"The most important thing is—once war breaks out, how much manpower and resources will you have to expend just to secure your own rear lines? As the top strategists of the World Government, I trust you've done the math," Rosinante said calmly.
"Rosinante, you're treading on the bottom line of the World Government!" one of the Five Elders bellowed.
"I never said I'd assassinate the Celestial Dragons. But let's be honest—if the World Government wants to go to war with us, you'll need people to organize and transport your logistics, right? Just how many powerful protectors will you need to guard that supply line? I won't need to touch your frontline—just eliminate your supply coordinators, and suddenly you won't be able to get your troops the supplies they need. Let's see how long they last on Skypiea without food or ammunition," Rosinante said with a cold smile.
"Not to mention your government officials… how many top fighters do you have to spare to guard them? If they all die off, what then? Even if the five of you are brilliant, you can't build a nation with nothing. Or do you plan to do everything yourselves?" Rosinante added, his tone light but words sharp as a blade.
"Rosinante, don't forget—right now, you're still inside Marine Headquarters!" Kong said coldly, his eyes sharp like knives.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, that's not a very productive thing to say. If we can't leave Marineford safely today, it just means my gift wasn't big enough. So I'll simply prepare a bigger one to prove my sincerity. Yes, you're strong enough to kill us, but the price you'll pay… will be the extermination of twenty Celestial Dragon royal bloodlines—the very foundation of the World Government!" Rosinante's words were calm, yet every syllable struck like thunder.
"You dare?!" one of the Five Elders roared.
"I understand very well that touching the Celestial Dragons is your bottom line. But if I'm already dead, what do I have to be afraid of? Unless you station hundreds of admiral-level fighters to guard the Celestial Dragons day and night, or lock them in Sea Prism Stone rooms for the rest of their lives, believe me—they won't last. Those pampered aristocrats won't survive a single sniper shot from the Grey Kingdom. Just like this time—they'd be corpses lying beside their slaves," Rosinante said indifferently.
"Kong, now's not the time to act out of emotion," one of the Five Elders finally said, trying to calm the furious Fleet Admiral.
Kong's face turned unsightly, but he clenched his teeth and remained silent.
"Rosinante, we acknowledge your sincerity. Tell us your terms," came the calm voice of another Elder through the Den Den Mushi.
"My terms? Very simple. First—you must retract the slander against me in the newspapers and take responsibility for restoring my reputation. In the future, I don't want to see any more fabricated smears against me," Rosinante stated clearly.
"Agreed," came the quick response from the Elder.
Controlling public opinion was child's play for the World Government. With their grip over the global media, restoring a reputation—or burying someone—was as easy as breathing.
"Second, this battle was our way of showing goodwill. Now that the World Government has acknowledged and accepted it, the damage caused by this battle must be compensated by you. That includes war expenditures and various losses… totaling 30 billion Berries," Rosinante said.
The line went quiet for a few seconds. Then one of the Elders replied in a low voice, "Fine."
The number was massive—but to the World Government, not unmanageable. After all, Berries were just paper to them—they could print as much as they wanted. What truly made them hesitate was the humiliation of having to compensate their enemies after being attacked. Still, compared to the alternative, a brief hesitation was all it took to say yes.
"Alright, that's all," Rosinante said with a casual smile.
"That's it?" The Elders were surprised.
Indeed, they had expected Rosinante to make outrageous demands. They hadn't anticipated his conditions would be so… straightforward. He hadn't even asked for the removal of his bounty.
"That's all. What, were you expecting me to demand something outrageous? Like reinstating my status as a Celestial Dragon? Or maybe official approval to found a nation?" Rosinante chuckled. "My crew is called the Grey Kingdom—we are a pirate kingdom, and I already rule over twenty-four vassal islands. Do you really think a Celestial Dragon title is worth more than that?"
"I only have these two demands. If you agree, then unless the World Government chooses all-out war against us, I won't make a move against the Celestial Dragons," Rosinante declared.
"Then we hope you'll remember what you said today," came the Elder's voice.
"I'm leaving now. Who knows, maybe we'll have a chance to cooperate in the future. Shall we go? Raelmann, issue the retreat," Rosinante said as he stood up and casually gave the order.
"Let them go," one of the Five Elders said quietly.
"Retreat!" Raelmann shouted to the Second Division.
And just like that, the Second Division marched away from the battlefield. In truth, the fighting had already ceased since the Five Elders joined the call.
Under the stunned gaze of the Marine forces, Rosinante and his crew swaggered through the wormhole and vanished from Marine Headquarters.
But not long after Rosinante's departure, a Marine officer came running in, panic all over his face.
"Bad news, Fleet Admiral Kong! The Marine treasury—it's been completely emptied!" the officer shouted.
"What?!" Kong stood up in shock. "How's that possible? The Marine treasury was heavily guarded—how could it be looted?!"
Don't be mistaken—Marineford housed far more forces than just those seen on the battlefield. In anticipation of an attack by Bins, every critical area had been heavily reinforced.
The Marine treasury was especially protected. Several senior officers had been stationed there, and even Sakazuki had originally been assigned to guard it.
Although Sengoku later summoned Sakazuki to the frontlines, the treasury was still guarded by several Vice Admirals and hundreds of elite troops. How could it have been cleaned out… and no one realized until now?
"It was Katakuri, Vice-Captain of the Grey Kingdom! He led the Bloodsworn Royal Guard and looted the entire treasury!" the officer reported frantically.
"That bastard Rosinante! I'll skin him alive!" Kong bellowed in fury.
"Fleet Admiral, now's not the time to create more trouble," Sengoku said calmly. "The World Government will not allow any retaliation against the Grey Kingdom—unless we can neutralize the threat of the Worm-Worm Fruit's long-range strikes."
"No! I have to speak with the Five Elders! The Marines cannot bear this loss alone!" Kong growled as he stormed toward his office.
He was obviously going to demand compensation from the Five Elders.
And no one could blame him for being furious. The Marine treasury didn't just hold ordinary riches—it contained everything the Marines had received from the World Government that year.
Including ten Devil Fruits. Countless rare weapons. Treasures critical for the future of the Navy.
If all that was gone, Marine development would stall entirely.
Right now, the seas were in chaos. If the Navy couldn't reward those who achieved merit, who would keep risking their lives?
Yes, hunting pirates was a noble cause—but without benefits, nobility was just empty talk. Without real incentives, even the mightiest Navy would start to crumble.