Pangaea Castle, Room of Authority.
After the Five Elders received the document titled 'Direction of World Government Reform.' After a long silence, it was Warcury who finally broke the silence.
"I imagine you've all had enough time to think things over. Allow me to speak first."
"By all means," Mars said, glancing toward Saturn beside him. "After all, Lord Imu's reforms are aimed primarily at your Administrative Council and…"
"…And my Tribunal, correct?" Saturn responded, the faint smile on his face clearly betraying a sense of satisfaction.
Mars merely nodded. According to Imu's plan, the Tribunal's size and influence were about to expand significantly.
"In that case, I'll begin with matters concerning the Administrative Council," said Warcury, taking over the conversation.
"According to the reform plan, the first step is to bring outstanding talent from various nations—specifically in administration and finance—into the World Government. Alongside that, specialized academies will receive major support to expand their operations. These personnel will be tasked with researching the concrete restructuring of the Council."
"The document makes special mention of several heavy industrial nations in the North Blue. This will require investigation from CIPHER POL."
"No problem," Ju Peter nodded. "I'll assign CP4 to prioritize it."
"Good."
Warcury continued, "Lord Imu's reform mandate feels more like a detailed expansion of our existing system. Previously, the Administrative Council only had one department—the Department of Administration—which then assigned tasks to various project teams."
"But now, those project teams are being elevated to full-fledged divisions. Though still under the oversight of the Administration Department, they will function as formal, recognized offices. Furthermore, we're introducing entirely new divisions: the Division of Religion, the Division of Health, and the Division of Education."
"The Division of Religion will oversee and regulate all religious organizations. From now on, all religions—large or small—will be subject to standardized governance."
"The Division of Health will handle everything related to medicine, pharmaceuticals, and disease management. This includes all hospitals, pharmacies, and medical professionals, as well as medical schools currently under construction. Everything will fall under their control."
"And finally, the Division of Education…" He paused slightly, hesitating for a moment before pressing on.
"It will manage all educational institutions, support and establish new schools, and urge affiliated nations to build educational systems. Its mission is to ensure that citizens of every member country receive at least basic instruction in literacy and mathematics."
With each sentence, Warcury could already envision the vast personnel demands these new divisions would entail—along with the massive expenditures.
To be honest, he was confused. Why would the World Government take on such exhausting and costly undertakings?
But he didn't dare voice those thoughts. Nor did he have the courage to ask.
Still, he didn't resent the plan either. Because if the reforms truly went through, the Administrative Council would expand several times over—meaning his power would grow accordingly.
Not to mention, the Division of Religion alone was bound to become a behemoth. The number of religious followers in the world was staggering.
"Hah… It won't be easy. Your Council is going to need a lot of people," sighed Mars. But inwardly, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.
True, the reform document also mentioned his own departments—the Science Forces and the historical oversight division—but compared to the Administrative and Tribunal branches, his role was practically insignificant.
The fact was, despite the involvement of Dr. Vegapunk, the Science Forces hadn't yet produced any truly groundbreaking results. Their presence was weak, to say the least.
"And space," added Saturn. "By my count, the new structure puts twelve divisions under the Administration Department alone. That's a lot of people. They can't all be crammed into Mary Geoise."
Warcury nodded in firm agreement.
There was no way they could house everyone in Mary Geoise.
After all, this was the 'Holy Land of the World'. If things got too chaotic here, what would that say about them?
In the past, the World Government didn't have that many officials—things were manageable. But going forward, that would no longer be the case.
At that moment, Ju Peter suddenly spoke up.
"Doesn't the document state it clearly? We're to find a new site on the Red Line to construct the World Government's new headquarters. From now on, Mary Geoise will serve solely as the residence of the Celestial Dragons and the location for hosting the World Summit."
He was perhaps the most relaxed of them all, since the reform made no mention of CIPHER POL. Frankly, it was both a relief and a bit of a letdown.
"But for eight hundred years, Mary Geoise has been the only city on the Red Line… Isn't this…" Mars hesitated.
"If this is Lord Imu's will, I don't think it's something that needs discussion," said V. Nusjuro. His face was expressionless as he swept his gaze over the other four.
"In my view, this reform plan not only expands the World Government's scale but also extends its sphere of influence. That, in essence, means it's growing stronger—especially the Administrative Council."
"Trading superficial customs and the hollow prestige of being the 'only city on the Red Line' for actual power and influence—what deal could be more profitable than that?"
His words left Mars in contemplative silence. The others nodded in agreement, especially Warcury, who even curled the corner of his lips in satisfaction.
"Very well then. Once CIPHER POL completes its intelligence gathering, we'll begin recruiting talent from various nations and have the Administration Department start scouting locations for the new headquarters."
After all, they had four years to work with—more than enough time to get things done.
"Next is my Tribunal," said Saturn, tapping his cane lightly, his tone cheerful. "Who would've thought Lord Imu placed such importance on the judiciary?"
"The reform of the Supreme Court itself isn't drastic—mostly just renaming some departments. The real focus is on the Ministry of Justice. We're being asked to recruit legal experts from across the world to revise outdated laws that have been in place for centuries. The bounty division, formerly under the Navy, will also be transferred to us."
At that point, Ju Peter chimed in with a grin, "Honestly, I think the bigger deal is that Lord Imu has handed over Impel Down to your jurisdiction. Of course, the budget and maintenance costs will be your responsibility now."
