Faced with Luffy's provocation, Akainu had nothing to say.
Without the World Government, the Marines had truly become a dog without a master.
And a starving dog would eventually starve to death.
There was no need for Fleet Admiral Akainu to dissolve the organization himself. As time passed and salaries stopped being paid, it would only be a matter of time before the Marines collapsed on their own.
As for justice?
Justice also requires full stomachs.
As long as the World Government existed, it collected an enormous amount of Heavenly Tribute every year, part of which was allocated to the Marines to cover their military expenses.
Those expenses amounted to trillions of berries annually.
Now, that source of funding had vanished.
Was Akainu supposed to start pillaging like a pirate to finance the Marines?
If the financial issue wasn't resolved, the organization's collapse would be inevitable.
"Lord Luffy."
At that moment, Fujitora spoke.
"You don't intend to dissolve the Marines, do you?"
"Hm?"
Luffy raised an eyebrow and looked at him in surprise.
Fujitora continued:
"Your enemy was always the Celestial Dragons, not the governmental structure itself. Now that the Celestial Dragons have been eliminated, that doesn't mean the World Government must disappear entirely."
"The world still needs a new order. Since you've come this far, that order should be built by you."
Hearing that, Luffy smiled.
It was exactly as Fujitora said.
As long as the world needed a central authority, someone would occupy that position.
As for the name, it hardly mattered.
Continuing to use the title of World Government or creating a new international organization made little difference.
The result would be the same.
Power does not appear out of nowhere.
Nor does it disappear.
It merely changes hands.
The current situation was simple.
The power that had once belonged to the Celestial Dragons had now been transferred to Luffy.
If he refused to shoulder that responsibility, someone else would.
"I'll continue governing the world and reforming it."
Luffy didn't even bother provoking Akainu.
He spoke directly.
"You can continue serving as the Navy of the new World Government. However, there is one small problem."
Hearing that, Kizaru and Fujitora immediately looked toward Akainu.
There was no need for further explanation.
Someone would have to take responsibility for everything that had happened in the past.
And who would that person be?
Akainu clenched his fists.
He was tired.
"I will resign from the position of Fleet Admiral and leave the Marines."
Luffy burst out laughing.
After laughing for a few moments, he nodded.
"Honestly, you're the only one who can do it."
Kizaru was merely an employee doing his job.
Fujitora had joined the organization relatively recently.
Ryokugyu was already dead.
None of them possessed the necessary authority.
Only Akainu did.
"Before you leave, do one last thing."
The smile disappeared from Luffy's face.
"I will convene an emergency World Summit in the name of the World Government."
"Marines, immediately summon the leaders of every member nation."
"A World Summit?"
Kizaru raised an eyebrow.
Normally, the meeting only took place once every four years.
The last one had been held in 1518.
The next was not scheduled until 1522.
It was still only the end of 1520.
But given such a dramatic change, an extraordinary summit was perfectly justified.
After all, this conference would determine the future of the world.
"Understood."
Akainu nodded expressionlessly.
Then he turned and left.
To preserve the Marines, the former Fleet Admiral would have to bear the burden of the past.
"The location of the summit will be Elegia. Starting today, the new headquarters of the World Government will be established there."
Akainu departed to fulfill his final duties as Fleet Admiral.
Luffy watched his figure disappear into the distance.
It was inevitable.
Someone had to carry the weight of the past.
And that someone could only be Akainu.
But now another problem remained.
Who would command the Marines?
It definitely couldn't be someone from the current leadership.
That would only create more issues.
It also needed to be someone strong enough to maintain stability.
After thinking for a few moments, Luffy arrived at an answer.
Kuzan.
With that in mind, he took out a Den Den Mushi and called the former admiral.
After a few seconds, the call was answered.
{"Hello..."}
"It's me."
{"Ah... Luffy?"}
"How is the operation in Egghead going?"
{"We've secured the island and captured one of the Seraphim as well—the Mihawk clone."}
"And Vegapunk? What about the Ancient Weapon Uranus?"
{"Everything is under control."}
Kuzan answered lazily.
Luffy nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Kuzan, you're going to be the new Fleet Admiral of the Marines."
After informing him that he was to report to the new Marine Headquarters, Luffy ended the call.
As for Kuzan's opinion?
It was irrelevant.
He would do the job regardless.
Putting away the Den Den Mushi, Luffy turned his attention to his next task.
He slowly flew upward.
Before him stood the partially destroyed Red Line.
