they had come seeking cooperation with Wilder. After all, a cannon made of paper couldn't compare.
One shot was fine. Two shots, okay. A third shot would be pushing it. A fourth was just asking for trouble; one slip-up and there would be blood.
"Welcome, Admiral," Claire said, stepping forward. Her demeanor was elegant and proper, her smile serene.
"Ooooh... you must be Wilder-kun's capable right hand, Claire. You've gone to so much trouble. Hmmm, ever thought about working for the Marines?"
Claire just smiled slightly, saying nothing.
Kizaru pouted his lips, feigning disappointment. In truth, he knew it was impossible. He had just been teasing with a casual question.
He knew about Claire. Her talent, abilities, and combat power were all outstanding. Such a person was truly a rare find, and he genuinely had the thought of poaching her.
He had seen her fight. Her use of Tempest Kick was nothing short of masterfully sublime. Even the CP9 agents specially trained in the Six Powers couldn't compare.
The royal carriages had been prepared at the dock long in advance. Appearances had to be maintained.
Claire invited Kizaru to board one carriage, while she took another. The two convoys set off in unison, heading towards the capital.
The journey took over a day, and along the way, they were naturally spectated with curiosity by the citizens.
But it was Kizaru and his aide whose hearts were filled with the most astonishment.
"My, my, Wilder-kun is truly terrifying. To build such a developed place in just four months... this is the main road, isn't it? Blocks?" Kizaru marveled as he walked. It wasn't until he stepped onto the grand avenue that he realized it was paved entirely with interlocking blocks. His surprise deepened.
His aide beside him nodded in profound agreement, his eyes never straying from the surroundings.
Claire remained silent, a smile playing on her lips.
A short while later, the convoy entered the Direct Rule District. As the key area connecting Skyhold Tower, the Royal Palace, and the outer regions, it had already been completely constructed. The magnificent sight drew continuous sighs of admiration from Kizaru, and a hidden light flickered in his eyes from time to time.
How... troublesome. Can't be too careless. he thought. Ah, well, I'll let someone else worry about it. I'm a very busy man.
Contradictory thoughts flashed through his mind, but in the end, Kizaru reverted to his usual lewd and lazy demeanor.
Passing through the shadow of Skyhold Tower, the convoy arrived before the Royal Palace. Wilder was already waiting on the wide, white reception avenue, his face beaming with a radiant smile. Seeing Kizaru alight from the carriage, he immediately strode forward with a hearty laugh, extending a hand with all the warmth and grace befitting a king.