Chapter 274: Two Fakes
By now, the rebel army had completely captured the royal palace. They raised their own flag atop the ruins and debris of the former palace.
Waldo had been handed over by Ian to Arions, who promised Ian that during the trial, Waldo would not be sentenced to death but would only be imprisoned. Ian could then retrieve him from the cell later to have Waldo repair the Thunder Roar Cannon.
Since the original royal family had fled when Waldo first occupied the country, unfortunately, these royals, who had never left the island, had no idea how unpredictable the weather in the New World could be. Shortly after setting sail, they encountered a massive storm, their ship sank, and not a single member of the royal family survived.
Thus, after overthrowing Waldo's rule, Arions and the others could no longer establish a monarchy. They renamed the country the "Republic of Travira."
The word "Travira" in the local dialect means "radiant," symbolizing the nation's rebirth.
Early the next morning, news of the new country's founding spread across the entire island. Upon hearing it, all the residents spontaneously left their homes, cheering and beginning their celebrations.
Waldo's previous two professions had been a scientist and a pirate; he was never cut out to be a king. During his years in power, he only cared about forcing the island's miners to extract Thunder Stones for his research, paying no attention to the people's livelihood. As a result, no one on the island liked him as their king.
With the new nation established, Ian naturally became the country's hero. At the celebratory banquet, the entire Dragon Hunter Pirates were invited by the people and plied with plenty of alcohol by the enthusiastic crowd.
Arions was elected as the first leader of the Republic of Travira, but he was well aware that he knew nothing about governing a country. Moreover, since this country had always been a member state of the World Government—whether under the former royal family or later under Waldo—they had experience dealing with the World Government. Now that Arions was in charge and the country's name had changed, he was uncertain whether to continue as a World Government member state.
So during the banquet, Arions found Ian and sought his advice.
Logically, since Ian had already joined the Revolutionary Army, he shouldn't want to see another country fall into the World Government's embrace. However, he had witnessed the plight of non-member states lacking human rights back in Salamis. With his public identity now being that of a Warlord of the Sea, he thought it over and suggested that Travira join the World Government. This way, whether it was for exploiting Thunder Stones or trading with the outside world, things would go more smoothly.
However, such a small country might not even be on the World Government's radar. At this point, Ian's identity became useful. Arions had no experience dealing with the World Government, but Ian, as a Warlord, was a ready-made bridge for communication. As long as Ian stationed himself in this country, the World Government would take it seriously.
Arions had thought a lot during this time. He understood that the Republic of Travira needed to rely on Ian's power, so he directly proposed hiring Ian as a national advisor. After some consideration, Ian agreed.
Thus, after the celebration ended, the pirate flag of the Dragon Hunter Pirates was raised in various places across the island.
This meant that from then on, Ian's Warlord banner would protect this island.
Seeing their pirate flag fluttering in different spots on the island, the members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. It hadn't been easy—they were once a group of slaves who had escaped from Mary Geoise, banding together for self-preservation. Now, they could openly fly their pirate flag in a country. From being chased like rabbits by the Marines to finally having their bounties revoked and becoming normal people again, recalling the hardships felt like a dream.
Perhaps, when the news of Ian becoming a Warlord spread, those former slave comrades who had been sent away by the Fish-Man Pirates to various parts of the world were also thrilled upon hearing it.
For the island's residents, being able to use the Dragon Hunter Pirates' banner filled them with pride. After all, not every country could have a Warlord stationed there.
The people of this world were truly strange. The arrival of the Great Pirate Era had brought suffering to many countries, with pirates burning, killing, and looting—objects of deep hatred for many. Yet, paradoxically, many places had to rely on pirate economies to develop their nations. They needed pirates to spend money, to visit as tourists, and even to provide protection from harm. It was indeed a fascinating phenomenon.
As compensation, Ian and his crew received a large area of land on the island, which Arions allocated to them. He also sent people to build houses for them to live in. The members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates were very popular on the island. Whenever Zeke and the others went out, they were often surrounded by screaming local girls, and even the furry Dorry was adored by many children.
Ian hadn't been idle during this time either. He and Arions negotiated the trade of Thunder Stone ore.
With his Warlord status and the fact that the World Government was the biggest customer for Thunder Stones, the ore mined by Travira's miners would, after refinement, be handed over to Ian for trade with the World Government. Ian would take a 40% cut of the profits, and the rest would go to Travira.
In other words, even if Ian did nothing, he would still receive 40% of the earnings. It was like money falling from the sky, providing the Dragon Hunter Pirates with a steady stream of income from then on.
After the deal was struck, all that remained was to wait for the World Government to send the money. The news of Ian becoming a Warlord had been published in newspapers by the World Government as promised, but the terms of the agreement hadn't been fully executed yet. The 10 billion Berries Ian had squeezed from the Celestial Dragons hadn't arrived yet, but it was expected soon. When the money came, he could also discuss the Thunder Stone trade with the World Government.
Additionally, there was another matter: when the money arrived, the Identity Chip would likely need to be retrieved from Ian.
Ian and Konenai were alone in the room. On his bed were three boxes. One of them had been sent by Baby-5, while the other two were handed over by Konenai. After the battle, Konenai had retrieved the buried Identity Chip.
Ian first opened the box containing the real Identity Chip and took out the glass bubble holding it.
It looked exactly the same as when it was brought out of Mary Geoise, unchanged. Ian couldn't help but ask curiously, "Didn't you take the Identity Chip out to study it?"
"No, we already studied it!" Konenai said. "This is what it looks like after being resealed. The glass bubble and the solution inside are just to prevent the Identity Chip from being corroded by exposure to air. There's nothing special about it. It's easy to reseal."
"So, what did you find out?" Ian turned to her and asked. "What is the Identity Chip actually used for?"
"I don't know!" Konenai shook her head. "I was just ordered to bring this back to you. Even if something was discovered, it would be classified and not something I'm allowed to know."
Ian nodded and said nothing. The Identity Chip had originally been handed over to Kuma to take away. It was likely that only senior officers like Kuma had the authority to know about it. Although Konenai was a veteran of the Revolutionary Army, she might not have that clearance.
Setting aside the real Identity Chip, Ian opened the fake one made by the Revolutionary Army. It was an identical glass bubble with an identical-looking Identity Chip inside.
Ian examined it closely through the glass bubble and said, "At a glance, there's no flaw. But is this fake reliable?"
"Don't worry, the material is exactly the same, carved bit by bit by forgery experts!" Konenai said with a smile. "Unless the real Identity Chip has some unknown function, they're absolutely identical!"
Ian didn't comment. He put down this fake and picked up the Identity Chip brought by Baby-5.
Compared to the one made by the Revolutionary Army, the one Baby-5 brought looked somewhat crude. Few people in this world had seen an Identity Chip, and Doflamingo had only glimpsed his family's chip as a child. The replica he had made based on his memory naturally had many flaws.
Originally, Ian had planned to give the fake Identity Chip from Doflamingo to the Celestial Dragons and give the Revolutionary Army's fake to Doflamingo. Now, it seemed things were getting complicated...