บท 471: 470. Rebuilding A World Government?

Although Fish-Man Island is always on the World Summit invitation list, they have never actually attended due to their fear of the surface world.

Unexpectedly, this time they appeared and were the first to support the Marine's side.

This reminded everyone of the Marine's so-called branch on Fish-Man Island.

It seems... the Marine is well prepared.

However, they still maintain a wait-and-see attitude.

After all, they still have questions about whether the Marine can stand up to the World Government.

"Haha~"

Considering everyone's expressions, even though he couldn't use Observation Haki or read minds, he could roughly guess what these kings were thinking.

"You must have some guesses, right? There are rumors that the Marine and World Government are at odds. I want to clarify - these are not rumors. The Marine has broken with the World Government," Admiral Atlas said with a smile.

Boom!

Although they were somewhat prepared, hearing this confirmed by a Marine Admiral still shocked the kings.

Everyone looked at the Marine in front of them with surprised eyes.

As an agency under the World Government, the Marine dared to say this, implying they had no intention of backing down.

This situation felt like their kingdom's army was going to rebel against them.

A natural sense of discomfort came over them.

However, in this world, strength is respected.

Classes exist, but mobility is possible and authority isn't absolute.

After discussing for a while, they decided to hear the Marine's true purpose.

Did they want them to take sides now?

"The conflict between the Marine and World Government has been going on for a long time.

The Marine stands for justice.

The World Government stands for maintaining the rule of the Celestial Dragons.

Everyone here knows how bad the Celestial Dragons are.

You are the kings, but you are suppressed by these so-called world nobles..."

"Have you ever thought that Celestial Dragons should never have existed on the seas?"

"We at the Marine can no longer bear the powerlessness when crimes happen before our eyes and justice isn't served, so we decided to resist and truly bring peace to the sea..."

The kings were silent.

Yes!

Although the first twenty kings were members of the World Government, they were just latecomers.

But that doesn't mean they want a group of so-called world nobles above them.

The so-called descendants of the Creator? That nonsense only deceives ignorant civilians.

Atlas struck while the iron was hot: "Moreover, isn't the purpose of joining the World Government simple? Seeking Marine's protection, but at a high price. All this staggering wealth has been used to build Marine's military strength?"

"That's not entirely true. Most of it goes to the enjoyment of the Celestial Dragons. Imagine how much our national power and wealth would expand if this money was used for the kingdom's development."

"We Marines only need one percent of the Heavenly Tribute to maintain operations, and you would easily get Marine protection."

Then, his tone slowed slightly, tempting them:

"I don't know the historical truth of that blank hundred years, but one thing is certain: twenty kingdoms formed the World Government, and there are more than twenty of you here. How do you compare to those twenty kingdoms?"

"Why don't you all follow the example of the Twenty Kings and build a new World Government?"

"—?!!"

Everyone present was once again shocked by Atlas's remarks. They looked at him with burning eyes, their breathing becoming heavy.

Follow the example of the twenty kings and form a new World Government!

What ambition!

But it did excite them.

Do today's Celestial Dragons contribute anything to the world? They are just a group of idiots who only want to have fun but can be superior to all of them.

Doesn't the source of all this point to those twenty kings?

And if they succeed, wouldn't they also become the new Celestial Dragons? Then their names will be spread across the sea forever!

Atlas silently observed the restrained expressions of everyone present.

Ambition, once it takes root, grows rapidly.

Of course, he couldn't let new Celestial Dragons appear. These were just temporary measures. The real political system would have to be explored and verified by time.

A successful system isn't copied but is constantly improved through practice.

He wouldn't let something like the Celestial Dragons appear again.

However, the boy who slays the dragon will eventually become a dragon.

This seems to be an eternal truth.

Who knows if the Twenty Kings back then were also young men who slayed dragons?

Even knowing history, many repeat the same mistakes.

After a long silence, Cobra from Alabasta coughed lightly and said, "It's too early to say this now. The war between Marine and the World Government has not yet concluded. At least, I haven't seen any hope of Marine victory."

If there was a king present who wasn't too interested in Atlas's grand plan, it was Cobra.

Alabasta is one of the twenty kingdoms, though he voluntarily gave up staying in Mariejois, so it's impossible for him to be swayed by this now.

He cares more about the Heavenly Tribute payment.

Alabasta is a superpower among many allied countries, with vast territory and strong domestic armed forces.

However, due to the harsh living environment, local resources are scarce.

The most important issue is the lack of fresh water, which limits Alabasta's development.

Atlas smiled and said, "What His Majesty Cobra said is absolutely true, but we Marines have this confidence and strength. Everyone should have heard that as early as last year's world conscription, there was already a conflict between us and the World Government. It won't be tolerated any longer."

"Why do you think the two of them have been getting along so well until now?"

Although the World Summit is held every four years, it doesn't mean that the participating countries are unaware of the internal trends within the World Government.

As far as Atlas knows, many kings are happy to seek official positions within the World Government after retirement, treating it as a cushy retirement plan.

