Nusjuro looked at the people present and said, "We have been far too lenient before! Out of fear of his guards' strength, we repeatedly granted him leeway, and instead we let him grow the illusion that he can stand above the rules! This trend must not be allowed to continue! If every member nation imitates this brat, where will the authority of the World Government be? Where will order remain?!"
"Promulgate the decree at once." His words were like a final judgment, nailing down the fate of Lulusia Kingdom. "In the name of the World Government, officially strip Lulusia Kingdom of all status, privileges, and rights as a member nation of the World Government! Effective immediately!"
"And announce its crimes to the entire world—maliciously defaulting on the 'Heavenly Tribute' for years, openly slighting the authority of the World Government! Designate it as an unprotected territory!"
There was not the slightest hint of mercy in his eyes, only an absolute coldness toward the challenge to order.
"We must make the whole world see clearly," he turned around, "anyone who dares to provoke the rules of the World Government—no matter what they rely on, no matter where they are—will be mercilessly crushed! Lulusia will be the example!"
"As for that ignorant little king, Ronan…" He paused, his tone carrying undisguised killing intent. "Since he has chosen to betray our 'protection', then whether he and his kingdom live or die will depend on their so-called fate."
The other four fully agreed with Nusjuro's decision, with no objections at all.
The order was swiftly relayed down the chain.
Before long, an announcement bearing the highest seal of the World Government spread to every corner of the world via image Den Den Mushi and the World Economy News Paper at the fastest possible speed.
"Breaking! World Government issues sanctions: Lulusia Kingdom officially stripped of member nation status!"
"Suspected cause: long-term default on 'Heavenly Tribute'—King Ronan of Lulusia Kingdom openly challenges the authority of the World Government!"
These bold, enlarged headlines instantly stirred up towering waves across the world. After all, every country was desperate to join the World Government, yet Lulusia Kingdom had actually been stripped of its member status.
The article detailed how Lulusia Kingdom had failed to pay the Heavenly Tribute for two consecutive years, and how King Ronan had ultimately refused to pay at all, then officially announced that from this day forward, all qualifications and privileges of Lulusia Kingdom as a member nation of the World Government were revoked.
The entire world trembled because of this incident.
In Dressrosa, ever since Doflamingo had seized this country from King Riku, everything had proceeded according to his designs, and today, the contents of the newspaper in his hand once again excited him.
"Fufufufufu…"
He recalled that small figure of Ronan back then, taking Tesoro away from his own auction house. Over the past few years, Doflamingo had also investigated clearly and, out of wariness toward Ronan and his group, had never made a move on Tesoro. Yet now that brat had actually openly picked a fight with the World Government.
"So in the end… you've still gone this far, huh? Ronan, you little punk, you've got even more guts than I thought!"
"Openly opposing the World Government… fufufu, that's something even I don't dare to do on the surface right now. Is it because you're relying on those women? Or… do you have some other trump card?" He licked his lips, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes. "Without the protection of member-nation status, Lulusia is like a juicy piece of meat with its shell stripped off… How many starving wolves will pounce on it next, I wonder? It's really… something to look forward to."
Doflamingo was certain that, sooner or later, someone would not be able to hold back, and when that time came, he would not mind taking a share of the spoils himself.
Meanwhile, at the Revolutionary Army headquarters, Dragon read the article, his face beneath the brim of his cap incomparably grave.
"Dragon, what do you think?" Ivankov's tone was unusually serious. "That brat Ronan actually went and did it! Is he not afraid of the World Government and the Navy's thunderous retaliation?"
Dragon slowly raised his head and said, "When I first met him, I already felt he was different from the rest. He's been defaulting on the Heavenly Tribute for two years; it seems he has long been planning to break away from the World Government." Then Dragon walked over to the map and looked at Lulusia Kingdom's position. "He's gambling—gambling that the World Government will be hesitant to act, and that the power in his hands will be enough to weather the coming storm."
"But… this is far too risky!"
"Risk and opportunity always coexist," Dragon said in a low voice. "Shaking off the shackles of member-nation status means shaking off the collar the World Government has fastened around his neck. If he can endure this trial… Lulusia may truly become a nail that shakes the foundations of the World Government's rule. Notify our people in the first half of the Grand Line to keep a close eye on movements in Lulusia's direction, especially the Navy Headquarters' response! If it really becomes irreparable, the only thing we can do is pull him out."
New World
"Gu-ra-ra-ra-ra!" Whitebeard looked at the newspaper his sons handed over and burst into a booming laugh.
