"Yes, Lord Hades. I came today because there is an important matter."
Ulysses swallowed and deliberately avoided Redyat's real name. Here, Redyat was Hades, the symbol and authority of the Nightfall Pirates.
Even as Speaker of the Dark Parliament and nominal ruler of the West Blue underworld, Ulysses knew the gap between them was vast. Rules constrained him. They did not constrain Hades.
Hades made the rules.
"Oh?" Redyat's voice was calm. "So everyone else is there as well?"
"Yes. All Dark Council members are present," Ulysses replied quickly.
"Then you must be in trouble," Redyat said. "Doesn't the Planning Department handle this sort of thing?"
"Ah… they've been on leave for the past two days," Ulysses said awkwardly, wiping sweat from his forehead. "And since today is the Dark Council meeting, we thought it best to consult you directly."
Redyat frowned slightly. The Planning Department was one of the Dark Council's greatest assets. He valued it highly and preferred that it remain protected and undisturbed.
"Go on," he said.
Ulysses then explained the situation in detail, focusing on the growing pirate problem in the West Blue and the heavy losses it was causing.
"So it's pirates," Redyat said slowly.
His expression grew serious.
Pirates were chaotic by nature. Too many. Too uncontrollable.
Even large pirate crews that dominated a region were constantly challenged by newcomers. Either they were replaced, or they pushed into the Grand Line. Stability was rare, and guarding trade routes required constant manpower, compensation payments, and casualties.
Otherwise, profits would be far higher.
What the Dark Council earned was only intermediary profit. The real income belonged to the entire West Blue underworld. Total trade volume across the region reached staggering figures, making the losses even more painful.
Redyat understood this better than anyone. He had overseen the Dark Council during its formative period. At the time, he had ignored the pirate issue because development came first.
Now, the losses were simply too large to ignore.
And Ulysses was capable. If this problem was not solved, it would hinder the Dark Council's future.
Redyat did not answer immediately. Instead, he glanced toward Marshall D. Teach.
Teach met his gaze and gave a slight nod.
"Give me a few minutes," Redyat said.
He cut the call.
"Let pirates deal with pirates," Redyat said plainly.
Teach nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. But it needs refinement. Pirates are unreliable. They can be used, but they can also turn on you at any time."
"Then we cultivate some ourselves," Redyat said with a smile. "Pirates loyal to us."
"That takes time," Teach replied. "And the West Blue is too large. Training enough of them wouldn't be cost-effective."
He paused, then continued.
"We support some pirate crews instead. Cooperate with them. If they behave, we keep them. If they get greedy, we discard them. Let other crews replace them, or hand them to the Marines for credit."
"We can also slowly take control of the West Blue Marines."
Redyat's eyes lit up. "That works."
"They'll perfect the details," Teach said calmly.
"Agreed."
Redyat reopened the Den Den Mushi.
On the other side, the Dark Council waited in tense silence. Every passing second made the pressure heavier.
Then the Den Den Mushi rang.
Ulysses answered instantly.
"We have a solution," Redyat said.
"First, cultivate pirate crews affiliated with the Dark Council. Let pirates suppress pirates."
"Second, cooperate with existing pirate crews. Those who perform well remain partners. Those who don't are eliminated or handed over to the Marines."
"Third, discreetly place spies within the Marines and gradually bring most of the West Blue Marines under Dark Council influence."
"The rest is for you to refine."
"Yes, Lord Hades," Ulysses replied without hesitation.
His thoughts raced.
This plan protected trade, reduced losses, expanded influence over pirates, and infiltrated the Marines. With Dark Council intelligence backing it, those agents would rise quickly.
Total control was unrealistic, but reshaping the West Blue Marines into a force aligned with the Dark Council was entirely possible.
Multiple problems solved at once.
"If there's nothing else," Redyat said, "I'll hang up."
The call ended.
The entire room exhaled.
Ulysses returned to his seat. "Now we refine the plan. Do we act entirely in secret, or formalize it through Council regulations?"
After discussion, they reached a consensus.
Both.
Covert operations for cultivation and infiltration. Formal regulations to secure cooperation across the underworld.
The meeting soon adjourned.
Not long after, Stephanie contacted Teach.
"Our Dark Emperor," she said with a smile visible through the Den Den Mushi. "When are you heading to the New World?"
"No rush," Teach replied. "What about you?"
"I'll follow soon," Stephanie said. "I still need to manage Phantom Street. My Dark Council identity is important to the World Government."
"Though honestly, Phantom Street has reached its peak. I doubt it'll last much longer. Once it's no longer useful, I'll come to the New World."
She took a sip of red wine, eyes bright.
Teach understood the situation well.
The World Government wanted Stephanie close to the Nightfall Pirates for intelligence. They also wanted leverage, options, and contingency plans.
They had done this before.
Byrnndi World's crew had fallen due to internal betrayal backed by the World Government. The same applied to future events involving Big Mom and the Queen of the Pleasure District.
Stephanie and Stussy shared identical appearances. Once one identity was exposed, the other would fall as well.
But the World Government had already made its choice.
The Nightfall Pirates were the greater threat.
"Any movement from CP0?" Teach asked. "Another encirclement?"
"Not yet," Stephanie replied. "The war just ended. Even discussions will take time. Still, once you reach the latter half of Paradise, things may change."
Teach nodded slowly. "Seems I was getting ahead of myself."
"The Marines can't spare the manpower," Stephanie added. "There are too many pirates. The Four Seas are unstable, and Marine morale is shattered."
She laughed lightly. "Honestly, you hit them hard. Even with good countermeasures, it'll take years for them to recover."
Teach understood perfectly.
Undermine Marine prestige. Force them to focus inward. Drain their efficiency and morale.
Without public trust, justice became hollow.
"And without the Marines," Teach said calmly, "the seas only grow more chaotic. Allied nations lose faith. The World Government's authority weakens."
He smiled faintly.
"The longer this drags on, the more interesting it gets."
"The Marines are already moving," Stephanie said. "Sengoku is heading to the Holy Land. They've had an internal meeting. They've found something."
"That fast?" Teach said, genuinely impressed.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's image surfaced in his mind.
"So they're not fools after all," he muttered.