"Fleet Admiral, regarding military expenditure for the next few years," Finn began, his tone casual but calculated, "have the higher-ups said anything about increasing our budget?"
The Den Den Mushi's transmitted silence stretched for a moment before Fleet Admiral Kong's voice returned, warmer now. "You're quite forward-thinking, Finn. I've raised the issue before, but they said we should wait and see."
"Wait and see?" Finn let frustration creep into his voice, careful not to overplay it. "Anyone with eyes can see the sea's about to become chaos. No, it already is chaos. Countless pirates are swarming in every direction. When the World Government wants them pacified, who do they rely on? Us. The Marines." He paused, letting the words hang.
"In situations like this, one step ahead means staying ahead. One step behind, and you're always playing catch-up. Yet even now, they're talking about reducing our funding? The situation's bad enough without them strangling our resources."
Through the Den Den Mushi's mimicry, Finn could almost see Kong's expression shift, something complicated passing across those features.
The Fleet Admiral's voice came quieter, more thoughtful. "Yes... even at a time like this, the higher-ups remain concerned about the Marines growing too powerful."
Finn heard the unspoken words clearly. They'd rather watch pirates multiply than let their own military force expand.
After all, the Marines and World Government were supposed to be on the same side. Yet here they were, the Five Elders guarding against their own people while enemies swept across the seas like a rising tide. It was backwards. Idiotic, even.
But Kong, as Fleet Admiral, could never voice such thoughts aloud. His every word, every gesture, reflected on the entire organization. He represented the Marines' face to the world, and creating visible friction with the World Government would only widen the existing cracks.
Some things were better left unsaid.
"All right, all right," Kong said, his tone deliberately diplomatic. "The higher-ups have their own considerations. Different positions lead to different perspectives. We have to understand that."
Finn grumbled a few more complaints for effect, playing the frustrated officer before letting the matter drop. Then he shifted angles. "Fleet Admiral, if military spending isn't increasing, should we at least expand recruitment?"
"Headquarters has accumulated some reserves over the past few years," Kong replied without hesitation. "We still need to strengthen our forces. Just as you said, one step ahead keeps us ahead. We can't let the Marines stagnate just because the higher-ups have... reservations."
"Will it be enough?" Finn asked directly.
Kong's pause was telling. "It should cover us short-term. Two, maybe three years if we're careful. After that..." The Fleet Admiral's voice trailed off, the uncertainty clear.
"Two or three years." Finn let the words hang, then added, "It seems my Calm Belt development plan might connect well with Headquarters' needs after that."
"That's exactly why I wanted to hear your proposal," Kong said. "How can we develop the Calm Belt in a way that benefits the Marines?"
Finn smiled, though the Den Den Mushi couldn't transmit it. Time to lay out the bait properly.
"After extensive research, I've found the Calm Belt is essentially an undeveloped treasure trove. There are numerous islands scattered throughout both belts. The simplest development approach? Mining. Gold, silver, iron, copper, all kinds of valuable minerals waiting to be extracted. "
"We organize labor forces, dig them out, process them, and either sell them or, better yet, use them ourselves." He paused for emphasis.
"The Marines could achieve near self-sufficiency in raw materials. Think of what we spend annually on metal for base construction, maintenance, cannons, ammunition, swords, guns. We could cut those expenses dramatically."
"Reasonable," Kong murmured, and Finn could practically hear the gears turning.
The Marines' material needs were staggering when viewed across the entire organization. Thousands of bases, hundreds of ships, constant equipment maintenance and replacement. Becoming self-sufficient in raw materials would free up enormous funds for other uses, training, recruitment, better weapons, Devil Fruit acquisition.
And if they produced more than they needed? Well, they could sell the surplus. No matter how Kong examined it, the proposal had no obvious flaws.
"Continue," the Fleet Admiral said.
"The shipbuilding industry is another bottleneck," Finn went on smoothly. "Water 7 purchases massive quantities of timber every year. Building warships, especially the larger classes, requires wood with extremely specific properties: age, density, hardness. The costs are astronomical."
