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"It all comes down to the relationship between the World Government, the Member Nations, and the Marines," Reiju explained.
"First of all, this isn't a military port like Lunia Port, which is completely under Marine control. This port belongs to a member nation of the World Government. The world is made up of these member nations, all under the unified administration of the World Government. The Marines are an arm of the World Government, responsible for maritime security."
"In other words, they are the World Government's military arm, responsible only for dealing with pirates at sea. The member nations rely on the Marines for their safety, but they also fear them. Because if a military organization like the Marines gets out of control and starts interfering in local governance... it can quickly lead to the centralization of administrative power in the hands of the Marines. And that can lead to the Marines indirectly, or even directly, controlling the member nations."
Reiju continued.
"To protect member nations' sovereignty, strict regulations limit Marine authority. The Marines can't interfere in internal affairs, participate in political administration, or threaten territorial security of member nations. While Marines inevitably influence their local regions, crossing these lines can result in investigations by Cipher Pol and removal from office—even for a Fleet Admiral. The Marines depend entirely on World Government funding, which comes from member nation contributions, creating an interconnected system where no part can survive without the others—"
"—However, since the Great Pirate Era began, conditions in member nations have deteriorated. They still must pay the Heavenly Tribute, forcing them to exploit their own citizens, which only creates more pirates and rebels—a vicious cycle. The declining value of the Berri has made things even worse."
A light bulb went off in Jin's head. He'd been to college. He understood.
Checks and balances.
In a way, weren't the Warlords and the Four Emperors just a check on the Marines' power?
And the depreciation of the Berri... it was highly likely that the World Government's finances were in trouble. They were probably printing massive amounts of money, causing hyperinflation. A financial tsunami was sweeping across the nations, leading to a worldwide depression.
Roger starting the Great Pirate Era was just the spark. The World Government had been in power for eight hundred years, supporting the Celestial Dragons and all their parasites. Their finances had to have been a mess for a long time.
'No wonder... In the Alabasta incident, Smoker didn't confront Crocodile directly, he just gave Tashigi her freedom. In the Dressrosa incident, Fujitora and the Marines just stood by and watched until the very end. Alabasta and Dressrosa were internal conflicts, internal affairs. And at the time, Crocodile and Doflamingo were still Warlords, agents of the World Government—'
'If the Marines had interfered without authorization, they would have faced protests from the other member nations and been held accountable by the World Government. It would have been an overreach of their authority. They would have been investigated, dismissed, or even imprisoned. In the end, it was all just a power struggle between the military and the administration.' Jin thought.
The royal steward had a solid legal basis for blocking the Marines.
But the Captain was acting on an Admiral's orders, and he was hunting a regicidal fugitive. He didn't care about the rules.
He knocked the steward to the ground with a single punch and stormed the ship.
"You'll pay for this! I'll report you to the king! To the World Government!" the steward shouted.
"Reckless," Reiju commented.
Jin just smiled. "He must be confident he can shut him up."
Sure enough, the Marines quickly found a stash of undeclared weapons on the ship.
Smuggled arms.
The steward immediately fell silent.
"Heh," the Captain said, patting his cheek. "I've been stationed here for three years. You really think I didn't know what you were up to? I was just waiting for this day. Smuggling royal arms, colluding with pirates... that's enough to get you hanged. Take him away."
With the evidence in hand and a major bust under his belt, the Captain was in a good mood.
When he came to inspect Jin's ship, he was much more polite.
The other guy was just the steward of a count.
This was a real, live king!!
He was respectful, and Jin was cooperative.
The inspection turned up nothing.
"There's a pirate who's killed a king recently, on the loose in the South Blue," the Captain said before he left. "You should be careful, Your Majesty."
"Yes, I've heard," Jin said. "I also heard that an Admiral from Headquarters, Aokiji, is here."
"That's right."
Jin smiled. "I've long admired the Admirals of Headquarters. Do you know which part of the sea he's in? I would feel much safer with an Admiral as an escort."
The Captain hesitated.
A thought occurred to him. So he's scared.
"I can contact my superiors," he said. "Perhaps we can arrange to escort you to Admiral Aokiji."
"Excellent," Jin said with a faint smile.
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"King Jin? Seeking protection?"
Kuzan was in a hurry, scouring the entire South Blue for Kuma. He didn't have time to play bodyguard for some king.
But if something were to happen to him, it would be a problem.
"I'll go," Vice Admiral Gion said. She was a little surprised to hear the name, but she volunteered.
Or rather, Admiral Candidate Gion. After successfully handling the situation in Lunia Port, she had earned the appreciation of the higher-ups at Headquarters and had been promoted half a rank.
Kuzan looked at her.
"I met this king last year in Lunia Port," she said. "He's not difficult to deal with."
"Alright," Kuzan nodded.
Gion turned and walked out onto the deck. She gazed out at the vast expanse of the sea, a flicker of doubt in her beautiful eyes.
This king... why was he always wandering around?
Was he just a tourist? A womanizer?
Or did he have some other purpose?
And what was his relationship with the Vinsmoke family of the Germa Kingdom?
Gion had started her career in intelligence. She was used to using her beauty to lure in and capture pirates. Her intuition was like a spider's web, preternaturally sharp. She could sense when something was off.
She had no proof, but she had a bad feeling.
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"Admiral Candidate Gion?"
"She's here."
"She's going to be the escort? Well, she is a beauty. I hear she has a lot of admirers in the Marines."
"Captain, why are you blushing? Oh, you too..."
Amidst the playful teasing, Jin once again came face to face with Admiral Candidate Gion.
"We meet again, Admiral Candidate Gion..." he said with a smile, taking her hand. It was so smooth, so soft... She took good care of herself.
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