The populations of both Red Ports were still being evacuated.
More than one hundred thousand people needed to be moved away from the area.
The Red Port on Paradise's side was being evacuated to the Sabaody Archipelago.
The Red Port in the New World was being evacuated to the nearest Marine Headquarters.
Only at noon was the evacuation finally completed.
When the last ship left the area, Luffy finally moved.
He assumed his Sun Dragon God form.
His body began to grow rapidly.
"Gigantification!"
In an instant, he transformed into a white giant hundreds of meters tall.
Immediately afterward, he activated the power of the Momo Fruit.
His size continued to increase.
Hundreds of meters became kilometers.
In the blink of an eye, he had reached dimensions comparable to an island.
A colossal giant.
The evacuated residents of the Red Ports could see him clearly even from great distances.
He was even larger than Zunesha.
The gigantic Luffy raised his fist.
Then he launched it toward the breach created in the Red Line.
A punch from the Sun God!
BOOM!
The region that had already been devastated by Pluton suffered another catastrophic impact.
The wall separating Paradise from the New World collapsed completely.
That section of the Red Line disappeared forever.
Gigantic waves spread across the ocean.
A new strait was born at that moment.
Viewed from high above, it even resembled the shape of a fist.
Luffy's voice echoed across hundreds of kilometers.
"From this day forward, this place shall be known as the Strait of the Sun!"
---
Luffy brought down the Red Line, created a new sea route, and named it the Strait of the Sun.
The strait connected Paradise and the New World.
From now on, ships traveling between the two sides would only need to pay a fee in order to cross safely.
Of course, simply opening the channel was not enough.
It would need repairs, along with the construction of a toll station.
At the same time, a Marine Base would have to be established to protect the station and maintain order.
Naturally, Luffy didn't need to handle such matters himself.
He could simply leave everything to Garp.
Afterward, Luffy took control of Pluton and returned to Elegia.
Pluton was sent to Laugh Tale to be recharged.
The Ancient Weapon was incredibly powerful, but it only possessed enough energy for a single shot and needed to be recharged afterward.
Pluton worked that way, and so did Uranus.
The only exception was Shirahoshi.
Considering that fact, Shirahoshi was actually the strongest of the Three Ancient Weapons.
Back at the castle, Luffy immediately began issuing orders.
Two major tasks lay ahead.
The first was the founding ceremony of the new kingdom.
The second was the convening of the Reverie.
These two events could essentially be considered part of the same occasion and would take place on the same day.
Because of that, a magnificent central building needed to be constructed in Elegia.
"Bring Bullet here."
The order was given, and before long, Douglas Bullet was escorted into the castle.
Kneeling before the throne, Bullet looked up at the man seated above him.
Luffy smiled faintly.
"A former member of the Roger Pirates. After escaping prison with Blackbeard's help, you joined the Blackbeard Pirates. What was your goal?"
"To help him become the Pirate King!"
Bullet grinned.
"And then kill him!"
For a moment, Luffy couldn't comprehend the man's logic.
Bullet stared at Luffy with battle-lust burning in his eyes.
"However, it seems I chose the wrong person. I should've chosen you from the beginning! You've now become the second Pirate King after Roger—and probably the last one. If I want to prove my strength, the only way is to defeat you!"
"And you think you can beat me?"
Luffy was speechless.
Bullet also possessed awakened Conqueror's Haki.
People like that shared one common trait.
They never knew when to back down until they smashed headfirst into a wall.
In short: stubborn idiots.
"I can't beat you right now, but I'll become stronger!"
Bullet's eyes narrowed as Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted.
Luffy immediately expanded his Conqueror's Domain and suppressed his opponent's power.
"I'll give you an opportunity. But you'll have to do a few things for me first. When you're finished, I'll give you the chance to challenge me."
Already accustomed to dealing with people like him, Luffy continued:
"You possess the Gasha Gasha no Mi. If you can build a magnificent structure within one week, I'll give you that opportunity."
Bullet was stunned.
His face immediately twisted.
"You didn't spare me just to turn me into a construction worker, did you?"
The Gasha Gasha no Mi allowed him to fuse visible inorganic objects with his own body.
In other words, as long as it was inorganic material, he could reshape it into any form he desired.
Constructing a building wasn't difficult for him.
Just troublesome.
Luffy smiled, took a blueprint drawn by Monet, and tossed it in front of Bullet.
"This building will become the new headquarters of the World Government. Follow this blueprint."
