Looking at the bold text printed across the document's header, Admiral Sengoku felt immediate unease, as if some conspiracy was unfolding before his eyes.
However, he quickly reached out and picked up the document, forcing himself to calm down, and began reading through the details.
As he progressed through the pages, his expression gradually grew darker, more thunderous, as if he might devour someone at any moment.
Beside him, Fleet Admiral Kong was also reading his copy. The further he read, the more visibly disturbed he became, anger building behind his eyes like gathering storm clouds.
"Ridiculous!" Admiral Sengoku suddenly snarled, slamming the document shut with enough force to make the sound echo through the office.
Originally, he'd intended to perform calculated irritation, to play a role for strategic advantage. But at this moment, his fury was completely genuine.
He'd gained a comprehensive understanding of the Seven Warlords of the Sea draft proposal.
The document outlined something deceptively simple: seven pirates possessing sufficient fame and strength would be selected and recruited by the World Government. They would be granted legal authority to plunder. They would be extracted from the pirate faction and established as a new agency directly under World Government administration.
That alone was already excessive, an insult to everything the Marines stood for.
But what made it even more intolerable was the administrative structure outlined in the proposal. In the World Government's conception, this so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea organization would hold the exact same institutional status as Marine Headquarters and the CP Agency.
In other words, once this plan was implemented, these seven great pirates would be placed on equal administrative footing with Admiral Sengoku himself.
Who the hell could accept that?
Setting aside whether individuals could stomach this arrangement, the World Government was clearly seeking temporary stability and short-term strategic benefits by massively sacrificing the interests of the Marines, the CP Agency, and even their own member nations.
There was no need to elaborate on the Marine perspective. Legalizing piracy already ground the justice the Marines upheld into the dirt. It was a fundamental insult to the very concept of justice itself. What made it worse was that this organization would instantly become a "brother agency" on the same institutional level as Marine Headquarters?
It was genuinely absurd. Suppress the bandits and suddenly they're family?
As for the CP Agency, they would face similar indignities. The mere emergence of a Seven Warlords organization on the same administrative level would inevitably infringe upon their institutional authority and operational jurisdiction.
However, the embarrassing reality was that the CP Agency didn't engage in direct combat operations against pirates. They also lacked the degree of institutional independence the Marines had carefully nurtured. The source of all their power didn't derive from military strength or operational capability, but purely from World Government favor and patronage.
So even if they harbored grievances about this arrangement, they could only grit their teeth and accept it.
As for the non-allied nations, the words "legal plunder" already told the entire story.
Once this plan was implemented, it would be perfectly legal and proper for these seven pirates to brutalize non-allied nations without consequence.
It would be legal to burn down your palace today. Legal to drag your queen and princess back to warm their beds tomorrow.
Think about the implications. This would cause catastrophic violations of the interests of the upper nobility across member states, to say nothing of the ordinary people below them. Common citizens would be treated like livestock, ready to be slaughtered at the pirates' whims.
In fact, this was the primary reason why, twenty years in the future, when the Marines proposed abolishing the Seven Warlords system at the World Conference, every single member nation would support it unanimously and enthusiastically.
Because they were victims too.
Dressrosa and Alabasta would become the most visible examples of Warlord predation. Dressrosa's entire royal authority would be directly usurped by a Warlord. Alabasta would descend into massive civil war, with tens of millions of soldiers fighting for years, resulting in countless casualties and near-national collapse.
Besides those two prominent cases, there would be countless other nations persecuted by the Seven Warlords, either openly or through covert manipulation.
It was no wonder they couldn't tolerate it any longer. Once the Marines took the lead in challenging the system, everyone would fight shoulder to shoulder.
Overthrow the entire rotten structure!
As Sengoku spoke his objection, Fleet Admiral Kong suppressed his own burning anger and remained silent, waiting to see how this would unfold.
The Five Elders seemed to have perfectly anticipated Sengoku and Kong's reactions. They remained remarkably calm, not bothered in the slightest by Sengoku's open rudeness.
"How is it ridiculous?" Saint Topman Warcury asked, his tone almost curious.
"The World Government has been established in this world for eight hundred years," Sengoku said, his voice hard and sharp. "Our Marines have dominated the seas for those same eight centuries. When have we ever legitimized piracy? Doesn't this bring fundamental shame to the concept of justice itself? How can our Marines possibly accept such a draft proposal?!"
His words rang with genuine conviction.
"Don't misunderstand the situation, Sengoku," Saint Topman Warcury replied with equal bluntness. "It's not us who have brought shame to justice. It's your Marines. If the Marine forces were capable of salvaging the current situation, how could we possibly resort to such a desperate measure?!"
