They cared more about the present than the distant future.
As the World Government printed money without restraint, the Beli, the widely accepted currency, lost even more value.
It was now worth only a fifth of what it had been thirty years ago.
Many factors had thrown the seas into chaos: the rise of pirates, the weakening of the World Government and the Marines, and especially the dawn of the Great Pirate Era.
The devaluation of the Beli was undoubtedly another major factor.
By now, even an ordinary Devil Fruit cost a hundred million Beli.
And that was only the starting price.
How many people had seen their wealth quietly plundered and diminished?
It was not just ordinary citizens. World-class tycoons, Member States, and every other power had felt the effects.
To protect its own interests, the World Government had made the entire world pay the price.
Even the Kronos Kingdom was affected. Overseas trade required large amounts of Beli, but the damage was limited. The kingdom had begun preparing for this trend long ago and kept its losses to a minimum.
That was the main reason the Member States refused to increase their Heavenly Tribute payments.
The World Government had brought all this on itself.
Why should they pay more Heavenly Tribute when they were already losing money?
The devaluation made the Heavenly Tribute worth less. Short of funds, the World Government could only print more money, creating a vicious cycle.
To keep the world from collapsing into a massive crisis, the matter had come before the previous Reverie.
That was in Sea Era 1495, three years ago.
The Member States wanted to halt further devaluation and avoid being dragged down by the World Government's reckless spending.
At the Reverie, the World Government had not lost its right to