One Piece: The True Codex

The words on the chalkboard were, of course, written by William, the transmigrator.

Earlier, when discussing with Dampier how to resolve the population issues in the slums, William had written those six words on the chalkboard. However, he hadn't had the chance to explain them in detail, as other matters had diverted his attention. Now that Roy had been dealt with, the issue had become increasingly urgent, prompting William to find time to revisit the discussion with Dampier.

"I still don't understand how Kalmar City managed to gather such a large population in the first place."

William walked over to the map of Kalmar City. Dampier had marked the map with red, yellow, and blue to represent the slums, civilian district, and noble district, respectively. The red area representing the slums occupied most of the map, nearly encircling the civilian and noble districts.

Recently, with the increase in bankruptcies, the slums showed signs of further expansion. William had assigned personnel to guard the docks heavily, preventing crime from spreading there and protecting the already fragile trade routes.

With hundreds of thousands of impoverished people struggling to survive, even Norton I and Arcadio, the feudal rulers, couldn't sustain them, let alone William, who only had a single city at his disposal. The wall tax had further widened the gap between the rich and the poor. The civilians, who were originally the primary consumers, now had no disposable income and didn't dare to spend, resulting in unsold goods and a declining economy. The poor market environment made merchant ships increasingly reluctant to visit Kalmar City, driving up prices further and adding new wounds to the civilians. Bankruptcy led to the expansion of the slums, and the spread of crime to the docks further disrupted trade. Step by step, the situation had fallen into a vicious cycle.

"Kalmar City's economy used to be quite prosperous. Many surrounding nations were also thriving, such as the Faraise Kingdom, the Goa Kingdom, and Glass Bead Island. Maritime trade had to pass through Kalmar City," Dampier said softly as he approached William. "But it feels like it all fell apart in no time."

William propped his chin with his right hand, his furrowed brows showing no relief at Dampier's words. Even with Kalmar City's advantageous location, revitalizing the economy would take time. William wasn't a god; he couldn't conjure resources out of thin air to meet people's needs.

He could only rack his brain, drawing from the history and knowledge of his previous life, to find policies that could quickly address the surplus population.

These were the six words he had written on the chalkboard, listed in order of time and difficulty: Rural Development, Immigration, Industry.

In the short term, relocating the surplus population that the city couldn't sustain to areas with production capabilities could barely alleviate the pressure. A further step would involve developing other habitable islands within the territory. However, immigration required sustained government support. Simply abandoning people on a deserted island to fend for themselves wasn't a solution; that would be no better than throwing them into the sea to drown, which would at least save on transportation costs.

As for industry, it went without saying: industrial development required a large population. But developing industry on a significant scale took time, and sometimes time alone wasn't enough.

Even after achieving scale, product distribution would become a critical issue to address.

After discussing with William, Dampier suggested that a rural development campaign could reorganize the semi-autonomous villages and towns of the Navia Kingdom, strengthening the connection between the royal city and the provinces. This would also create a market for products to be distributed to subordinate villages and towns in the future.

"It's still a bit early to talk about this. Sherlock has only just sent people to Glass Bead Island for an investigation," William said, glancing at the newspaper clipping about the sea train hanging nearby.

Influenced by his previous education, William's first thought when it came to industrial development was the spinning jenny, followed by the textile industry. While this might seem rigid, the textile industry was indeed one of the labor-intensive industries. Thus, William tentatively decided to prioritize it as the next major project.

Glass Bead Island, home to the popular fashion brand "DOSKOI PANDA," had a relatively complete textile and clothing supply chain. William had already instructed Sherlock to send people from the Four Seas Trading Company to learn from their operations in preparation for the future.

On the other hand, Dampier seemed unimpressed. "It's never too early. What you said before is absolutely correct: industrial development benefits other sectors as well. The discipline and obedience of workers make them the ideal candidates for soldiers. Moreover, labor-intensive industries are conducive to promoting education. The earlier we finalize the plans, the sooner we can start pushing the projects. Sherlock is too slow—his merchant instincts are too strong. All he sees is profit and not the future."

If Dampier had been on Earth in William's previous life, he would undoubtedly have been a member of the so-called "industrialist" faction. Although William was addressing the population issue rather than purely pursuing industrialization, his plans for the textile industry had already won Dampier's enthusiastic approval.

Dampier was thoroughly disillusioned with this world's ruling class. His constant complaints about them made it clear. Encountering someone like William, who valued technology and had ideas for promoting it, gave Dampier a sense of recognition. This was likely one of the reasons he chose to ally with William.

The technological disparity in this world was immense. While there were advanced steam-powered vehicles and emerging electricity, the ruling class—from the World Government to individual monarchs—remained largely feudal in their mindset. Even the so-called enlightened rulers contributed little to the dissemination and development of technology.

In the noble district of the Navia Kingdom, electric lights had already been installed. However, for the ruling class, such technology was merely a luxurious ornament to showcase their status. For a monarch like Norton I, new technologies were little more than extravagant toys. Once the novelty wore off, they were forgotten.

Meanwhile, in the same city's slums, forget electric lights—kerosene lamps were a luxury.

As a transmigrator, William wasn't overly surprised by this environment. In his previous life, he had traveled to Africa for business and witnessed government officials sitting in air-conditioned offices, browsing the internet, and downloading American TV shows. Meanwhile, the majority of the country's population lived in conditions where even basic electricity was unavailable.

The promotion and development of technology in this world bore some similarities. The island geography, with nations separated by vast oceans and strange phenomena like the Calm Belt, further hindered the exchange of civilization.

"If only we had the technology for the sea train," William couldn't help but glance again at the newspaper clipping about the sea train, sighing as he spoke.

In this world, maritime navigation was most affected by climate and the countless sea beasts lurking beneath the waves, with the Calm Belt being the most notorious. This windless region was teeming with Sea Kings, making it a place most avoided.

The sea train, powered by steam, overcame the challenges of climate. Its designers had even developed a special technology that caused the train's wheels to emit sounds during operation that repelled fish and Sea Kings, allowing it to avoid these fearsome sea creatures.

"The World Government and the Celestial Dragons are nothing but pig-headed fools," Dampier sneered. "They'd rather spend centuries building bridges than promote such technology. It'll be hundreds of years before something like this reaches the East Blue."

~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~

The story isn't over...

🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?

🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?

✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?

✨patreon.com/GoldenLong