The argument was delivered like a slap.
Sengoku found himself momentarily speechless, unable to immediately refute the accusation.
Because what Saint Topman Warcury said was objectively true, however painful to acknowledge. If the Marines possessed sufficient power to suppress all Four Blues, eliminate pirate threats systematically, and maintain stability and peace across the oceans, why would the World Government need to propose the infamous Seven Warlords of the Sea plan at all?
But that logic was incomplete, deeply flawed. If the World Government hadn't been systematically suppressing Marine development over the past several years, the Marines wouldn't have allowed the situation to deteriorate to this crisis point in the first place!
However, due to institutional position and political reality, these words couldn't be spoken openly. Doing so would only lead to more severe consequences, potentially catastrophic for Marine autonomy.
Therefore, Sengoku felt deeply aggrieved, humiliated even, but couldn't directly voice his counterargument.
Seeing that Sengoku had been silenced, Saint Topman Warcury softened his tone slightly. "Of course, we also understand that the only forces we can truly rely on and trust are you Marines. Pirates are fundamentally shameless and cannot be trusted under any circumstances. So although the Seven Warlords of the Sea draft proposal intends to grant them sufficient institutional status, in practical reality, we don't genuinely trust them at all."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Your Marines will retain authority to supervise and control the Seven Warlords organization to a considerable extent. If circumstances require it, you can even move to eliminate them entirely."
"That's not a sufficient reason!" Sengoku refused without a moment's hesitation, his voice ringing with finality.
They couldn't allow this organization to exist simply because there would be some degree of Marine oversight. That was absurd reasoning.
Truly ridiculous.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter spoke up then, his voice carrying a note of pragmatic reasoning. "Endure temporary humiliation now to preserve the institution forever. Do you honestly think we want to negotiate with these despicable pirates? It's only because the situation has spiraled completely out of control that we're forced to pursue stabilization through any means necessary."
The statement carried undeniable truth. How could the Five Elders willingly deal with lowborn pirates?
The situation had genuinely deteriorated to the point where they had no choice but to swallow their pride and anger.
Historical evidence would prove their reasoning sound. Although it would take more than ten years to fully perfect the Seven Warlords of the Sea organization and actually select the final seven pirates for the positions, once the plan was officially announced, the chaotic situation caused by rampant piracy would be effectively dampened.
Multiple factors would contribute to that outcome. For example, pirates who previously had no options besides continuing their violent careers would suddenly face the possibility of legal recruitment. Naturally, they would become less recklessly aggressive, wanting to observe how the situation developed before committing to any particular course.
The Marines would be greatly stimulated by the arrangement and begin frantically eliminating pirates to prove their continued relevance and capability.
The institutional rivalry would force unprecedented cooperation between the CP Agency and the Marines, both suffering losses in this political arrangement.
non-allied nations would also make numerous arrangements to protect themselves under the new system even join the WG.
Many factors would interweave. But the practical result would be undeniable: the overwhelming tide of the Great Pirate Era would slow considerably.
And that outcome was exactly what the Five Elders needed and calculated upon.
As long as they weren't completely overwhelmed by a single massive wave, as long as they could recover even slightly, they would be able to quickly stabilize the situation, purge corrupt elements, and implement deeper strategic deployments.
To put it simply, the Seven Warlords of the Sea plan was trading massive immediate concessions in exchange for time. Time for the World Government to catch its breath. After that breathing space, just three to five years, the World Government would fully adapt to this chaotic era.
By then, whatever needed to be done could be accomplished without such desperate urgency.
The strategic depth of the overall situation would increase dramatically.
"The matter is settled," Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro said, his voice cold and final. "We have made our decision. The Seven Warlords of the Sea draft will be implemented. We're presenting it to you today so that you can review it for potential flaws and gaps, to examine this plan and identify any major weaknesses that need addressing. We are not giving you the option to oppose it!"
The Five Elders naturally differed in their individual personalities and leadership styles. For example, Saint Topman Warcury preferred logical reasoning and systematic argument. Saint Shepherd Ju Peter was unusually calm and measured in his approach. Conversely, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro was considerably more extreme and direct in his methods.
When Sengoku heard this ultimatum, rage flashed in his eyes like lightning.
He had served the World Government faithfully for so many years. He had endured countless grievances and indignities, swallowed his pride again and again for the greater institutional good.
But this time, he was genuinely exhausted. Done.
So he prepared to explode, to finally voice everything he'd been holding back.
But before he could unleash that fury, Fleet Admiral Kong's hand shot out and grabbed Sengoku's arm, pinning him down against the sofa with surprising force. Kong looked directly at the Five Elders and spoke with measured calm.
