Reinhardt

Deep within First Cathedral, Leinhardt and Locke locked eyes. An invisible pressure filled the entire room.

"Heh, Leinhardt, I approve of your request. I agree," Locke broke the silence after a while, taking the initiative to speak.

"Haha, I'm truly grateful, Captain Locke," Leinhardt said, his mood lifting, extending his hand towards Locke.

Locke glanced at him and then shook his hand. After the two reached an agreement, they both smiled.

"So, next, please follow me to my mansion, and I'll introduce you to my subordinates," Leinhardt said.

"Sure." They both let go of each other's hands and left the cathedral, heading towards Leinhardt's castle.

"Aneru, take good care of this cathedral. From now on, this island will be in your hands," Rox instructed Aneru, who was reluctant to leave the cathedral.

"Huh? Oh! Hahaha! Captain Locke, you can trust me completely! I'll manage this island and cathedral with utmost care!" Aneru exclaimed excitedly.

He couldn't help but love the cathedral. He had already started to imagine himself wearing the clothes of the central statue, portraying the role of a deity.

"Hahaha! From now on, I am the almighty Aneru, the god!" Ignoring Aneru's burst of chuunibyou enthusiasm, Locke and Leinhardt left the cathedral.

While Locke and Aneru were busy in Sleepy Town, a war erupted in the New World that would impact the future world order.

The World Destroyer, Vandivald, encountered the interception of the Marine Buster Call Fleet.

Marine Admiral Fū no Sengoku and the Marine Hero Vice-Admiral Kapu led the Buster Call.

Apart from the Buster Call, many powerful pirates in the New World, cooperating with the World Government, also participated in this battle.

The two sides engaged in a fierce naval battle on the open sea. Surprisingly, The battle, expected to be long and intense, ended swiftly.

Vandivald was ambushed and seriously injured by a member of the Cipher Pol CP0 posing as one of his subordinates. He was captured, and his crew, following his brother's call, abandoned the injured Vandivald and fled the battlefield alone.

The government achieved victory in this battle with remarkable speed and efficiency. After this cooperative war with the pirates, the World Government began to take the power of the pirates seriously.

The Warlords of the Sea, a plan that was shelved due to the Marines' intense resistance, was put back on the table by high-ranking officials of the World Government.

World Government, in a massive conference room. An official in a black suit with long blue hair stood at the top, continuously speaking.

"With Vandivald's capture, we must take the pirates' strength seriously."

"Although they are all trash in the grand scheme of the seas, and they fight among themselves, their strength is still commendable."

"Now, with the world in chaos and pirates running rampant, the Marines are severely weakened after that battle."

"So, to maintain stability in the seas, all five of our esteemed leaders have unanimously passed the plan to establish the Warlords of the Sea. We will grant them privateering rights, recruit seven powerful pirates, and use their strength and prestige to stabilize the seas."

After the official's speech, the entire conference room fell into silence. "Are you kidding me? Do you want to stabilize the seas by relying on pirates? Where do you expect the dignity of our Marines to go?" The Marine Fleet Admiral, Kōtoku Kū, slammed the table in anger and roared.

"Ha, do you Marines even have any dignity left? You failed in the war in the New World, couldn't even catch a pirate fresh out to sea, and failed so many times. Your dignity has long been lost," a man in a white suit with a round hat sneered, taunting them.

"Bastard! Jack Ma, it's none of your CP's business to meddle in ours!" Kōtoku Kū erupted in anger but couldn't refute the man's words.

However, Kōtoku couldn't argue further despite his anger because the man spoke the truth.

"Enough, you two. Arguing like this in such a solemn meeting room is disgraceful," a grey-haired elderly man seated at the head of the table spoke calmly, looking at both of them.

Upon hearing the elder's voice, Kōtoku Kū and Jack Ma coldly harrumphed and stopped arguing, returning to their seats. Once the room quieted again, the older man slowly stood up and looked at everyone.

"Now that our esteemed leaders have passed this plan, we have no choice but to implement it."

"Now that it's approved, the most urgent task is to choose which pirates will fill the Warlords of the Sea positions."

"Since they will help us stabilize the seas and intimidate the pirates, their strength and reputation must meet the qualifications."

"Kōtoku Kū, you Marines have had the most contact with the pirates. The final decision falls to you. As for CP, you're responsible for gathering detailed information on all eligible pirates."

"If we make them the government's lapdogs, we must be prepared with sturdy leashes. We don't want them to bite back later." After the older man finished speaking, he directly left the meeting room.

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief, we'll fulfil our tasks," Kōtoku Kū and Jack Ma stood up and saluted the elderly man.

"Hmph! Kōtoku, hand over the suitable candidates to me as soon as possible. After all, CP has a lot of work to do," Jack Ma said with an unpleasant tone.

"Hmph! You wait," Kōtoku Kū replied with a cold harrumph, and then they left the meeting room together. Once Kōtoku Kū and Jack Ma left, the once-silent meeting room suddenly became lively.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect this proposal to pass. It's shocking."

"That's right, hehe."

"Well, now that the meeting is over, let's all go about our business."

"Hehehehe, let's disperse." After this proposal was approved, it was an opportunity for everyone in the room.

As for what kind of opportunity it was?

Heh... One week later, the World Government announced the Warlords of the Sea through the World Economic Gazette, spreading the news worldwide.

As the information spread, pirates all over the world plunged into chaos. Countless pirates started causing havoc, hoping to increase their reputation and draw the World Government's attention through their actions.

Pirates clashed in countless skirmishes, and the world again descended into flames.

Countless ordinary citizens found themselves caught in the turmoil.

In the New World, Sleepy Town, Locke looked at the newspaper, smiling. "Warlords of the Sea? Heh..."