Regarding the plan Rosse had proposed, Saint Garling and the others naturally had no objections.
The personnel choices would be made by them anyway. If they still had complaints after that, then the problem would be their own.
And as for Rosse's attitude, Saint Garling and the others were extremely satisfied. Some even thought about putting their rivalries on hold for now.
In Saint Nusjuro's view, even the Figarland family had submitted. Surrendering wasn't something shameful anymore.
And in Saint Garling's view, no matter how the struggle went, it would ultimately come down to a fight. And right now, he saw no chance of winning. Better to temporarily avoid confrontation.
With everyone's tacit consent, the political topic came to an end.
Compared to disputes between allied nations, the reform of the World Government was clearly more important.
And since the World Government's power structure had changed, the allied nations would also need time to absorb the shift. Some previous problems might no longer be problems in the future.
So nearly every king of the allied nations made up their mind: as long as Rosse didn't go too far today, they'd just sit back and be good listeners.
Trust in the wisdom of future generations.
"Next is the matter of military affairs," Rosse said calmly.
The structure had been discussed, now came the main act.
In a world where individuals could differ vastly in strength, power was the true foundation.
To rule the world, benefits only served to deepen control.
But to establish control, true strength was still the essence.
"The World Government's military division will also undergo reform. Previously, it was a tripartite system, Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and the Marine, under the Supreme Commander of the Three Forces."
"The recent Holy Land incident has proven that Enies Lobby and Impel Down provide no real military support. Therefore, their previous status will be revoked."
"Enies Lobby will be merged into the World Government's Department of Justice. The CP organizations will become independent and, along with Impel Down, be reassigned under the Department of Military Affairs, managed jointly by the CP Director and the Warden of Impel Down. These two positions will be held concurrently by the department's deputy ministers."
"From this day forward, the Department of Military Affairs, the Marine, and the God's Knights will form the World Government's new Three Pillars."
At those words, the kings of the allied nations all showed astonishment.
Rosse's statement carried at least two meanings.
First, the God's Knights and CP0 would now step into the open.
Second, the Marine's status would rise even further, the World Government's military power would likely become even more terrifying.
"After the establishment of the Special Regions, will the military system of the Four Seas and the Grand Line change as a result?"
It was King Burger who asked. And indeed, this was what everyone else most wanted to know.
Who stood as the World Government's pillars didn't matter to them.
What mattered was whether they would be affected.
"Of course it will change. The Marine will handle external affairs, while the Department of Military Affairs will handle internal ones. For the next twenty years, the Marine will focus primarily on suppressing pirates. Once the Department of Military Affairs is fully established, all national armies of the allied nations will be abolished and merged into the Department of Military Affairs," Rosse explained with a smile.
The moment he finished, the entire hall burst into an uproar.
Everyone knew that, until now, each allied nation had commanded its own army. The World Government only controlled the Marine and couldn't interfere with the nations' military forces.
Though those armies varied in strength, they served as each nation's security guarantee.
Rosse's statement clearly meant taking that guarantee away, fully integrating them into the World Government's system.
There might be benefits to following the World Government, but giving up their armies? How was that any different from becoming its dogs?
"Opposed!"
"Saint Rosse, this proposal is unacceptable!"
"No! Absolutely not!"
"According to the founding principles of the World Government, you have no authority to demand that our armies be merged into its control!"
"..."
Nearly half of the kings present spoke out, their faces filled with indignation.
Rosse's move was basically asking for their lives.
If the World Government controlled their armies, their countries would no longer belong to them and that, they would never allow.
As the room erupted in noise, Rosse simply smiled.
The other Five Elders made no move to intervene either.
On this matter, whether Rosse succeeded or not, they would not interfere.
In fact, if necessary, they might even support him.
The Celestial Dragons' internal struggles were only ever about claiming more power, but all of that depended on one condition: the World Government had to remain supreme.
As long as Rosse's actions strengthened that dominance, Saints like Garling would have no objections.
Standing united outward was the foundation of the Celestial Dragons' stable rule for all these years.
Rosse let the kings argue for a while before a burst of overwhelming Conqueror's Haki swept through the room, instantly silencing every allied nation king.
Only the kings attending remotely were unaffected, but since they could only watch and listen, unable to speak, their status hardly mattered.
Once the conference room had gone completely silent, Rosse smiled brightly.
"I'm not discussing this with you, this is a notification from the World Government. With the Great Pirate Era and the Great God Era unfolding one after another, sufficient military power is essential to protect your safety."
"Among the current great pirates, quite a few originated from the armies of allied nations. Rather than letting you waste such promising talent, it's better to merge them all under the Department of Military Affairs for unified management by the World Government," Rosse said mildly.
Even though his words sounded noble, everyone knew it was just an excuse.
The World Government had long been dissatisfied with the allied nations' private armies, it was an open secret.
From the original World Government's point of view, the Marine was enough for protection. The more independent armies the allied nations had, the more trouble they caused.
After all, pirates were handled by the Marine. If an allied nation had its own army, it was either for defending against another country or for invading one, neither outcome was desirable for the World Government.
In Rosse's view—
What's given to you is what belongs to you.
What's not given, you don't get to take.
And to completely abolish the allied nations, disarming them was the first step.
He might temporarily let the royal families and nobles keep managing their nations, but all military power had to be in his own hands.
"Saint Rosse, we would like to know, if we refuse, how will the World Government respond?", Ramen, gritting his teeth, forced himself to speak. As the current rotating chairman, he felt like he'd been made the scapegoat.
But with every other king staring at him, he had no choice but to stand up.
"Refuse?"
Rosse chuckled softly, "As everyone knows, I'm a very reasonable man, as long as you can afford the price."
"Let's move on to the next topic, economic reform. In the future, the Heavenly Tribute system will be abolished and replaced by the Celestial Tax system."
"Simply put, instead of the previous headcount-based system, taxes will now be measured by each individual's average annual income. Poorer regions will pay less than before, and wealthier ones will pay more."
"Oh, and don't think about evading taxes. Every royal and noble household will also be audited. Each year, we'll dispatch CP agents to every nation to verify records, including users of abilities such as truth-telling and memory reading."
"Of course, if you think you can resist those ability users, you're welcome to try. But if you're caught evading taxes...", Rosse's smile widened, "I'll pay your country a PERSONAL VISIT."