"Jake, we've roughly estimated the gold you brought back this time. It's enough to cover all of the Marines' expenses for the next three to five years—and that's not even counting the remaining gold you left on Sky Island. If we include that, we won't have to worry about funding for at least a decade."
Sengoku's voice carried a rare note of relaxation and ease.
For him, the most persistent and troublesome issue plaguing the Marines would no longer be a source of suffering for the next ten years.
On top of that, the next generation of Marine leadership had already been secured, and the current generation's strength was arguably the strongest in decades.
Honestly, Sengoku could only see a bright future ahead for the Marines, and that naturally dispelled the frustration he'd felt while handling endless problems before.
After all, having hope for the future—or lacking it—made a huge difference in one's mindset.
As he spoke, Sengoku tossed another complaint letter to his goat.
With a few chews, the letter slandering Jake was reduced to nothing.
Jake wasn't particularly bothered by it.
His rapid promotion was indeed unprecedented and without knowing about the massive financial support he'd provided, it was only natural for some to feel dissatisfied.
Moreover, Jake currently lacked any substantial military achievements to justify his rank, so attracting criticism was inevitable.
The only thing that surprised Jake a bit was the little goat from the original story that could never seem to get fat no matter how much it was fed.
Now, the goat had grown significantly rounder, looking plump and utterly adorable.
The little goat seemed to understand Jake's goodwill toward it.
After eating the envelope Sengoku had given it, it slowly walked over to Jake, lifted its chin, and gently nudged Jake's thigh, signaling for him to scratch under its chin.
Watching the goat's small eyes narrow with contentment, Sengoku couldn't help but chuckle before continuing.
"This incident of corruption within the Marines, after being publicized by that Morgans guy, has far surpassed all previous records in both newspaper sales and the speed of dissemination. According to Morgans, this edition sold 30% more copies than usual. To maximize exposure, he even deployed all his messenger birds. Unsurprisingly, with Morgans pushing so hard, both the incident and you have received massive attention."
Hearing this, Jake stopped scratching the goat's chin and turned to Sengoku.
"I assume public opinion isn't too favorable right now? Even though we made a big show of our stance, the problem in that branch base was just too severe. Most of the letters sent to the Marines these days are probably filled with curses and demands for accountability, right?"
Jake's words drew a helpless expression from Sengoku.
Crossing his arms, he sighed deeply before responding.
"Yeah, pretty much as you predicted—and worse than I imagined. Maybe it's because the Celestial Tribute levied by the World Government has grown increasingly exorbitant over the years, leaving the masses in dire straits. On top of that, most people don't really understand the exact relationship between the World Government and Marine Headquarters, nor do they know who the Celestial Tribute actually benefits. As a result, they've pinned all their suffering on us."
"If it were just the general public being dissatisfied, we could manage. But the World Government has also used this as an excuse to slash a huge portion of our military funding. They seem to think we deliberately inflated our budget requests before and have refused to provide the same level of funding as before. But the truth is, the budget they've given us has been insufficient since two years ago."
"If it weren't for the Marines secretly capturing Pirates or taking on private commissions from certain nations to supplement our funds, even Marineford might have been taken away by now!"
"Marineford might be taken away?! What do you mean?"
At Jake's startled reaction, Sengoku pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.
"The island where Marineford stand was bought out long ago by one of the Celestial Dragons. If not for the Five Elders' intervention, we'd have to pay an exorbitant annual rent just to stay there. Even so, we still spend a considerable amount on leasing the place every year."
This only deepened Jake's confusion. He asked outright.
"Are you saying there are actually islands in this world that are privately owned by individuals?"
Upon hearing this, Sengoku nodded and said.
"Although the sea is vast and boundless, in reality, many islands have specific owners. These people are either hereditary kings of those islands, extremely wealthy merchants, or Celestial Dragons. It should be said that forty percent of the world's land belongs to the Celestial Dragons, including Marineford beneath our feet. However, that being said, the ownership of islands is still a rather vague boundary here, so you don't need to worry about it."
"Let's get down to business. Your upcoming schedule will be very, very busy. I'll give you a general overview first. If there's anything you'd like to change or any parts you find confusing, you can tell me, and I'll explain or make some necessary adjustments for you."
As he spoke, Sengoku pulled out a thick stack of documents from the drawer on his left.
Handing them to Jake, he cleared his throat lightly and continued.
"This is the detailed schedule. You can look through it while I give you a general rundown. First and foremost, the most critical point is leading the Marine's Great Purge operation. For the next few years, your primary focus will be on this matter. This event concerns the future recruitment and credibility of our entire Marines and it's also closely tied to your personal development, so you must take it seriously."
"According to preliminary data analysis, among all regions, the corruption problem in the North Blue Marine is the most severe. Your first destination will be the North Blue. I want you to root out all those Pirates masquerading as Marines there! Impel Down needs those scoundrels!"
Listening to Sengoku's words brimming with killing intent, Jake nodded solemnly.
"Next is the matter of your personal training. Technically, you haven't graduated from the Marine's Elite Training Camp yet—you've only passed the monthly assessment. Of course, with your abilities, you could graduate right now. However, I personally hope you'll stay a while longer for two reasons. Hear me out."
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