"Watch your tone, Kong! You Marines are nothing more than the World Government’s signboard." The Five Elder with the birthmark on his forehead and a white, handlebar mustache spoke, clearly displeased.
Kong merely "hmph-ed," saying no more.
Standing to the left of the sofa, a Five Elder with a long, white, "mountain"-shaped beard was perusing a "Historical and Cultural Research Book."
The author of this book was Professor Clover, a great scholar from Ohara, the Island of Knowledge. His insights into history and culture were unparalleled, even globally. However, in recently released books, the long-haired Five Elder had subtly discovered something amiss. It wasn’t that there was a definite problem, but there was a vague sense that something wasn’t quite right.
As for the Celestial Dragons’ matter, it wasn’t a huge issue, but it certainly wasn’t small either. The Celestial Dragons’ territory had been thoroughly smashed, and the World Government and Celestial Dragons had lost face. Alucard and Red’s bounties were sure to increase.
"Alucard, Red." The only Five Elder with short, golden hair and a golden beard among them called out Alucard and Red’s names, then stated gravely, "These two must be subdued as quickly as possible to restore the World Government’s prestige. We won’t pursue your reckless involvement in the battle for now, Kong, but these two must be captured."
"Heh, while pirates run rampant, the Celestial Dragons are still enjoying most of the world’s wealth. Do you truly believe the Marines can continue to preserve peace on the seas for the World Government ?" Kong sneered.
The Five Elder with the handlebar mustache was about to scold Kong, but he was stopped by another Five Elder wearing a kimono and wielding a katana. The bespectacled Five Elder in the kimono asked Kong, "What are your thoughts?"
"Because of Roger’s broadcast, the number of Marines has reached a point where supply can’t meet demand. First, we need large-scale recruitment, and we must increase the Marines’ operational budget by fivefold!" Kong showed no hesitation, demanding a fivefold increase in military funding.
"Is this a joke, Kong? To demand a fivefold increase all at once..."
"And the number of pirates, from my rough estimation, has increased tenfold compared to before Roger became the Pirate King, hasn’t it?" Kong retorted, unyielding.
The kimono-clad Five Elder signaled the other four to temporarily refrain from interrupting, then gestured to Kong, "Continue."
"To enhance the awareness of pirate capture across the world, it’s time to lower the standard for pirate bounties. Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Alucard can all have their bounties raised to over one billion Berries. Previously, pirates of Vice Admiral level would only get bounties around one hundred million Berries; now, that should be increased to over one hundred and fifty million Berries. Of course, the threat level to the World Government should also be considered for appropriate adjustments."
After Kong finished, the five exchanged glances and nodded, indicating their agreement to his demands.
"At the next meeting of the World Government’s affiliated nations, I will personally attend and convey this matter," Kong added finally. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel(ꜰ)ire.net
"Hm... Now, let’s return to the initial problem we were discussing." The white curly-haired Five Elder crossed his arms, stating gravely, "Regardless, with such an incident happening right under Marine Headquarters’ nose, if Alucard and Red aren’t dealt with, the World Government and Marine’s reputation will be utterly ruined less than two years into the Great Pirate Era."
"Both of them are lone wolves. Their level of trouble, while not as bad as Whitebeard, is probably still less than Kaido and Charlotte Linlin," the golden-haired Five Elder interjected.
"Then, the next issue is the aftermath." The handlebar-mustached Five Elder pondered for a moment, then said, "Red and Alucard, which one first?"
Kong closed his eyes, contemplating in silence for several minutes. Then he slowly opened his eyes and said, "Red."
"Reason," the long white-haired Five Elder concisely asked.
"He’s someone who came from the same era as Roger. In the hearts of most pirates, Alucard’s standing is still slightly inferior to Red’s. Now, among those from Roger’s era, only he and Whitebeard remain." Kong paused, then continued, "After the battle on Sabaody Archipelago, I also noticed that Red’s combat strength shows slight signs of decline, however shallow. Given his personality, he will likely actively seek ways to compensate for his weaknesses. Now is a good time to capture him, before he finds a way to grow stronger."
After Kong finished, the Five Elders dismissed him. After a week of deliberation, they agreed to all of Kong’s demands and issued an order that Red must be arrested as soon as possible.
On another note, the standard for bounty amounts was lowered. Leaving aside lower-level pirates, any pirate of Marine Vice Admiral rank or higher could easily exceed one hundred million Berries.
This, of course, referred to Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals, not branch Vice Admirals.
This policy naturally encouraged the emergence of more pirate hunters, who salivated at the sight of the increased bounties. Pirates were also stimulated, of course, doing everything they could to increase their own bounties.
Although the decision was made to target Red over Alucard, neither was an easy opponent. After a long period of research, Kong still hadn’t found a truly effective method to deal with Red. But the Marines couldn’t place all their attention on Red.
Zephyr, as the Chief Instructor, intensified the training of new recruits after the Marines’ massive conscription.
Kaido re-entered the New World, engaging in a territorial dispute with Big Mom.
Meanwhile, Alucard remained in the "Paradise" of the first half of the Grand Line, using the pirates greedy for Roger’s leftover treasure, the One Piece, as training fodder.
For a time, the seas were swept by a bloody storm; any pirate who encountered Alucard did not survive.
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