"But the Calm Belt? It's been essentially untouched for centuries. Many islands have timber stands that have been growing undisturbed for generations. We organize harvesting operations, transport the lumber out, and we've got another revenue stream. More importantly, we could gain subtle control over Water 7's upstream material supply. Imagine negotiating warship contracts when we control their primary resource source."
Kong's interest practically radiated through the connection. "Go on."
Finn kept his tone matter-of-fact, as if explaining something obvious. "What I'm proposing isn't complicated. No fancy tricks or elaborate schemes. It's straightforward development: find resources, extract them, use them. Mine where there are minerals. Harvest where there's timber. It's rough, simple, and brutally effective."
He paused, then added the key point. "The real question is why nobody's thought of this before."
"Default mindset," Kong said slowly, working through it himself. "The Calm Belt has been treated as a forbidden zone for so long that it's become a blind spot. We've simply... accepted that it's off-limits. The Marines are a military organization, not developers or merchants. Nobody thought to look at it as an opportunity."
"Exactly," Finn agreed. "Sometimes the simplest solutions are overlooked because they're too simple."
Before Kong could respond, Finn pressed forward to the crucial element. "There's one more aspect, Fleet Admiral. The most important one."
"I'm listening."
"The Calm Belt's special environment creates natural information security," Finn said carefully. "Almost nobody ventures there. The isolation is absolute. If we're proactive about controlling information flow, keeping operations quiet..." He let the implication hang.
"Finn." Kong's voice sharpened. "Watch your words. Don't suggest anything improper."
"Of course, Fleet Admiral. I'm simply discussing this with you." Finn kept his tone respectful, slightly apologetic. "But we both understand reality."
The silence stretched. Then, quieter: "Explain further."
Finn leaned back, knowing he'd hooked him. "The higher-ups have used budget restrictions and various other methods to limit Marine expansion for years. And the World Government is... acquisitive. Once the Calm Belt shows significant returns and the Five Elders learn about it, they'll take it over. The Marines will be pushed aside, receiving scraps from our own development. That's completely contrary to our interests."
Through the Den Den Mushi, Finn heard Kong's sharp intake of breath.
The Fleet Admiral understood perfectly. After decades working under the World Government, Kong knew exactly how the Five Elders operated, their priorities, their patterns. If they caught wind of the Calm Belt's potential wealth, they'd claim it without hesitation. Maybe throw the Marines a small percentage as compensation, a token gesture.
That couldn't be allowed to happen.
"Fortunately," Finn continued, "we can create a closed-loop system. With careful operational security, we can keep this completely internal. Initially, everything we extract will be consumed by Marine operations anyway. We won't need external sales for years. We're simply reducing our operating costs, not generating obvious new revenue. No commercial traces for accountants to notice. Even if we strike gold deposits, literally or figuratively, we can absorb it quietly. The saved budget funds can enhance our combat capabilities where they're actually needed."
"Closed-loop?" Kong asked. "Define that term."
Finn had been waiting for this question. "It means conducting all development activities entirely within Marine resources, no external dependencies. My current concept uses G-7 as the operational base and forward outpost. For labor, we use prisoners from Impel Down. Everything from resource extraction to internal consumption happens within Marine-controlled systems. We position a few trustworthy officers at key oversight points, and that's it. No outside contractors, no civilian witnesses, no paper trails leading back to us."
Kong's voice brightened considerably. "That... significantly reduces exposure risk."
"Exactly. According to this model, as long as we select absolutely reliable officers for critical positions, everything circulates internally. From mining to manufacturing to deployment. No leakage points. The World Government won't detect our Calm Belt operations at all, not for years."
The potential financial benefits were staggering, Finn knew. And Fleet Admiral Kong had no intention of rebelling against the World Government, nothing so dramatic. But given an opportunity to secure massive advantages for the Marines? He wouldn't refuse.
"Excellent proposal," Kong said, genuine approval in his tone.