After a brief pause, he added:
"After that, there'll still be the Marine Base at the Strait of the Sun, the toll station, and the renovation of Reverse Mountain... Plenty of work is waiting for you."
Bullet fell silent.
He was a legendary pirate.
Was he really going to become the foreman of a construction company?
"You keep your word, right? If I do all this, I'll be allowed to challenge you?"
"Who do you think I am? Would I lie to you?"
Luffy replied dismissively.
"Understood! I accept!"
Bullet's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed.
Luffy nodded in satisfaction.
"Later, I'll arrange a construction team to assist you. They'll all be former Marines transferred into civilian roles. They'll provide the necessary materials. Work hard, Bullet."
After a pause, he added:
"Originally, you should've remained imprisoned for your crimes. Consider this a special opportunity."
Luffy waved his hand and ordered Bullet's shackles removed.
Soon afterward, he was escorted out of the castle.
As for the risk of escape?
His heart was still in Law's possession.
If he attempted to flee, all they had to do was crush it and reclaim the Devil Fruit.
At the same time, the warship sent to Egghead returned to Elegia.
Aokiji disembarked and brought Vegapunk to meet Luffy.
"Master Luffy!"
The moment the scientist saw him, he hurried forward to greet him.
Luffy immediately interrupted:
"Address me as Your Majesty. Although the kingdom has not yet been officially announced, from this point onward this will be the Kingdom of the Sun, and I will be its first king."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Vegapunk corrected himself immediately.
Luffy decided to ignore the matter of formalities.
"The Celestial Dragons have been destroyed by me. Soon, the World Government will also be under my control. I intend to establish an Academy of Sciences, and I want you to serve as its president."
"It would be my honor!"
Vegapunk stuck out his long tongue and accepted without hesitation.
Although this was their first face-to-face meeting, Vegapunk had been observing Luffy for a very long time.
Ever since his bounty had reached 71 million berries.
"The Academy of Sciences' first project..."
Luffy began assigning tasks.
"Will be agricultural development. I need more efficient crops. Plants capable of growing on Spring Islands, Summer Islands, Autumn Islands, and Winter Islands."
Vegapunk immediately looked bewildered.
It sounded simple.
In practice, it was more difficult than human cloning.
"I know it's complicated. But you deciphered the Lineage Factor and created the Seraphim. If we solve the food problem, a huge portion of the piracy problem will disappear."
"I'll provide you with unlimited resources, Dr. Vegapunk."
Luffy continued:
"I'm different from the Celestial Dragons. They needed slaves and pirates to sustain the Heavenly Tribute system. I don't."
"I want to solve the problem at its root, and you're indispensable to that goal."
Vegapunk pondered for a few moments.
"I understand. I'll begin immediately."
After a brief pause, he added:
"Creating a single variety capable of adapting to every climate is extremely difficult. However, developing multiple specialized varieties for different climate conditions is far more feasible."
"Excellent."
Luffy nodded in satisfaction.
"If you need anything, speak with my secretary, Monet. She'll be your primary point of contact with me."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Monet immediately nodded.
After settling the agricultural research issue, Luffy turned toward Aokiji.
"Report to Marine Headquarters as soon as possible. Once Akainu steps down, you'll become the next Fleet Admiral."
Aokiji scratched his head.
"Does it really have to be me? What about old man Garp?"
"Garp is already old. You're perfect for the position. Get moving."
Aokiji let out a bitter smile.
"I thought that after leaving the Marines, I'd finally get some peace and quiet."
He sighed.
"I never imagined I'd end up coming back to take the highest position. And what about Akainu? You're not planning to kill him, are you? After all, he let me escape."
"Defending him now?"
Luffy shook his head.
He took out a Healing Fruit and tossed it to Aokiji.
"Eat this. Your right leg will regenerate. As for Akainu, I'll decide later."
"Understood."
Aokiji looked at the fruit in surprise and immediately left.
The possibility of regaining his lost leg was impossible to ignore.
Afterward, Luffy continued meeting with various people and organizing all the remaining affairs.
Only when night finally arrived did he get a chance to rest.
"No wonder Imu created the Five Elders."
Sitting alone upon the throne, Luffy looked bored.
"I'm not going to be able to handle everything personally forever."
He rested his face against his hand.
"I need to find someone to manage all this for me."
The Dressrosa model had proven quite efficient.
Although he was king, someone else handled the day-to-day administration.
Therefore, the Kingdom of the Sun also needed a prime minister.
But who should fill that position?
(End of Chapter)