Although the construction of a city on the Red Line had not been finalized, Ross knew that it was mostly done.
The Red Line was like the equator, cutting the ocean in two. In addition, the Grand Line, which ran perpendicular to the Red Line, divided the entire planet into four equal parts, known as the East, West, South, and North Seas.
Meanwhile, the Red Line encircled the planet, cutting off the Grand Line and dividing it into two halves.
The so-called New World referred to the latter half of the Grand Line.
The first half began at the Reverse Mountain on the Red Line.
Aside from forcibly entering through the Calm Belts on either side of the Grand Line, Reverse Mountain and Mary Geoise, as the two intersections of the Grand Line and the Red Line, were the only two channels connecting the Four Seas and the Grand Line.
Pirates and ordinary people mostly used sailing ships, making it virtually impossible for them to cross the Calm Belt and enter the Grand Line.
Even for a powered ship, navigating the doldrums, where Sea Kings were densely packed, was almost a death sentence.
Ordinary people and pirates could not bypass the World Government headquarters to enter the Grand Line.
Even nobles from member states were not necessarily allowed to set foot on the Red Line, let alone pass through it.
Therefore, Reverse Mountain became the only passage connecting the Four Seas and the Grand Line. Controlling Reverse Mountain was equivalent to controlling the lifeline of all pirates.
By establishing a city on Reverse Mountain, the passage from all seas to the Grand Line would be blocked.
Pirates of the Four Seas would forever remain in the Four Seas, and pirates of the Grand Line would forever remain in the Grand Line; they could neither enter nor leave.
Of course, there were many capable individuals who could cross the Calm Belt, but such people were extremely rare, and catching one meant one less available.
For most pirates nowadays, the process usually involved first growing and developing in the beginner villages of the Four Seas, then going to the Grand Line to be baptized by the Marines, and finally going to the New World to participate in the battle for the Pirate King.
If this pattern was broken, the probability of strong pirates appearing would be halved.
For the long term, Ross naturally did not want pirates to become too rampant.
His conflict with the World Government was an internal one, while the conflict between pirates and the Revolutionary Army was an external one. Even if he did not have the power to overthrow the one in charge, he could always settle for being one of the Five Elders and just getting by. That was better than letting the pirates and the Revolutionary Army benefit.
No matter how good the free world Monkey D. Luffy and the Revolutionary Army created was, it could never compare to his current freedom.
With a foundation for cooperation established, Ross and Saint Mars felt much more relaxed during their conversation.
"How did the Marine's assessment go this time?"
After discussing the World Government, Ross moved on to the topic of the Marines.
Each time Celestial Hunt sent a high-ranking admiral and a large number of people from the navy to protect him, it was not just because they needed manpower here, but more so because it was a test of obedience.
Most people joined the navy in the name of justice, while some joined for self-defense or safety.
Regardless of the type, what the World Government wanted was loyalty.
This loyalty did not have to be absolute, but at the very least, it had to include tolerating the Celestial Dragons' actions and providing them with protection.
Each Celestial Hunt was a selection process, much like the Ohara incident, which had also been a test of obedience by the World Government.
To be promoted to admiral, one had to pass similar tests.
"That Sengoku Admiral is the same as always, neither happy nor sad, as if he has seen through our plans completely. It is the owner of the Glint-Glint Fruit who is more interesting."
Saint Mars, acting as the examiner, cheerfully offered his comments.
While the Marines were indeed under the jurisdiction of Saturn, the Admirals were still jointly assessed by the Five Elders, since the Marines belonged to the World Government, not any particular private army.
"That's normal. He's a bit lazy, but if the benefits and status are right, he won't stand idly by."
Ross gazed into the distance, watching Borsalino wreak havoc on the island, a smile on his face.
If Borsalino wanted to kill, he could probably do so much faster than Ross.
However, Borsalino's assistance to the Celestial Dragons in their killing spree was not particularly fast. He primarily used the properties of the Glint-Glint Fruit to drive away pirates and slaves, drawing them towards the Celestial Dragons and preventing them from having to search for people.
Moreover, if a Celestial Dragon was in danger, Borsalino was always the first to come to their rescue.
Judging from his performance, Borsalino was practically perfect and could definitely be considered a good bodyguard for the Celestial Dragons.
In comparison, Sengoku's behavior had been much more ordinary. He had simply stood quietly where the Celestial Dragons were gathered, neither participating in the battle nor engaging in combat; he had merely watched from the sidelines.
"Now there's only one vacancy left for a Marine Admiral. Borsalino should be fine. When he arrives in Mary Geoise, let's promote him," Saint Saturn said calmly.
"When Kong is promoted, is Sengoku the only candidate for the next Fleet Admiral?" Saint Mars frowned.
Borsalino's outstanding performance made him have a somewhat negative impression of Sengoku.
Inaction could sometimes be a statement, or it could be that people had become numb to the situation after visiting so many places during the Celestial Hunt.
But no matter what, it was a fact that they had been outshone by the newcomers.
"This is the only candidate we have right now; the others don't have enough qualifications."
Saint Saturn shook his head slightly and looked at Ross.
If they were talking about other candidates, the only one was Zephyr, but he was short on experience but exceptionally talented, so he could only temporarily fill in.
"Kong is still quite young, and he's done a great job all these years. There's no need to send him to the Holy Land Mary Geoise to retire so early. Since there's no promising talent in the Sengoku generation, why not train the next generation of Sakazuki?" Ross suggested with a smile.
If he had said this before, Saint Mars definitely would not have listened.
However, after defeating Shamrock, he had become the strongest Celestial Dragon of this generation, and his status and influence were different.
"Sakazuki...it's a double-edged sword." Saint Mars frowned slightly.
After Sakazuki had personally destroyed Ohara, he had been promoted to Admiral with their tacit approval.
After becoming a Marine Admiral, Sakazuki had gone straight to the New World and gone on a killing spree, killing any pirate he saw.
In terms of achievements and strength, he would never tarnish the reputation of the World Government, but his personality, which even affected his teammates, was really not suitable for being the head of the Marines.
"The main reason is that there aren't any better candidates. We can't exactly let Sengoku and Garp take over," Ross shrugged.
"Garp is definitely out of the question, Sengoku..."
Saint Mars rejected Garp without hesitation. Garp could not even pass the obedience test, so he could not even become a Marine Admiral, let alone Fleet Admiral.
Unless the Marines were completely depleted, they would not even consider Garp.
As for the Sengoku generation...
Saint Mars, that old fox, could easily see through Ross's intentions. Whether it was Ross's idea or the Jaygarcia family's idea, it was a rejection of the Sengoku generation.
Since the Jaygarcia family, who were in charge of the navy, had abandoned Sengoku, it was naturally impossible for Sengoku to become the Fleet Admiral.
The navy was now full of talented people, but choosing a Fleet Admiral had become a difficult task.
"Alright, let your family come up with a solution, and we'll discuss it at the Five Elders meeting."
After thinking for a long time, Saint Mars shook his head and decided to get rid of the matter.
As long as the Celestial Dragons' rule remained unaffected, the Jaygarcia family could do whatever they wanted; they were all on the same side.
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