Chapter 14 - Manipulation

As the captain of my own crew, I knew how important it was to establish a strong sense of leadership and direction. And to do that, I had to be clever in how I presented myself to my crewmates.

At first, I was just another member of the team, doing my part and pulling my weight. But I slowly started to take on more responsibility and assert myself as someone to look up to.

I would offer suggestions and guidance when needed but always framed it in a way that made my crewmates feel like they were the ones coming up with the solutions. I would also praise them for their efforts, making them feel respected and valued.

Over time, my crewmates began to rely on me, seeking my guidance and approval for even the smallest decisions. And while some might call it manipulation, I prefer to think of it as effective leadership.

At the end of the day, I knew that the success of our mission depended on everyone working together as a cohesive unit. And by earning their trust and respect, I knew I could help us all achieve our goals.

As the captain of a this ship, I have always known that the key to success lies in the ability to manipulate those around you. It might sound callous, but it is the truth. And it is a truth that I have utilized to great effect.

Manipulating my crew has been a vital part of running a tight ship, where everything runs smoothly, and everyone works with singular purpose a towards a common goal. In the beginning, it was difficult. Everyone was new to the job, and there was no sense of cohesion. That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Firstly, I identified the key players among the crew - those who were strong and showed potential for leadership. I spent time with them, talking to them, and gauging their personalities. Slowly and steadily, I began to plant seeds in their minds, ideas that would benefit me.

To encourage cooperation and coordination, I started rewarding those who followed my lead. I would highlight their contributions in front of the others and praise them for their efforts. This had an immediate effect. Others wanted their share of the limelight and began to follow suit. Soon, everyone was vying to get recognition, and this led to a healthy competition that propelled results positively.

I also used subtle psychological tactics to manipulate my crew. For instance, I would appeal to their sense of loyalty and make them feel like an integral part of the team. I would use words like 'we' and 'us,' and this made them feel like they were part of a larger mission rather than just working for a wage.

The biggest challenge was bringing everyone together and getting them to work as a cohesive unit. That's when I started creating team-building activities that brought the crew members closer. These activities were designed to challenge them mentally and physically, creating opportunities for them to solve problems together and strengthening interpersonal relationships.

Over time, the crew transformed into a well-oiled machine. They worked passionately, had each other's back, and were always ready for whatever challenges I threw their way. By using a combination of positive reinforcement, subtle psychological tactics, and team-building activities, I had managed to manipulate my crew into becoming my perfect team, and it was worth every effort to see the success of the company.

They were getting stronger at a faster rate too. Obviously, I only put my attention on Tashigo, Smoker, and Doctor Meow. Everyone else was only secondary. I planned to use them as cannon fodder for the day if we couldn't escape.

Moving on.

I need more people that are trustworthy. I have always wished for Smoker and Tashigo. Doctor Meaw is useful too, but I need more...

I need more combat prowess in this crew.

Should I proceed to take Usoppe, he's quite useful, we need a sniper, so he would be quite useful.

People usually place him at the bottom when ranking the straw hats.

Ussop is a sniper and he is easily one of the top snipers in the world.

Yeah. He is a coward! But he always comes around for his friends. Despite his awareness, we have seen him do so many brave things. One thing I got impressed with was when he was soaking he burnt the flag and declared war against the world government.

He is the only sniper of the straw hat pirates and one of the top snipers in the world not to mention the best sniper in all the straw hat grand fleet, the army of the fifth yonko straw hat Luffy.

He is also on his way to unlocking haki. This makes him the 5 members of straw hat pirates to achieve this feat. The previous ones are Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Jimbe. If he gains the ability to use haki at will I couldn't even imagine the things he can do.

He makes the weapon for Nami. He also helps Franky in maintaining Sunny.

He can easily lead a regiment of snipers, gunmen, and cannoneers in a battle and devise a very good battle strategy to ensure their victory.

Ussop has intelligence, wit, talent, and hard work. He has everything fit to be a yonko commander.

But would me taking Ussop change anything?

I guess it's decided then, next I'm gonna!