"So even you support it..."
Borsalino sounded surprised, his tone playful as he teased, "Ohh~ Don't tell me you've taken a liking to her because she's pretty, ne. Of course, I'm not against it either, but I'm just telling you to be careful. I hear that any man who looks at her turns to stone!"
Cross rolled his eyes, ignoring the teasing, and spoke seriously. "It's been 11 years since Roger kicked off the Great Pirate Era. Ambitious people are fanning the flames in the shadows, and the Marines and the World Government have been unable to effectively stop the pirate craze. The situation on the sea is still dire.
"The various member nations of the World Government have to pay their full heavenly tribute while also dealing with constant pirate attacks. Their national power is already weakening, and many countries have too many internal problems: race, religion, the gap between the rich and poor, and so on.
"The upper class—royalty, nobles, and wealthy merchants—oppress and exploit the poor. The large, powerful nations also oppress the smaller, weaker ones, or even start wars to annex them. This has caused a lot of chaos, leading too many countries to fall into decline.
"People can't make a living, so countless people take to the sea to survive, ultimately becoming pirates and starting a new vicious cycle. This is why the Marines, no matter how hard they try, can't eliminate all the pirates.
"However, all this bad news has already overwhelmed the World Government. Not to mention, the fire Fisher Tiger started in Mariejois has completely disgraced the World Government.
"That's why the Seven Warlords of the Sea strategy, using pirates to control pirates, has been brought up again, and they've started looking for suitable people. This is to get the pirates to kill each other, to reduce the Marines' growing losses, and to create a checks and balance system so the situation on the sea isn't as chaotic as it is now.
"We don't care if the second- and third-rate pirates fight, but the monsters of the New World are different. Any one of them has the power to wreak havoc, and they could cause unimaginable destruction to the existing peaceful order.
"In the past, the Marines and pirates were incompatible because of their opposing stances. They clashed directly like fire and water, leading to one brutal battle after another, which severely depleted the Marines' strength.
"If the Seven Warlords of the Sea can be fully staffed and maintain their deterrent power, the monsters of the New World will also become vigilant, and a new dynamic will form in a short time.
"The winners will carve out their own territories and won't easily start large-scale wars, giving their enemies an opportunity. The Marines and the Seven Warlords will work together to take down ordinary pirates, then allow the more promising pirates to enter the New World to challenge the monsters there, making them fight among themselves.
"This way, a large portion of the Marines' burden will be shifted onto those great pirates. The various factions will turn to the method of 'the big bullying the small' and 'the strong beating the weak,' and the situation on the sea will become relatively balanced. This is a strategy that is more beneficial than detrimental to the World Government and the Marines."
Cross spoke at length, and his throat felt dry afterward. He quickly picked up his teacup and took a large sip.
"You've truly impressed me, Cross!" Borsalino looked at Cross with a surprised expression and said slowly, "I never expected you to have such a deep understanding of the situation on the sea. It seems you're a supporter of the Seven Warlords of the Sea strategy!"
The Seven Warlords of the Sea strategy had always been a subject of great debate within the Marines. Many Marines who believed in justice were unwilling to associate with pirates, seeing it as a blasphemy of justice. However, many other Marines agreed, believing that the "pirate controlling pirate" method was a good one that the World Government and Marine Headquarters should implement.
All the Marine factions—the doves, hawks, and neutral parties—were involved, either supporting or opposing the strategy. They even had heated arguments within their own factions.
"I suppose so. Do you support it or oppose it?" Cross asked curiously.
"As for that..." Borsalino smacked his lips and deliberately changed the subject. "Since you support the Seven Warlords strategy, do you think it has any flaws?"
"There is no perfect solution in the world, only what's suitable, what's more beneficial than harmful, or what's more harmful than beneficial," Cross said, looking deeply at Borsalino. "The guys who would agree to the World Government's invitation to become Seven Warlords all have their own motives. But they're given a legitimate identity, which makes it easier for them to cause great harm.
"For example, Crocodile, who is currently in Alabasta Kingdom. He doesn't have a fixed territory of his own and has been living in someone else's house. Using his Warlord identity, he has been hunting pirates and has even become a hero of the Alabasta Kingdom...
"If I remember correctly, this guy isn't a good person. He couldn't have just turned good after Whitebeard chopped off his hand, right?"
Cross said this on purpose to sow some seeds of doubt about Crocodile. He didn't outright say that Crocodile was looking for one of the Ancient Weapons, Pluton, because he had no proof. If he had said it outright, not only would the World Government and the Marines not have believed him, but Borsalino would have asked him how he knew, and he wouldn't have been able to answer.
Furthermore, even if the World Government and the Marines did believe him and sent a CP agent to investigate Crocodile in Alabasta Kingdom, they would not have found anything.
At this time, Crocodile was still in the stage of building his reputation. Baroque Works was not yet fully formed, and he had not yet started using the side effects of 'Dance Powder' to harm the Alabasta Kingdom or launched the 'Utopia' plan. He was no different from a so-called "hero."
A line from Shakespeare could just as well describe him: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose." Like Brutus before the Ides of March, Crocodile had not yet revealed his ambition — only the charm of a man with a cause.
Borsalino nodded thoughtfully, muttering to himself, "Now that you mention it, that sand crocodile is indeed a little strange, ne~. A carnivorous beast that suddenly starts eating grass, it just doesn't sit right, no matter how you look at it."
"So, do you have a solution?" Borsalino then looked up at Cross and asked with some hope.
"Uh... I'm sorry. This is something that is difficult for the Marines and the World Government to monitor. In my opinion, we need to find a way to restrict them, but I haven't thought of a specific method yet," Cross said with a wry smile, shaking his head. He was a supporter of the Seven Warlords strategy, but he also understood its dangers more than anyone.
Unfortunately, he wasn't someone who could flawlessly strategize like Napoleon or Benjamin Franklin, nor was he good at plotting and analysis like Sherlock Holmes and Bruce Wayne. For a moment, he couldn't think of any effective countermeasures.
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