Ross sat calmly at the head of the reception room, while the other residents of the Special Administrative Region stood below the screen listening quietly.
Although they couldn't fully understand Ross's words, the special zone and the kingdom seemed too far removed from their lives.
But they heard all about the benefits.
First, they no longer needed to pay Heavenly Tribute.
Secondly, they still enjoyed the rights of a member state; the island was protected by the Marines, and as it was a special zone directly under the Jaygarcia family, its security was even higher.
As for the small amount of tax revenue, they didn't see it as a big deal.
Taxes were usually levied proportionally, while the "Heavenly Tribute" tax was levied per capita.
In years of poor harvest, the former still offered a chance to survive, while the latter provided no way to live at all.
So when Ross finished his final live broadcast, the crowd cheered and jumped for joy.
The anxiety the residents had felt before the live stream vanished at that moment.
The fall of the Kingdom of Lanka did not usher in a new exploiter, but rather brought back the Jaygarcia family.
The Celestial Dragons managed the Holy Lands, and the Holy Lands did not require payment of Heavenly Tribute. Ordinary people in the Holy Lands were equivalent to World Nobles.
Ross governed the island of Jaygarcia. Ross was a Celestial Dragon, and the Jaygarcia family was not required to pay Celestial Fees.
Therefore, the Holy Land equaled Jaygarcia Island.
Therefore, ordinary people on Jaygarcia Island were equivalent to World Nobles.
Although this equation could only be thought about in one's mind, just thinking about it was enough to make the island's residents feel an involuntary surge of superiority.
This was the effect Ross wanted to achieve, and he would publicize it.
Instead of spending 90 billion to buy slaves, it would be better to spend 90 billion to buy ships and open up sea routes from Jaygarcia Island to the other Four Seas, specifically to transport people for him.
At this rate of population growth, it was definitely more cost-effective than buying directly.
After the live stream ended, Ross stood up and said as he walked out:
"Zane, hand over your work for the next few days. The World Government officials have all arrived. After that, spend some time promoting a group of people from the island."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Zane bowed slightly.
This was something they had discussed beforehand.
After killing all the nobles, someone would need to manage the special zone.
First, they would bring in a group of people from the World Government, and then they would start to assess those on the island who were ambitious.
The assessment content would first be screened using paper exams, half of which related to ability and half to loyalty. During the exam, he would pass by the exam room to sense the candidates' emotions.
Most of the people on the island were ordinary folk. Even those who were strong were at most captains. They didn't have Observation Haki, so he could sense their emotions within a hundred meters.
After the initial screening, Ross would personally interview the mayor and the town mayor. Once selected, these individuals would serve as the first administrators of the Jaygarcia District and would be able to contact Ross directly.
Ross also wanted to be a hands-off boss, but since it was the early stages of his business, he still had to do many things himself.
This world had many strong warriors, but few management talents.
The Five Elders' level wasn't that different from Zane's level, to be honest. They had seen more of each other and had developed a path dependency, which made them more efficient.
If Ross were to do it... Ross would only think about it, and he had never even considered it.
He only knew what constituted a good management model, but if he were to manage, he'd probably be no better than the Five Elders and Zane.
At least they had actually managed it; Zane even managed the family's new recruit training base, so they had much more practical experience than him.
After the live stream ended, Ross left the palace alone and headed towards the back mountain of Lanka City... now called Jaygarcia City.
Jaygarcia Island was named after a family who had lived on this land for hundreds of years before the establishment of the World Government.
Like the Nefertari family of Alabasta, they also had a family shrine on the island, located in the mountains behind Jaygarcia City.
For 800 years, the site of the sacrifice had been guarded by members of the Jaygarcia family, and no one dared to trespass.
"Saint Ross!"
When Ross arrived at the back of the mountain, the family members who were waiting there appeared one after another and bowed to Ross.
They might not know the other members of the Jaygarcia family, but Saint Saturn and Ross were the only ones they could not be unfamiliar with.
"Hm?"
Ross glanced at them briefly. The captain, who was leading the group, was a B-level fighter, while the other five members were only C-level fighters.
This combat power wouldn't rank among the top in the New World, but in South Blue it would be absolutely unstoppable.
"I'm going to pay respects to my ancestors; you don't need to come with me."
Ross then walked into the sacrificial site.
The sacrificial site was located in a cave in the back mountain, and those who guarded it were not allowed to enter. However, Ross wasn't sure whether he had ever entered it.
He came here only when he was browsing through documents in his spare time at the holy site and came across the records about the sacrificial site.
According to the family's historical records, the Kingdom of Jaygarcia had experienced several crises, and during each crisis, the reigning king would enter the sacrificial site.
Strangely enough, after the current king entered the sacrificial site, the island of Jaygarcia would be surrounded by a hundred-foot-high current of water, as if a thick barrier had been added to the island.
After the crisis passed, the water receded on its own, and the island returned to its former tranquility. However, the king who entered the sacrificial site never returned.
Upon hearing such an interesting rumor, Ross naturally became interested in the sacrificial site.
There were many amazing abilities in the world of One Piece, but it was unclear which type the one from the sacrificial site belonged to.
Regardless of the method, the ability to raise water hundreds of feet high around an island of 200,000 square kilometers was an incredible feat of power, unmatched even by S-class experts. Perhaps only the three Ancient Weapons or even Imu possessed such power.
Upon entering the cave where the sacrificial site was located, a cool, damp atmosphere greeted him. The light gradually dimmed as he moved deeper into the cave, and Ross could only rely on his torch for illumination.
Looking up, one could see magnificent murals on the stone walls above and on both sides of the passage, like a flowing historical scroll slowly unfolding before Ross's eyes.
These murals were colorful and had smooth lines, and they had not faded even after nearly a thousand years.
These murals were remarkably similar to those that Ross had seen in ancient Egypt in his previous life, and they told the story of the founding of the Jaygarcia family, which was full of legend and mythology.
Ross didn't rush to move forward, but instead carefully examined the murals as he walked, trying to capture more details from them.
His understanding of the Jaygarcia family came more from his memories of his past life and the power and status he felt as a Celestial Dragon today.
He had only heard snippets of the family story from Olvia.
Presumably, to have risen step by step to become one of the 20 Kings of the World Government and ruled the world for a full 800 years, one's family must have possessed some extraordinary qualities.
...
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