The air inside the Room of Authority froze for a full ten seconds.
The expressions on the faces of the Gorosei were, to put it mildly, quite a sight.
The golden-haired giant, Peter, had his mouth twitch as he forced back the intimidating words he had prepared.
The bald swordsman, Nusjuro, also silently released his grip on the hilt of the Shodai Kitetsu. His eyes were closed, but his tightly furrowed brows showed that his heart was far from calm.
"Heh... Hehehehe..."
A low, raspy laugh suddenly came from Warcury, the Warrior God of Legal Affairs, who had long white curly hair and wore a flat cap.
The laughter grew louder, eventually carrying a hint of amusement.
"Interesting."
"What an interesting young man."
Warcury tapped the floor lightly with his cane. The killing intent in his eyes quietly receded, replaced by a playful look one might give a rare pet.
"That old stubborn Kong and that bookworm Sengoku actually managed to raise such an... 'oddity'."
The bald elder holding the Shodai Kitetsu, Nusjuro, curled his lips into a sarcastic arc. "For promotion and wealth? To make us happy, you'd dare to pluck Kong's hair?"
"Tatsuki, do you know what you're saying? This is extreme disrespect toward the current Fleet Admiral."
"Respect?"
Tatsuki snapped his head up, the flames of ambition flickering in his eyes as he spoke with passion.
"My Lords, even the Fleet Admiral is nothing more than a butler guarding the house for you."
"What I respect is not a person, but 'power'. It is the supreme 'order'."
"Whoever gives me power, whoever lets me get rich—that person is my real father."
"Fleet Admiral Kong can't give me these things. He only tells me to catch pirates and go to my death, and he even docks my bonuses. But the Lords of the Gorosei are different."
Tatsuki gulped, his gaze fixed intently on the direction of the massive safe behind Warcury, the Warrior God of Legal Affairs. His display of unrefined greed was practically flawless.
"Just a little something leaking through your fingers would be enough to feed me for ten lifetimes."
"Hahahaha!"
This time, all five elders in the Room of Authority laughed.
It was a laugh of mockery, but also one of satisfaction.
They weren't afraid of greedy subordinates, they were afraid of subordinates who had no desires.
Why was Zephyr so difficult? Because he had principles.
Why was Garp so difficult? Because he was incorruptible.
But the young man before them, despite his extraordinary talent and great strength, was a complete materialist, a scoundrel, and an opportunist. As long as such a person was fed well, they would be the sharpest of fangs and the most obedient of dogs.
"Very well."
Warcury restrained his laughter and spoke in a patronizing tone, "It seems you are much smarter than we imagined. Compared to those fools whose heads are filled with hot-blooded justice, we indeed prefer dealing with smart people."
"Tatsuki, we will give you an opportunity."
Peter, the Warrior God of Agriculture, casually picked up a document from the desk and tossed it onto the floor in front of Tatsuki.
"This is the approval for 'Special Oversight Authority'. From today on, in addition to being a Rear Admiral of Marineford, you are also an intelligence officer directly under us."
"We need you to keep an eye on those disobedient people within the Marines for us. Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr... if anyone makes a move, report directly to us, bypassing the chain of command."
"In return..."
As he spoke, he took a check from his robes and threw it to Tatsuki.
"Here is one billion berries. This is your operational budget for the year, and also a reward for your loyalty. If it's not enough, you can apply for more."
"As long as your performance satisfies us, the position of Fleet Admiral is not out of reach."
"One billion... all mine? I don't have to hand it over? And I have a chance to become Fleet Admiral?" Tatsuki's voice trembled with wild joy.
"As long as you do your job well, this is merely pocket money." Saturn looked at him with disdain, the last shred of doubt in his heart vanishing.
This kind of greedy display couldn't be faked. This kid was truly greedy.
"Thank you, Lords."
Tatsuki snatched up the document, his hands shaking with excitement. He even brought it to his lips and gave it a hard kiss.
"I, Tatsuki, will head back right now and keep a death grip on Marineford."
"Good." Nusjuro stood up.
"Remember what you said today. What we can give you, we can also take back at any time."
"Yes!"
Tatsuki hurriedly tucked away the document and stood up, but his expression suddenly became somewhat conflicted, as if he were hesitating to speak.
"Is there something else?" Nusjuro frowned.
"Um... my Lords."
A look of difficulty appeared on Tatsuki's face as his eyes flickered toward the main entrance.
"My Lords, I have no problem showing my loyalty, but... it seems some people don't really want me getting close to you."
"What do you mean?" Saturn's brow furrowed.
Tatsuki pointed outside the door, his face full of resentment. "A storm suddenly kicked up at sea earlier, making the ship toss and turn. As a Marine, I remained at my post. But these two officers not only failed to protect the flag symbolizing the dignity of the World Government, they leaned over the railing and vomited like crazy, making a complete spectacle of themselves."
"I could overlook that, but I also seemed to hear them complaining, saying things like 'Why do the Gorosei have to summon us in this season' and 'I really don't want to do this crappy job'."
"They even said that even if I gain your favor, it's useless because I've offended CP0. They said all my future intelligence will be faked, and they'll mess with me however they want."
As soon as he said this, the two CP0 Agents kneeling at the door snapped their heads up, their eyes widening behind their masks.
"You're lying!" One of them shrieked in terror.
(End of Chapter)
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