Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku stood to the side, watching Kane's display of unwavering loyalty to the World Government, feeling their throats go dry.
Saint Nusjuro withdrew his gaze and sat back down on the luxurious leather sofa representing the world's highest authority.
The funds had been approved, and this brief report should have ended here.
"Dismissed, Navy."
Saint Saturn leaned on his cane, his voice dry and raspy.
"Remember your promise. If those 500 billion are spent without even catching a glimpse of Dragon, the wrath of Mary Geoise is something you cannot bear."
Fleet Admiral Kong stood at attention, saluted, and turned to lead his subordinates out of the oppressive room.
However, Kane's feet seemed rooted to the floor tiles, unmoving.
"Kane?" Kong lowered his voice, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.
Ignoring his superior's hint, Kane not only did not retreat but instead took another step forward, facing the five lofty elders directly.
"Honorable elders, the 500 billion in military funds will indeed give G-5 the confidence to pursue Dragon."
Kane slowed his speech, enunciating each word with emphasis.
"But looking at the entire sea, the situation remains a tangled mess."
"Roger's seductive words before his death have increased the number of pirates in the Four Seas and the Grand Line tenfold."
"The Navy's forces have long been stretched to the brink of collapse."
Sengoku, standing behind him, felt his heart race with anxiety.
What is this kid trying to do? First, he asked for money, and now he wants personnel? Headquarters has no extra forces to allocate to him!
"What are you trying to say?" Saint Marcus Mars stopped flipping through the documents, his gaze coldly sweeping over.
"What I want to address is an extremely realistic cost issue."
Kane straightened his back, his Justice Coat fluttering slightly in the windless room.
"The Navy, which upholds Justice, is expensive."
"It takes three years to train a qualified Marine, and ten years to train a capable elite."
"As for pirates, they require no training, no military pay—just a tattered flag and a ship of desperadoes."
Kane paused, then uttered an utterly cold conclusion.
"We trade the life of an elite for the life of a pirate—the Navy loses! The World Government loses!"
The air in the Hall of Power froze for an instant.
"Rather than letting the expensive Navy bleed itself dry by fighting a war of attrition against those worthless pirates..."
Kane's voice suddenly rose, echoing through the empty hall.
"Let's change our approach."
"Let them fight among themselves."
"Fight among themselves?"
Marcus Mars stroked his thick beard, a glimmer of interest flashing in his eyes.
"Exactly."
Kane met the Five Elders' scrutiny without flinching.
"I propose establishing a completely new system—"
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea."
As these five words were spoken, Zephyr, standing behind him, suddenly looked up. His mood, which had just calmed slightly after securing the military funds, was instantly overshadowed by a sense of foreboding.
Kane gave no one a chance to interject, rapidly firing off his core proposal:
"Select seven top-tier pirate overlords with immense influence from across the world."
"The World Government can grant them a special privilege—'Legal Plundering Rights.' Of course, their targets would be limited to Non-Affiliated Countries and other pirates. Simultaneously, the government would remove their bounties and recognize their legal status."
"Absurd!!"
Zephyr took a large step forward, his calloused hands nearly grabbing Kane by the collar.
"Have you lost your mind?! Kane!!"
The man who had devoted his life to the Navy was red-eyed, his chest heaving violently, veins bulging from his neck all the way to his temples.
"Legalizing pirates? And cooperating with those scum?"
Zephyr roared, his voice trembling with extreme fury.
"We are the Navy! The final line of defense for Justice! You are throwing the face of Justice to the ground for pirates to trample!"
"I will never agree to this!"
BANG! Zephyr slammed his fist into a nearby stone pillar. The fist imprint sank three inches deep, and rubble cascaded down.
Several God's Knights guards reflexively raised their spears but were frozen in place by a single glance from Saint Saturn.
"Silence, Zephyr! This is the Hall of Power!"
Kong quickly stepped forward, grabbing Zephyr's shoulder and pulling him back half a step.
But his face, dark as a pot's bottom, showed his inner fury was no less than Zephyr's.
Kong turned, looking urgently at the Five Elders, trying to salvage the situation: "Esteemed Elders, Admiral Kane has been overworked for days and misspoke. Compromising with pirates is no different from bargaining with a tiger! Once this system is made public, over two hundred Affiliated Countries will lose faith in the Navy!"
Kong racked his brains but couldn't understand. The kid had performed almost perfectly today—securing military funds, beating up Cipher Pol Aigis Zero, framing the Revolutionary Army—every step hitting the mark.
Why, at the final moment, did he suddenly utter such an earth-shattering, insane statement?
Compared to the furious Zephyr and the eager-to-distance-himself Kong, Sengoku's reaction was completely different.
Upon initially hearing the term "Seven Warlords of the Sea," the Navy Admiral hailed as the "Resourceful General" was also full of astonishment.
But within mere seconds, his brain, far surpassing the ordinary, began operating at a frantic pace.
"After Roger's death, our forces are indeed stretched thin... Branches across the four seas request reinforcements daily..."
Sengoku stared intently at Kane's back, various data rapidly intertwining in his mind.
"If we could truly recruit seven potential monsters, using their territories and deterrent power to suppress ordinary pirates, it could drastically reduce casualty rates among the lower ranks of the Navy..."
And this wasn't just a matter of military strength.
Sengoku keenly detected the hidden sharpness in Kane's words.
Granting plundering rights? Would the money these pirates plunder simply be kept for themselves?
Sure enough, Kane paid no heed to Zephyr's furious shouts. Facing the Five Elders, he continued, presenting the fatal allure of this system:
"Of course, the privilege is not given for free."
"In exchange, these seven individuals must become the World Government's most obedient 'attack dogs.'"
"They must abide by three conditions."
"First, unconditionally accept the World Government's mandatory conscription. When there is a conflict, they must be present to fight."
"Second, they must regularly hunt down other pirates to maintain the balance of power in the seas and relieve pressure on the Navy."
"Third, and most importantly..."
He emphasized his words.
"The wealth they plunder using their privileges must be paid proportionally to the World Government as 'Annual Tribute'!"
Upon hearing this, Sengoku couldn't help but gasp.
No need to pay their own military salaries, no need to bear casualties, and on top of that, they could extract huge protection fees from these powerful pirates to cover expenses?
From a purely rational strategic perspective, this...
This was a damn unsolvable open scheme!
Sengoku looked at this junior, decades younger than himself, and suddenly felt that the other's political maneuvering was terrifyingly sinister.