Long Live Saint Sanming

"How else could I say that you, Kong, were the most satisfactory choice for Commander-in-Chief?" Miming slapped Kong on the back. "You sly old fox. Let me tell you, of course I saw the future. That's why those five old geezers were so reassured. The Shichibukai and Four Emperors plan could guarantee the stability of the world order for at least ten years."

"Ten years? That's enough for me to retire!" Kong was instantly overjoyed, but then he realized the implication in Miming's words. "Will something go wrong after ten years?"

"Yes. The Navy will begin opposing the 'Shichibukai.'" Miming said grimly, "But the future can be changed. There are only two possible futures for this plan. One is that, ten years from now, the 'Shichibukai' are still being managed well. The other is that it provokes dissatisfaction and is abolished. But in that case, the Navy will surely already be confident in controlling the situation. If, ten years from now, the Navy only needs to keep an eye on seven people, then wouldn't the plan itself have succeeded once it was abolished? So no matter which outcome comes to pass, those utterly vicious Great Pirate crews can be contained in the New World, fixing the world's structure in place. And I have already seen certain problems that will arise in the future."

"Long live Saint Sanming!" Kong murmured, lest his bootlicking be too conspicuous and cost him face. After detailed simulations, the military had concluded that the most reasonable number of Shichibukai was indeed between six and eight. They could not be too strong or too weak, and it had to facilitate encircling the New World.

Kong privately revealed, "As for candidates for the Shichibukai, plenty of people are trying to recommend their own privateer naval forces. But Saint