"Alright."
Hawke looked at Cobra, who was solemnly taking his oath in front of him, and nodded slightly.
This outcome was well within his expectations.
He extinguished his cigar, interlaced his fingers, and stared steadily at Cobra.
"Cobra-san, since we're allies now, I'll get straight to the point…"
"The Marines are undergoing a transformation."
"The Fleet Admiral and the high command have reached a consensus—the kind of justice that used to bow to others and compromise with evil must come to an end."
"We will forge a new order of justice, with iron and blood."
"Right now, the Marines need a reliable, trustworthy partner—one who also has enough influence within the World Government."
"We need a channel through which we can swiftly and discreetly convert a fortune—large enough to reshape the balance of the world—into the Marines' strength."
"...!!!"
The more Cobra listened, the faster his heart pounded.
At first, he thought Hawke's idea of "cooperation" might be limited to Alabasta—perhaps setting up a military base or working together to hunt down pirates.
But never in his wildest dreams did he expect Hawke's opening statement to involve a plan that could "reshape the world order"!
The Marines' core ideology was shifting?
That meant… there was an earth-shaking transformation happening inside the Marines themselves!
At the same time, a question surfaced in his mind.
The man in front of him—Rear Admiral Hawke—though his strength was unfathomable and his actions swift and decisive, he was, in the end, just a Rear Admiral at Headquarters.
Could he really… represent the will of the entire Marine organization?
Or was this just the radical ambition of the Marine hawk faction?
"Hah—"
Hawke instantly saw the doubt and hesitation in Cobra's eyes.
He pulled a Den Den Mushi from his coat, placed it on the table, and dialed a number without hesitation.
"Perfect timing—I also need to report the situation in Alabasta to the Fleet Admiral."
"Buru buru~"
The line connected quickly, and the Den Den Mushi morphed into a face wearing glasses and a braided goatee—the stern visage of none other than…
Fleet Admiral Sengoku!
"Hawke, you brat!"
Sengoku's booming voice came through the line, tinged with excitement. "I'm on my way back to Headquarters right now with a massive sum of funds. What's up?!"
"Fleet Admiral."
"The Shichibukai—Sir Crocodile—conspired to overthrow the Alabasta Kingdom. The evidence was irrefutable."
"After my judgment, he was executed on the spot."
"..."
On the other end, Sengoku fell silent for a few seconds.
A pang of regret crossed his mind.
Why did you kill him outright…?
What a damn shame!
If we had captured Crocodile alive, I could've made another trip to Mary Geoise, wrung some… ahem… "emergency funds" out of those Five Old Bastards again.
But… fine.
Crocodile's status and influence were nowhere near Doflamingo's.
And besides, he had just finished extorting 100 billion Belly from the World Government.
After a moment, Sengoku's deep voice rumbled once more.
"That's all you called me for?"
"Hawke, without you, the Marines wouldn't have transformed like this!"
"From now on, you don't need to report incidents like these."
"As I've said before—do whatever you deem necessary."
"The Marines will have your back!"
"!!!"
Cobra felt as if thunder exploded in his ears.
His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the Den Den Mushi on the table.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku… had entrusted Hawke with this much authority and faith?!
This wasn't tacit approval anymore. This was full authorization!
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Hawke's voice was deep and steady, but then his tone shifted.
"One more thing, Fleet Admiral—I've secured a perfect partner for the Marines. Someone who can help us discreetly… process that batch of gold."
"Oh…?"
Sengoku's voice instantly grew serious.
He immediately understood the meaning behind Hawke's words, then blurted out, "Alabasta?"
"Correct."
"..."
On the other end, Sengoku fell into brief silence.
His mind was racing.
This kid Hawke… really knew how to pick them!
Alabasta!
The Nefertari family!
They were one of the original Twenty Royal Families who founded the World Government.
This unique historical status gave them unmatched political legitimacy.
Having them act as the front… it would be flawless!
The plan would go like this:
The gold from Skypiea would be secretly transported to the G-3 Branch by Kuzan's covert fleet, disguised as merchant cargo, then shipped in batches to Alabasta.
Once in Alabasta, the gold would be converted into weapons, supplies, and even liquid Belly.
From there, Alabasta would serve as a transit hub, funneling resources straight back to Marine Headquarters and its major branches!
G-3 Branch → Alabasta → Marine Headquarters!
A perfect Golden Triangle!
With this as the foundation, the Marines would seize absolute control over Paradise, cut off the Yonko's fresh recruit supply lines, and stockpile power for the final decisive battle!
Hawke, this kid, was thorough to the core—airtight planning, flawless execution.
If he was reporting this now, it meant the groundwork had already been laid.
"Have you finalized the deal?"
"Yes. King Cobra is sitting right across from me as we speak."
"Huuu—"
Cobra took a deep breath. He knew it was time to declare his stance.
He leaned toward the Den Den Mushi and solemnly spoke, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I am Nefertari D. Cobra."
"The Kingdom of Alabasta pledges to become the Marines' staunchest ally and to contribute our strength toward rebuilding justice."
"Excellent!"
Sengoku's joy was evident in his voice.
"King Cobra, on behalf of the Marines, I thank you for your decision."
"As for the details of this partnership, Hawke will represent me fully in the negotiations."
"His decisions… are the Marines' decisions!"
Sengoku was delegating full authority again, erasing Cobra's last trace of hesitation.
"Understood, Fleet Admiral!"
Cobra replied respectfully.
"Alright, Hawke, have the others step outside for a moment. There are a few things I want to tell you privately."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral."
Hawke rose to his feet, gestured for Cobra and his daughter to wait, and walked over to the office window, turning his back to everyone.
Once he confirmed no one could overhear, Sengoku's voice returned—but this time, lower, almost buzzing with excitement.
"Hawke, listen up. On this trip to Mary Geoise, I wrung a full 100 billion Belly out of those five old fossils!"
100 billion?!
Hawke raised an eyebrow. That was one hell of a haul, even for Sengoku.
"Fleet Admiral, what do you plan to do with such a massive sum?"
"Even though the Golden City is enormous, the Marines' expenses are an endless pit."
"Expanding branches, building warships, improving soldier welfare, compensations… every single one costs astronomical figures."
Sengoku's tone turned heavy.
"We can't just burn through what we have. The Marines need our own source of sustainable funding!"
"You've got the sharpest mind around—any ideas?"
"..."
Hawke fell silent, deep in thought.
He had already set plans in motion to "physically persuade" the Golden Emperor, Gild Tesoro, but when it came to the Marines' future development, he did have a bold concept.
And now… the startup capital was secured.
With the Marines' unique advantages…
It was time to test it.
Hawke turned to face the endless desert outside, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
He spoke calmly into the Den Den Mushi.
"Fleet Admiral."
"Have you ever heard of… submarines?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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