Warcury gazed at the distant sky, took a sip of tea, and remarked unhurriedly.
"Indeed. The Marines's underhanded maneuvers have become more frequent—whether it's that so-called 'Great Cleansing' or minor acts of defiance. All of it signals a troubling trend: they seem intent on breaking free from the World Government's control, seeking to enforce their own brand of nonexistent justice."
To this, Jaygarcia Saturn scoffed dismissively:
"Those penniless Marines dogs would collapse the moment we cut off their funding for a year. They're an organization built on our support—essentially just a pack of hounds we've raised. Wasting effort on them is utterly redundant."
Ju Peter frowned and turned to Saturn , elaborating further.
"If we were to judge based on past perspectives, your viewpoint would indeed hold water. However, the Marines's recent behavior has been truly abnormal. Our previously foolproof methods of reducing military expenditures no longer seem to serve as effective restraints against them. If I recall correctly, within just this past year, the number of times the Marines has defied our orders exceeds the total from the past five years combined. Moreover, even after we've slashed portions of their funding, they continue to operate normally."
At this point, Saturn showed a hint of surprise but quickly offered his own speculation.
"Could it be that we allocated them too much funding in previous years, allowing them to amass substantial reserves? Combined with the fact that Sengoku is fundamentally different from Kong, this situation has emerged. After all, while Sengoku might have been a decent candidate before becoming Fleet Admiral, let's not forget—that bastard Garp has always been by his side."
"Garp isn't like other Marines. And let's not overlook his 'D.' surname. You all know full well what that name represents. From the very beginning, I never supported making Sengoku Fleet Admiral."
Nusjuro frowned irritably as he listened to the Saturn's words.
He cut in sharply, addressing the man before him.
"While I have no desire to refute you pointlessly, if I don't counter what you've just said, it would imply incompetence on my part. Let me make this clear—the military budget we allocate to the Marines each year is the result of meticulous calculations, ensuring absolute precision."
"The annual funding is precisely enough to sustain the Marines's operations without allowing them to grow too rapidly. Moreover, we distribute the budget quarterly, ensuring their compliance throughout the year. Given the ever-changing circumstances, we frequently reassess each quarter's allocation. If one quarter's funding was excessive, we adjust and reduce it in the next."
"And yet, in this tightly controlled system, you claim we've been overfunding the Marines—that our excessive allocations led to this outcome? I cannot accept such an accusation. It's an insult to our entire financial division—and a personal affront to me!"
At this point, Nasujuro, even drew his Blade.
A chilling, sinister aura instantly filled the hall.
Sensing the tension, the other Elders quickly intervened with words of mediation.
Saturn softened his stance.
"My apologies. I wasn't implying your department was negligent. I intended to place the blame on that bastard Sengoku. He must have falsified numerous reports, misleading your financial division into granting the Marines far more resources than they should have received."But this statement offended the Law God once again, as his department was specifically responsible for verifying whether any military funds were falsely reported between the various branches of the Marines.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Saturn immediately coughed twice before continuing.
"To summarize, I have no intention of blaming anyone present. Although we are five individuals, we are ultimately one entity. The primary cause of this incident lies in the cunning and deceitful tricks employed by those Marines—exploiting the grace we bestowed upon them and attempting to defy their masters like a rebellious dog. Regarding such Marines, I agree with your previous stance—they indeed require thorough re-education."
"Since Doflamingo mentioned that Jake is the most dazzling supernova among the Marine's new generation, possessing an incredibly rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit that even we have never seen before, it seems beneficial for us to exert some pressure on him."
At this proposal from Saturn, the others finally stopped showing displeasure.
Some even voiced their agreement outright.
"Indeed. Although we all know the Nika Fruit is essentially the Rubber Fruit, it hasn't awakened in centuries. From this perspective, that Marine named Jake poses a much higher level of threat. Of course, we must not kill him—only break his willpower slightly."
"After all, the Marine Headquarters, already starved for fresh talent, will undoubtedly cherish such a genius like a precious gem. If we act too harshly, it may provoke large-scale resistance from the Marines. Therefore, we must employ a slow-boiling strategy—gradually sealing off all his options until he personally delivers his woman to us as a slave!"
"Seconded, seconded, seconded... seconded!"
With all elders approving Saturn's proposal, the grand hall once again fell into silence.
*****
Meanwhile, in Flevance, Jake was organizing the remaining soldiers on the island to carry their equipment and slowly advance through the streets.
Jake had said that if they wanted to truly save Flevance, they had to start here—at the very least, they had to give the people hope that their nation could be restored.
Otherwise, everything would be meaningless.
Jake's approach was simple: he would save the people first—nothing more.
As long as the people lived, the nation would not perish.
That was a lesson Jake had learned long ago.
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