"We understand what you're communicating. Our Marines will seriously consider this draft proposal. Please allow us to take the documents back for comprehensive internal review."
Seeing Kong lower his head in apparent submission, the Five Elders visibly relaxed. Saint Topman Warcury smiled with satisfaction. "Excellent. None of us want to see this kind of arrangement become necessary, but isn't this all for the greater good of global stability? Kong, when you return to Marineford, please help persuade Sengoku not to become trapped in emotional disputes about this matter."
He paused meaningfully.
"We will increase your Marines' military budget for next year by fifteen percent as discussed. As for the Commander-in-Chief position we mentioned earlier, you should feel free to look forward to that development."
Obviously, these words were calculated to win over Fleet Admiral Kong specifically.
After all, he was the one who made final decisions regarding Marine institutional policy. As long as he nodded his approval first, the remaining problems would become manageable.
Kong certainly understood the Five Elders' strategy perfectly. He was furious, blood pounding in his temples. To him, these words seemed designed to win him over, to bribe him into compliance.
But in reality, wasn't this simply an insult?
Did they think he, Kong, was so weak-willed? So easily bought?
However, Kong suppressed the burning anger in his chest, forced his expression into something resembling a smile, and said, "Yes. We will consider it with appropriate care."
Saint Topman Warcury nodded with clear satisfaction, then turned his attention to Sengoku. "We don't intend to pursue further punishment regarding your Marines' defeat this time. You may handle internal accountability as you see fit. The critical flaw in that operation was intelligence failure. I have already severely reprimanded the CP Agency about this matter. The Whitebeard Pirates appearing on Paradise represents such a major development, yet they received no advance intelligence whatsoever. This constitutes serious dereliction of duty on their part."
He raised one hand slightly.
"Of course, I'm not making excuses for your Marines' operational failures. But Sengoku's mistakes in this particular incident are forgiven. We will not pursue additional punishment."
Sengoku showed no joy whatsoever upon hearing this supposed clemency. His face remained stormy, expression dark as thunderclouds.
Then the Five Elders seemed to tire of the conversation entirely. They waved their hands dismissively. "That concludes our discussion. We hope you'll consider the proposal carefully and provide useful suggestions for implementation. Well, the Marines are busy with operational matters, so we won't keep you any longer."
"Yes," Kong said, his voice carefully neutral.
Then he grabbed Sengoku's arm and practically dragged him toward the door.
After descending in the elevator and finally leaving the headquarters building entirely, stepping out into the open air of Mary Geoise, Sengoku's expression eased slightly. He looked at Kong with genuine gratitude. "Thank you for stopping me back there, Fleet Admiral."
"If I hadn't held you back, were you planning to say something even more inflammatory?" Kong waved his hand, not concerned about the intervention. "You know how that would have ended."
"This is too much!" Sengoku said coldly, anger still simmering beneath his controlled exterior. "Completely unacceptable."
"What can we do when we're under their control?" Kong shook his head helplessly. "You should be able to see clearly that the entire conversation today ultimately centered around that damned Seven Warlords of the Sea proposal. In other words, the World Government, those five rulers, have already made their final decision. No matter how much we argue or object, it will only exacerbate the conflict between our organizations. It won't actually change the outcome."
His voice carried the weight of political reality.
"Are we just supposed to let them do whatever they want?" Sengoku asked, frustration evident in every word.
"I'm also struggling to organize my thoughts clearly," Kong admitted. "But I know one thing with certainty: if you'd started a direct confrontation with them in that office, it would have been catastrophically disadvantageous to our Marines. What if they'd become angry enough to strip you of your Admiral position out of spite? What would we do then?"
He met Sengoku's eyes directly.
"So don't act on immediate impulse. After we return to Marineford, we'll convene a comprehensive strategy meeting. We'll discuss this thoroughly with our senior staff and formulate a coherent institutional response before confronting the World Government again with our position."
Kong's voice was steady, the voice of experienced command.
Sengoku was no impulsive young officer. He certainly understood the logic and strategic wisdom behind Kong's approach.
Therefore, although fury still burned in his heart, although the humiliation sat like acid in his stomach, he nodded with reluctant acceptance. "You're right. That's the correct approach."
But as they walked away from the World Government headquarters building, both men's backs were rigid with suppressed anger.
The Five Elders had won this round completely.
And both Kong and Sengoku knew it.
The question now was how to minimize the damage and maintain some degree of Marine institutional dignity in the face of this political defeat.
That conversation would happen back at Marineford, among allies they could trust.
For now, they could only endure.