While Imu and the Five Elders were deeply intrigued by the exploration of the first Stargate world, they were also acutely aware that the World Government's foundation remained firmly rooted in the home planet of the Sea Star.
As Laskey led CP9 deeper into the New World, the Government Affairs Office and the Marines were plunged into a whirlwind of chaos and busyness.
The passage of the Levely agenda did not signify the end of matters but rather the beginning.
Dragon's defeat of the 'Slave King' and the cleansing of Sabaody Archipelago merely eradicated two of the largest blights of the slave trade in the world.
However, the Four Seas and the Grand Line were home to countless kingdoms and islands, where the slave industry was deeply entrenched.
To address this, Marine Headquarters and all G-bases, in coordination with Cipher Pol and the intelligence support from local affiliated nations, launched the largest-scale slave liberation campaign in history across all seas.
As a result, many Marine branches could no longer afford to focus on capturing pirates; their most pressing task was to fully implement the "Comprehensive Prohibition of the Slave Trade and the Complete Liberation of Slaves Worldwide."
Unfortunately, until the Police Affairs Department under the Court of Justice was fully established, the responsibilities of law enforcement still fell upon the Marines.
This directly led to an overwhelming influx of documents and reports converging at Marineford. Fleet Admiral Kong, known as 'Kong the Iron Fist,' was swamped and unable to handle it all alone. Consequently, Marine Admiral Sengoku and Chief of Staff Tsuru had been glued to their desks these past few days.
This was the inevitable outcome of an organization with excessively broad authority.
As for Garp, who knows where he was off playing? Oh, right, he went to Fish-Man Island.
"Ah, I initially thought that the higher-ups were trying to suppress us by transferring the Bounty Research Office and part of the Marines to the Police Affairs Department. But now it seems they were actually helping us," Kong sighed with a mix of relief and exhaustion during a rare tea break at noon, addressing Sengoku and Tsuru seated beside him.
As the Fleet Admiral, he had naturally received the reform plan from the Five Elders, which outlined the World Government's intention to separate the 'police' function from the Marines.
He had also shared this information with Sengoku and Tsuru.
"Fleet Admiral, this busyness won't last long. Once the slave trade is mostly eradicated worldwide, everything will return to normal," Sengoku said with a smile, sipping on his vibrant green matcha.
"However, I fully support this reform. Although the Marines' influence and scale have been affected, we've become more focused, allowing us to concentrate solely on maritime affairs."
At this point, Vice Admiral Tsuru, with her gentle and beautiful smile, chimed in, "The establishment of the Police Affairs Department doesn't just impact the Marines. It also effectively strips the affiliated nations of their judicial authority. From now on, there will be no more sheriffs—or rather, they'll all have to join the police departments under the Public Security Bureau. Additionally, the internal prisons of each nation, according to the plan, will fall under the jurisdiction of the soon-to-be-established Prison Management Bureau."
"Indeed, this signifies the World Government's increased control over the affiliated nations. Whether this is a good or bad thing remains to be seen," Sengoku expressed his concern.
"Good or bad depends on multiple perspectives," Vice Admiral Tsuru replied, taking a sip of the plain water in her cup. She had a preference for simple, pure water, as it was untainted and clear.
"From the perspective of unifying the judiciary, this is definitely a good thing. Previously, the laws of each kingdom were different."
"For example, the same act of theft, stealing items of equal value, could result in completely different levels of punishment in each kingdom. If the thief knew someone in power, they might even be acquitted."
"But if the laws themselves are flawed, or if the court's rulings are unjust, then naturally, it's not a good thing. In my view, what needs reform is not just the addition of relevant departments, but also the improvement of the World Government's legal system itself and the enhancement of the quality of the judiciary."
Kong and Sengoku exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. Matters of law were not something to be discussed lightly, even if they were high-ranking Navy officers.
"I'm quite curious about who will be appointed as the head of the Police Affairs Department, especially the directly subordinate Military Police Bureau. According to the reform plan, this bureau will be responsible for handling dangerous criminals within the affiliated nations in the future, so it will undoubtedly require substantial combat strength."
Sengoku sighed, "There are two possibilities: either a hidden asset of the World Government will step forward, or someone from within our Navy will be transferred over."
"This Police Affairs Department is destined to draw some blood from the Navy!"
Even though they understood it was necessary for the greater good, as lifelong Navy men, they couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache and discomfort.
At that moment, a flash of insight struck the 'Tactician.' His gaze turned contemplative as he looked at the matcha in his hand, murmuring softly, "I think I have an idea of who might be transferred."
Sabaody Archipelago.
Since Liberation Day on September 15th, the kings who attended the Levely had gradually returned to their countries, and the majority of tourists had dispersed, bringing the island's population back to normal levels.
But there were still changes.
Now, in every area, one could see strange-looking Fish-men and beautiful Mermaids floating with bubble rings around their waists, along with patrols of Neptune Army soldiers.
The human residents had long grown accustomed to this. No one was shocked or frightened by the appearance of Fish-men, nor did anyone scream or gasp at the sight of the mermaids from fairy tales.
Moreover, with the complete disappearance of slave companies, slave auction houses, and slave markets, the residents no longer had to look at pitiful slaves with sorrowful eyes or worry about keeping their children safe.
Another important change was that, for some reason, the Celestial Dragons hadn't been seen for a long time, allowing the people to go many days without having to kneel on the ground in fear.
People suddenly realized that their lives had become much more comfortable.
However, with change comes both joy and sorrow. Due to Dragon's strict control over the coating and hotel industries, many had lost their primary source of income.
Pirates!
Now, any ship wishing to dock at the Sabaody Archipelago must first stop for inspection by the stationed Navy battleships. If a pirate ship or illegal vessel attempts to flee, the Navy battleships don't need to give chase—the Fish-men units in the sea will take care of puncturing the ship's hull, turning it into a sinking maritime prison.
Since Dragon took over as the base commander here, he has effectively blocked 90% of the pirates from entering the Sabaody Archipelago.
Area GR13.
This place was originally a lawless zone, but in recent years, a notorious bar had emerged in this dangerous area.
It was called the Rip-off Bar.
"Take a look, this is the latest newspaper."
Shakuyaku, the proprietress behind the counter, held a slender lady's cigarette in one hand and placed a newspaper next to Rayleigh's glass with the other. Rayleigh didn't pick it up, merely glancing at the headline.
[World Nobles Decide to Liberate Slaves in the Holy Land, Worldwide Live Broadcast in Two Days!!!]
Rayleigh, still a handsome blonde at this time, slightly furrowed his brow, gently pushed his round glasses up his nose, and said in a deep voice, "Something must have happened within the World Government. All the events of the past year have been sudden and abnormal. Now it seems the source is likely in Mary Geoise."
"Hmm—so what?" Shakuyaku exhaled a puff of white smoke as she asked.
"I want to know what caused such a significant change in the World Government and what erased the era Roger created."
Rayleigh's eyes unconsciously sharpened, exuding the aura of a Great Swordsman.
"You're not thinking of... are you crazy!!"