Sengoku's "brief" statement turned into a long-winded speech that lasted over half an hour.
It wasn't just bureaucracy, though; it was full of substance. His message was effectively the Fleet Admiral's message as well. They laid out a general direction, and it was up to the rest of the Marines to follow that lead in their discussions.
The main point was that they could show some resistance, but they shouldn't go too far, or it would just make the damned pirates laugh at them.
At the same time, this plan was basically inevitable, so the Marines had to figure out how to navigate the Warlord of the Sea system in a way that would minimize losses and, in the future, allow them to control this wicked organization.
"I know you're all dissatisfied and think this is a concession to evil. To be honest, I'm furious myself. I'd love to go to Mariejois right now and grab those… and question them properly. But you should also understand the predicament the Marines are in right now," Sengoku said in a somber voice. His tone was clearly filled with shame.
Of course, no hot-headed idiot jumped out to scold him. That would be insane, and they'd probably be beaten to death on the spot.
After Sengoku finished, Kong rapped on the table. "We endure this now so that we won't have to endure it later."
Following this, Comil, Jonathan, and others offered their own opinions and suggestions. The meeting slowly got back on track, and the cursing subsided.
This was to be expected. No one in this room was a fool. Now that they knew the situation, shouldn't they band together and deal with it properly, instead of continuing to argue and insult each other? That would be crazy.
Soon enough, the various Rear Admirals, including Momonga, began to express their views. Oddly, Garp, Diarmuid, and Zephyr, the Marine leaders, remained silent.
"Um…" Borsalino suddenly raised his hand, as if he had something to say. The Rear Admiral who was speaking quickly fell silent. Borsalino didn't mince words. He put away his nail clippers and said softly, "These Warlords of the Sea… they're required to take on some responsibilities, right? What are they?"
"When the World Government has an interest in a pirate's services, they cannot refuse a summons. If they do, their title as Warlord of the Sea will be revoked," Sengoku stated.
"Is that so?" Borsalino said. "The World Government won't likely use the Warlords very often; that's a fact, isn't it? So from a cost-benefit perspective, it's clearly imbalanced. The benefits the Warlords receive far outweigh the cost. That's no good. I suggest we try to get the power to summon the Warlords of the Sea transferred to the Marines. That would make it easier for us to control these pirates."
As soon as Borsalino finished speaking, Kuzan added, "The deed is done, there's not much more to say. But Borsalino's suggestion is exactly what I was going to propose."
Sakazuki remained silent. He was waiting for Diarmuid's "dirty plan." But it was clear that Diarmuid was staying quiet and didn't have anything to say yet.
Sengoku didn't rush Diarmuid. After hearing Kuzan and Borsalino's suggestions, he nodded. "I've also had that idea. We'll try to secure that power."
After a slight pause, he looked at Sakazuki. "Sakazuki, what about you?"
Sakazuki was momentarily stunned. He saw Diarmuid nod to him, so he didn't hesitate and began to speak. "Before the meeting, outside the door, Vice Admiral Diarmuid and I discussed some related matters…"
The other Marine admirals weren't surprised that Sakazuki and the others had gotten a head start on this.
"Oh? Do you have any good ideas?" Sengoku asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yes. We believe that perhaps we can get involved in the selection of the Warlords of the Sea. We can help the World Government screen out some unsuitable pirates. After all, isn't that exactly what the Marines should be doing?" Sakazuki said softly.
Some of the admirals didn't immediately understand, but many of the clever ones' eyes lit up, realizing what Sakazuki was getting at.
This was a devious tactic. If they could get this authority, then who would become a Warlord of the Sea would be up to the Marines! This was a real possibility!
Sengoku and Kong both glanced at Diarmuid. Seeing that he still had no intention of speaking, they didn't press him. They nodded instead. "Good idea. We'll find a way to reach a consensus with the higher-ups."
Afterward, another large group of Marine admirals gave their opinions, meticulously patching up the holes in the damned plan and adding clauses that would restrict and check the Warlord of the Sea system. The meeting went on from morning until noon, and only then was the matter somewhat settled.
"Is this a good place to stop for today?" Sengoku asked Fleet Kong beside him.
As soon as he said that, Diarmuid suddenly looked up. "I think that's about right."
Kong saw that Diarmuid had something to say, so he nodded. "Alright. You lead the way."
Diarmuid then looked at the others in the conference room and said, "All officers below the rank of Vice Admiral, please leave. Today's meeting is over. I have some other confidential matters to discuss with the rest of you."
Momonga and Gion were too self-conscious to abuse their relationship with Diarmuid, so they stood up and walked toward the door. With them leading the way, the other Marine officers, though curious, didn't ask any questions and stood up to follow.
In a moment, the only ones left in the conference room were the true high-ranking officers of the Marines, all of them influential Vice Admirals.
Sengoku poured a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "Alright, it's just us now. You can relax. I overheard you and Sakazuki whispering outside the door about a 'dirty plan.' You didn't speak up earlier because it wasn't a good time, right? Can you tell us now?"
Kong also rapped on the table. "If you have a good idea, let's hear it."
