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Under Byakuya's stringent policies, the Sabaody Archipelago transformed into a "harmonious" society.
No longer would you see people breaking into fights on the streets over minor disagreements.
Additionally, any slave trading on the island had to be reported to the Marines.
Although Byakuya couldn't single-handedly abolish the entire slave system of the pirate world, he could prevent the sale of slaves captured through forceful means by deeming it illegal.
These slaves were then freed and restored to their rightful status, allowing them to return to their homes.
Unexpectedly, this move earned Byakuya immense gratitude from the freed slaves.
On their way home, they would spread the word that Rear Admiral Byakuya was a just and righteous Marine, enhancing his reputation across various regions.
This was a pleasant surprise for Byakuya.
The current tranquility of the Sabaody Archipelago, was built on the foundation of Byakuya's formidable strength, which temporarily subdued the lawbreakers on the island.
However, Byakuya did not plan to stay on the Sabaody Archipelago forever but at the same time he didn't want the island to descend into chaos the moment he left.
It was crucial to maintain the "harmony" of the island, as it generated nearly seven billion Berries of wealth for him every month.
Byakuya didn't keep all the money for himself; he handed over half to Sengoku, solving his urgent financial needs.
After all, Sengoku had helped Byakuya withstand a lot of pressure from various factions during this time.
Sengoku often praised Byakuya in front of other Marines, saying,
"Zephyr trained a good student. Regardless of his strength, his money-making skills are worth learning from."
Byakuya's philosophy was simple: everyone should benefit together, and if something goes wrong, no one should be able to escape responsibility.
{"I've shared half of the money with you; if trouble arises, you can't ignore it"}. In the real world, everything revolves around benefits.
In Byakuya's office, Smoker, Quake, Tashigi, and Fergus exchanged confused looks.
Fergus asked in a low voice, "Rear Admiral Smoker, you know Rear Admiral Byakuya best. Do you have any idea why he called us here so suddenly?"
Smoker shook his head, indicating he didn't know. He instinctively reached for a cigar at his waist, feeling uneasy without something in his mouth.
But as his hand touched the cigar, he remembered he was in Byakuya's office.
He hastily put the half-drawn cigar back, thinking, 'It's not worth getting beaten up by Byakuya just for smoking a cigar.'
Tashigi looked at her small sword, Shigure, at her waist, seemingly contemplating how to retrieve her beloved sword from Byakuya.
Quake, on the other hand, stood straight and calm, indifferent to their conversation.
In his view, there was no point in overthinking things now; they just needed to follow Byakuya's orders when the time came.
At that moment, Byakuya entered the office, pushing the door open. "Oh, I didn't expect you all to arrive so quickly."
Fergus immediately asked, "Rear Admiral Byakuya, did you call us here to make an announcement?"
As Byakuya's Adjutant, Fergus was much busier than the others and valued his time greatly.
Byakuya sat down and, without keeping them in suspense, said, "I'm planning to establish a pirate ranking list on the Sabaody Archipelago."
"A pirate ranking list?" The group was taken aback. "We're Marines! Making a pirate ranking list just feels wrong," they thought. "And what benefits would this bring us?"
Byakuya noticed their confusion and explained with a smile, "This will simply be an extension of the existing arena rules, establishing a ranking system."
"Actually, we need to understand why these pirates take to the seas. For fame, for profit, or to escape constraints."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Byakuya was right; these three reasons encompassed most pirates' motivations.
"So, we create a pirate ranking list, ranking all pirates except those in the Four Emperors' crews."
"For those at the top, we can increase their bounty, indirectly helping them gain fame across the seas."
"Hmm, that would certainly attract some pirates." For pirates, increasing their bounty was the primary way to gain notoriety.
However, a ranking list issued by the Marines would be far more influential than mere bounty posters.
Just think about it—a bounty poster versus an official Marine-issued ranking of the strongest pirates under the Four Emperors.
The latter would undoubtedly attract more attention.
Byakuya continued, "To attract more pirates, we can also spread the word that those who rank high on the list might even become Warlords of the Sea!"
Tashigi asked earnestly, "Warlords? Isn't that something only recognized by the World Government? Can we make such a promise?"
"Fool! We only need to let the rumor spread that achieving a high rank could lead to becoming a Warlord. We're not guaranteeing it," Byakuya responded.
Everyone thought, 'Damn, here we go with the deception again!'
"The title of the strongest pirate crew under the Four Emperors is prestigious!"
"Becoming a Warlord means not being chased by the Marines and being able to legally plunder. That's profitable!"
"With these two points, I guarantee we can attract most pirates to participate," Byakuya explained.
His reasoning was sound, taking the pirates' mentality into full consideration.
Fergus questioned, "Rear Admiral Byakuya, this plan might attract pirates, but what's in it for us?"
Leaning back in his chair, Byakuya answered calmly, "How does it not benefit us? Previously, when two pirate crews fought, the victor only gained the loser's treasure."
"Now, they can gain treasure, fame, and a chance to become a Warlord."
"This ranking list will act as a catalyst for infighting among pirates. As they fight each other, our Marine losses will decrease accordingly," he elaborated.
Fergus's eyes lit up. Of course! How had he not thought of that? The more fiercely the pirates fought among themselves, the less work for the Marines.
They could just sit back and watch the chaos unfold.
Byakuya continued, "Moreover, this will provide us with more pirate intelligence and a better understanding of their strengths, which will be beneficial when we pursue them later."
Smoker and the others were increasingly convinced by Byakuya's logic. With a simple ranking system, the Marines could incite pirate conflicts and reap the benefits.
Byakuya's idea was truly ingenious.
Seeing their excited expressions, Byakuya thought to himself, Once we rank the pirates' strengths, I can send people to eliminate them from the top down.
The stronger the pirate, the more World Source Points I gain. This ranking list will effectively allow me to harvest them, targeting the highest-ranked ones first.
To Byakuya, this wasn't just a ranking list—it was a Death Note!
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