The meeting room fell silent for a moment before another commodore asked, "But what if even the royal family of the kingdom where our base is located isn't wealthy?"
"That brings me to the second thing I was about to mention. After defeating a pirate crew, we'll seize thirty percent of any untraceable assets to use as military funds!"
"Huh?" The group of commodores were once again left dizzy by the bomb Longinus had dropped on them. "But... but that's ill-gotten money! Wouldn't using such filthy wealth as military funds go against our sense of justice?"
"Using that filthy wealth for a just cause is what truly washes away its impurity!" Longinus declared firmly.
"Besides, you should all know where this so-called ill-gotten money ends up, right?"
The commodores nodded heavily. They naturally knew that most of the ill-gotten money was ultimately swallowed by certain government officials under the guise of "recovering stolen assets."
"But doing this will undoubtedly affect the interests of certain big shots," a major general said solemnly.
"Being too cautious and worrying about every consequence will get us nowhere. Just go ahead and do it. If those people really object..." Longinus said righteously, "I'll take full responsibility!"
The confidence behind Longinus's words actually came from his attitude toward a certain rumor: he neither denied it, actively acknowledged it, nor took responsibility for it.
That rumor was the one circulating within the government that he was a Celestial Dragon.
In particular, Spandine's cryptic attitude after returning last time had caused many people to secretly strengthen this suspicion.
Moreover, the thirty percent of the profits Longinus was taking fell completely within the range they could tolerate.
Under such circumstances, those cautious old hands naturally wouldn't act recklessly.
Of course, the commodores and major generals knew nothing about these