Ain and Binz's words made Jake realize that what they were talking about was exactly the kind of thing from his previous life.
Indeed, such things were highly profitable in any world, especially in a place like One Piece where the laws were completely unreasonable.
Monet frowned upon hearing this and asked about sothing she had personally experienced.
"Then the Celestial Tribute in this country must be extrely high, right? After all, when the World Governnt collects the Celestial Tribute, they do so based on the country's wealth—I believe it's roughly ten percent of the nation's total annual wealth?"
Ain nodded, then sighed before continuing to explain to the group.
"Because the country is so wealthy, the amount of Celestial Tribute collected is several tis higher than that of neighboring countries. If Prince were a normal country, these taxes wouldn't be a big deal.
Unfortunately, Prince suffers from extre wealth inequality—99% of the population holds less than 3% of the assets, while the remaining 97% of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of just 1% of the people."
"What makes it even more unfair is that when collecting the Celestial Tribute, the king decreed that everyone was equal. So he divided the total amount equally among all citizens—every single one, including newborn babies, who were also required to pay exorbitant taxes."
Hearing this, Smoker's expression darkened.
He slamd the table and cursed angrily.
"Damn bloodsuckers! They don't talk about equality when hoarding wealth, but suddenly preach 'equality for all' when it cos to paying taxes! If I ever see that bastard, I'll rip his head off!"
Hina sighed and said helplessly.
"Smoker, watch your words. You're a Marine, not a pirate. Hina finds your behavior troubling."
Binz who's usually mild-mannered, was also visibly angry.
"Back then, Ain and I lived in that country for a while. We saw firsthand what those families had to sacrifice just to pay the taxes!"
At this point, Binz's eyes reddened slightly.
"Because the nobles and royals controlled the vast majority of the wealth, they used their financial power to monopolize every opportunity for advancent in the country. Whether you were a rchant, lawyer, doctor, or any other profession, if you wanted to make a living, you had to pay a hefty 'employnt fee' to those nobles and royals—an amount roughly equivalent to two years' worth of expenses for an average family."
"You might think that doesn't sound too bad—just tighten your belt for a few years and you could save up. But that's exactly the trap those damned bastards set. If they demanded an impossible sum right away, people would simply give up. But by setting a high yet achievable goal, they forced the country's citizens into endless competition among themselves."
"There isn't a clear threshold for the job-seeking gold, but the amount you pay determines which social tier you'll end up in. To secure a decent job, most families even choose to pay double the required amount."
"This is just one thod of extracting wealth from people. To minimize their losses when faced with exorbitant Celestial Tribute taxes, they resort to even more brutal—or rather... bloody—asures. They kill useless children in their families or abandon the elderly and the sick who can no longer work, just to avoid being burdened by the crushing taxes."
Binz slamd his fist on the table, tears the size of beans streaming uncontrollably down his face:
"Behind the Prince Kingdom, there's a garbage dump filled with the bones of the elderly and children. That place is called the 'Land of the Forsaken.' I've seen it—it's no environnt fit for humans. Everything there made question whether I was hallucinating hell or not."
Listening to Binz, Jake found himself at a loss for words.
He stared at the bounty poster in his hand, focusing on the man with the hooked nose, his expression twisting into sothing indescribable.
What was the point of saving a country so utterly rotten?
But letting those damned pirates take over would only make life worse for its people.
So why not use the pirates to overthrow that corrupt nation, then righteously eliminate the pirates afterward?
He knew it might not change much in the long run.
Maybe in a decade or two, the country would revert to its old ways of extre inequality.
But Jake believed that if there was a chance to make a difference now, it was better to act.
His prolonged silence over the bounty poster drew everyone's attention.
Monet who's especially curious, asked him.
"Jake, what's on your mind? Why the sudden long pause?"
Facing their puzzled looks, Jake suddenly broke into a bright smile and declared.
"If the country is already that rotten, why bother cutting away the decayed flesh from a corpse? Why not just burn it all down and build a new house on the ashes?"
The mont those words left his mouth, Binz lunged to cover Jake's mouth.
Hina paled, exclaiming.
"Do you even realize what you're saying? Hina is terrified!"
Smoker, however, grinned and chuckled.
"Great minds think alike!"
Seeing everyone's tension, Jake reassured them with a smile.
"Don't worry—there's no one else here and it's just an idea for now. I'll only act after seeing the actual state of the country. If you all agree, we can give it a try. Failure doesn't matter as long as we take down the pirates."
Hearing Jake's bold words, Binz wrestled with his thoughts before recalling the hellish scenes he'd witnessed.
Gritting his teeth, he finally said to Jake.
"I believe in you, Jake!"
" too! That punch of yours really hurt!"
"Hina doesn't understand, but Hina is willing to trust you."
"We'll follow your lead."
"Binz, you're being reckless too? Fine, I'll join as well—at least I can keep an eye on you all."
As everyone voiced their support, a faint smile appeared on Jake's face.
Black Hawk Pirates, I hope you'll prove yourselves worthy.
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