Vegapunk stared at the map, deep in thought. "How should we begin?" he asked, his voice low with uncertainty. "How will we use the Door Door fruit? Are we going to give everyone the ability to travel? But we don't have enough energy to let Tera handle that much. Should we prioritize the Navy, to begin with, to eradicate pirates?"
Juno scoffed, shaking his head. "Give it to the Navy? Don't forget, the Navy is a military organization under the World Government. Their first job is to guard the order of the World Government. Even if we did give it to them, will they kill all the pirates? The first ones to disagree would be the World Government itself."
Vegapunk furrowed his brow in confusion. "The World Government? Why would they disagree?"
Juno leaned back, his expression hardening as he explained. "Think about it. Who benefits from pirates attacking, killing, and robbing?"
Vegapunk blinked, his curiosity piqued. "Benefits? Who could benefit from that?"
Juno raised a finger, his voice steady but filled with bitter clarity. "Of course, the World Government." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Let me explain. In this world, there are many kingdoms and countries, right? But those countries are split into two categories: members of the World Government and non-members. For the members, they pay the World Government to have the Navy protect them. If they can afford to pay, then everything is fine. The Navy will protect them. If not, they're left to fend off pirates on their own. If they survive, good for them. If not, they're destroyed." Juno shook his head, his voice turning cold. "That's why most countries in this world join the World Government. And the first benefit is the money that member countries pay to the World Government."
Vegapunk's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him. "That's why you said the World Government would disagree with the Navy's eradication of all pirates… That's really…"
Before Vegapunk could finish his thought, Juno cut him off. "Wait, that's only the first, and there's a second benefit."
Vegapunk blinked. "A second benefit?"
Juno raised two fingers, his voice carrying a sense of finality. "The second benefit comes from another organization that serves the World Government—the only one with a base in Mariejois and that lives and trains alongside the Celestial Dragons. They are the Cipher Pol organizations. Their job is espionage, gathering information, and suppressing rebellions in member countries. But do you know who can join such an organization, one that has the full trust of the World Government?"
Vegapunk shook his head. "Who?"
Juno's expression turned darker as he spoke. "Orphans."
Vegapunk was taken aback. "Orphans? You mean orphans from the destroyed non-member countries?"
Juno nodded grimly. "Yes. Orphans from those destroyed countries. The second benefit is the orphans. Because when pirates attack, destroy, and loot, orphans are made. These orphans, who have lost everything and have no ties, are seen as ideal candidates for the World Government. The World Government takes them in, feeds them, houses them, and trains them. They brainwash them, teaching them to hate pirates—they are the ones who destroyed their families. And they make them feel grateful to the World Government, the 'benevolent' force that gave them a home and a future. These orphans grow up to become loyal agents of the World Government, willing to die for them." Juno's voice grew more bitter as he finished. "It's a perfect system, isn't it?"
Vegapunk cursed under his breath, his mind struggling to comprehend. "What a World Government… What a plan…"
Just as Vegapunk was about to express his disgust further, Juno raised his third finger. "Is there a third benefit?" Vegapunk yelled, unable to contain his shock.
Juno smirked, raising his third finger and laughing softly. "Yes, there's a third, and it's the most twisted one of all. The third benefit is weakening and destroying the members of the World Government itself."
Vegapunk's confusion deepened. "Weakening and destroying the members of the World Government? But aren't they all protected by the Navy? Why would the World Government destroy them?"
Juno's gaze turned cold as he spoke. "The World Government was created by 20 kings coming together. So, think about it. If those countries are also independent, wouldn't they begin thinking for themselves as well? Can we also create a World Government with the help of other kings? If 20 doesn't work, what about 30 or 40 or even more? What will the World Government do about that? Will they just leave those countries to the pirates? No. What the World Government does is weaken and destroy them." Juno paused dramatically before continuing, his voice thick with disdain. "They do this by forcing the member countries to pay a tribute known as the 'Celestial Tribute.' Once a country pays, it becomes a member, and the Navy protects it. But here's the catch—only the rich nations can afford it. The poor nations, the ones struggling, will be forced to either pay more or be left unprotected. The World Government will also see those the rich nations can pay and still have some money left,t how can that be acceptable? So they will raise the prices of the Celestial Tribute, and now all countries can't pay with normal taxes. So what do they do? They tax their civilians even more. The rulers and nobles raise taxes until the civilians can barely survive. Some of them can't take it anymore and either join the Navy or become pirates themselves."
Vegapunk blinked, trying to understand. "But isn't that good? The government is protecting them, right?"
Juno scoffed. "Where do you think the kings, nobles, and rulers get the money to pay those tributes? From the people. The moment the World Government raises the Celestial Tribute too high, they force the kings and rulers to take money from their civilians. They increase taxes, rob their people directly, and that's when rebellion starts. The people revolt. They become pirates, or they overthrow their rulers. And that's when the Cipher Pol comes in to suppress the rebellion. They kill the rebels, install new rulers, and the cycle begins again." Juno leaned in, his voice sharp as he concluded. "And when a ruler tries to defy the World Government, even if they find gold reserves or something miraculous happens, the Cipher Pol will just come and kill them. Then, the World Government will come in and say, 'Oh, a pirate attack. Don't worry, we've come to help.' The Navy won't even lift a finger. They'll pretend it never happened."
Juno leaned back, a cruel smile creeping across his face. "That's the real game of the World Government. They take the money from the people, destroy their economies, and keep them trapped in an endless cycle of exploitation and suffering. All the while, they use the Navy, the Cipher Pol, and the pirates as tools to keep control."
Vegapunk, shaken to his core, couldn't find the words to respond. "I always thought the World Government was a bunch of stupid rulers sitting in Mariejois, collecting money with no real plan for the future. But now… now I realize they're not stupid. They're wicked. They're calculating and cruel... even I didn't see it."
For a long moment, neither spoke. Vegapunk's mind raced, trying to process everything Juno had revealed. In all his years of studying the world, he had never once imagined the true depths of the World Government's corruption. Now, faced with this dark reality, he understood just how twisted the system truly was.