After setting down his cup, Yemu wiped his lips and looked around at everyone.
Out on the open sea, any one of the people here was capable of stirring up a storm. Yet at this moment, they were gathered together like family and friends, laughing, joking, and chatting.
"It's been so long since I've felt like this!"
Zephyr also wiped his lips, a smile on his face as if he had found new life.
"We'll have plenty more chances from now on, Admiral Zephyr!"
Tiger had once fought to the death against Zephyr in that battle. As an old opponent, he admired Zephyr greatly as a senior, so he was the happiest to see Zephyr join the Rainbow Kingdom.
"Hahaha, then I'll take your good word for it! Come on, cheers!"
After the two of them drained their bowls of wine, Zephyr sighed with emotion.
"Still, you don't need to call me Admiral anymore. I'm no longer a Marine, after all... As for what I'll do from now on, that depends on what kind of role you give me..."
Zephyr was clearly saying this to Yemu. Seeing that everyone had eaten their fill, Yemu's expression turned a little more serious.
"I'd like to ask you, Admiral Zephyr, to become the Minister of Justice of our Rainbow Kingdom."
"Minister of Justice?"
That was certainly a department the Rainbow Kingdom did not have, but the title alone was enough for most of them to understand what it implied.
Yemu looked directly at everyone and said, "Yes. The Ministry of Justice. Its main responsibility will be to draft laws suited to the development of the Rainbow Kingdom, and to supervise and review illegal conduct."
At this point, Yemu's tone grew more solemn.
"In truth, this should have been one of the first departments we established. But first, I didn't have a suitable candidate. Second, in the beginning, the Rainbow Kingdom's territory was too small, so I had Aming's police department take on this work. But all of you have seen what has happened over the past twenty years. The entire North Blue now belongs to us, and our influence has spread across the other seas as well. Next, I'm preparing for a major move. If our judicial system holds us back, all kinds of parasites will start appearing, and spies will take advantage of the gaps. If we don't deal with those parasites while they're still small, once they grow, they'll become too entrenched to root out."
Yemu's words made everyone gradually understand.
They had all risen from hardship to become the highest leadership of an entire nation, so they despised those parasites to the core.
Ayala was the first to step forward in support. Although she was already thirty-two, under the effects of Pure Gold, she was still as beautiful as a young girl. After so many years of training and experience, she had gradually developed the air of a capable queen.
"I support Yemu-nii-san too. Those bastards. Some of them are already bold enough to secretly sell our weapons!"
Erza had grown up, and because she had spent so much time around Enel, combined with everyone spoiling her, her temper had gradually become fiery.
Zephyr, however, frowned slightly and asked, "What major move are you talking about?"
Yemu did not hide his thoughts. He slowly looked around at everyone and said, "My goal has been clear from the very beginning. To declare war on the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. But twenty years ago, we were far too weak. So even though we took the North Blue through that war, I knew that if we clashed head-on back then, we had no chance of defeating the Celestial Dragons and the World Government. That's why, for the past twenty years, we've stayed in the North Blue, using the immense profits of the Rainbow Business Alliance to keep strengthening ourselves while waiting for the chance to stir up the world again. And now, that chance is coming..."
Hearing Yemu's words, Enel, now mature, steady, and exuding the aura of a true powerhouse, seemed to realize something. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "So it's time to lay everything out in the open?"
Enel's words startled everyone present.
"Yeah..."
Yemu nodded, then slowly revealed his final plan.
"I intend to use the Alliance Assembly three months from now to transform the Rainbow Business Alliance into the Rainbow Alliance..."
"The Rainbow Alliance?"
It was only two words shorter, but the meaning behind it was obvious.
"Yes. The Rainbow Alliance. Any nation that joins the Rainbow Alliance will no longer receive only commercial protection from the Rainbow Kingdom, but military and political protection as well."
"In other words, another World Government?"
Zephyr's brow furrowed. The meaning hidden in Yemu's words left him somewhat worried.
"I understand what you're thinking, Admiral Zephyr. But you don't need to worry. As you said yourself, in the beginning, the World Government did provide this world with a stable order. The ones at fault were only the Celestial Dragons and the later rulers. So as long as we build a sound and stable system to replace the Celestial Dragons, what's wrong with forming an alliance that can protect every nation, where everyone rises and falls together?"
Even after Yemu said this, Zephyr still looked uneasy.
But Yemu's next words helped him make up his mind.
"I know what you're worried about. But if we do this, we might fail. If we do nothing, then we won't even have the chance to fail. And you can rest assured. Through this Alliance Assembly, we'll take in everyone's opinions, gather everyone's wisdom, and build an alliance that does its best to serve the interests of every race and nation. At the same time, Admiral Zephyr, you can take part in the creation of this alliance and be responsible for supervising and maintaining its establishment and operation. What do you think...?"
"I understand. Then let's try it. Let's see whether we can build a new order for the future!"
At that moment, Zephyr had nothing more to say. Perhaps Yemu was right. How would they know whether it could succeed if they never tried?
Once Zephyr agreed, Yemu felt relieved.
In fact, this was also one of the reasons Yemu had recruited Zephyr in the first place.
Because Yemu's goal had never been those non-member nations outside the World Government.
Over the past twenty years, those nations had long since been brought under the economic and military control of the Rainbow Business Alliance. As long as Yemu extended an olive branch, they would happily accept.
But that was not enough...
His true target was the Member Nations under the World Government.
Compared to those non-member nations, the World Government's Member Nations were simply far too wealthy.
That wealth covered every aspect, including talent, resources, technology, land, and more.
Otherwise, how could they possibly afford to pay such an expensive Heavenly Tribute every year?
On top of that, over the past few centuries, war, famine, and slave traders had left those non-member nations riddled with devastation.
Twenty years had barely been enough to let them eat their fill.
It could be said that the wealth of a single World Government Member Nation was equal to several non-member nations.
So only by drawing those nations in could the Rainbow Alliance deal the World Government its heaviest blow...
And after that would come the final battle...
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