In the Chamber of the Moon, Imu was reviewing the annual report just delivered by the Five Elders, titled "World Government Annual Work Report for the Year 1497 of the Sea Calendar."
To be honest, his predecessor would never have bothered with such a document. For him, both the World Government and the Celestial Dragons were merely tools to control the entire planet.
He firmly believed that with his own power and the "National Treasure" in his possession, he could suppress the entire sea.
However, the new Imu was different. As a transmigrator, he understood the importance of tools. While his own strength was crucial, improving the efficiency of his tools did not conflict with that, did it?
Thus, the purpose of this report was to gain a detailed understanding of the tools at his disposal.
The report was extensive, with Imu counting fifty to sixty pages. Despite its length, he patiently read through each page one by one.
The entire process took over three hours, as he needed to read, reflect, and occasionally pause to review certain sections multiple times.
Admittedly, it was quite tedious, but with his past work experience, it wasn't particularly difficult. Moreover, he constantly reminded himself that these were his own forces and assets, which kept him motivated.
"Phew—"
Finally, Imu finished the last page of the report, placing it on the coffee table and letting out a long breath.
It wasn't that his body was particularly tired—given his strength, this workload was trivial—but the sheer volume of information he had absorbed was overwhelming.
As mentioned earlier, his predecessor never looked at such things, so the contents of the report were largely unfamiliar to him. Additionally, the scale of the World Government far exceeded that of any small company he had dealt with before.
In summary, he now had a clearer understanding of the areas he was most concerned about, giving him a more concrete grasp of the World Government.
First, regarding finances, last year's total revenue was 784.3 billion Berries, primarily from the Celestial Tribute paid by member nations, with additional minor sources totaling around 300 billion Berries.
Currently, the World Government has 170 member nations, each required to contribute 3 billion Berries annually.
Thus, including the minor sources, the expected annual revenue should be 810 billion Berries!
However, only 784.3 billion Berries were collected.
This indicated that some nations either failed to pay the Celestial Tribute or paid less than required, resulting in a shortfall of nearly 26 billion Berries.
According to past practices, the World Government would reprimand those nations that paid less and demand they make up the deficit the following year. Nations that failed to pay entirely were given a one-year grace period.
If they still did not pay the Celestial Tribute by the next year, the Army would be dispatched to arrest all citizens of that nation, including the royal family and nobility, and transport them to Tequila Wolf in the East Blue—a place known as the Land of Laborers or the Nation of Bridges—where they would spend their lives building bridges.
As for those nations that paid less, if they failed to make up the deficit the following year, the royal family would be replaced. "This can't continue," Imu thought, leaning back on the soft sofa. In his view, this issue was significant, almost as important as the slave trade.
Each member nation is required to pay 3 billion Berries annually. For major and wealthy nations like Alabasta, Fish-Man Island, Dressrosa, and the Gothic Kingdom, this amount is insignificant. Even Drum Kingdom, known as a medical powerhouse, can manage to pay the full amount without issue. However, for smaller and poorer nations like the Sorbet Kingdom, this financial burden is overwhelming and potentially fatal.
What does 3 billion Berries mean? A medium-sized Marine warship costs 300 million Berries, and a single Pacifista in the future will cost 100 million Berries.
In other words, each member nation must contribute wealth equivalent to ten medium-sized Marine warships or thirty Pacifistas every year!
Now, let's look at the expenditures.
Last year, the Marine's military budget was nearly 1 trillion Berries, covering everything from salaries, benefits, and meals for all Marines to firearms, cannons, warships, and even bounties.
However, this amount is not fixed. Sometimes it's less, sometimes more, depending entirely on the situation at sea.
The Army, on the other hand, requires a steady 700 billion Berries annually.
In addition, Cipher Pol, responsible for intelligence operations across all seas, member nations, and even non-member nations, needs 1 trillion Berries, highlighting its vast scale.
Then there's Impel Down, with its salaries, meals, and maintenance costs, totaling nearly 800 billion Berries.
Finally, the World Government's administrative staff and Enies Lobby combined account for less than 500 billion Berries.
This clearly shows how much Imu and the Five Elders have neglected administrative and judicial personnel.
The actual expenditures add up to around 6 trillion Berries. So, what happens to the remaining 1.8 trillion Berries worth of treasure? It's all stored in the vaults of Mary Geoise, to be squandered by the Celestial Dragons for their own pleasure!
"The Celestial Tribute collected far exceeds the actual needs," Imu muttered to himself.
If the goal is merely to maintain the Celestial Dragons' quality of life, why would such an enormous amount of wealth be necessary? Even 20 billion Berries annually would be enough to provide them with the highest standard of living.
"We must reduce the amount of Celestial Tribute. Ideally, it should be adjusted flexibly based on each nation's circumstances!"
But he knew this couldn't be rushed. With this year's Levely about to convene, bringing this issue to the table all at once would undoubtedly cause chaos.
"First, have Cipher Pol investigate which member nations are suffering due to excessive Celestial Tribute. Then, determine whether it's truly a national burden or if the local royalty is simply passing the cost onto their citizens."
"For those nations genuinely struggling, like Kuma's Sorbet Kingdom, we can appropriately reduce the Celestial Tribute to ensure their basic survival."
Imu had already decided on the agenda for the next Levely.
Next, he picked up another report, which mainly contained information about the three military branches: the Marines, the Army, and the Holy Land Garrison.
The Army is responsible for guarding the World Government's important facilities and the entire Red Line Continent. According to current World Government law, civilians are prohibited from ascending the Red Line without permission. However, some still attempt to do so, and they must be dealt with accordingly.
The Holy Land Garrison, as the name suggests, is primarily responsible for the security of Mary Geoise. If the Celestial Dragons wish to "descend" for leisure, they also need to be accompanied by personnel.
Imu is currently not concerned about these two forces, though there might be significant actions in the future.
The Marines.
According to reports, the total number of Marines is approximately 500,000. The Marine Headquarters in the Grand Line, along with all G-branches and sub-branches, account for about 50,000. The remaining 450,000 are distributed across the four seas, but not evenly. For instance, the East Blue, being the most peaceful, has relatively fewer Marines.
In reality, the affiliated nations have their own armies, so the Marines only need to maintain order at sea, which doesn't require an excessive number of troops.
Their primary need is warships!
As of now, the Marines possess 70 large warships of the Buster Call class, 1,000 medium-sized headquarters-class warships, with 50 permanently stationed at the Marine Headquarters and the remaining 900 dispersed across various G-branches and sub-branches. Additionally, there are over 4,000 small warships stationed at around 200 branch bases across the four seas.
It's the same as before.
The distribution is not even. Relatively speaking, the G-branches in the New World certainly require more warships, as they face the most vicious and powerful pirate forces.
"No wonder the Five Elders have always suppressed the development of the Marines. Whether it's military strength or authority, it's indeed somewhat excessive," Imu murmured thoughtfully.