One by one, the ministers took the documents King Merlot handed to them. After only a brief glance, every single one of their expressions changed.
The title at the very top already explained everything.
"Regarding the Stationing of the Nightfall Pirates on Saint Louis Island and Cooperation Matters with the Kingdom of Christi."
The meaning was unmistakable.
The Nightfall Pirates had set their sights on Saint Louis Island and intended to make it their territory.
Their first reaction was disbelief. Were the Nightfall Pirates insane? Governing a country and governing it well were two completely different matters.
At the same time, an uneasy thought crept into their minds.
If the Nightfall Pirates stationed themselves on Saint Louis Island… what would happen to them?
What would become of the Christi Kingdom's officials?
Humans naturally feared death. It was instinctive. And no one wanted to die a meaningless death.
However, the next sentence allowed them to breathe a small sigh of relief.
The Nightfall Pirates had used the word "cooperation."
Though the word felt somewhat uncomfortable, they all understood what it truly meant.
It represented a power they simply could not resist.
In the New World, they all understood the terrifying might of true powerhouses. Before such overwhelming strength, even a million soldiers would be meaningless.
At the very least, the existence of this "agreement" allowed them to maintain a shred of dignity.
One by one, they continued reading.
Each minister reacted differently.
Some showed excitement.
Some remained expressionless.
Others looked slightly troubled.
Everyone had their own thoughts regarding the Nightfall Pirates' terms.
Regarding the Stationing of the Nightfall Pirates on Saint Louis Island and Cooperation Matters with the Kingdom of Christi
1. The Nightfall Pirates will eliminate the royal families, high nobility, and senior military officers of the Ser Kingdom, the Lock Kingdom, and the Moore Kingdom. Their armies will be suppressed, and the Nightfall Pirates will assist the Christi Kingdom in reclaiming its lost territories and reunifying Saint Louis Island. Individuals deemed useful may be spared.
This first clause was clearly the Nightfall Pirates' contribution.
They would eliminate the other three kingdoms and help the Christi Kingdom reclaim its former lands.
For the ministers, this was extremely attractive.
Reunifying Saint Louis Island had always been their long-held ambition.
With the Nightfall Pirates' strength, accomplishing such a goal would be easy.
Of course, they also understood the Nightfall Pirates' true intention. Since the pirates planned to control the entire island, they would not tolerate a divided territory.
In reality, this clause benefited both sides.
2. While stationed on Saint Louis Island, the Nightfall Pirates will not commit unlawful acts against the citizens of the Christi Kingdom.
This clause reassured them.
If the Nightfall Pirates were allowed to behave lawlessly, they would rather resist and fight to the end.
3. The political system of the Christi Kingdom shall remain unchanged, and the kingdom shall retain its administrative governance.
This point caused many ministers to secretly sigh with relief.
At least the kingdom's administrative system would remain intact.
The thought of pirates directly governing the nation had been too absurd to imagine.
4. A position titled Supreme Executive Officer shall be established beneath the King. This position will be held by a member of the Nightfall Pirates and will possess legislative, administrative, and decision-making authority.
A Cabinet shall be established. Cabinet members will be jointly appointed by the Nightfall Pirates and the Christi Kingdom.
The number of cabinet members is not fixed and will be determined through discussion.
The Supreme Executive Officer will serve as the head of the cabinet.
The cabinet will operate through a voting system and will have the authority to oppose the Executive Officer's decisions.
The King will remain the symbolic supreme leader of the Christi Kingdom. He will formally appoint the Supreme Executive Officer and may participate in cabinet meetings, including voting on executive decisions.
At this point, the ministers understood.
If the Nightfall Pirates were to become the rulers of Saint Louis Island, they could not possibly allow the Christi Kingdom to maintain complete control.
Something had to change.
The appearance of the Supreme Executive Officer fundamentally altered the structure of power.
The king would become a symbolic figure.
