Above Pirate King - Chapter 121
The dawn broke.
In the grand palace of the St. Martin Kingdom
Arthur sat on the throne.
“All hail His Majesty!” The ministers kneeled before him.
“Rise!” Arthur waved his hand.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The ministers stood up.
“What brings you here today?” Arthur asked in a calm tone.
“Your Majesty, the financial report for this year has been released!” Kensaburo stepped forward, walked out of the crowd, and bowed.
“Another year has almost passed, hasn’t it?” Arthur sighed inwardly. The changes in the entire St. Martin Kingdom this year were incredible compared to previous years.
“Speak!” Arthur said sternly.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Kensaburo nodded and said seriously, “The total national income this year is 9,350,300,000 St. Martin coins, an increase of over 300% compared to last year!”
“Among them, military expenditures, including army salaries, weapons production, army logistics, and military welfare, amount to approximately 2 billion St. Martin coins!”
Military expenditures have almost tripled compared to last year, mainly due to the large-scale rearmament of the army this year and the establishment of the navy, which have caused these expenses to skyrocket!
Currently, the first army of the kingdom’s land forces has been fully recruited, and preparations are underway for the establishment of the second army. Additionally, all the warships of the first naval fleet have been built, and preparations are being made for the second naval fleet.
“Infrastructure expenditures, including local infrastructure construction, road repairs, and research funding for the Academy of Sciences, amount to approximately 1.5 billion St. Martin coins!”
With the addition of Mekk, the kingdom has invested a significant amount of funds in scientific research to explore more things.
“The royal income accounts for 10% of the total national income, which is 935,300,000 St. Martin coins!”
“In summary, this year’s total expenditures amount to 8,530,000,000 St. Martin coins, with a surplus of 820,300,000 St. Martin coins. Including previous surpluses, the treasury currently has 2,370,000,000 St. Martin coins and a reserve of 53,900,000,000 Berry!”
Although the surplus has increased and the income from Blood Port Town is considerable, the remaining money is less. The main reason is Arthur’s recruitment notices for workers and talents. After recruiting these people, factories and houses need to be built, and everything needs to be arranged for them, which costs a considerable amount.
After all, recruiting over 300,000 people is not a small number. It may not cost much to arrange for one person, but when multiplied by over 300,000, the cost becomes unimaginable!
Currently, the kingdom’s population has reached over 830,000. Without expanding the territory, the current population is already close to the limit the kingdom can sustain. Any further increase will only hinder the kingdom’s development.
The recruitment notices for workers have been withdrawn, and only the recruitment of talents remains. The more talents, the better. It is not possible to withdraw these notices in the future.
“Very well!” Arthur nodded in satisfaction, waved his hand, and asked Kensaburo to return to his position.
Although there is less money left, the country’s development is still visible. Money is only money when it is spent. If it is not spent, it is just waste paper.
“Next, I will announce some new position adjustments. If you have any objections or doubts, please speak up, and we will discuss them on the spot!” Arthur said solemnly.
Upon hearing this, the ministers concentrated and listened attentively.
“First, the original position of Minister of Military Affairs will be abolished and replaced with the Ministers of the Army and Navy!”
As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Kensaburo frowned and walked forward, asking, “Your Majesty, what about the original Minister of Military Affairs, Yamamoto Shigekuni?”
“Shigekuni’s position will be changed to Captain Commander of the Gotei 13!” Arthur said in a deep voice.
“The Gotei 13?” Kensaburo looked somewhat confused at Arthur.
“Yes, the Gotei 13!” Arthur thought for a moment and explained, “The Gotei 13 are a newly formed secret legion of the kingdom, mainly responsible for the security of an important place. They won’t be deployed in peacetime, only during major wars!”
That’s the best explanation he could give. He couldn’t exactly say that you’ll be able to see the Gotei 13 after you die, right?
Doesn’t that mean implying that Shigekuni is dead?
Well, even though he is actually dead, it wouldn’t be appropriate to say it like that!
“Very well!” Kensaburo nodded and returned to his position. Although he still had some doubts, he decided to keep them to himself and ask Arthur later during the court recess. After all, he was Arthur’s father-in-law, and Arthur would explain things to him.
“Alright, if there are no further questions, shall I continue?” Arthur scanned the hall and saw that no one raised any objections, so he continued.
“The former Commander of the First Army, Bruce, will be promoted to Minister of the Army, overseeing the entire army. The former Commander of the First Division, Joyce, will be promoted to Commander of the First Army. The former First Army Corps—”
“The former Commander of the First Fleet, Leslie, will be promoted to Minister of the Navy, overseeing the entire navy. The former Commander of the First Brigade, Uesugi, will be promoted to Commander of the First Fleet. The former First Brigade, First Division—”
After finishing his announcements, Arthur paused and carefully observed the people in the hall. Since no one raised any objections, he continued, “Next, Gan Fall, the former Captain of the Skypiea Security Force, will be promoted to Minister of Security. And Barton, the former Vice Captain of the Skypiea Security Force, will be promoted to Captain of the Skypiea Security Force!”