"Hahaha! Our Tribunal can afford that," Saturn laughed, then looked across the table at V. Nusjuro.
After all, Impel Down had always been a Navy-controlled facility.
But Nusjuro nodded in approval. "I think it's a good move. Impel Down was always meant to hold prisoners. It's only logical for the Tribunal to manage them."
At the end of the day, he didn't have much respect for the jailers of Impel Down. And this transfer meant he no longer had to allocate funds from the Navy's budget for the prison each year. Sure, Impel Down was a military unit, but it wasn't a battlefield force—completely different in nature. Still, he could sense Lord Imu's deeper intention here: a deliberate effort to shrink the Navy's sphere of influence.
"Lastly, there's the newly established Police Ministry, now placed on equal footing with the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice. I find that rather intriguing…" Warcury said with a smile toward Saturn.
...
South Blue, Watermelon Island — Marine Base 194.
The major ignored the salutes of the marines along the way.
In a rush, he burst through the door without even knocking.
The moment he entered, he shouted at Colonel Harros, who had just looked up from behind his desk.
"Commander! Rear Admiral Dragon has issued an order—we're to reach the Thutmose Kingdom's waters within two hours to assist in a capture operation!"
"Huh? I thought those two 'cats' had already been caught?"
The major's words came out fast and breathless.
Colonel Harros didn't react immediately, slightly dazed at first.
But then, realization struck him.
"The Thutmose Kingdom's waters!"
He suddenly stood up from the sofa, pressing both palms on the desk, eyes wide with shock.
"Why are we being sent there? And you just said 'capture operation'—who exactly are we capturing?"
A creeping sense of foreboding had already taken root in the colonel's heart.
"They say it's to apprehend the 'Slave King' of the dark world—King Taklama—and to thoroughly investigate the entire Thutmose Kingdom. All armed personnel are to be arrested. If they resist… lethal force is authorized on the spot!"
The major's face was pale, a sheen of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Colonel Harros's expression shifted rapidly.
Eventually, he let out a long sigh and said, "So it's finally happening… Just my luck, huh?"
The previous commanders of this base had all managed to quietly line their pockets before either getting promoted or retiring.
But now, it had all blown up under his watch. If that wasn't bad luck, what was?
"To think… I never imagined it. The Marine Headquarters fleet was never really here for those 'cats' in the first place. Rear Admiral Dragon's real target all along was the Thutmose Kingdom!"
"We were all deceived—King Taklama included, no doubt."
The major, growing increasingly anxious, asked, "Colonel, what should we do now? Should we alert King Taklama and tell him to prepare?"
"No!"
Colonel Harros made a snap decision.
Though he wasn't physically gifted, he had a sharp mind and was already working through the implications.
"Clearly, Marine Headquarters came prepared. The false lead about the 'cats' shows they already suspect us South Blue divisions and are being cautious."
"For all we know, someone's already nearby eavesdropping on our Den-Den Mushi communications—just waiting for us to make a call."
"Most importantly, our Base 194 is the closest to the Thutmose Kingdom's waters. There's an eighty percent chance we'll be under close scrutiny."
"This is not the time for panic, nor should we make any further contact with them. King Taklama is finished—completely finished. What's the point of warning him now?"
Still, the major didn't fully understand. "Finished? Isn't that a bit much? As far as I know, the 'Slave King' has powerful forces behind him."
"He's been a major player in the dark world for decades. Even if the Headquarters fleet is strong, they only sent two rear admirals this time."
"Hmph. I say he's finished because his identity has been fully exposed—and it's clear the Headquarters intends to crush him."
"Compared to the world's most powerful military organization, what is a mere 'Slave King'?"
Colonel Harros cast a disdainful glance at the major.
"A big shot in the shadows may be terrifying while hidden, but once exposed to sunlight, he's just meat on a chopping board!"
"Even if Taklama managed to defeat Rear Admiral Dragon's fleet, what then? What if Marine Headquarters sends even more powerful forces next? What if—say—Vice Admiral Garp himself shows up?"
Having said that, Colonel Harros looked at the major with pointed clarity.
"A soon-to-be-dead Slave King versus Marine Headquarters—choosing sides shouldn't be hard."
"And I'm certain, even if we don't make the call, some idiot will try to warn the Thutmose Kingdom—maybe even right now. Those people will become the perfect scapegoats for us."
The major gradually calmed down after hearing this.
Then he voiced one final concern, "If they already suspect us, we'll be held accountable eventually. What do we do then, Commander?"
"There's a high chance we'll be held accountable, but it won't be a death sentence. We've only been stationed here a few years—if they really dig into this, they'll have to investigate every previous base commander too."
"On the other hand, if we're still trying to help King Taklama now, we'd be burying ourselves with him!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Colonel Harros adjusted his suit and the coat of justice draped over his shoulders. Then he grabbed the Den-Den Mushi and issued a stern order: "Pass down the command—prepare all ships for immediate departure. We must reach the Thutmose Kingdom's waters within the specified time!"
With that, he briskly walked past the major and out the door. The major hurried to follow.
"Commander, how many troops are we deploying per ship this time?"
"Full capacity!"
Colonel Harros answered with resolute certainty.
Now that he had decided to stand with the Navy, he had to show absolute sincerity.
This, he believed, was the best way to save himself.
"Understood!"
Ten minutes later, all eight warships of Base 194, already prepared in advance, set out at full capacity.
Fully armed, they swiftly departed Watermelon Island and sailed toward the Thutmose Kingdom.