The true authority of governance would shift to the Executive Officer, a position controlled by the Nightfall Pirates.
The cabinet system resembled the parliamentary systems seen in the West Sea's Dark Council states.
The difference was that those states had no kings, while the Christi Kingdom still retained its monarchy.
The king would continue to exist, but real political power would rest with the Executive Officer.
Still, allowing the king to formally appoint the Executive Officer preserved the dignity of the royal family.
Otherwise, the Nightfall Pirates could have simply abolished the monarchy entirely.
They even possessed the power to force the king to abdicate and take the throne themselves.
5. While stationed within the Christi Kingdom, the kingdom must unconditionally cooperate with the demands of the Nightfall Pirates, provided those demands do not harm the kingdom's interests.
The ministers could only smile bitterly.
Did they even have the ability to refuse?
Once the Executive Officer came from the Nightfall Pirates, the most powerful figure in the kingdom would already be their representative.
Refusal would simply be impossible.
6. A designated area near the royal capital will be allocated for the construction of the Nightfall Pirates' territory.
In reality, the entire Saint Louis Island would effectively belong to the Nightfall Pirates.
Refusing such a clause was meaningless.
Building their base near the capital meant that the royal city would be completely under their control.
The life and death of the Christi Kingdom would lie in the hands of the Nightfall Pirates.
Still, the ministers quickly reached a silent understanding.
There was no reason to resist.
They could not win.
And the losses they suffered were not catastrophic.
They would still retain their positions and authority within the cabinet system. The only difference was that several new colleagues from the Nightfall Pirates would now share power with them.
The one who truly lost the most was the king.
The ruler of the kingdom would now become a member of the Nightfall Pirates' administration.
Although the king still possessed symbolic authority, everyone knew that real power had shifted away from him.
Many ministers felt a hint of pity.
Yet they also felt relief.
At least the king still existed.
If the Nightfall Pirates had directly taken control of the kingdom, they would have had no figure to rely upon at all.
For them, the king remained a spiritual pillar.
"Your Majesty, please make your decision."
An elderly minister slowly stood up and bowed respectfully toward King Merlot.
"No matter what decision Your Majesty makes, this humble servant will support you."
The other ministers followed suit and stood, bowing deeply.
After all, the king was the one who had lost the most.
But deep down, they already understood his choice.
Harmony between ruler and subject was rare in this world.
And the Nightfall Pirates' will was impossible to resist.
Compared to plunging the country into an endless abyss of war and bloodshed, accepting an uncertain future seemed far more reasonable.
The answer was already obvious.
King Merlot let out a long sigh.
"Then… I agree."
"I agree to all of their terms."
As king, he was important.
But the kingdom was more important.
Compared to a future filled with blood and destruction, he preferred to gamble on the unknown.
The Nightfall Pirates had written these conditions with careful thought.
That alone proved they were different from ordinary pirates.
When Merlot spoke those words, several ministers quietly wiped tears from their eyes.
For them, this was the best possible outcome.
The Christi Kingdom had once been a powerful and prosperous nation.
Yet before the overwhelming might of the Nightfall Pirates, it appeared so fragile and powerless.
Unable to resist a pirate invasion, they could only place their hopes in an uncertain future.
"There are still three blank lines at the end."
One minister looked down at the document and spoke.
"We can add three conditions."
"Your Majesty… please decide."
The ministers exchanged glances and unanimously turned toward King Merlot.
These three clauses were clearly a courtesy offered by Marshall D. Teach.
Of course, they could not make unreasonable demands.
And in their eyes, only the king had the right to propose them.
King Merlot closed his eyes briefly.
He had already considered this carefully.
"My first request," he said slowly, "is that the first Supreme Executive Officer be Mr. Mostima."
Among the Nightfall Pirates, the man known as the Wise Angel possessed extraordinary administrative talent.
