Kong's authority was gradually stripped away.
(In exchange, after retirement, Kong was promoted to the nominal position of Commander-in-Chief of the Three Forces.)
Most of the authority was transferred among the admirals, to Sengoku and Zephyr.
However, Sengoku tacitly complied with the wishes of the Celestial Dragons and did not deliver any significant blows to the pirates.
Although Zephyr was unaware of the specifics, based on Raleigh's understanding of him, his teacher still held a deep-seated desire to eradicate pirates.
Recalling how Zephyr's wife and child had been brutally murdered by pirates of unknown origin, which drained his spirit and led him to retreat to teaching at the military academy, Raleigh couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
What rank was Zephyr?!
An admiral—essentially one of the most powerful figures in the Marines.
Yet his wife and child were killed by a group of unidentified pirates.
The situation was deeply unsettling.
It was important to note that Zephyr had never shed pirate blood; his reputation as the "Non-Killing Admiral" was proven battle after battle.
There was no reason for pirates to target an admiral like him.
Moreover, Zephyr had been away from headquarters due to a minor incident and couldn't return in time.
These pirates managed to evade the surveillance of both the Marines and the CP intelligence organization, killed Zephyr's family, and then vanished without a trace.
One had to admit, in Raleigh's eyes, this matter was highly suspicious.
Upon careful reflection, only one organization could execute such a flawless operation.
The answer was on the tip of his tongue, ready to emerge.
Rubbing his temples, Raleigh was now almost certain of the mastermind's motives.
They didn't need a powerful Marines to maintain their rule.
In fact, the weapons they possessed themselves were far more potent than the massive Marines.
The Marines was merely a tool they used to balance the forces across the seas.
The conflicts among pirates, the Marines, underground gangs, and the Mafia were like a sandbox game in their eyes.
They acted as supreme deities, ensuring no single faction grew too weak or too strong.
When the Marines became too powerful, they would divide it, cut its funding, and find ways to drain its strength from within.
When pirates grow powerful, they heavily support the Marines to ensure they aren't left defenseless.
Having figured this out, Raleigh finally understood his role in this chess game.
He was merely a pawn casually placed at the edge of the board.
Using his identity to deal with the Marines was possible, but it likely wasn't the Celestial Dragons' main objective.
It was more likely that certain individuals within the World Government took the initiative for their own political achievements.
Because the Celestial Dragons' true pawns had long been placed among the upper echelons of the Marines.
Zephyr, ignorant of the Celestial Dragons' rules and acting solely on his own principles, was secretly targeted by them.
Although Sengoku appeared to maintain a flawless facade, keeping his distance from the Celestial Dragons, his covert actions suggested otherwise.
He was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary.
In such matters, it didn't even matter who played what role.
One only needed to see who reaped the greatest rewards after everything was over.
Judging by later events, after Kong retired from the Marines, he received the honorary title of Commander-in-Chief of the Three Forces (a nominal position).
Zephyr, broken in spirit by the Celestial Dragons, resigned as an admiral and went to teach at the military academy.
Sengoku, on the other hand, took over the position of Fleet Admiral, becoming the most powerful man in the Marines.
Regardless of Sengoku's true motives or intentions, Raleigh had temporarily assumed him to be the Celestial Dragons' proxy within the Marines.
After some thought, Raleigh said to Borsalino, who was nearly asleep.
"Let's call it a day, brother. I think I've got a rough idea of what's going on."
Borsalino, who had seemed utterly exhausted and on the verge of sleep, suddenly sprang back to life, leaping up from his desk.
"Really, Raleigh?"
His hopeful expression made Raleigh fall silent—he had been completely fooled by Borsalino's acting.
"You bastard, have you been working seriously at all?!"
Raleigh punched Borsalino in the head with such force that it sent his head flying off his shoulders.
Only a headless body remained seated in the office chair.
The head on the floor still wore a look of disbelief.
But Raleigh didn't even glance at it, instead preparing to kick it away.
Before his foot could make contact, the head on the ground suddenly transformed into particles of light.
Swiftly, it returned to Borsalino's neck, reforming into his familiar face.
"I'm telling you, Raleigh, you really ought to work on that temper of yours."
Borsalino brushed off the incident and picked up his teacup, leisurely sipping his goji berry-infused water.
Ever since he met Raleigh, the two had shared an interesting dynamic.
Though Raleigh couldn't defeat him, he'd always lash out whenever Borsalino pushed his buttons.
At first, they'd genuinely fought, but after Borsalino ate the Glint-Glint Fruit, Raleigh could no longer harm him.
Even after Raleigh learned Haki at the military academy, they had outgrown their rowdy phase and rarely engaged in such scuffles.
Haa~
Letting out a soft sigh of warm breath, Borsalino remarked with a hint of nostalgia.
"You were just a little brat back then, already challenging me with gestures. Now that you've learned Armament Haki, you're getting all cocky with me. I really wonder if I'll still be able to beat you in the future."
Raleigh raised his fist, which gleamed with a cold, iron-like black light:
"My dear brother, if you thought that last punch wasn't strong enough, I'll hit you with Armament Haki next time."
Borsalino quickly set down his teacup, a smile spreading across his face.
"Another day... another day... You just said we could take a break. One must keep their word—that's what I've always taught you."
Raleigh shook his head, deciding to let it go with the older brother who had always looked out for him.
Borsalino hummed a little tune, taking his thermos cup as he leisurely left his desk.
Just as he was about to step out, a feeling of being scrutinized washed over him.
Borsalino could tell it was Raleigh's Observation Haki and was about to ask what was going on.
But then Raleigh's low voice reached him.
"Brother, be careful around Sengoku at headquarters. Take it easy and slack off when you can."
Borsalino didn't ask for details.
He trusted Raleigh's judgment and was willing to follow his advice.
Besides, Raleigh telling him to slack off was right up his alley.
When it came to slacking off, you could say the two of them had first and second place locked down.
Raleigh also believed that with Borsalino's intelligence, he would understand what he meant.
So the best solution, in this case, was indeed to slack off.
After all, neither Raleigh nor Borsalino planned to take sides—they just wanted to relax and take it easy.
People who posed no threat to anyone wouldn't be seen as a threat by the Celestial Dragons.