Marshal was the highest military rank achievable. Moving from Navy admiral to marshal of an allied country was nearly an equal step up. After all, Alabasta had a massive army and population—it was a first-rate power in the world.
Taking this marshal position wouldn't bury the old man's identity.
Zefa remained calm and silent. His two students, Ain and Binz, bowed their heads, not wanting their thoughts to cloud the teacher's judgment.
"Does Her Royal Highness know the old man's lifelong wish?" Zefa asked, then answered himself, "I hate pirates with every fiber of my being, but even now, I stick to my principle. Do you think that contradicts the 'no killing' rule my comrades mock me for?"
"Though I never met Randoluff personally, I know of his life. He's a veteran, seven or eight years younger than me—a good man, a good soldier. The Navy failed him."
Regarding this peer with a similar experience, Zefa's tone softened. Even knowing Weiwei had crafted this scenario, he found a sense of kinship with Randoluff—because their lives were too alike.
Zefa's voice grew heavy. "Randoluff called for everyone to fight pirates to the end. Admirable, but I am not him. As long as I breathe, I will fight pirates to my last breath. Her Royal Highness, if I come to Alabasta, what then? If I hold fast to my lifelong duty?"
"You might not know, but those at Navy Headquarters…" He scoffed. "They all huddle in Marineford, behind layers of defense. They don't dare enter the New World. Once I leave, pirates there can run wild."
Weiwei silently pouted—he was so sure of his worth, as if the world would stop turning without him.
She thought carefully. This involved the other party's 'dream.' In other worlds, dreams might be optional, but here, they were core. Every strong person had their own dream, and the balance between others' dreams and your own had to be handled delicately.
"From my perspective," Weiwei said firmly, "pirates can't be wiped out quickly. The World Government pursues balance. I guess their military spending for the Navy is also based on this balance?"
Zefa grunted but did not comment on the World Government deliberately suppressing the Navy.
"They must keep balance. Our forces can't twist their own limbs. Little Alabasta can't influence these decisions—not even a Warring States Marshal."
Zefa knew exactly who she meant by "they," and stayed silent.
"Pirates can't be eliminated outright, but we can contain them at the source."
"Oh? How?"
Weiwei explained, "I doubt many pirates can cross the Calm Belt. Almost all entering the Grand Line from the four seas take the Reverse Mountain, then follow the current into the Grand Line. And the first stop for many pirates is Alabasta. We can deploy troops and set up a checkpoint at the Grand Line entrance to block all pirate ships! With no reinforcements from the seas, and fewer pirate recruits, the Navy can maintain steady reinforcements from global recruitment. Give it two or three years, and the balance between pirates and Navy will tip. Then…"
She left the outcome unsaid—it wasn't her fight.
Zefa mulled it over seriously. The idea of corralling New World pirates had crossed his mind before but never fully formed. Now Weiwei offered a fresh angle.
After five minutes, he said, "Even with my help, Alabasta can't build a navy strong enough to block the Grand Line entrance quickly. The number of ships and sailors needed is huge."
Weiwei glanced at Ain and Binz, who looked quietly stirred.
They weren't afraid of death—they feared dying for nothing. Should they rush to the New World to fight the Four Emperors, or stay here and fight rookie pirates? It was natural to choose the latter. Not cowardice, but survival instinct. Fighting rookies was easier—you just closed your eyes and attacked.
Seeing the students' reaction, Zefa shook his head. "Even with them and my old supporters, rebuilding a navy will take time."
The century-old Navy wasn't a joke. A desert kingdom trying to create one was laughable.
Pirates weren't fools. Once they caught wind of this, they'd retaliate. The World Government would have to act too. Alabasta's Navy might end up at a dead end.
Weiwei had thought this through. "My father and I have discussed it. We're willing to use all the Neferutari family savings to hire Germa 66. If you agree to come to Alabasta, I'll inform my father right away to send someone to the North Blue to contact the Vinsmoke family. We'll buy weapons and hire Germa 66 for two years to block the sea entrance to the Grand Line!"
Zefa warned, "Germa 66 doesn't come cheap. You really want to hire them for two years?"
Weiwei smiled confidently, "Money's no problem."
The Neferutari savings spanned thousands of years. Generations of kings had been frugal rulers with no extravagant hobbies. With the queen's death, the family's only expense was raising her daughter. Day after day, year after year, the coffers grew.
Vivi added, "As long as you don't mind Germa 66, that's fine."
The old man sighed softly. Germa 66 weren't exactly saints, but with so many pirates burning and looting, a mercenary group like them was a godsend. As an admiral with a strict moral code, Zefa disliked Germa 66, but he wasn't hostile. They weren't his soldiers—he didn't pay them, so what could he say?
Though unspoken, the old man already gave two points of approval for Weiwei's plan. The goal had been achieved, and her father would be informed.