novelIdeaMax Chapter 497 The Formation of the New Navy
Chapter 497 The Formation of the New Navy
After arranging for Yamato to attend school and entrusting him to his disciple Itachi, Kizaru temporarily returned to a state of leisure.
This time, Kizaru didn't rush back to the pirate world. Instead, he stayed home and spent some time with Tsunade and their two children.
Tobirama, who was overseeing things here, knew that Kizaru rarely came back, so he didn't let anything or anyone bother Kizaru, giving Kizaru and Tsunade plenty of time to spend together.
As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Although Kizaru and Tsunade hadn't been apart for long, the two, who had a very good relationship, still shamelessly handed the child over to Keiko. The couple spent a few days alone together, and the details of that time are best left unsaid.
A week later, even Kizaru was starting to feel the strain and was preparing to leave the Naruto world, while Tsunade, who had been enjoying the glow of love, was in high spirits.
In the house where the two were staying, Tsunade, who had taken a special leave of absence, dressed in her usual casual clothes, personally cooked lunch for Kizaru.
In the living room, Kizaru sat on the wooden floor, playing with his two children who could now stand and toddle.
The two children perfectly inherited the excellent genes of Kizaru and Tsunade, and were physically strong from a young age, with a larger physique than ordinary children.
After playing with the children for a while, Kizaru was invited by Tsunade to the dining table. Looking at the simple but heartwarming meal laid out on the table, he couldn't help but smile, and a sense of nostalgia rose in his heart.
Fortunately, at that moment, Kizaru's kidneys protested, bringing him back to his senses. He put one hand on his lower back and gently pounded it a few times.
Tsunade, who was carrying the last plate of hot food out, happened to see this scene. A blush rose on her cheeks, which then turned into embarrassment and anger. She said irritably, "What are you acting for? If you want to leave, just say so. I'm not an unreasonable person!"
Upon hearing this, Kizaru looked at Tsunade with an innocent expression. He really wanted to complain that the bed had collapsed last night!
Tsunade looked at Kizaru, seemingly recalling the madness of the previous night, and her blush deepened, adding a touch of allure to her face. She rolled her eyes at Kizaru and then warned, "Don't talk nonsense."
Kizaru closed his slightly open mouth, then silently sat down at the table, picked up the seafood soup, blew on it, took a sip, and finally let out a long sigh. Mimicking his tone from last night, he teased, "Ah! Awesome!"
Tsunade strode over to the plate, slammed the food down on the table, and glared at Kizaru with a murderous look in her eyes, fueled by extreme shame and anger.
Kizaru reached out and grabbed Tsunade's right hand, saying reassuringly, "Let's go, you've worked hard making so many dishes."
Tsunade withdrew her right hand, glared at Kizaru, and then sat back down opposite him, saying with a half-cold expression, "Let's eat!"
"Eat, eat!" Kizaru responded, picking up his chopsticks and taking big bites.
After lunch, Kizaru and Tsunade spent some time together, and after giving their two sleeping children a final kiss, they left home and returned to the world of pirates.
In fact, most things in the One Piece world are already on track, and Kizaru doesn't need to interfere much. All he needs to do is wait, wait for the advance team to completely digest the population and resources of the entire East Blue and train enough people before they can sweep across the entire sea with overwhelming force.
The reason Kizaru returned here after only a week is because he needed to personally intervene in Aokiji's affairs regarding the formation of a new Navy.
The new navy formed by Aokiji is not only an independent naval force, but also a springboard for Kizaru to annex the navy in the future. It is also the strongest navy that Kizaru plans to build for this world, and the key to the Land of Light's future rule over the entire sea and the establishment of a stable order.
Therefore, from the very beginning of the Navy's creation, Kizaru wanted to infuse this navy with thought and soul. What he wanted was not a navy under the World Government that shouted about justice but was actually just an empty weapon.
This is why Kizaru attaches such importance to this matter and is prepared to intervene personally.
On Peace Island, Aokiji, who was staying there, saw Kizaru return and, without any formalities, asked directly, "Are the supplies for forming the new Navy ready?"
Faced with Aokiji's question, Kizaru waved his hand and gestured for Aokiji to come with him to a private conversation room on the top floor of headquarters.
Upon entering the meeting room, Kizaru gestured for Aokiji to sit down, then tossed him a cigar before lighting it for himself.
As the aroma of burning cigars filled the air, Kizaru exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and, under Aokiji's watchful gaze, said very seriously, "More than supplies, I care about the mindset of this new Navy. I've been thinking a lot about the new Navy this week in the Land of Light, and I think I should share some of my thoughts with you."
Seeing Kizaru's serious expression, Aokiji also sat up straighter and looked at Kizaru intently.
Kizaru didn't sit down, but stood in front of Aokiji, a cigar between his right fingers and his left hand on his hip. Through the smoke, he continued, "This new navy is not just a stepping stone for us to absorb other navies, but also the mainstay navy of the Land of Light on the high seas in the future. Therefore, I hope that from the very beginning of its establishment, we will clearly define the ideology and soul of this army. We must ensure that every soldier who joins the new navy understands why they are willing to risk their lives to join us."
