Moreover, he's about to experience the profession of a slave trader himself soon.
And it's quite easy.
"When I do things, I always aim for the pinnacle of the industry. I capture what others dare not, I sell what others fear to. First capture, then sell, with power as a permit—now that's true professionalism," Sage sneered.
"Indeed, no one else is as daring as you," Lily nodded.
The slaves presented were just ordinary humans, maybe some with skills, but even the most valuable giant men and mermaid women in such a large venue couldn't compare to the worth of those brought by Sage.
Pirates are up for sale, and even the Navy has people for sale. Some who have committed crimes or ex-Navy who have left the force also get sold, including special agents and nobility from non-affiliated nations.
Heavenly Celestial Dragons...
No slave trader has ever sold one.
Sage truly reached the industry's pinnacle in one swift move.
But the risk... is far greater than ever before.
Lily felt a bit helpless. According to Sage, before, nothing seemed to work out for him, not even becoming a thug, as there were no opportunities to grow.
But now, becoming a Pirate is thriving, and even as a slave trader, he's immediately at the top.
What does this mean?
Is it that the more sinister the industry, the more it suits him?
Whether pirates are righteous varies from person to person, as everyone is free, and there are righteous Pirates too. But from expectations and impressions, pirates are viewed as sinister.
Lily certainly agrees; she doesn't think she's doing anything remarkable, just acting according to her own will.
Good or evil doesn't matter.
And as for slave traders, there are hardly any good examples to mention.
Sage thrives in this environment...
Item number 4 was still a human, a pirate from a non-affiliated nation, considered robust, sold for eighty thousand Belly.
Item number 5 was a woman, with beautiful purple hair, an average appearance but still sold for sixty-five thousand Belly.
Item number 6 was a group of ten laborers, sold as a bundle, bought for seventy thousand Belly.
After all, with ten people, it came down to just seven thousand Belly per person, quite a bargain.
But Lily felt that these people were even less valuable than the slaves from the prior raid at the slave market, which were only worth eight to nine thousand Belly each. This auction house is quite adept at auctioning.
Even if a single person went unsold, bundling them could fetch a good price.
After selling item number 6, Disco, wearing star-shaped glasses, returned with a cheerful smile, holding the microphone:
"Everyone, I'm back again. Let me introduce item number 7..."
In the corner of the auction venue, with Disco's appearance, several guards began installing a video Radio Snail.
Technically, this was not allowed, as the attendees were of prestige, and recording could damage the establishment's reputation.
But... the big boss gave the orders.
Disco, though not understanding, followed the big boss's order and added two hot items, and all he had to do was provide some preface.
Plus, there was a promise that once this was done, the store would be handed over to him. Such a good deal was immediately accepted by Disco.
Meanwhile, Kalifa reappeared, standing by Sage's side, "The notification has been sent out, Captain, and he'll comply."
"Very good."
Sage nodded, exhaling smoke from the cigar he was biting, "This way, it's going to be fun. Calculate how many people are here for me, make sure they don't slip through, as I also need buyers."
"Total of one hundred and fifty-three people; the numbers go up to 99, but not everyone holds a number card."
Kalifa stated directly, "The number was already counted when they arrived. Also, regarding the schedule, we don't have to go last; I suggest we appear from the last batch of items... because the remaining ones will definitely pique your interest."
"As expected of a qualified secretary, very good. No one on the ship takes care of finances, moving forward, it'll be yours. What kind of people would interest me?" Sage laughed.
On the ship, no one really managed finances. They had a share of public loot, but everyone was self-disciplined with it. Sage didn't know the amount, but for purchasing supplies, food, and throwing banquets, it came from there.
The Disaster Pirates had no official Vice Captain, but Lily was the de facto second-in-command.
She typically managed sailing and commanded, focusing on Sage's plans to ensure smooth execution and no mishaps.
Hawkins, the Chief of Advisors, provided actions and ideas beyond mere divination probabilities in the planning.
Marika, the Head Chef, managed the food and everyone's meals.
Renedia, the Boatman Leader, was responsible for ship repairs, and also dabbled in inventions, to make the crew's weaponry better. Previously, she only led some tool-bearers as laborious workers.
However, with Kaku joining, she now had a team to supervise; after all, he worked five years in Water Seven as a boatman and was skilled.
Gin, the Combat Commander, oversaw the crew's everyday training and battles, and with Jabra's addition, a training team was formed.
But these former CP9 Special Agents were currently not deeply involved with the ship and only worked properly with Sage's oversight.
Lucci, the leader, still led these CP9 agents, functioning as the Disaster Pirates' intelligence unit, with Lucci as the Head of Intelligence.
No matter what was done, there truly was no fiscal manager on board.
Kalifa could manage intelligence and do side jobs too.
Having been a secretary, she could also manage the crew's schedule and finances, perfectly suitable.
"Understood, once back on the ship, I'll take over the finances."
Kalifa adjusted her glasses, agreeing readily.
She had no psychological burden; it was just fiscal management, part of her job... In fact, she preferred being a secretary over a Special Agent.
"In the backstage cages, there's a Giant, a Mermaid, a Maid, and a Dancer."
These, Kalifa deemed would interest Sage, especially the Dancer, as he had mentioned wanting a dancer aboard multiple times.
"A Dancer? There really is one!"
Sage's eyes lit up, "Great! A Dancer is great!"
"Yes, their numbers are at the back. I checked, the highest number of slaves sold here doesn't exceed twenty. Those are listed much later," Kalifa said.
"That indicates they're quite rare."
Lily nodded, "The further back the item, the more precious it must be. Giants and Mermaids... both are great, but if buying, Sage, get the Maid too."
The Captain's quarters were currently being cleaned by her and Marika, with Reni occasionally helping out, though due to her small stature, she could only manage to clean a sofa.
Having a professional Maid would save a lot of effort.
Moreover...
Giants and Mermaids...
Curiosity flickered in Lily's eyes.
She had never seen such beings, even though she encountered many tall people before, they weren't Giants, let alone Mermaids.
Do they truly have tails instead of legs?
"A Maid... Yes, that sounds good, buy one to clean the Captain's quarters. If rare enough, she should be quite skilled. Once we have a domain, we can develop a Maid team."
Sage laughed, "With a Dancer troupe too!"
As for the Giants and Mermaids...
The Giants weren't much of an issue, but his interest in Mermaids was limited.
Though it's said that Mermaids are very attractive... they still have human faces, how good-looking could they be?
Lily and Marika were at the beautiful woman level, even Reni would grow up gorgeous; just beauty isn't useful alone.
Sage had no inclination to admire a Mermaid in an aquarium.
Giants, on the other hand, could be worth a look.