After the submission of the Skypiea, Gan Fall, the former God, and Barton, the chief of the Shandia tribe, respectively served as the Captain and Vice Captain of the Skypiea Security Force.
Originally, Barton should have been the Captain, but he refused and insisted that Gan Fall take the position. Thus, Gan Fall became the Captain.
The Security Force in the kingdom assumed the responsibility of the police force. Previously, each region had its own Security Force, such as the St. Martin Island Security Force and Blood Port Town Security Force, operating independently.
Now, Arthur appointed Gan Fall as the Minister of Security, placing him in charge of all the Security Forces within the kingdom!
There was a reason for choosing Gan Fall. The Security Force was undoubtedly the government officials that interacted the most with civilians. Apart from maintaining security and apprehending criminals, they were also responsible for mediating conflicts among civilians.
For this, they needed someone with a certain level of strength, a sense of responsibility, and fairness. Gan Fall was undoubtedly the best choice.
However, when Gan Fall, who was attending the St. Martin Kingdom’s meeting for the first time, heard Arthur’s words, he froze in place. He couldn’t believe that he was being promoted to Minister of Security.
After all, in terms of accomplishments, Barton would have been the better choice for Minister of Security. What would Barton think if he became the Minister?
Gan Fall immediately stood up and said anxiously, “Your Majesty, please reconsider your decision. How can I take on such a heavy responsibility?”
“Hehe!” Arthur chuckled and said, “You’re concerned that Barton would be angry if you became the Minister of Security, right? Rest assured, before making the appointment, I carefully asked Barton for his opinion. He preferred to stay on the Skypiea and protect his tribe! He even recommended you!”
Gan Fall was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected that Barton would recommend him.
“Let me ask you, do you have confidence in fulfilling the role of Minister of Security?” Arthur stared at Gan Fall and asked in a deep voice.
“I… I have confidence!” In the end, Gan Fall accepted the appointment.
Arthur had confidence in Gan Fall as the Minister of Security. After all, Gan Fall had once been a God and later became the Captain of the Skypiea Security Force. He possessed both experience and strength.
“Alright, now let’s move on to the matter of the Kingdom’s Prosecution Office. The former Chief Prosecutor retired three days ago. We hereby appoint the former Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Takahashi Yosuke, as the new Chief Prosecutor!”
The Prosecution Office was primarily responsible for investigating and apprehending internal government officials. During the rapid development of the kingdom, it was inevitable that greedy and corrupt officials would emerge, and the Prosecution Office was tasked with uncovering their presence.
“The former Government Official passed away a month ago, and we appoint the former First-Class Judge, Rafael Pendragon, as the new Government Official!”
After that, Arthur announced a series of promotions and reassignments. After discussing with the ministers, the meeting finally ended in the evening.
“Alright, that concludes today’s meeting. I have ordered a banquet to be prepared in the side hall. After you finish eating, you may return home!” Arthur said with a smile.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The ministers respectfully thanked him in unison, then gathered in groups to discuss and have their meal.
Arthur turned to leave.
At that moment, Kensaburo called out to him.
“Arthur, I have something to ask you!” Kensaburo furrowed his brow.
Since the meeting was over, he felt comfortable addressing Arthur by his name.
Arthur knew what Kensaburo wanted to ask. It was probably about his grandfather. He smiled and said, “Father-in-law, let’s go to my study. It’s been a while since we had a meal together. I’ll have hot pot brought in, and we can eat and talk in the study!”
“Very well! Okay!” Kensaburo nodded.
Soon, the two arrived at the study, and a bubbling hot pot was placed before them.
Impatiently, Kensaburo asked, “Arthur, what’s the deal with the Gotei 13? I haven’t seen Uncle Shigekuni in a while. What happened to him?”
Arthur calmly picked up a bottle of sake and poured a cup for Kensaburo before slowly explaining the situation. He described the Soul Society, the Gotei 13, and the matter of Shigekuni’s death.
After hearing it all, Kensaburo was in disbelief and lost for words. But after a moment, he suddenly snapped out of it and asked incredulously, “So, Uncle Shigekuni is already dead?”
“Yes!” Arthur nodded solemnly.
Kensaburo was completely torn. Like Arthur before, he didn’t know how to emotionally process this news. Should he be sad when Shigekuni’s soul was still alive? Should he be happy when his physical body had already died?
Arthur looked at the ever-changing expressions on Kensaburo’s face but didn’t try to console him. After all, Arthur himself was still grappling with it.
During the meal, Kensaburo ate absentmindedly, his mind completely disturbed by the news.
After finishing the meal, Arthur accompanied Kensaburo out of the palace and handed him an Elixir of Longevity.
Since Shigekuni had died and wouldn’t need it anymore, Arthur gave it to Kensaburo.
After seeing him off, Arthur looked at the moon in the sky and murmured, “After the New Year, it’s time to wrap up the three kingdoms. Let’s settle things with them before going to the Levely!”
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