"Those idiots with fish tanks on their heads, parading around like gods, are nothing more than fools," Luffy began, his tone sharp and filled with disdain. "Yet they demand our Marines to protect them, even for the most trivial of injuries or illnesses, sending admirals at their beck and call as if we're their personal guard dogs."
His voice grew louder, filled with righteous anger. "What's worse is that these bastards contribute nothing to the world! They produce nothing, they hoard resources, and their so-called 'status' allows them to act with impunity. They're mentally twisted, indulging in all manner of depravity—buying and selling slaves, raping women, and killing ordinary people for sport.
Every three years, they even hold hunting games, where they pick an island that's not part of the alliance and massacre all its inhabitants for their amusement."
Luffy's fists slammed against the table, his outrage mirrored by the horrified expressions of those listening. The room was silent except for the collective gasps that followed his words.
Sanji, usually composed, was so stunned that the cigarette dropped from his mouth, landing forgotten on the floor. Darius's hands trembled, his mind unable to comprehend the atrocities being described. Ain, Hina, Koala, and the other women clenched their fists tightly, their faces a mix of rage and disgust.
Robin's lips pressed into a thin line, her expression dark. The horrors Luffy described stirred painful memories within her—a past she had tried to bury but could never forget.
Pacing the room, Luffy's anger surged. He turned back to face his audience, his voice trembling with fury.
"Gentlemen! A Marine that serves such a corrupt system is not just! As long as those Celestial Dragons exist, corrupt nobles will continue to thrive, and the world will never see peace.
The time has come for us to change. We cannot, and should not, take orders from a government that upholds this madness. It's time for the Marine to become independent—to become an army that answers only to the people and serves justice!"
Standing tall, Luffy raised his right hand in a salute, his voice ringing with conviction.
"For justice!"
The room erupted. Everyone rose to their feet, their voices booming in unison.
"For justice!!!"
Half a Month Later
It had been two weeks since Luffy's fiery speech and the abduction of Dr. Vegapunk by the Revolutionary Army. The timeline set by Saint Saturn for Fleet Admiral Sengoku had long passed.
As Sengoku had expected, the Five Elders did not remove him from his position, though they did subject him to harsh criticism. Adding insult to injury, they slashed the Marine's military budget for the rest of the year and the following one, citing the Marine's "inadequate performance."
Despite Sengoku's protests and attempts to justify the Marine's actions, the Five Elders' decision was final.
Forced to accept the cuts, Sengoku sat in his office, staring at the budget report from the Ministry of Finance and Logistics. His hands trembled as he scanned the numbers, the gap in funding glaringly obvious.
"Curse that dragon. Curse the Revolutionary Army!" Sengoku roared, his voice echoing through the Marine headquarters. "Despicable, shameless, insidious—they'll pay for this one day! I'll catch that bastard and beat him senseless with my own hands!"
The Fleet Admiral's rant was loud enough to be heard throughout the building, and ordinary Marines whispered amongst themselves, believing Sengoku's anger was directed solely at the Revolutionary Army.
But the senior officers knew better. Sengoku's true ire was reserved for the World Government and the Five Elders.
Still, they kept their thoughts to themselves. They weren't foolish enough to involve themselves in the battles of the upper ranks. Pretending to hear nothing, they carried on with their duties.
After a solid ten minutes of venting, Sengoku finally fell silent, slumping back into his chair as exhaustion took over. Gasping for breath, he turned his attention back to the report.
Despite cutting numerous unnecessary expenses, the Marine's budget for the second half of the year still faced a shortfall of nearly 10 billion Berries.
"The Marine isn't a business; we don't generate revenue," Sengoku muttered bitterly. "Even some smaller kingdoms couldn't come up with this kind of money, let alone us."
Leaning back in his chair, Sengoku rubbed his temples, his frustration mounting. "Looks like the new warship program will have to be postponed. Maybe I'll speak with Iceburg and see if he can hold off on construction."
He sighed heavily, muttering under his breath. "As for the rest... we'll have to make the branches in the Four Seas suffer a bit more. It's not like we have much of a choice."
Taking his pen, Sengoku began marking up the budget, cutting back wherever he could. Still, even after all his adjustments, the gap remained—3.5 billion Berries short.
"Damn it," he muttered. "If I reduce any more, it'll affect the Grand Line branch, and that's our last line of defense. We can't compromise there. Is there nothing else we can do? Should we push the Four Seas branches even further?"
As he brooded, the phone on his desk suddenly rang, its sharp trill cutting through the silence.
Buru buru buru! Buru buru buru!
Without looking, Sengoku grabbed the receiver, his face a mask of weariness.
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