"Stop talking nonsense! The Four Emperors have killed countless civilians. How can they compare to the Navy!" Akainu retorted loudly, his face grim. "The Navy is righteous, undeniably and Absolute Justice!"
"Your Neo Marines is also a Navy, you're contradicting yourself!"
He was a staunch Hawk Faction, whose life's pursuit was to wipe out all pirates.
He initially had a certain degree of goodwill towards Luo Wen, who established the Neo Marines and relentlessly eradicated pirates.
But at this moment, hearing Luo Wen compare the navy to the navy was absolutely intolerable to him.
"My Neo Marines is different from yours. It doesn't establish the Shichibukai, and it doesn't collect Heavenly Tribute that an entire country can't afford."
"If we really need protection, we can get it even without Beli."
Everything Luo Wen said was the truth.
To gain the protection of the Neo Marines, one must indeed pay him military expenses.
However, this military expenditure is drawn as a percentage of actual consumption plus national revenue, so it will not be unsustainable.
And it can be used as collateral for other things, such as goods or labor.
Countries that truly need asylum will always find a way. Even if they don't want to pay anymore, they can simply revoke their protection.
These were the boundaries he established when he founded the Illuminati and the Neo Marines.
He has many flaws, but he is still humane in his nature.
"Your power is entirely up to you!"
Akainu had investigated the situation, but at this point, he could only remain stubborn.
"Then let's not talk about the Neo Marines, let's continue with your Navy topic." Luo Wen wasn't angry at all, and calmly said, "If you can't pay the Heavenly Tribute, your country will be destroyed. Even a child knows that. Over the years, the Navy has destroyed quite a few countries, hasn't it?"
"..."
Akainu's expression immediately changed.
What Luo Wen said is absolutely true; you can't deny it no matter how hard you try.
He knew that Luo Wen was right; he had seen quite a few missions involving the destruction of kingdoms.
Ohara was not destroyed for violating historical taboos, but simply because it could not pay the Heavenly Tribute.
Aokiji, Kizaru, and Sengoku remained silent, but their expressions also turned grim.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Luo Wen delivered his final words. "Destroying a country if you don't pay protection money, what a great sense of justice! How is this any different from pirates robbing and killing for money! The so-called World Government is just the biggest pirate in the world!"
"Roger wasn't the true King of the Pirates, and neither will Shanks or any other pirate who claims to be the King of the Pirates."
"Only the World Government, only you who shout about justice all day long, are the true Pirate Kings!"
When the words were spoken, the entire Marine Headquarters fell silent.
Every idealistic sailor stood silently, the sharp, bone-scraping evaluation echoing in their ears.
They wanted to refute it, but they couldn't.
"Are we pirates?"
A young navy man, his eyes vacant, muttered involuntarily.
The other naval personnel were no different, and their beliefs crumbled.
How ridiculous!
The navy, which prides itself on justice, has been criticized as pirates.
What's even more ridiculous is that they couldn't refute it.
Countless sailors stared blankly at Luo Wen, and blankly at Sengoku, the Five Elders, the Three Admirals, and other top figures.
They hope these people will stand up and refute Luo Wen, putting the World Government and the Navy back on the moral high ground.
Unfortunately, no.
Not to mention the Five Elders, whose brains are barely bigger than walnuts.
Even the strategist of the Sengoku, renowned for his wisdom, was speechless at this moment and began to question the meaning of life.
As the naval Fleet Admiral, Sengoku, who claimed to possess the wisdom of Buddha, actually held views similar to those of Luo Wen.
He agreed with what Luo Wen; the Navy's current sense of justice could not be called justice.
Therefore, what he has always been thinking about is the justice of ruling the world.
His philosophy was to change the status quo of the navy from the top down by occupying a high position himself.
He did achieve some results; the Dove Faction led by Aokiji were an extension of his will. As long as several generations of Fleet Admiral are Dove Faction, then change in the Navy is inevitable.
But that's no longer the case. The Navy has been branded as the King of the Pirates by Luo Wen, and justice has become an empty shell.
If they cannot refute this, the current navy will suffer heavy losses.
But he couldn't refute it; the World Government was doing a terrible job, so terrible that everyone knew it.
Any sophistry is hypocritical and powerless in the face of irrefutable facts and real, existing pain.
The Sengoku knew that saying nice things could shut people up, but it couldn't shut them up.
Thus, while the Sengoku period was filled with turmoil, they could only remain silent in reality.
"Are we really the Pirate Kings? How fitting."
Aokiji smiled bitterly to himself.
Looking at it from another angle, what Luo Wen said is absolutely right.
The World Government absorbs the vast majority of the world's wealth and possesses the most powerful influence in the world.
Nations that fail to pay their Heavenly Tribute will either be destroyed or enslaved.
The World Government levies exorbitant taxes on the world, and all countries can only silently endure it.
The so-called Four Emperors only occupy a corner of the New World, while the World Government rules over the four seas, the Red Line, and half of the Grand Line.
A force stronger than the Four Emperors, a territory larger than the Four Emperors, Celestial Dragons with even more wicked personalities than pirates, and a more ruthless method of rule than pirates.
What? You're saying there are good people among the Celestial Dragons?
But not everyone in One Piece is a bad guy!
Therefore, it looks even more like it.
The so-called World Government can really be equated with King of the Pirates Piece.
The same bandit logic as pirates, strength and influence surpassing even the Four Emperors combined—isn't this the King of the Pirates?
Meanwhile, Luo Wen caused a stir around the world.
"Is the World Government a pirate regime? Or the greatest King of the Pirates?"
Upon hearing this, the public was initially stunned and instinctively wanted to deny it.
"Are you kidding me? The World Government is the World Government, how could it be some kind of pirates!"
"Exactly! The World Government killed those pirates, yet they still station their navy in various locations!"
What they were thinking about was the preconceived notion instilled in them by the World Government.
After eight hundred years of rule, the World Government has left an indelible mark on the hearts of the people. They have long been accustomed to the tyrannical and ferocious Celestial Dragons Summit War and to handing over Heavenly Tribute.
Therefore, they subconsciously deny it.
Luo Wen's words, however, lingered in their minds, Vice Admiral compare pirates with the World Government.
Pirates steal money, the World Government wants the Heavenly Tribute.
Pirates, unable to steal anything, resort to killing; the World Government, unable to collect the Heavenly Tribute, kills an entire nation.
Pirates steal women, and the World Government helps the Celestial Dragons steal women.
Pirates torture people, and the World Government helps the Celestial Dragons torture slaves.
These are exactly the same, there's absolutely no difference!
"The World Government, they really are pirates!"
"You know what, you really can't believe it, they're exactly the same!"
People all over the world exclaimed in surprise.
The general public, unless they were foolish, quickly figured it out.
As for those who are still being stubborn, they are either stupid or malicious, either lackeys of the Celestial Dragons or Celestial Dragons spiritual pets.