But then Borsalino had a thought and came up with an exceptionally "vicious" method.
"Raleigh, I'm ordering you as the Vice Admiral of the North Blue to come up with this solution. This has nothing to do with our family relationship, but if you still refuse to contribute, don't blame me."
Raleigh looked indifferent, knowing his brother's temperament.
After all, he couldn't possibly kill him.
Whether it was docking salaries or sending him where pirates were most numerous, he could still find ways to slack off.
"Heh, Raleigh, it seems you won't take this seriously until your back is against the wall."
Borsalino's words instantly changed Raleigh's previously calm expression.
"You're really something, going for the kill against family!" Raleigh had originally planned to muddle through.
But after Borsalino's "vicious" words, he changed his mind.
There was no choice—these words had hit Raleigh's weak spot, forcing him to obey.
Gion and Tokikake stood by and was stunned.
They never expected that what could motivate Raleigh to work would be such an absurd statement.
The words were— 'Raleigh, if you don't listen to me, I'll credit all the North Blue military merits to you and have you promoted to headquarters.'
Gion and Tokikake couldn't imagine that such seemingly absurd words could actually strike a chord with Raleigh.
"Isn't... isn't getting promoted to headquarters something countless people dream of? Why do you seem so reluctant about it?" Tokikake was utterly puzzled.
In his mind, Marine Headquarters was the best place one could be.
Gion didn't fully understand either, but she was somewhat more perceptive.
She could tell from Borsalino's words and Raleigh's expression that Raleigh despised the idea of being promoted to Marine Headquarters.
She mentally noted this, deciding to use it later when Raleigh became disobedient.
"Fine, Borsalino! You're ruthless! Our brotherly bond ends here!"
Facing Raleigh's threat, Borsalino remained completely unruffled.
He took a small sip of his hot tea.
"A talent like Christian Raleigh, being the North Blue Commander gives me the authority to recommend promising individuals to Headquarters. Whether one goes or not sometimes boils down to a single word. Even with insufficient military merits, they can be accumulated over time, don't you think?"
Borsalino's words instantly made the furious Raleigh switch to a smiling face.
The drastic change made one wonder if Raleigh had learned the art of face-changing in the East Blue.
Raleigh dashed behind Borsalino and began gently massaging his shoulders.
"What are you talking about, big brother? Brothers for a day, brothers for life. I just felt the atmosphere was too stiff and was cracking a joke. How's this pressure?"
Borsalino looked at Raleigh with approval. "Not bad, not bad. Perfect pressure. You kid knows when to yield and when to stand firm—truly talented."
Watching the two fooling around, Gion couldn't help but rub her temples.
Did Headquarters really not consider anything when assigning these two as Commander and Vice Adjutant?
"Alright you two, let's pause the brotherly harmony act and focus on what strategy we should adopt." Gion was exasperated.
If she weren't present, these two would probably have slacked through another meeting.
Hearing this, Raleigh stopped.
He finally understood—Gion was the only one here taking this matter seriously.
(Tokikake didn't count, as he couldn't come up with anything anyway.)
If Raleigh didn't contribute something useful, he had no doubt Gion would call Headquarters, especially Staff Officer Tsuru.
Raleigh felt his acting skills were still too immature to perform in front of her.
"Alright Gion, I actually have a general idea, though I'm not sure if it's feasible." Raleigh stopped, and Borsalino also stood up, ready to hear his junior's novel idea.
"First," Raleigh adopted a threatening posture, slamming his hand on the table, "all of you must swear this wasn't my doing. The credit can't go to me. If I find out you credited me and got me sent to Headquarters, I'll fight you to the death!"
"I have no objections..." Borsalino knew his junior had reached his limit.
"Why?" Gion was completely baffled.
Tokikake tugged at her sleeve. "Since Vice Admiral Borsalino agreed, we should too. We don't have recommendation authority—we're just reporting to Headquarters."
Raleigh's eyes swept over Gion and Tokikake.
"You two as well. Don't think our academy ties mean anything here. No exceptions. If you report this to Headquarters, I won't say another word."
Gion hesitated, but she still wanted to hear Raleigh's opinion.
Raleigh held a red pen and selected an island relatively close to the base.
He casually circled the names of two factions.
Tokikake's eyes lit up. "Raleigh, you don't mean for the Marines to eliminate these two Mafia families, then let other families feel the Marines' deterrence to maintain stability, do you?"
Gion and Borsalino nodded.
This method was a compromise—compared to the previous two plans, it required fewer personnel while still having some effect.
Find a few factions to make examples of, eliminate them ruthlessly, then threaten the rest.
Raleigh shook his head. "Impossible. They're hyenas daring to fight for territory right under Sakazuki's nose. Even if we eliminate them, it won't be enough to make them change."
Gion thought but couldn't figure it out, so she had to ask, "Then what do you mean?"
Raleigh tapped the table. "I think there are too many factions here. We need to reduce their numbers. The two families I just circled—I don't know their exact situation, but their territories are relatively small."
"Then we, the Marines, will eliminate stronger factions and prop these two up, letting them manage the island on our behalf. Two rival forces each control an area, while we Marines act as referees. Whoever we support must obey us. Those who don't will naturally be replaced by those who do."
Hearing this, Gion and Tokikake's faces turned horrified.