"Thank you, Fleet Admiral." Finn allowed himself a small smile. "Initially, I was concerned about scaling up. Once operations establish momentum, we'll need increasingly large labor forces. Impel Down's current prison population might not provide sufficient numbers for long-term expansion."
He paused, then delivered the final hook with perfect timing.
"But then I reconsidered the current situation. The sea's descending into chaos, Fleet Admiral. All those pirates flooding the waters? They're not just threats. They're the Marines' future labor force. Viewed from that angle, doesn't the Great Pirate Era suddenly seem more... manageable? Even beneficial? Our motivation to capture them alive gets much stronger when you remember what they represent."
The silence from the Den Den Mushi lasted several seconds.
Then Kong laughed, a sound of genuine revelation. "You're absolutely right."
Finn could practically see the Fleet Admiral's entire perspective shifting.
According to this development plan, supplying the Marines' future material needs would require enormous manpower. Eventually, they might need a hundred thousand laborers, two hundred thousand, perhaps more. Mining operations could expand across dozens of islands. Timber harvesting would require entire work camps. And if they ever did reach surplus production for external sale? The labor requirements would skyrocket.
Impel Down's current capacity was nowhere near sufficient. And for operational security, they couldn't outsource, couldn't hire civilian workers. It had to be forces completely under Marine control.
Slaves were... problematic. The optics alone contradicted everything the Marines claimed to stand for.
But pirates? Pirates were perfect.
They'd chosen to become criminals. They'd rejected society's rules, embraced violence and theft. The Marines capturing them, putting them to work, that was simply justice being served. Consequences for their actions.
"You make an excellent point," Kong said, his voice carrying new energy. "Since they dared to go to sea as pirates, they can't complain when the Marines respond appropriately. I'll issue orders: prioritize capturing pirates alive when situations permit. These bastards cause chaos and suffering across the seas. Better they contribute something useful by mining in the Calm Belt, supporting Marine justice."
His tone brightened further, almost amused. "Thinking about it this way, Roger's 'Great Pirate Era' actually benefits us. Without his final words, where would we get such an abundant supply of low-quality, easily captured pirates? The sheer numbers are unprecedented."
Finn heard the shift clearly. Pirates had transformed in Kong's mind from pure threat to valuable resource. It was almost absurd how quickly the reframing worked.
The Fleet Admiral seemed to catch himself, and his voice grew slightly uncertain. "This approach... it's still justice, correct? We're not operating like slave traders?"
But even as he asked, Kong dismissed the concern. The Marines eliminated threats and protected civilians. Pirates chose their path. Putting captured criminals to work in controlled labor programs bore no resemblance to the slavery rings operated by traffickers and certain World Nobles.
No resemblance at all.
The difference was justice.
Finn kept his expression neutral, though satisfaction ran through him. The seed was planted, the framework accepted. Fleet Admiral Kong had just given preliminary approval to transform the Calm Belt into the Marines' private resource extraction operation, powered by pirate labor.
And the beauty of it? From a certain perspective, it genuinely was justice.
Just a particularly profitable form of it.
"I'll begin detailed planning, Fleet Admiral," Finn said respectfully. "With your permission, I'd like to coordinate with Impel Down administration regarding prisoner transfers and establish preliminary surveys of promising Calm Belt islands near G-7's area of operation."
"Approved," Kong replied. "Send me regular reports. This stays between us and whoever you absolutely need for implementation. Understood?"
"Perfectly, Fleet Admiral."
"Good. Fleet Admiral Kong out."
The Den Den Mushi's eyes closed, the connection severing.
Finn leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming once against the armrest. Everything was proceeding according to plan. Better than planned, actually. Kong had embraced the concept even faster than expected.
The Great Pirate Era that Roger had unleashed was about to become something very different than that bastard had intended.
A resource boom for the Marines.
Finn permitted himself a cold smile. Let the pirates come. Every ship that set sail, every fool who raised a Jolly Roger because of Roger's dying words, they were all just future laborers.
The Calm Belt was waiting.
And the Marines would be ready to fill it.