At the summit of the Red Line, in the Holy Land of Mariejois.
Within a spacious and brightly lit hall stood five men. Three sat on the sofas while two stood at the flanks; they were the ultimate arbiters of global power: the Gorosei.
The atmosphere was unprecedentedly grim. They were waiting, waiting for the arrival of one man.
Creeeeeak…
The massive, ornate doors swung open. A man with a sturdy build, a mohawk, and an "M"-shaped beard stepped inside.
"You've arrived, Kong..." The curly-haired Gorosei standing to the right of the sofa shifted his cane slightly.
"The Knights of Saint Stefano repelling Bartholomew Kuma can be considered vengeance for the Tuscany Legion's previous encounter," Kong said flatly. His tone was so neutral it was impossible to discern his true emotions.
Kong had only just received the intelligence: the Knights of Saint Stefano, having entered the Sky Islands, happened upon the traitorous former Warlord of the Sea, Bartholomew Kuma. The Knights, famed as a unit specialized in countering ability users, forced him to retreat.
Two months prior, the Tuscany Legion, another branch of the Government's military, had engaged in a fierce battle with the Golden Hair Pirates under the Immortal Pirates' banner and suffered a narrow defeat. This time, Bartholomew Kuma's retreat allowed the Government to reclaim some face, though none of this would ever be known by the public. These two armies were the Government's private forces.
"Give it a rest, Kong."
The Gorosei with birthmarks on his forehead and a large scimitar-shaped mustache wore a sullen expression. "If the Navy hadn't used every excuse in the book to dodge their duties, why would there be any need to deploy the Government's own troops?"
Dr. Vegapunk's analysis for Alucard had been spot-on: the Government and the Navy were currently locked in a state of friction.
Ever since that meeting two years ago, when Fujitora Issho proposed those controversial points, Sengoku had not publicly agreed, but many Marines present had tacitly accepted his logic.
They had quietly withdrawn the Marines tasked with guarding against the Immortal Pirates, claiming to their superiors that manpower was needed elsewhere.
Consequently, the Government was forced to dispatch its own loyalist armies to curb the Immortal Pirates' lawless activities. This was the primary reason why clashes between Alucard's crew and the Navy had plummeted over the last two years, replaced almost entirely by skirmishes with Government forces.
Furthermore, the Government was compelled to use its private armies not just because of the Navy's intentional negligence, but because of their own obsession.
They wanted Alucard dead, desperately. Whether it was the Celestial Dragons, the Government administration, or the Gorosei themselves, their desire for Alucard's demise was absolute.
While the Navy shared this goal, their resolve wasn't as frantic. They could convince themselves with the logic of "deal with other pirates first, then handle the Immortals."
The Government, however, could not. They wanted to capture or kill Alucard immediately. The brainless Celestial Dragons above them were especially insistent on instant results.
"The Navy is becoming increasingly disobedient. Now they're even intentionally dumping enemies onto the Government's lap," the scimitar-mustache Gorosei said coldly. "Such behavior is a direct failure of your leadership as Commander-in-Chief of the World Government."
Kong remained silent for a long time before speaking. "I believe this is actually a sound distribution of labor."
Ignoring the darkening expressions of the Gorosei, Kong continued, "Setting the Immortal Pirates aside for a moment, isn't the Navy suppressing the other three Yonko quite effectively? Having the Government step in to handle the remaining one, the Immortal Pirates, is a logical allocation of resources."
Upon hearing this, the short-tempered scimitar-mustache Gorosei slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Are you going mad along with the Navy? Do not forget that you are now the Commander-in-Chief of all forces, not just a Fleet Admiral of the Navy!"
"Then, according to your honors' logic, should the Government's armies just remain hidden away?"
Kong crossed his arms, sounding genuinely amused. "What is the point of an army that doesn't fight? Are they just for show?"
The current situation was even more troublesome than the era of the three-way deadlock between Roger, Whitebeard, and Shiki. Kong had long believed that the Government's private forces, and even the Army and Air Force, should enter this vortex.
Setting aside the Knights of Saint Stefano, who served the Celestial Dragons directly, a force like the Tuscany Legion, which had existed for over a century and had a history no less storied than the Army, should have been utilized long ago.
To keep them tucked away in the Holy Land was like keeping a prized sword in its scabbard; you were simply letting it rust.
However, the Government didn't see it that way. They believed Government troops should never be deployed unless it was a case of absolute necessity. Kong and the Navy held the opposite view: Absolute necessity? By the time you reach that point, it'll be too late.
"The Government's forces were established to protect the Government. Dealing with pirates is the Navy's duty, an inescapable responsibility. Trying to push their enemies onto us... the Navy is truly becoming more decadent by the day." The Gorosei with the long white beard straightened his back, his words dripping with a hint of disdain.
"Forget the rhetoric. The priority is stabilizing the seas. What is wrong with the Government's forces being deployed?"
The discussion dragged on for a long time, yet no decision was reached.
The Navy had finally managed to toss the "unchewable bone" that was the Immortal Pirates to the Government; there was no way they were taking it back now.
…
"The Government's forces, hm? They certainly have plenty of talent."
On the seas near New Amazon Lily, Hancock offered a rare word of praise after using Viola's Glare-Glare Fruit ability to locate and repel two Government surveillance ships. The fact that she acknowledged them spoke volumes about the trouble they had caused her.
Following the Golden Hair Pirates and Kuma, the Kuja Pirates had now also encountered the Government's private military.
"But in the end, they are nothing more than rats. They are no match for me!"
In the end, she was still the Pirate Empress. Pride was etched into her very bones; a single compliment was immediately followed by a dismissive insult.
"What exactly is happening between the Navy and the Government?"
Scarlett and the others wondered. They were deeply curious about the strange shifts in the global power dynamic over the past two years.
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