One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 131 The Dark Deal

Did the World Government reach some kind of deal with the Beast Pirates?

As Roman regained consciousness, she became increasingly uneasy. After her brain had had ample rest, her thoughts became active again, and her mind, which had been sluggish due to anemia and fatigue, regained its vitality thanks to rest and nutrition.

So she sensed that something was wrong.

After all, the World Government's organizations include not only the Navy, which represents military force, but also the CP organization, which represents the eyes and ears of intelligence.

They are ubiquitous, lurking in various regions, bringing valuable intelligence to the world government.

The Navy received no prior warning of Kaido's attack.

To put it mildly, the CP organization is guilty of dereliction of duty and incompetence; to put it more bluntly, the CP organization's intentions are despicable.

Judging from the original work, the CP organization is not incompetent, after all, they are elites trained by the World Government from childhood, but they failed to complete their mission this time, which makes the matter suspicious.

Could it have been done on purpose?

But this doesn't benefit the CP organization, does it?

No, the CP organization is ultimately just following orders.

Whom do CP organizations listen to the most?

Celestial Dragons.

Or rather, the Five Elders who are above ordinary Celestial Dragons.

As for Im, Roman decided to put it aside for the time being. That god, who had lived for over 800 years, had seen all sorts of storms. Unless there was a threat to overthrow the regime, it was almost impossible for him (or she) to show up.

Kaido is neither Joy Boy nor D., so that god probably wouldn't even consider showing up.

So the Five Elders are the mastermind behind all of this?

So why did they do that?

This is tantamount to crippling oneself. It may not shake the foundation of the navy, but it is still a loss to the navy's reputation.

However, Roman felt that perhaps his perspective was somewhat flawed.

Military force is merely a political tool; it is often subordinate to politics.

Military force is the means, politics is the end.

So what does politics value most?

It all boils down to the word "interests".

That means Kaido offered certain benefits to the World Government, which led the World Government to turn a blind eye and prevent CP from taking any action.

However, the World Government can be considered a treasure trove of resources. What benefits can Kaido offer that would make the World Government willing?

money?

Not like.

My mother is already the richest among the Sea Emperors. The fact that she can still maintain her position as the wealthiest Sea Emperor despite the government's policy of purchasing lifespans rather than money is entirely due to the contrast with her peers.

Kaido only needs military strength; Orochi controls almost all the finances.

Whitebeard donated almost all of his treasure to his suffering country, and he himself had no interest in the treasure. Such a person would never ask his subordinates for their treasure.

Even with the legendary Pirate King Roger, who was said to possess the world's treasure, Roman doubted whether he was truly wealthy.

Otherwise, how could Rayleigh have ended up in such a miserable state? He was always short of money and even had to sell himself into slavery to earn money for alcohol.

Therefore, it's not about direct economic benefits, but something more special, something that world governments would covet.

Speaking of which, Kaido's main base is in Wano Country, right? And what's special about Wano Country is...

“Brubrubrubrubru…”

The ringing of the Den Den Mushi in his pocket broke Roman's thoughts. With his still-intact right hand, Roman answered the phone, and Kuzan's voice came through: "Roman, I heard you're recovering from your injuries. Although I shouldn't bother you at this time, I still wanted to check on you. You've really had a hard time this time..."

Mary Geoise—Between Powers.

No amount of flowery language can adequately describe what makes this place the most beautiful and safest in the world.

The architecture here has a blend of Chinese and Western styles.

The eastern section is characterized by towering pavilions and soaring buildings, with magnificent palaces embracing each other on all sides, winding covered walkways, green pines brushing against the eaves, jade railings encircling the steps, and golden animal faces and colorful dragon heads. The western section is characterized by vibrant colors, a soft style, an emphasis on harmony, and innovative designs.

In short, this place seems to be the center of all cultures and the origin of the world.

The Five Elders, who reside between the powers, are the world's most powerful beings, second only to Im, the one between the flowers.

"Kaido has been defeated!" Zambaron V. Nasujuro (one of the Five Elders of the Swordsman) looked at the thick reports and finally made a lighthearted conclusion.

"It's to be expected. Even if Rocks reappears, it won't affect the World Government's rule. Kaido is nothing; he's just a big splash in the ocean at best," Shepard X. Peter Saint (one of the Five Elders with blond hair) said slowly.

"Although it was an expected result, the naval losses were different from what we anticipated. They were less than we initially expected; it would have been better if they had been more," Jegalsia Satan (one of the Five Elders with curly hair) said after reviewing the battle damage report.

“Although the damage was not as great as expected, it was still a blow to the navy,” Topman Worchley (the Five Old Star with the mustache) chimed in.

Marcus Massan (one of the Five Elders with a long beard) picked up the report, glanced at its contents, and said, "It can be considered that the goal has been achieved. From the perspective of political stability, the jurisdiction, control, and strikes against the military are all for the sake of world balance. However, Kaido is also severely weakened this time, and he will probably occupy Wano Country for the time being."

"It doesn't matter, as long as he can keep supplying seastone. Whether he leaves Wano Country or not doesn't matter. If he weren't willing to supply us with seastone from Wano Country, he wouldn't have any leverage to negotiate with us."

“But Kong will probably appeal later, since the CP intelligence department was ‘negligent’ this time. They didn’t leak a single word before Kaido attacked the fortress. Kong definitely won’t let this opportunity pass by to suppress the CP organization. Dealing with that old guy will be another troublesome matter,” Peter Saint said slowly.

Even the Celestial Dragons, the masters of the world and descendants of gods, need to rely on the people. Although they need very few people, Sora is one of them. If Sora's wishes are completely ignored, it will be very troublesome.

Even though they have the world king Im backing them, their most loyal subordinates should not bother their king unless absolutely necessary.

"Don't worry, Kong has long lost that ambition. Although he was indeed the pillar of the navy, he is now old, and his power has been almost entirely handed over to Sengoku. If we hadn't refused to budge, Kong would have stepped down from the position of Fleet Admiral long ago. How could he still be sitting in such a high position?" Satan Saint said disdainfully.

Although Kong is a talent they need, that doesn't mean his emotions are something he needs to consider, or that he has to compromise on everything for that person.

That great being is the god of the world, the absolute leader. Anyone who tries to stop the god will ultimately face destruction.