This is why the World Government's handling of many matters appears old-fashioned and outdated. This is the current situation with some officials.

"Risk and reward are always proportional, aren't they? Everyone?"

Atlas was actually right, but for most of the kings present, the high amount of Heavenly Tribute wasn't taken seriously. Ultimately, it was the civilians under their rule who paid the bill. They were only responsible for the exploitation.

Except for a few like Cobra and Kyros, who genuinely cared about their people, and a small number of relatively poor kings.

Soon, doubts appeared again. "I heard that your Marine has colluded with the Revolutionary Army. It's really hard for me to believe that the Marine is on the same side as us."

As he spoke, he stood up suddenly, looked around, and sneered, "I believe everyone knows what happened to our Kingdom of Goa, right? The people there are still restless.

If it weren't for the government's help, the Kingdom of Goa might have been overthrown by the Revolutionary Army forever and ceased to exist!"

In fact, he didn't like the Marine from the bottom of his heart.

If he angrily denounced the Marine's behavior at the meeting, it might reach the ears of the Five Elders, potentially earning him a place in Mariejois and becoming a member of the world's nobility.

This has been his dream all along!

Atlas looked at this idiot, his eyes narrowing slightly, murderous intent quietly surging in his heart.

The faces of the kings present changed drastically, and they all asked Atlas, "Is what he said true, Admiral Hakuryu?"

"If you have any connection with the Revolutionary Army, please forgive us for the difficulty in cooperating with the Marine."

Although the word "class" might not exist in this world, they were instinctively disgusted by the Revolutionary Army's theories.

Replacing the World Government was just a contradiction within the same class, which was acceptable to them.

However, the class contradiction with the Revolutionary Army was difficult to reconcile.

That's why they had such a huge reaction when they heard the Marine had contact with the Revolutionary Army.

Atlas smiled and said, "Do you believe this kind of nonsense? The Marine has always been just the Marine. What capital does the Revolutionary Army have that makes it worthwhile for us to collude with them?"

"Just because the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, is the son of Marine hero Garp!" Stelly retorted sharply.

Bang!

Before the kings present could react, the door to the conference room was slammed open.

Garp strode in and laughed loudly, "What's going on with Dragon?"

"..."

Looking at Garp making a fool of himself, the kings could only respond in silence.

"Okay, this kind of entanglement has absolutely no meaning at the moment. I just want to know what attitude you have towards the Marine's idea."

Atlas was too lazy to talk nonsense and skipped Stelly directly to enter the voting session.

"I agree!"

Kyros was the first to raise his hand in agreement, causing ripples like a stone dropped in calm water.

"I agree!"

Atlas heard the call and saw a man with short blond hair, a crown decorated with multiple crosses, a muscular body, and a red and blue cloak on his back.

It was Elizabello II of the Prodence Kingdom.

This country has always had a very good relationship with Dressrosa, and Atlas remembered he had paid a special visit last time.

Sensing Atlas's attention, Elizabello II nodded in greeting.

Neptune from Fish-Man Island and Cobra from Alabasta also expressed support.

People follow the trend. When one or two take the lead in breaking the silence and their views are consistent, others gradually follow.

So—

Soon, others raised their hands in agreement.

Voices of support came one after another, and those who originally planned to stay neutral couldn't remain silent and also raised their hands in agreement.

Looking around, Atlas saw that half of the people had already agreed.

After the dust settled, Neptune spoke with a heavy expression: "Although the World Government has clearly stated that slave trade is prohibited, there are still an endless stream of slave traders.

Fish-Man Island has suffered even more. I would like to propose that all countries unite to severely crack down on this behavior."

As soon as these words came out, someone was ready to object.

"Even we can't prevent this kind of thing, right? It's driven by interests that make these untouchables take risks and defy the World Government's laws," objected a king who hadn't raised his hand earlier.

"Yes, the World Government banned it before. Not only did it fail to suppress the slave trade, but it became more rampant," someone added, pretending to be confused.

Many nobles had bought and sold slaves in the past, treating it as a matter of fun. Especially the mermaids of Fish-Man Island—they were very popular.

When people are accustomed to something and someone suddenly tells them to abolish it, they naturally become unhappy as vested interests.

Atlas glanced up and said, "It's very well said. If there is no trade, there will be no harm. So I suggest that if you want to ban the slave trade, you must take a two-pronged approach."

"On one hand, we must crack down hard. Once discovered, we must suppress them with thunderous means. On the other hand, nobles are not allowed to keep slaves and can only hire long-term workers legally."

"In the past, because of the Celestial Dragons, this decree was only on paper. Now that we are determined to push it back, something must change!"

He spoke decisively.

In his opinion, this matter was non-negotiable and didn't need a vote.

Slavery fundamentally embodies the regression of social civilization.

This is also what Atlas disliked the most about this world.

Sometimes, human traffickers are more hateful than pirates.

As the saying goes, what goes up leads to what follows. Perhaps the culture and roots of keeping slaves are with the Celestial Dragons, but these nobles are also participants.

Of course, this cannot be restricted by words alone—it must be rectified with thunderous means!

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