Marineford, Marine Headquarters building.
Inside a spacious office.
Sengoku leaned back in his office chair, holding a copy of the World Economy News Paper.
A large, bold headline was printed prominently across the paper.
"Doflamingo of the Donquixote Family, the criminal who hijacked the Celestial Tribute, has actually been invited to become a Shichibukai!"
The article had been written by Morgans, and its tone was dripping with sarcasm from start to finish, making the veins on Sengoku's forehead throb.
He wanted nothing more than to slap Morgans to death!
The Celestial Tribute was the fee that World Government member nations had to pay the World Government every year. Any nation that failed to pay would lose its status as a World Government member nation, thereby completely losing its human rights in the eyes of the World Government. Most countries that failed to pay would become lawless areas overrun by human traffickers and pirates.
Other than the small portion used to support the Celestial Dragons, a considerable part of the Celestial Tribute paid by World Government member nations was used to support the World Government and the Marines, keeping this war machine running.
Therefore, even the Marines, who claimed to uphold justice, would not extend a helping hand to nations that were not World Government members!
Worse still, some Marines would directly participate in illegal activities within non-member nations...
In short, it could be summed up in two sentences:
If you don't pay protection money, you still expect protection?... Not a chance!
The amount of the Celestial Tribute was enormous. Aside from wealthy nations like the Dressrosa Kingdom or the Salto Kingdom, most nations were already at their limit after paying it once a year. It was impossible for the World Government to levy it a second time this year...
In