As Wilder's words fell, the previously boisterous hall instantly fell silent. Wilder glanced over the crowd, especially at the cadres, who now looked as if their mouths had been stuffed with rags. They didn't understand what "reform" and "change" meant, but that didn't stop them from sensing something unusual in the air. "Change" had always been an unpleasant word.
"If there are no objections, then this matter is settled. The Talent Development Department will distribute the notice to everyone. Prepare for the next few days. The reform and duty assignment meeting will begin in a few days," Wilder said, his gaze once again sweeping over the crowd. He paused, then continued, "Of course, if anyone has any different opinions during these next few days, you can bring them up at the meeting. We can all brainstorm together. I believe this will be a good thing."
No one spoke up. After Wilder left, the people from the Talent Development Department brought out the notices and handed them to everyone. With just a glance at the contents, the expressions on the faces of the cadres began to change.
After leaving, Wilder went directly to the King's Hall in the palace. This was the place for receiving guests, holding ceremonies, and hosting banquets.
At a long table covered with a red cloth sat Crocodile and the others, their faces expressionless. There were ten chairs in total.
Wilder sat on the throne on the high platform, looking down at them. "My apologies. I've been tied up with trivial matters these past few days, delaying your travels. Hmm… though I'm not sure what your travel plans were."
"What is it you want with us? I think it's best to get straight to the point. There's no need for idle chatter," Crocodile said, biting down on his cigar and tapping a finger on the table.
"Mm, you're right." Wilder uncorked a bottle of wine, poured himself a glass, and took a sip.
"What do you all think about an alliance? Yes, I believe there is a possibility of cooperation between us," Wilder said calmly. His words, however, caused a fleeting change in everyone's expression. Crocodile, in particular, froze for a moment.
"Are you joking, Wilder? I don't know about the others, but I see no need to cooperate with you. Though I don't know what you mean by 'cooperation'," Crocodile said, looking up at Wilder, his face a mask.
"Kishishishi… I think I'd like to hear this. Wilder, what kind of cooperation are you talking about?" Gecko Moria revealed a smile of great interest, his eyes glinting sinisterly as he looked at Wilder on the throne.
"To be honest, cooperating with you is not something I can decide on my own," Emporio Ivankov said with a wink. The others remained silent, just listening.
Wilder looked at Gecko Moria and grinned. "For example… working together to take Big Mom's head?"
At his words, the hall fell silent. Everyone looked up, staring intently at Wilder, their gazes filled with various meanings.
"Kishishishi… let's go back to the previous topic. Just as this Sand Crocodile said, why should we cooperate with you?" Gecko Moria's words earned him a scowl from Crocodile.
"Upon success, each of you will receive one billion belly," Wilder said, his smile vanishing. He looked at them seriously, his voice deep.
His words made their hearts skip a beat. Moria was speechless for a moment, then laughed. "Do you take us for beggars desperate for money? How annoying, Wilder!"
His words seemed to echo the thoughts of the others. They all frowned at Wilder. Sand and shadows began to flow across the tabletop, a clear sign that a fight could break out at any moment.
Wilder watched all this calmly, took a sip of his wine, and then a boundless, domineering aura erupted from him. In an instant, the sand and shadows were pressed flat against the table, as if crushed by an invisible hand. The faces of Crocodile and Gecko Moria changed. They shot to their feet, countless streams of sand and shadows rising from their bodies, ready to strike.
Wilder retracted his aura, a faint smile returning to his face. "Of course, you can also seek my cooperation. For example, to take down Kaido? Or Doflamingo? Or Blackbeard? Or perhaps to overthrow some kingdom. But in that case, it would only be reasonable for me to charge a commission."
"This guy…" They gritted their teeth, looking at him, their eyes flickering with contemplation.
"Kishishishi… this is getting interesting. This alliance you speak of." Gecko Moria had a very deep impression of a certain man named Doflamingo—so deep that he wished he could go after him with a blade right now.
"Take down an Emperor? What a bold idea. I'm suddenly a little interested. Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll be going." Crocodile retracted his sand and walked toward the exit, his face expressionless. He stopped at the doorway and said with his back to them, "Also, I really hate that guy Blackbeard. Coincidentally, I remember he has a grudge against you too? A very good idea. I've left my contact information. When you decide to make a move, we can discuss the details."
The others looked at where he had been sitting. A string of numbers, formed from sand, was on the table.
"Mmm… then I'll leave my number as well. This matter is, after all, somewhat related to us. I'll need to discuss it with Dragon." Emporio Ivankov also stood up, carved his number into the table with a fingernail, and then turned, leaving them with a view of his back as he left.
"Kishishishi… then that's that. I still have things to do. Really, what a waste of my time. You should have just said so from the start," Gecko Moria said, his massive body making heavy footfalls as he walked, gradually disappearing through the doorway.
The others also left their contact numbers one by one and then departed.
Wilder didn't say any words of farewell, just watched them leave with a smile. He knew that some of them were likely just putting on an act, their only goal being to leave this place safely.
However, Wilder had a good deal of faith in Crocodile, Gecko Moria, and Ivankov.
"I hope that day doesn't take too long to arrive," a low voice echoed in the grand hall.
Wilder's reason for seeking cooperation was simple. Once he and Big Mom were in an all-out war, his current subordinates would certainly not be enough. He had too few subordinates at his level. He had to find help from elsewhere, and Crocodile and Gecko Moria were excellent candidates, both in terms of strength and their own unique charisma.
