Because the terrain of the archipelago in the western sea area of the Land of Demons is complex, and the area is vast, combined with the pirates being divided into groups of various sizes, it took Ruri about a week to basically wipe out these pirates.
Of course, it was impossible to kill them all. Some of them, seeing the situation was unfavorable, fled directly, while others gave up resistance. Hakushi decided to give those who chose to surrender a chance to start anew.
After all, these are free laborers. Apart from providing them with three meals a day, there was no need to pay any wages, thus saving a large sum of money.
The bandits previously eradicated within the Land of Demons were dealt with in a similar manner.
They are centrally managed. Those who perform well can be freed from their 'prisoner' status and start from the very bottom.
Just as Ruri pacified the western sea area, Hakushi immediately dispatched three hundred official members to take over the surrendered pirates and start building a military base on the archipelago in the western sea area.
The archipelago in the western sea area of the Land of Demons is widely distributed, but there are no large islands. The largest are medium-sized islands, numbering less than five.
The rest are small and micro islands, scattered around the distribution of medium-sized islands.
Considering the land area required for military bases, construction can only be on medium-sized islands. Small and micro islands can be used to establish outposts to maintain security in the sea area.
The construction materials for the military base must be transported from the mainland.
However, the number and size of ships in the surrounding area are hard to meet Hakushi's transportation needs.
To increase efficiency, Hakushi released his Water Clone, Water Dragon God, transforming into a gigantic python, swiftly swimming in the sea, carrying large quantities of materials, and transporting them to various medium-sized islands.
After more than a month, by late June, the military base on the medium-sized islands was basically completed.
The main buildings have already been constructed, and the pre-ordered training and experimental equipment have begun to be transported to the base, filling the internal gaps, and allowing staff to settle in as soon as possible.
Originally, without expanding the number of bases, manpower was very tight.
But as the number and size of bases continued to increase, Hakushi felt that manpower was becoming scarce instead.
However, the Ninja School has just been established, with the first enrollment consisting of only a hundred and twenty or so students. It doesn't seem like a small number, but these hundred and twenty people need nine years of education to graduate normally from school.
Hakushi is not worried about the strength of these students because he has already taught the method of learning Natural Energy to these hundred and twenty-plus students. After nine years of cultivation, using the Five Great Nations as a benchmark, these students' graduation standard power should be Chunin level at least, except for a lack of combat experience.
This means these students will be future backbones or mainstays, unable to be used at this time.
To recruit more personnel, one can only use the initial direct recruitment model, which is to absorb adults from the impoverished classes of various countries, injecting them with enhancement drugs synthesized with Natural Energy, making them mass-produced combat personnel.
The advantage is that after three months to half a year of training, significant combat effectiveness can be formed.
The disadvantage is that because they become strong through drug injections, they cannot master the direct cultivation method of Natural Energy themselves. Their strength will be determined by their physical constitution and the compatibility with the enhancement drugs. Additionally, their combat style relies primarily on Taijutsu and weapons, making them unable to handle certain special situations.
But at times like these, when manpower is indeed lacking, Hakushi doesn't have the time to ponder so much.
The Third Ninja Realm War has started; the beginning he can foresee, but the final trajectory of the war, and the kind of international environment it will usher in, is something Hakushi cannot predict.
What he can do is to strengthen himself as quickly as possible while the Five Great Nations are diverted by war.
"How many Type II Enhancement Potions are still stored at the factory?"
The Type II Enhancement Potion, synthesized mainly with Natural Energy, is the upgrade version of the first-generation Type I Enhancement Potion.
The second-generation Type II Enhancement Potion increases the body's resistance to impacts, speed, strength, and many other effects.
Even if an ordinary person takes it, they can quickly acquire agility not inferior to a Genin.
A very small number of ordinary people with naturally good physiques can reach the level of Chunin Taijutsu after drug enhancement.
"There are more than four thousand three hundred."
"Tell them to recruit a thousand... no, directly recruit another fifteen hundred people."
Although Type II Enhancement Potions are sufficient, recruiting four thousand people at once would make the management layer somewhat overwhelmed, causing many departments to become bloated.
Moreover, he doesn't need so much manpower at the moment.
However, a thousand is too few; fifteen hundred is about right.
"Yes."
The personnel conveying the orders left.
After the messenger left, Hakushi picked up another report to read.
"Stealing drug information?"
This is a report submitted by the Shion Flower Pharmaceutical Company, someone infiltrated the research room at the headquarters building to steal drug information.
Hakushi has seen this kind of thing many times. The profitability of the Shion Flower Pharmaceutical Company indeed provokes the jealousy of peers, with incidents of drug research information theft happening more than a hundred times since its establishment.