The crisis facing the Marines had been resolved in a way no one could understand. In the eyes of the world—including Caro, who had devised the plan—even if Akainu ultimately failed, the Marines would suffer heavy losses from fighting among themselves.
After the Paramount War, the Battle of the Red River, and this latest infighting, everything the Marines had built up during the Great Draft Era would be spent. Without enough fighting strength left, the World Government did not care whether the Marines submitted.
What Caro wanted was a Marine force good for nothing! That would make ruling the world easier!
Yet for the first time since taking power, Caro felt that events had slipped beyond his control.
Not only had this operation failed to produce the result he had imagined, it had made the Marines more united and all but ended any hope of friendly relations with the World Government. With his own hands, he had delivered that enormous fighting force into Loa's service!
And that was not the end of it. Just as he suppressed his anger, another report reached him.
The Undead Legion had sailed out to suppress the pirate uprisings and seized the opportunity to establish a foothold on a vast number of islands! This time, a total of thirteen Affiliated Nations had dared to request withdrawal and accept the Undead Legion's protection!
In other words, they had crossed the seemingly impassable line between the dead and the living, and people had genuinely accepted those skeletal monsters!
All the World Government's arrangements had not only failed to stop it, but had also cost it the people's confidence!
Caro knew from intelligence reports that Dragon, the traitor who led the [Censored] Army, had been behind it all.
"Useless! Useless! Useless!"
Caro cursed three times in the hall,