The North Blue was a vast expanse of sea, its islands scattered like stars.
There were large islands capable of supporting millions and small ones that could only accommodate a few thousand.
On nearly every island with over ten thousand people, various Mafia families were deeply entrenched, alongside the territories of pirate crews and criminal organizations.
During his tenure, Sakazuki had launched relentless campaigns, but the results were largely insignificant.
The people of the North Blue were inherently accustomed to violence and conflict.
Even if existing Mafia families were completely wiped out, new underworld powers would emerge in a short time.
It was an incurable chronic ailment.
A curse unique to the North Blue.
Although the Marines were powerful, they were a military force under the World Government.
They possessed law enforcement rights, but not administrative or garrison rights—this was the shackle the World Government had placed on them.
No matter how many underworld forces the Marines destroyed, without garrison rights, they could only return to their bases.
Then history would repeat itself: the Mafia resurges, the Marines mobilize, and the cycle continues.
And now, Borsalino, Raleigh, Gion, and Tokikake had to confront this challenge.
"In my view," Borsalino was the first to voice his opinion, "since Sakazuki's iron-fisted approach proved ineffective, perhaps we should try a laissez-faire policy and let the people of the North Blue regulate themselves."
"Absolutely not!" Gion immediately objected, her face flushed with anger to the point where she forgot the rank difference between them.
Borsalino, unlike Sakazuki, didn't mind such minor details.
"The people are suffering under the persecution of the Mafia and pirates," Gion argued. "If we stand by and do nothing, where does the Marines' justice stand? In my opinion, we should follow Vice Admiral Sakazuki's approach—firmly crack down on them and make them live in fear. That is the key."
Tokikake nodded in agreement.
First, he supported Gion in everything.
Second, he couldn't think of a better alternative.
Compared to Borsalino's laissez-faire policy, Sakazuki's iron-fisted approach was preferable.
It also offered plenty of opportunities for battle.
Borsalino tapped the table. "First, both of you are merely Four Seas Inspectors and have no authority to override decisions made by the North Blue's Commander. Second, I've discussed this with Sakazuki. The forces here are intricately entangled and stronger than in the other three seas. Given our current forces, we lack the strength to suppress the entire North Blue. At most, we can control about one-third of the region."
Hearing this, Gion could only swallow her anger.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, aren't you afraid we'll report this to headquarters and they dock your pay?"
Borsalino scratched his head.
He feared little, but having his salary deducted was a genuine concern.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to come here.
He had long intended to spend his entire career at Marine Headquarters—after all, who would dare cause trouble in Marineford?
But after headquarters brought up Raleigh and the threat of pay cuts, he had no choice.
"Ah, little Gion, how could you dock my pay?" Borsalino sighed, picking up his cup of hot water.
"I don't care. You must come up with a way to govern the North Blue. It definitely can't be a laissez-faire policy."
Borsalino inwardly sighed at the trouble.
A situation that hadn't changed for centuries, and she insisted on a solution today.
Kerr... Kerr... Kerr...
A soft snoring sound caught Borsalino's attention.
His eyes lit up.
Yes! He wasn't fighting this battle alone; he had his little brother right here.
This brother of his possessed unfathomable strength and a remarkably sharp mind, capable of finding opportunities to slack off even in the most challenging environments.
Borsalino trusted him as much as he trusted his own speed.
"Raleigh, Raleigh. Stop sleeping already."
Borsalino's calls failed to rouse Raleigh, who was napping on the sofa.
Seeing this, Gion could no longer contain her anger.
She, Borsalino, and Tokikake had been debating how to uphold justice until their throats were dry, while the North Blue's Vice Adjutant was slacking off.
She could not tolerate it!
Whoosh!
Konpira was drawn.
Raleigh instantly opened his eyes as he felt a slight chill, executing a graceful flip to land behind the sofa.
When he saw the drawn sword, he understood everything.
'Most likely, Gion feels unbalanced again, thinking I'm slacking off while she's working hard.'
Understanding the situation, Raleigh gave an awkward smile.
"Gion, put Konpira away first. No need to use it here."
Gion responded with a strained smile, "Is that so, Rear Admiral? I feel like we're missing someone during our discussions."
Raleigh wiped his cold sweat. "I was deep in thought just now. I think Vice Admiral Borsalino is right. Since the iron-fisted policy can't make the North Blue better, let's try a laissez-faire approach first..."
Seeing Gion's increasingly displeased expression, Raleigh swallowed the rest of his words.
Borsalino watched this unfold with a sleazy smile.
"Raleigh, Gion just said that if we can't come up with a solution, she'll report to headquarters to dock both our salaries."
"Then dock them. It's not like I really need money anyway." Raleigh didn't care.
He ate, dressed, lived, and worked at the marine base.
Plus, the slacking system had already given him treasures worth tens of millions of Berries.
"Just help your brother out," Borsalino made a bitter face. "I still need money quite badly."
He was already accustomed to spending money lavishly.
If his salary were docked, he wouldn't be able to pay for the South Blue black goji berries he had reserved.
This was an unacceptable pain for Borsalino, who prioritized slacking and health maintenance.