Listening to Cudius's expnation, Sengoku, Gis, and the others all looked visibly fused.

  Even Nusjuro seemed puzzled. He frowned slightly and asked, "Using thieves to catch thieves? What do you mean by that? Expin it clearly."

  Cudius smiled, took another puff from his cigar, and said, "Ever since Roger's death, the seas have not bee quieter as we had hoped. Instead, thanks to his st words, the number of pirates has skyrocketed—at least tenfold."

  He paused for a moment to let the point sink in, then tinued, "It's only been half a year, and while the number of pirates has increased dramatically, they haven't yet reached the level of true threat. However, I'd like to make a bold predi: within five to ten years, that could very well ge."

  Sengoku thought over Cudius's words in silence. Cudius was absolutely right.

  While the number of pirates on the seas had multiplied, none of them had yet achieved the same terrifyiation and strength as established forces like Whitebeard or Kaido. For now, as long as Marine had enough mahey could still keep things under trol.

  But there roblem: Marine did not have enough manpower, and the rate at which they could recruit and train new soldiers was far slower thae at whiew pirates were appearing.

  If things tihis way, the question was no longer if, but when this quantitative growth of pirates would lead to a qualitative leap—a situation where dozens, if not hundreds, of powerful new pirates would emerge. Pirates who could eventually stand toe-to-toe with legends like Whitebeard.

  After a long pause, Sengoku nodded solemnly. "Yhness is right. Our problem isn't just the sheer number of pirates. We're iably going to see a new geion of elite pirates rising up. This could bee a serious threat."

  Nusjuro and Gis also he gravity of the situatioo them.

  Cudius, noting their agreement, smiled. "Exactly. This is something we 't afford to ignore. And so, I propose a solution: a pn to 'use pirates to fight pirates'—to put it simply, we create our own pirate forces, ones loyal to the Wover, who bat the untrolled chaos on the seas."

  As soon as he finished speaking, Sengoku's expression shifted. Though he trusted Cudius, the idea still seemed radical. However, Nusjuro's eyes fshed with intrigue, showing a glimmer of i in the proposal.

  "Oh? That's an iing idea," Nusjuro said. "Expin it in more detail."

  Cudius nodded, exhaled a stream of smoke, and replied, "Let's call this the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' pn for now."

  He reached for a stack of files oable, gesturing for them to take a look. "Take these two pirates, for instahey're actually part of our CP-X anization. Crocodile is someone even Sengoku Admiral is familiar with; he reviously one of my subordinates and has now gone undercover as a pirate. As for Dofmingo, I don't think I o introduce him—he's my cousin, a Donquixote by blood and another member of CP-X. Like Crocodile, he's taken orders from me to bee a pirate."

  Sengoku nodded, firming Cudius's words. "That's right."

  Nusjuro and the others had no further questions, and indicated for Cudius to tinue.

  "Now," Cudius tinued, "pirates are different from the Marines. Building up Marine forces requires rigorous recruitment, training, and a host of other measures. But a pirate crew? As long as a leader has the strength aation to and loyalty, followers will naturally flock to them."

  He smiled. "Pirates grow their forces far more quickly than we ever could with the Marines, and that's exactly the advantage I want to exploit."

  Sengoku's i iqued. "Yhness, you eborate?"

  Cudius leaned forward, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Before I expi me ask you a question, Sengoku. What are the two main ways a pirate grows in strength?"

  Sengoku thought for a moment before replying, "In general, there are two ways. First, by itting enough crimes to be reized as a threat by the Wover. As they grow more dangerous, their power aation also grow. If we 't deal with them in time, they eventually bee feared across the seas—just like Roger did."

  "Correct. And the sed way?" Cudius asked.

  "The sed," Sengoku tinued, "is through infighting and domihin the pirate unity itself. Pirates fight each other stantly, and those who emerge victorious build their owige, eventually growing into powerful figures by stepping over the bodies of the defeated."

  A wicked grin crossed Cudius's face. He cpped his hands together and said, "Exactly. In other words, it's through stant internal flict, mergers, and quests that a pirate rise to greatness. Now, here's the question: if we wao cultivate our own pirate lords, which path would we choose?"

  Sengoku didn't hesitate. "Naturally, we wouldn't done any evil deeds. The seethod is the only choice."

  But as he spoke, realization dawned on him. His initial skepticism began to crumble as Cudius's pn took root in his mind.

  Nusjuro ughed, pointing at Cudius with an approving grin. "Impressive. Very impressive. No wonder we put our trust in you. This is such a simple yet brilliant idea; why didn't we think of it sooner?"

  There was no denying it. By creating their own pirate lords, the Wover could harhe same rapid force expansion that pirates eurning untrolble pirate forces into allies. These saned pirates, operating uhe gover's trol, could bat those pirates who refused to obey. This would weaken the pirate unity as a whole, and the power of these allied pirates would only grow with time.

  Ohese trolled pirates gained enough reputation, they would indeed bee formidable pirate lords. And with several powerful pirate captains w uhe Wover's thumb, in alliah the Marihey could finally establish some measure of stability across the seas.

  "As you see," Cudius tinued, "the ultimate goal of the Seven Warlords of the Sea pn is to weaken the pirate forces from within. By turning pirates against pirates, we gradually break their unity and reduce them to scattered, disanized fas, making it easier for the Mario keep order."

  Cudius's smile was full of fidence as he expined. "In the end, these gover-saned pirates will be strong enough to challenge untrolble pirates like Whitebeard. Wheime is right, we use this advao dismahe pirate threat piece by piece, turning them into nothing more than isoted bands."

  Sengoku was visibly impressed, murmuring to himself, "To have pirates unch a civil war among themselves, leaving the Wover and Mario simply up the aftermath… it's ingenious."