One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 361: A Quarter
At the shattered Marine Headquarters, Marineford, in an office that had been roughly repaired and was barely functional…
Kuzan sat there sipping tea, and across from him sat a figure just as tall as him, perhaps even slightly more robust.
"It looks like I'll have to learn a lot from you during this time, Admiral Kuzan," Fujitora said with a smile, lifting his teacup as he took a sip.
Kuzan chuckled, shook his head, and replied, "You're immensely powerful, I admire you greatly. I just hope that in the future, you'll always uphold the righteousness and justice in your heart.."
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Fujitora had recently been appointed as a Vice Admiral under Kuzan's command.
He had already made a name for himself during the Battle of Marineford, where he had stopped the infamous Golden Lion, Shiki, and even fought against him.
The Marines who had participated in the war were all elite soldiers, and they could tell, this man, Fujitora, possessed strength on par with a Marine Admiral.
Some even suspected that he hadn't shown his full power during the war.
In truth, Fujitora had indeed held back. If he had unleashed his full strength, his meteorites would have rained down like a storm, drastically affecting the battlefield.
Claudius had arranged for Fujitora to participate in the war for two reasons.
First, he was there as insurance against any unforeseen accidents—which, in the end, had proven necessary.
Second, he was tasked with cutting off the Whitebeard Pirates' escape route.
Fujitora had worked alongside Kuzan, one blocking the sea, the other using his gravity to suppress the skies.
As a result, the Whitebeard Pirates were completely trapped. By the end of the battle, aside from a few small fry who managed to slip away, most of the division commanders had been captured.
This arrangement allowed Fujitora to establish himself within the Marines smoothly.
Of course, at this point, Claudius could have simply installed Fujitora as a Vice Admiral without issue.
However, by letting Fujitora prove himself first, it changed how he was perceived within the Marines.
Now, as he walked through Marine Headquarters, many soldiers greeted him with genuine respect. This kind of groundwork was invaluable.
"Thank you for your guidance, Admiral Kuzan. I will always uphold the benevolence and justice in my heart!" Fujitora said solemnly, nodding.
Kuzan and Fujitora had rarely interacted before.
Prior to the war, they had only met twice.
Now, for the first time, they were having an in-depth conversation.
Kuzan was well aware, this was all arranged by Claudius.
Fujitora was a candidate for Admiral.
And if Kuzan were to leave the Marines one day, Fujitora would likely take his place.
After speaking with him, Kuzan found that Fujitora's sense of justice was quite similar to his own, though there were some differences.
This made Kuzan reflect on his own beliefs.
However, he didn't dislike the idea of someone like Fujitora succeeding him. In fact, he had no objections at all.
As their conversation continued, Fujitora brought up CP-X.
Since Fujitora had only recently joined Marine Headquarters, Kuzan felt it was necessary to discuss CP-X with him, especially since both CP-X and Marine Headquarters served as the World Government's highest combat forces.
In this regard, Kuzan was Fujitora's senior within the Marines.
But in CP-X, Fujitora was actually Kuzan's senior.
Fujitora hadn't been in CP-X for long, but due to his strong combat ability and the trust he had earned from Claudius, he was highly valued even by Tesoro.
As a result, he had gained considerable insight into CP-X—especially regarding its finances.
"So much?" Kuzan raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
Fujitora had just told him that CP-X controlled roughly 25–30% of the world's total currency in circulation.
And that figure was a conservative estimate. The actual percentage could be even higher.
Of course, this only referred to money, not total assets.
While Claudius had yet to seize control over a quarter of the world's assets, it was only a matter of time.
"Yes, that much. Even if I hadn't told you, Admiral Kuzan, you would have found out soon enough once you got involved," Fujitora said, taking another sip of tea.
"But CP-X doesn't seem that extravagant," Kuzan mused. "Sure, they're richer than the Marines, but they don't seem excessively so, right?"
Fujitora nodded. "That's because all those funds are being reserved under Claudius' direct orders."
"Reserved? Why?" Kuzan frowned, puzzled.
To him, money was only valuable when spent, it fueled purchases, strengthened forces, and became a tangible source of power.
But if it was just being stockpiled, wasn't it just a pile of paper?
"His Highness didn't explain explicitly," Fujitora admitted. "But I have a guess…"
He paused before saying in a low voice:
"The World Summit."
Kuzan's frown deepened.
Then, realization dawned on him.
Yes, if Saint Claudius truly intended to seize supreme authority at the next World Summit, his next step would be reform.
But reform required money.
The World Government's massive system had to be maintained, and tax cuts would likely be part of his plan.
During the first couple of years, government revenue would undoubtedly plummet.
If income fell below expenses, how would the system be sustained?
How would they continue paying the Marines and other forces?
The Calm Belt? Sure, it held untapped resources but those would take time to develop.
But now, with Claudius holding an immense reserve of wealth, he had the means to push forward without hesitation.
"He controls the Marines with one hand and the economy with the other… If His Highness succeeds, his control will be unshakable," Kuzan muttered, shaking his head in awe.
Fujitora nodded.
At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a knock.
"Come in," Kuzan said.
The door swung open.
A man with white hair walked in, three cigars clenched in his mouth. Unlike most Marines, he wore a justice vest instead of a coat.
"Smoker?" Kuzan raised an eyebrow.
Fujitora smiled and rose from his seat. "It seems you have business to attend to, Admiral Kuzan. I'll take my leave."
As Fujitora passed by Smoker, they nodded at each other in greeting.
After Fujitora left, Smoker sat down.
"Why was he here? Does CP-X have new orders?" he asked.
Kuzan poured Smoker a cup of tea and shook his head.
"No, Saint Claudius has assigned him to the Marines. He's now one of my Vice Admirals."
"Huh?" Smoker was taken aback, then nodded. "Well, judging by his strength, that's more than reasonable."
"He also has the right mindset and sense of justice," Kuzan added. "His Highness isn't a fool."
"Fair enough," Smoker muttered.
Kuzan looked at Smoker with interest. "You've changed, Smoker. In the past, you would have hated this kind of thing and complained about it."
"That's called growth," Smoker said with a smirk.
Then, he pulled open his justice vest, revealing his epaulettes.
"Huh?" Kuzan blinked.
The rank of Rear Admiral gleamed on Smoker's shoulder.
"You're staying at Headquarters?" Kuzan asked, pleasantly surprised.
Smoker shook his head. "No. That's why I came to see you, I need a favor."
"A favor?" Kuzan asked, intrigued.
"Transfer me to the New World. G-1 or G-5, either is fine. Just don't leave me stuck at Headquarters," Smoker said firmly.
***
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