Chapter 374: This Is the World Government

In Inazuma, at the General's Mansion in Flower Capital.

Upon receiving the intelligence Verge sent back, Saint Saint Saiwen only sighed for a moment.

Charlotte Lingling used her own bloodline factors to mass-produce offspring; Kaido cleverly brought Caesar back to the Beasts Pirates and began manufacturing artificial Devil Fruits.

It seemed everyone was striving for their dreams.

But in the face of the Morning Star Crew's overwhelming momentum, these efforts might be of some use, yet they could not affect the manifest destiny Saint Saint Saiwen was about to use to reshape the world order.

Whether it was Charlotte Lingling breeding offspring with bloodline factors or Kaido's artificial Devil Fruit project, Saint Saint Saiwen did not intend to stop them.

Before the World Government is completely overthrown, all of this is permitted.

Better to wait until the day the timing is mature in the future before considering what hidden dangers these issues will bring.

However, that still did not stop Saint Saint Saiwen from calling Kizaru and mocking him.

"Big brother, you need to pay a bit more attention."

"Even Kaido, that brute, can now play mind games with you."

Finding that Kizaru had not replied for a long time, Saint Saint Saiwen asked curiously.

"Big brother, you haven't discovered yet that Caesar was taken away by Kaido's men, have you?"

"Thank you."

Kizaru hung up the Den Den Mushi directly to avoid being mocked and ridiculed by Saint Saint Saiwen any further.

Embarrassing, simply too embarrassing.

Kizaru considered his acting skills quite exquisite, making him a master at pretending to be confused and slacking off, yet he was taught a lesson by that brute Kaido to his face.

The embarrassment even reached the Captain.

"Is it because I've been too lax recently?"

After mocking himself, Kizaru transformed into light and arrived at the northern part of Punk Hazard; the first thing he saw was the CP agents, their mouths stuffed with rags and all tied together.

Since Caesar and Vegapunk managed different projects, and Vegapunk's Pacifista project was more important, Kizaru spent most of his time guarding the southern laboratory on the island.

The northern laboratory was protected by the CP.

Never did he expect Kaido to seize the opportunity... no, how did Kaido know so much about the interior of Punk Hazard?

Realizing the problem, Kizaru did not untie the CP agents immediately but entered Caesar's laboratory to check inside.

And when he saw dozens of children imprisoned in cages, a rare flicker of killing intent flashed across Kizaru's usually lazy face.

Caesar's actions already merited death.

Kizaru had already realized: because the seas had been very calm recently, he had stayed on Punk Hazard much longer than usual.

Perhaps Caesar, worried the experiments would be exposed and cause the Navy's displeasure, had actively sought Kaido's protection?

The killing intent flashed and vanished; Kizaru instantly switched back to his lazy, kindergarten-friendly uncle persona.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you."

After rescuing the children one by one, seeing several children whose huge statures rivaled giant toddlers, Kizaru suddenly felt troubled in his heart.

Caesar's actions were likely executing the World Government's orders.

That is to say, the real culprit behind the children's suffering was the World Government.

Kizaru originally intended to contact the Captain directly and send the children to Inazuma for settlement, but after thinking it over, he took out a Den Den Mushi and inconspicuously took a few photos.

To avoid scaring the children.

Not long after, while watching the children eat heartily, Kizaru faxed the photos to Sengoku.

"Northern Punk Hazard, Caesar's secret experiments; forty-nine children have already undergone varying degrees of modification."

"Requesting the Headquarters to reply as soon as possible: how to settle these children."

Why he did this specifically, Kizaru actually couldn't say why; perhaps he hoped this would make the Navy see the true face of the World Government?

However, given the cognition of Sengoku and other high-ranking Navy officers, they probably already knew the absurdity of the World Government.

At the same time, at the new Marineford Headquarters.

Sengoku was holding the year-end meeting when the fax Den Den Mushi on the table in front of him suddenly transmitted several photos and Kizaru's message.

At first Sengoku didn't take it seriously, but when his peripheral vision swept over the photos, the whole person was like a volcano about to erupt.

The more Sengoku thought about it, the angrier he became; especially Kizaru's final sentence requesting the Headquarters to reply quickly on how to settle these children made Sengoku slam the table and rise, cursing.

"These bastards! They have lost all conscience!"

"Are they even human!?"

Tsuru, the strategist sitting to Sengoku's right, picked up the faxed photos from in front of Sengoku, glanced at them, and silently handed the photos to Aokiji beside her.

Immediately, Aokiji looked at them for a while and, with great tacit understanding, passed the photos down.

The conference room fell into an eerie silence, with only coarse and heavy breathing rising and falling.

And when those photos had been circulated once and finally reached Karp, who was sitting to Sengoku's left, Karp said expressionlessly.

"This is the World Government."

In the silent conference room, the sound of pressing the Den Den Mushi button rang out abruptly; Karp looked coldly at the source of the sound—the newly promoted Vice Admiral Aramaki.

"Put the Den Den Mushi down."

Aramaki swallowed hard, but his hand remained on the Den Den Mushi button.

Terrifying momentum burst forth from around Karp; several red-black lightning bolts bypassed the attending Navy admirals and precisely coiled around Aramaki.

"World Nobles' lackey, I told you to put the Den Den Mushi down."

Aramaki hurriedly raised both hands.

"K... Vice Admiral Karp... I have put it down."

Just trying to tip off the Five Elders, do you have to be so excited, Vice Admiral Karp!

Scaring people can kill them.

"Karp." Admiral Tsuru could only speak up to stop him, while casting a glance to urge Karp to endure a little longer—Saint Saint Saiwen would soon rise in rebellion.

When that time comes, you can do whatever you want.

"Hmph." Karp sat down sullenly.

Seeing this, Sengoku smoothly took over the conversation.

"Sakazuki, quickly draft a plan and go to Punk Hazard to properly settle those children."

"Understood." Akainu nodded.

"Meeting dismissed."

At these words, Hōmatsu and several Marine officers fled the conference room as if escaping, while the remaining Marine officers sat motionless.

A meeting to announce year-end bonuses and non-commissioned officer promotions should have been an honor for the Marines' year of service.

Yet, due to the few photographs sent back by Kizaru, the atmosphere among the Marine high command remained heavily oppressive even after the meeting ended.

Akainu stared at the photos—the children's terrified, helpless eyes and their enlarged bodies—so tightly clenched his cigar that he bit it in half.

"This damned world."

Hearing this, Zephyr let out a cold laugh.

"What else can the Marines do, besides clean up the mess? What choice do we have?"

"A few years ago, I proposed we form a new Marine force—but you ignored me. Now all we can do is rage impotently."

Saint Saint Saiwen! What are you waiting for?!

Come out and rebel already.

As soon as you raise the banner of rebellion, I will rally the Marines from within to cheer you on and stop every traitor who tries to aid the World Government.

Never before had Zephyr been so desperate for Saint Saint Saiwen to rise in rebellion!

Before the great cause, he was willing to swallow the hatred of the Marineford battle whole, crushing it between his teeth.

He knew what truly mattered.