<h4>Chapter 140: Sengoku: Saint udius is My Patron!</h4>


    At the end of the day, everyone has some degree of selfishness, and Sengoku was no exception.


    In a different situation if Sengoku didn''t have the backing he now enjoyed. he wouldn''t dare to overreach. If a major breakthrough like the new Seastone technology appeared, his only option would have been to report it directly to the World Government and hope for some recognition in return.


    But things were different now. For years, Marine''s rtionship with udius had been exceptionally close. udius wasn''t just some random Celestial Dragon sitting idly in Mariejois; he was a true power yer, a heavyweight within the Holy Land''s inner circle. His authority rivaled anyone below the Five Elders themselves.


    And udius had a natural advantage. As long as the Marines didn''t pull something outrageous like dering independence, udius could shield them from almost anything.


    So naturally, Sengoku saw an opportunity. But this wasn''t just about taking advantage of udius. He knew better than to let someone like udius do all the heavy lifting without giving anything in return. That wasn''t how partnerships worked.


    As someone destined to be Marine Fleet Admiral in the future, Sengoku understood the rules of the game. Friendship alone wasn''t enough to bind two parties together. True alliances were built on mutual interests.


    udius cultivated his ties with Marine because it benefited his own ambitions. Likewise, Sengoku sought to strengthen the Marines by nurturing his connection with udius. It wasn''t a one-sided rtionship but a give-and-take dynamic.


    And now, the fruits of this long-standing partnership were starting to show. With udius'' support, Marine would soon gain the capability to ess the Calm Belt, a game-changer in every sense.


    Through udius, Sengoku could position this innovation under the guise of "experimental testing." With this ssification, udius'' influence could shield the project from scrutiny by the World Government.


    In truth, Sengoku''s move wasn''t just about technology, it was about the bigger picture. The age of pirates was snowballing out of control. Whitebeard''s rise as a "Pirate Emperor" was a reality, and Sengoku had every reason to believe he wouldn''t be thest. Soon, there might be a second emperor. A third. Even a fourth or fifth.


    How would Marine respond to such a crisis? To truly hold their ground, the Marines needed overwhelming strength, enough to dominate the seas with absolute authority.


    If Marine were three or five times stronger than they were now, wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates would be just another day''s work. They could restore order to the world without breaking a sweat. But the unfortunate reality was that, while Marine was strong, they weren''t invincible. Their resources were limited, their forces spread thin.


    And this led to an even bigger problem: Marine''s reliance on the World Government for funding.


    Marine''s budget, its military strength, was entirely dependent on how much funding the World Government allocated each year. Even with the best intentions, Marine couldn''t expand its forces beyond the limits of its budget. Justice, while noble, couldn''t fill empty stomachs. And no matter how passionate the soldiers were, they couldn''t fight for justice on an empty stomach forever.


    If the World Government reduced Marine''s funding, even by a little, it would be enough to spark internal chaos. There would be no need for pirates to intervene, Marine would copse under its own weight.


    So for years, Marine''s growth had followed a step-by-step n dictated by the World Government''s financial constraints. This slow and steady pace ensured stability, but it wasn''t nearly enough to meet the challenges of the escting pirate era.


    While the World Government had been generous with funding recently, Sengoku knew this couldn''tst forever. The system itself was wed. The World Government was an enormous bureaucracy, and Marine wasn''t its only concern.


    In fact, Sengoku understood that the CP agencies were the World Government''s true favorites, receiving preferential treatment in both resources and attention.


    Although Sengoku didn''t have ess to the full details, he could guess the situation. The World Government was likely stuck in a vicious financial cycle. Marine''s recent budgets may have been generous, but that generosity came at a cost.


    The truth was, the World Government had been running at a deficit for years. It was a carefully guarded secret, one that even udius was unaware of. But for those paying attention, the signs were clear.


    The massive structure of the World Government meant that only a fraction of the taxes collected worldwide actually made it to the central authority. Of the hundreds of billions in taxes collected, only seven or eight billion reached the World Government''s coffers.


    The rising tide of piracy had further worsened the situation, disrupting trade routes and strangling maritimemerce. Merchants struggled, and as their profits declined, so did the wealth of the nations they operated in. A weakened economy meant lower taxes, and the World Government''s revenue continued to shrink.


    In response, the World Government had been forced to increase its spending, pouring more money into Marine''s military budget and other initiatives tobat piracy.


    But even amidst this financial crisis, the Celestial Dragons lived in their own world, oblivious to reality. They spent extravagantly, their opulent lifestyles draining the treasury with no regard for the consequences.


    The gap between the World Government''s ie and expenses had grown unsustainable.


    Sengoku could see the writing on the wall. The military budgets of today wouldn''tst forever. Two years from now, Marine might find itself facing serious cutbacks.


    If there were no other options, Sengoku would ept this fate. But now, there was an alternative, a chance to break free from the World Government''s tight grip.


    The new Seastone technology for ships had opened a door. With the ability to ess the Calm Belt, Marine could tap into untold natural resources. And while Marine wasn''t allowed to engage in independent business operations explicitly forbidden by the World Government—udius could.


    As a Celestial Dragon and head of CP-X, udius operated outside the usual restrictions. His pedigree and privileges made him a perfect shield.


    Marine could work with udius to exploit the Calm Belt''s resources, turning them into a new source of revenue. It wouldn''t just be about survival, it would allow Marine to grow on its own terms, free from the limits of the World Government''s budget.


    Of course, Sengoku had no intention of reporting this development to the higher-ups. Instead, hebeled the Seastone technology as "still in testing," ensuring that no one could interfere for the time being. udius'' support would cover any minor infractions, smoothing over potentialplications.


    And Sengoku had no doubt that udius was just as eager to see this seed. The prospect of vast wealth and influence in the Calm Belt was too enticing to ignore.


    By working together, udius could serve as Marine''s "umbre," shielding them from bureaucratic scrutiny while they developed the Calm Belt''s resources. With this new revenue stream, Marine could finally break free from its financial shackles.


    If the n seeded, Sengoku was confident Marine could enter a new era of rapid development. With increased power and resources, they could suppress pirate forces worldwide with ease.


    It wasn''t a perfect n there were risks and potential pitfalls but with udius covering their tracks, Sengoku believed the partnership was rock-solid.


    "Having a backer is a wonderful thing," Sengoku thought to himself with a satisfied smile.


    ***


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