"That old coot Shiki died at their hands, and now they're openly challenging the World Government… that little brat from Lulusia really does keep bringing 'surprises'!"
First division commander Marco pushed up his glasses and analyzed calmly, "Pops, now that Lulusia Kingdom has lost its member status, that country is probably going to face tremendous pressure. The Navy, and all those pirates who can smell the scent of blood…"
Whitebeard gave a cold snort. "That's his own choice! If you've got the guts to do it, you'd better be prepared to bear the consequences! However…"
He paused, a faint note of appreciation in his tone. "Compared to those kings who wag their tails and whine at the feet of the World Government, this little brat at least has some backbone! Inform the factions under our banner not to set their sights on Lulusia for the time being. I want to see just how big a storm he can stir up on this sea!"
Bang!
Sengoku slammed the newspaper in his hand onto the desk, his face full of exhaustion and anger.
"This Ronan! What on earth does he think he's doing?!" Sengoku's voice carried suppressed fury. "Does he think that with just Beth, Teresa, and the others, he can stand against the entire World Government system?! Foolish!"
Originally, Sengoku had held Ronan in quite some regard—especially given how, over the past few years, Ronan had shown goodwill toward the Navy, handing over many pirates to them every year. If not for the fact that Ronan was a king, Sengoku would have long since wanted to recruit him into the Navy.
Garp sat across from him, unusually not eating senbei, his brows tightly furrowed. "That brat… really has played a risky move. But, Sengoku, you have to admit, he's got guts. Not every eight—oh, now he's eleven—not every eleven-year-old kid dares to talk back to the Gorosei like that."
"Guts? I call it courting death!" Sengoku shot to his feet and paced back and forth in the office.
"Does he understand what this means? It means Lulusia Kingdom will no longer be under the Navy's protection! It means any pirate can freely plunder their merchant ships and attack their towns! It means they'll be excluded from the Reverie, losing all political voice! And it also means… we, the Navy, can at any time launch military action against him under the banner of 'maintaining order in non-member-nation waters'! Can that kingdom of his withstand a few Navy vice admirals? Or even an admiral?!"
Garp dug at his ear and sighed. "Sure, the logic is sound. But you and I both know how strong those women are. If it really comes to a fight, even if we can take them down, how big a price will the Navy pay? Over in the New World, Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido—which of them is easy to deal with? The Revolutionary Army is still lurking in the shadows, watching for an opening… At a time like this, is it really worth it to go all-out against Lulusia?"
Sengoku stopped, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down. "This is no longer about whether it's worth it! This is a matter of principle! The authority of the World Government cannot be challenged! If every member nation acts like him, what happens to order?!"
He walked to the window, his heart heavy with worry. "The Gorosei's orders will definitely come down. Stripping the status is only the first step—after this, a Buster Call might very well be next!"
"You just keep listening to those guys all the time. We're the Navy—our duty is to protect the people from pirate attacks, not to be the World Government's lapdogs!" Garp curled his lips, looking utterly unconcerned.
"You…" The veins on Sengoku's forehead were about to pop. Faced with this old friend of many years, he truly did not know what to say. He understood what Garp meant, but he also knew that if he had not been constantly mediating all these years, the Navy would probably have long since lost all autonomy.
"Alright, I'm not bothering with any of that. Don't contact me for a while—things in the New World haven't exactly been quiet lately, and I'm going to stay over there for a bit!"
Hearing this, Sengoku could not help but give a wry smile. How could he not know that Garp just wanted to dodge the World Government's summons? Garp could run off and stay in the New World, but as the fleet admiral, he could only remain at headquarters.
"I can only hope the World Government doesn't act against Lulusia too quickly. Of course, if they never did anything at all, that would be best." Sengoku knew full well this was nothing more than his own wishful thinking.
Ronan was not in the least surprised by the World Government's move. The populace within the kingdom, however, was somewhat panicked, and some areas even saw outbreaks of unrest. But Ronan had already taken precautions against every possible development.
Ronan also sent many people out to the various towns to reassure the citizens. With the reputation of Beth, Teresa, and the others behind them, after a brief period of chaos, the people gradually calmed down.
As far as Ronan was concerned, he did not take the pirates of the first half of the Grand Line seriously at all. Over the past few years, Teresa and the others had used "training Kuina and Enel" as a pretext to go out and capture quite a number of pirates. Now, throughout the entire Grand Line, as long as those few major pirates entrenched in the New World did not personally appear, Lulusia Kingdom had little to worry about.
(End of Chapter)
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