"That is to say, Chief Inspector Michael, you believe we should let Water Seven become a new World Government member nation?"
"What else can we do to make CP9's actions even slightly more legitimate?" Michael pointed at the screen showing Rob Lucci and the others.
"I'm familiar with these guys… Even if you put them in my SWORD Secret Special Force, they'd basically be qualified."
Michael's words deliberately raised the impression score of Rob Lucci and the others in the eyes of the Elder.
Even someone like Michael considered them talents worth acknowledging… Could the World Government really afford to just throw them away so easily?
Especially now, when the Navy wasn't exactly being obedient… The geniuses in CP9 were definitely precious resources.
The Five Elders were already planning to promote some of them into CP0 in the future.
"Don't forget, CP0 seems to be pretty short on manpower right now, isn't it?" Michael said with a playful grin. "These are some real promising seedlings."
"Ah ah, Chief Inspector Michael, you really always think of the World Government in every situation." Saint Nasjuro's mouth twitched slightly...
TMD!
And whose fault is it that CP0 lost so many people!?
Wasn't it yours!?
Why didn't you just surrender back then, you winged bastard!?
Nasjuro cursed furiously in his heart but forced a smile on his face.
"Then I hereby announce a temporary additional agenda. Water Seven will be elevated from a free trade city to a World Government member nation. Please raise your hands to vote."
Led by one of the Elders, all the countries cast their votes in favor.
Unanimously passed again.
But… that was only natural.
After all, what Water Seven controlled was the lifeline of the entire world!
In a seafaring world, a nation specializing in shipbuilding was incredibly valuable.
Especially now that they had developed the Sea Train—such a divine tool!
More importantly, after becoming a World Government member nation, promoting the Sea Train to other countries would face little to no resistance.
Tom sat on the side, eyes shining with excitement, and patted Iceburg on the shoulder along with Franky.
"Go on, Your Majesty."
"Huh? Me?" Iceburg smiled bitterly and pointed at himself.
Although Water Seven had become a nation, they were still managing the same land as before…
But the pressure now was on a completely different scale.
Previously, when negotiating shipbuilding or Sea Train business with other nations, they only dealt with financial and construction departments...
But now, they'd be facing royal families of various nations.
After all, in terms of status, only those people could be considered his equals now.
"Young man, step forward," Saint Nasjuro said with a kind smile toward Iceburg. "Water Seven is not the name of a country…"
Nasjuro actually had a good impression of Tom and his two apprentices. At least, they weren't troublemakers. And Water Seven becoming a World Government member nation was also a good thing for the World Government itself.
That was why he'd looked at Michael with such a complicated expression earlier.
He had thought all of Michael's actions were meant to undermine and weaken the World Government...
But now, it seemed this man...
Might have his own agenda.
However, this wasn't the time for speculation. Ensuring this World Summit concluded smoothly and uniting the member nations under the World Government's leadership to focus on the Revolutionary Army issue was the most important thing now.
"Saint Nasjuro… You mean you want me to name the new Water Seven?"
"As the mayor of Water Seven and the first king of the new nation, I believe you do have that right."
"I see..." Iceburg turned around, looking at Tom's face full of pride and encouragement, and at Franky, who deliberately kept a cold, disdainful face but couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from lifting...
"Then this newborn nation… shall be called the Country of Ships!"
Just as Iceburg finished speaking—before the gathered kings could even clap out of formality—the still-connected Den Den Mushi suddenly transmitted Spandam's grating voice:
"Hey! Rob Lucci! Have you still not found the blueprints for Pluton yet!?"
"Chief… you should keep your voice down, we're still undercover."
"Undercover my ass! With your abilities, wiping out all of Water Seven wouldn't be a problem!" Spandam roared furiously inside Tom's shipbuilding company.
"What I want now is the Pluton blueprints! Only with them can I wash away my previous failures and rise back to power! And you useless fools can't even find one set of blueprints? Trash! What CP9 geniuses? A bunch of garbage!"
Spandam's shouts made not only the CP9 members frown deeply but also caused everyone at the World Summit—including Saint Nasjuro—to knit their brows.
Of course, Nasjuro wasn't annoyed by the noise. He was simply dumbfounded by how stupid this man was.
The only reason Spandine and Spandam had been able to become CP9 leaders one after the other wasn't because they were strong or smart. On the contrary, they were weaker than ordinary healthy men, not very intelligent, yet arrogantly self-assured—greedy, stubborn, and radiating a unique blend of stupidity and malice…
Their only redeeming quality was their absolute obedience to World Government orders.
But now, the mission originally assigned to other CP9 members had been privately handed to the elite few…
And just like that, their only redeeming quality disappeared.
A father and son duo with no strengths left, only flaws… was worthless.
Michael glanced at Nasjuro, then smiled as he shut off the Den Den Mushi connection.
He had already disgusted the Elder enough today; there was no need to let Spandam's stupidity contaminate his brain any further.
After the line was cut, the World Summit resumed, adding an extra seat for Iceburg.
From then on, through the rest of the agenda, Michael didn't stir up any trouble.
Nasjuro, however, kept his eyes on Michael the entire time.
Every time a new topic came up, he would glance at Michael to see if he planned to jump in and make a scene.
After all, when Tom was on trial, Big News Morgans had turned it into a massive headline!
The man the World Government had branded as an "ally of the Pirate King" had been rewritten into a pitiful shipwright caught between pirates and the World Government.
Everyone sympathized with that chubby fish-man old man who built the Sea Train even with a death sentence hanging over his head.
...
After the twenty-fifth time Nasjuro sneakily glanced at him, Garp leaned toward Michael and said in a low voice:
"Michael, is that old man into you?"
"Why does he keep looking at you like he can't get enough?"
Michael replied calmly:
"Celestial Dragons are always kinky."
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