I believe this is absolutely not about monetary or material interests, but rather a new intellectual trend, a brighter flame and a correct path on top of an empty concept of justice.
Therefore, from the very beginning of establishing this army, we must verify its discipline, refine its ideology, and ensure that everyone who joins us understands why we are fighting.
Kizaru's words were forceful and clear, his eyes no longer showing their usual casualness and laziness. He stared directly at Aokiji, and after Aokiji reacted with some emotion, he continued, "Regarding this point, I carried out military reforms at the very beginning of the Land of Light. The reason behind this was to change a deeply ingrained mindset among ninjas before the establishment of the Land of Light: that is, to do things for money! This is a mindset that an army must eradicate, and it is one of the roots of all corruption and depravity."
Why have the navy and the world government fallen so low? Why do they oppress the people so much and treat civilians' lives like dirt? It's because they all believe they have great power and are superior, so the weak have to pay them protection money in order to seek their protection—it's all about getting paid to do something!
This fosters a culture in which military personnel disregard those who truly support them, while viewing the world government, which directly provides them with funds and logistical support, as an indispensable provider.
Such thinking is completely wrong! The funds and resources controlled by the World Government all come from the contributions of every civilian in every member state. It is through their hard work and the heavy taxes they pay with their meager income that the kings and nobles of the member states, the officials of the World Government and the world nobles, and everyone in the Navy are supported.
Today, every grain of rice that every soldier in the Navy eats, every piece of clothing they wear, and every bullet they fire during training are provided by the hard-earned support of the lowest-ranking civilians, not by any world government!
We must make the soldiers who join us realize this, realize that behind their ability to take time off for training and become stronger than ordinary people is the hard work of every civilian.
Therefore, the vast majority of people are our providers, and we, the soldiers and officials who are provided for, have the obligation to protect people's safety, protect their production, so that they can work with peace of mind and live a better life.
I hope that the new navy we are forming will be an army that belongs to the people and protects the people! Not the kind of warlords who oppress the people and plunder their wealth—what's the difference between their actions and those of pirates?
After Kizaru finished speaking, he looked at Aokiji, who was deep in thought, and without disturbing him, he picked up the cigar he was holding in his right hand, put it in his mouth, and took a deep drag.
A few minutes later, Aokiji came to his senses. He looked at Kizaru and said sincerely, "What you just said has made me understand a lot of things."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the others were indeed wrong. They believed that the Navy could not do without the World Government's funding, so in order to maintain so-called order and justice, they had to bow down to the World Government and obey their orders, even if those orders violated justice."
But none of them saw where the true patrons of the Navy came from. The World Government has never been the patron; they are the oppressors. They use the Navy as a weapon to force each member state to pay exorbitant amounts of "heavenly gold," then deduct a portion of that and give it to the Navy. They use the Navy's military power to exploit ordinary people, and then use the taxes paid by ordinary people to control the Navy. This is the true, ugly face of the World Government.
Aokiji's answer was somewhat unexpected by Kizaru. He hadn't anticipated that Aokiji's thinking would penetrate so quickly, and that with his prompting, he would so soon see through the operating logic of the World Government's exploitation of the entire world.
"You've improved very quickly, Kuzan! The order on the high seas is so cruel and bloody these days. Every gold coin controlled by the World Government has the blood of countless laborers flowing through its veins," Kizaru praised Aokiji's progress.
Aokiji was not pleased by the praise. Instead, his expressionless face revealed a hidden anger. This anger stemmed from his realization of the World Government's evil deeds after witnessing the existing bloody order, as well as his anger at the Navy's constant compromises with the World Government in the name of justice.
Finally, Aokiji temporarily froze all his anger, waiting for the day in the future to erupt. He calmly looked at Kizaru and said, "We will build an army like never before!"
“Of course!” Kizaru smiled.
"From the very beginning of this new navy, we must make everyone who joins us realize that our existence comes from the support of the people, so we cannot rely on the resources of the Land of Light," Aokiji continued. Under Kizaru's guidance and through his own thinking, his ideas gradually took shape in his mind.
"Very good!" Kizaru looked at him encouragingly.
Aokiji continued, "Ideological education is key. We must adhere to the principle of 'better to have none than to have bad ones.' What we need are soldiers who accept our ideology and abide by our discipline. We must maintain the purity of our ranks!"
When Kizaru heard Aokiji utter the words "purity," he knew he could confidently entrust the construction of the new Navy to him. He raised his hand and clapped, saying to the increasingly excited Aokiji, "Now I can believe that you will become the father of the Navy of the Land of Light! Fleet Admiral Kuzan!"
Aokiji's somewhat excited expression froze. Under Kizaru's approving gaze and words, he felt not so much excitement and joy, but a tremendous sense of mission, an indescribable driving force that he would die for.
Finally, all of Aokiji's emotions and words culminated in a somewhat understated answer: "I will do it!"
“You can do it!” Kizaru said confidently.
This is an affirmation and trust between men, and also an affirmation and trust between comrades. Kizaru is very happy to see Aokiji's awakening! (End of this chapter)