With this matter settled, Wilder naturally wouldn't do anything to stop them from leaving. Besides, whether he could stop them was the real question.
To show his hospitality, Wilder even had his men escort Crocodile and the others for a part of their journey.
"Now, all that's left is to wait."
The news of the reform bred a sense of oppression among the cadres, and it was spreading, showing no signs of stopping.
In a small tavern situated between the Direct Rule District and the civilian district—the first of its kind in Morass—several of Morass's cadres were drinking and talking, their conversation laced with complaints.
"What's the point of all this? Why did the King suddenly come up with this reform thing? As I see it, it has nothing to do with trade at all. Ai, I don't get it."
"If you don't get it, then don't try. This is probably the work of those guys from the Talent Development Department. The King relies on them too much. If this goes on, they'll be walking all over us sooner or later. What right do they have, a bunch of guys with no fighting ability? Anyway, I'm not convinced. If you guys have the guts, we'll voice our opposition at the meeting in a few days." Another man gritted his teeth and finally said what was on his mind. The other two, hearing this, had their expressions flicker, shifting between hesitation and gloom.
"How does this affect us?" the first man, still half in the dark, asked.
"You still don't get it? The impact is huge!" the man who had just spoken said through gritted teeth, a barely perceptible ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "Let me put it this way: if this thing goes through, there's a good chance we'll lose our current status and power. Do you understand now?"
"So we absolutely cannot let this institutional reform happen! We need to unite more people!" the other, previously silent man said, his eyes glinting with a dark light.
"But…" the half-understanding man hesitated, seeming to have some reservations. "Wouldn't that… be defying the King?"
His words were like stepping on a cat's tail. The other two bristled, their reactions intense.
"What do you mean, defying the King? We're offering our opinions! Didn't the King say so himself? To brainstorm! This is what we're supposed to do!"
"But the King didn't tell us to unite more people! He just said we could bring up different opinions!"
"You…!" Looking at his simple-minded colleague, a vein throbbed on the man's temple. How had he never noticed how stupid this guy was? Did he really have to spell everything out?
"Don't get so worked up. I'm just a little confused. Will this really have such a big impact on us? I don't think so." The simple-minded man, seeing his companion getting agitated, quickly tried to placate him. He paused, then continued with his confusion, "The notice says that to clarify duties, there will be a division between military and civil posts. According to this, we'll just be assigned to the military side, doing things like fighting. But isn't that what we're doing now? How is that an impact?"
"You idiot! The impact is huge! Yes, we're doing military work now, and according to the notice, we will be in the future too. But are you fucking stupid? In the future, you'll have a bunch of guys with no military power but huge authority riding on your head! Right now, even though we're doing military work, do we have people like that managing us? Besides, there aren't so many rules now. We do more than just military work… Anyway… Status! Do you understand status? We'll lose the status we have now! There will be people to restrain us!" The cadre grew more and more agitated as he spoke, even gritting his teeth.
"Status? Is it that important?" his colleague asked, looking at him with confusion.
"Of course it's important! What have I been working so hard for? Isn't it for money and status? With status and a wider range of duties, I'll have more channels and opportunities to get money! And now! A group of people wants to take a part of that away from me! Do you think it's important? Did I really have to spell it out for you, you…!"
"Anyway, whether you understand or not, this absolutely cannot be allowed to happen! I believe many people don't want to see it happen!" he said pointedly, a barely perceptible ruthlessness flashing across his face. He stood up and walked out of the tavern without another word. The other man quickly followed.
"Is it… really that important?" the man left behind muttered, staring blankly in the direction they had gone.
…
BAM!
The training grounds were divided into small courtyards, which served as combined residences and training areas for the cadres. In one of these courtyards, a muscular man with a cold expression punched a training post. With a dull thud, the post instantly exploded into splinters.
"Dammit!" he muttered, his head down, his fists clenched so tightly they turned white, his face filled with rage. He then schooled his features, his voice a low, bestial growl. "Reform… this kind of thing… cannot be allowed to happen…"
Knock, knock, knock! The wooden gate of the courtyard was knocked upon, and several men walked in. The man turned to look at them, his face expressionless, his eyes questioning.
"Perhaps we should offer some opinions at the meeting the day after tomorrow. What do you say?" the man in the lead said calmly, extending a hand to him.
"You're right. We need to get more people involved."
The two hands clasped. Both men revealed meaningful smiles.
Similar scenes were playing out, both hidden and in plain sight, in various corners. And all of this was being collected by unseen eyes and ears.
In the palace, Wilder listened to the report from the Monitoring Unit, his expression unchanging from start to finish.
This was a team Wilder trusted deeply, led by one of Ashin's subordinates.
"Are they all new recruits? Very good. You haven't disappointed me," Wilder said, his tone flat, but to the person reporting, it was as cold as an ice cellar.
The "new recruits" he spoke of were those who had joined recently, or rather, not the ones who had been with him from the very beginning.
This point made him happy.
"Continue monitoring," Wilder's calm voice echoed in the hall.
"Yes, sir." The person in the black combat uniform respectfully withdrew.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
All the members within Morass began to make their way to the palace's meeting hall.
Whispers could be heard along the way, but everyone's face was calm and composed, showing no other emotion.
A few people, however, exchanged subtle glances and gave imperceptible nods as they passed through the main gate.
After passing through the gate and arriving at the grand hall, they saw Wilder, dressed in imposing formal attire, sitting on the throne. His impassive eyes watched each person who entered.
A cold voice echoed in the hall.
"Before we begin the meeting, I need to take care of a small matter."