Whether during his time cooperating with the Whitebeard Pirates or managing his own territories later, Mostima had proven himself capable of balancing the needs of pirates and civilians alike.
Compared to the other members of the Nightfall Pirates, Merlot trusted his ability the most.
If Mostima became Executive Officer and worked alongside the kingdom's ministers, the country would at least avoid falling into chaos.
"My second request…"
Merlot hesitated before continuing.
"Grant Marshall D. Teach the title Grand Duke of Darkness."
"Grant Redyat the title Grand Duke of Shadow."
"And grant Ares the title Grand Duke of Blood Battle."
"What?! Your Majesty!"
Several ministers immediately cried out in shock.
The title of Grand Duke ranked above Duke and just below King.
It carried the authority to establish a duchy.
Such a title had been granted only a handful of times in hundreds of years.
Historically, those who received the title of Grand Duke often rose to replace the king himself.
However, before the ministers could finish reacting, Merlot suddenly shook his head.
"No."
He frowned.
"That is not enough."
The title of Grand Duke was still technically beneath the king.
But the reality was clear.
The Nightfall Pirates would soon rule Saint Louis Island.
They would hold absolute power over the lives of everyone on the island.
"Grand Duke is not suitable," Merlot said firmly.
"Give them the title of Overlord instead."
The ministers froze for a moment before quickly understanding.
Teach and his crew were pirates.
To them, noble titles meant little.
Even the title of Grand Duke might appear insulting.
Among pirates, the highest authority after the Pirate King was the Sea Emperor, rulers of vast ocean territories.
Even weaker overlord-level pirate crews controlled dozens of islands.
"Overlord…"
The ministers silently repeated the word.
It was fitting.
They were not emperors.
But they were undoubtedly overlords.
This title would not be bestowed as nobles granting rank to pirates.
Instead, it would represent the recognition of the people of Saint Louis Island, acknowledging the Nightfall Pirates as the island's rulers.
Finally, Merlot spoke again.
"My last request…"
"I hope the Nightfall Pirates will treat the people of the Christi Kingdom with kindness."
He sighed deeply.
"Heh… I agree."
A sudden voice echoed through the chamber.
The ministers instinctively turned toward the sound.
At some point, Marshall D. Teach had appeared in the corner of the conference room.
None of them had noticed his arrival.
The ministers' hearts trembled violently.
Their hands shook as they struggled to remain calm.
"Although Ares isn't here," Teach said with a grin, "I'll accept the title on his behalf."
"These titles suit us quite well."
Darkness. Shadow. Blood battle.
Each matched their respective abilities and personalities.
"Since everything is settled," Teach continued, "we'll set the timing later."
"We still have matters to handle in the Sageros Sea, and you will need time to prepare as well."
Beside him, Redyat gave a small nod.
With his ability to read minds, no one in the room could hide their thoughts.
That made things far easier for Teach.
There was no need to make an example of anyone.
"Then we'll be leaving."
Teach smiled and gave a slight bow.
His body slowly sank into the shadows.
Together with Redyat, he disappeared from the room.
Silence filled the chamber.
King Merlot and the ministers remained seated for a long time without speaking.
It seemed that from the beginning, their every move had been under Teach's control.
Yet they had not noticed anything.
Merlot's expression remained calm.
He alone had known that Teach and Redyat were inside the palace.
The ministers had been completely unaware.
Still, the outcome was good.
There had been no conflict.
Aside from the shift in royal authority, the Nightfall Pirates' conditions were not overly harsh.
Since resistance was impossible, acceptance had been their only option.
For a powerless side in such negotiations, things could hardly have gone better.
Meanwhile, Teach and Redyat had already left the palace.
Both felt a sense of relief.
The matter of Saint Louis Island had been settled surprisingly smoothly.
Back inside the palace, King Merlot and the ministers continued their meeting, discussing the next steps.
As for the coming war with the three kingdoms?
With the Nightfall Pirates involved…
There was nothing left to worry about.