Diarmuid smiled, looked at everyone, and said, "Regarding the Warlord of the Sea system, I have a… less conventional idea."
Sakazuki's voice was low and expectant. "Spit it out!" He'd been waiting for a long time.
"Don't be so impatient," Diarmuid grumbled first, then continued, "We were all enraged by this plan from the start, so we've been thinking about how to get rid of it and how the Marines can obstruct it. But last night, I made a bold hypothesis. From a different perspective, I analyzed the Warlord of the Sea plan and realized that it could become another crucial cornerstone for the Marines to break free from their leashes and constraints!"
The people sitting here were the very top of the Marine high command, whose loyalty had been tested over many years. They were completely trustworthy, so Diarmuid spoke with a little more candor.
Sengoku's eyes brightened, and Jonathan asked directly, "What do you mean?"
Some of them already knew what Diarmuid's "first cornerstone" was: the Calm Belt plan.
"I won't go into the first point. As for this Warlord of the Sea system, what if we use it as a shell?" Diarmuid said softly.
Many of the people in the room didn't react right away. But Tsuru, who had been a bit despondent lately, suddenly looked up. "Are you saying… we should send in spies?"
"We shouldn't use such a simple concept as 'spies.' We should find a way to subtly change the Warlord of the Sea organization into a… front organization known only to the Marine high command. This would make it easier for us to do things from the outside that we can't do directly.
"I've been thinking for a while that as the Calm Belt plan matures, in a few years, we won't be able to just use the resources we develop internally. We will have to convert those resources into real funding from the outside world. Only by having enough funds, and even the ability to replenish our own military budget, will the Marines truly have the confidence to stand up to the World Government and say 'no'…" Diarmuid said in a deep voice.
The other Marine admirals nodded, waiting for the rest of Diarmuid's explanation.
Diarmuid took a small breath and continued, "But we've been using the Calm Belt resources internally without drawing the World Government's attention. Once those resources start flowing out, it could expose us if we don't have a proper plan. I've been thinking about it a lot and couldn't come up with a suitable solution until… the Warlord of the Sea plan came along!"
Sengoku and the others had a glimmer of understanding in their eyes. They seemed to grasp Diarmuid's meaning, but they still didn't speak.
Diarmuid took a sip of tea to wet his throat. "For now, we should publicly express our opposition to this plan, and we must be firm about it! This isn't just to vent our anger; it's to make the World Government believe that the Warlords of the Sea and the Marines have a deep-seated hatred for each other. This will make it easier for us to operate behind the scenes."
"What kind of operations are you talking about?" Borsalino asked.
"Starting immediately, we will select trustworthy and promising young talents, give them a mission, and have them leave the Marines. They will operate as pirates on the sea, and the Marines will help them build their reputation so they can quickly become new-generation pirates.
"In this era, their appearance won't seem out of place. Then, when the time is right, we'll arrange for them to become Warlords of the Sea, directly transforming the organization from the inside into our Marine front. Once this step is complete, I estimate the Calm Belt will be in the resource export stage.
"At that point, we can use the Warlord of the Sea organization as a cover to sell the Calm Belt's resources, acquire funds, and supplement our military budget. Once both of these are running smoothly, I believe the military budget will no longer be a shackle holding us back," Diarmuid said, a glint in his eye.
Sengoku, Kong, and the others were all dumbfounded.
After a long silence, Tsuru spoke with a hint of admiration. "You are truly a genius, boy!"
Sengoku thought for a moment before saying, "We can't be too aggressive. We can't just swallow the entire organization from the start; that would be too obvious. It would be best to mix it up, have some real pirates as Warlords and arrange for some of our people to take other positions. Then, when the time is right, we can slowly figure out how to get rid of the outsiders and replace them with our own people."
"That's a safer approach," Kong said with a smile. His mood had inexplicably improved. The Warlord of the Sea plan, which the World Government had created to be a headache for the Marines, had now, thanks to this scoundrel Diarmuid, somehow turned into a good thing! This was a truly excellent idea!
And then Zephyr suddenly spoke up. "Speaking of which, I happen to have a suitable candidate. The guy is a real pain in the neck, but his heart holds an unshakeable sense of justice. I was just wondering what to do with him next…"
"Who?" Diarmuid asked curiously.
"His name is Smoker. He's got good talent, and he's a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user. But his personality is a little… prickly. Sending him to do this would suit him perfectly!" Zephyr said with a laugh.
Diarmuid was stunned for a moment, then a smile spread across his lips. "How old is he? Is he the right age?"
"He just turned seventeen this year!" Zephyr said.
Smoker was 34 years old the year Luffy set sail, which meant he was 14 when Roger was executed. Three years ago, he was recommended to Headquarters, and now he had been under Zephyr's tutelage for three years…
Seventeen years old. Wasn't that the perfect age to become a pirate? Why hesitate?
Diarmuid had planned to bring this kid into his own subordinate team, but plans change.
Let him go and become a Warlord of the Sea!
Piracy was a promising industry, with the next twenty years being a golden age. This wouldn't hinder his future at all!
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