One Piece: The True Codex

Inside the royal palace, Norton I was discussing the murder discovered that morning with his ministers.

William had once joked about how the nobles and ministers might respond to such an incident, saying they might consider building a high wall. At the time, it was merely a jest—he never imagined that the idea would actually be brought up during the discussion.

Perhaps William had underestimated the level of fear these nobles and royals felt regarding the matter.

Until now, the nobles and the impoverished had lived as though in two separate worlds. To the nobles, the poor and filthy slums were merely a distant symbol. When the destitute resorted to crime out of desperation, their victims were usually others of the same class, leaving the nobles untouched.

But now, with Andre—a viscount and the so-called "Kingdom's Strongest Warrior"—decapitated, the nobles began to realize a harsh truth. When the people of the slums are pushed to the brink, these wretched commoners, lacking education and honor, won't simply starve quietly at home or commit suicide. Instead, they are far more likely to turn to crime—even rebellion.

At that point, those criminals won't care about how long the nobles' lineage is or how lofty their status. Once they cross the threshold into crime, the order, laws, and societal morals that uphold the nobility's position and safety will be cast aside.

Initially, these crimes were confined to areas near the slums. But now, it seemed that as living conditions and public order deteriorated further, crime was beginning to spread into the commoners' districts—and even the noble quarters.

"I've heard of the reputation of the Goa Kingdom," said the rotund, gray-haired Minister of Internal Affairs, raising his voice. "The royal city of Goa Kingdom uses layers of separation to drive those lazy and greedy maggots outside the tall city walls, leaving them to live among the garbage. Inside the walls, the areas where nobles and royals reside are further enclosed by another layer of walls, ensuring their safety while maintaining their dignity. This separation keeps us distinct from the lower-class commoners."

"In the royal city of Goa Kingdom, the walls have only one entrance to the areas where the poor reside. The city is orderly, and the places where nobles and royals live are spotless, considered a model of social segregation!" The Minister of Internal Affairs raised his voice further. "Your Majesty, this excellent system is worth emulating in Navia Kingdom!"

The ministers began to discuss the proposal fervently. Being nobles themselves, they were naturally inclined to agree with the idea, as it directly concerned their own safety.

However, Arcadio, the Minister of Finance, sighed and stepped forward with a single question:

"And where will the money come from?"

The Minister of Internal Affairs, whose responsibilities included public order and crime but not fiscal matters, lacked a clear understanding of the kingdom's finances. Arcadio, on the other hand, knew very well that while emulating Goa Kingdom's segregation policy seemed convenient, Navia Kingdom simply couldn't afford the cost of building such walls.

"We could impose higher taxes on the commoners!" suggested the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Before Arcadio could respond, another minister retorted, "Do you intend to expand the slums even further?"

"Are the safety and dignity of the royals and nobles not more important than a bunch of commoners?" the Minister of Internal Affairs shot back, glaring at the dissenting minister.

"Expanding the slums will only worsen public order and make our safety an even bigger issue!" the dissenting minister countered. "Besides, Andre's death hasn't been fully investigated yet. We can't even be certain it was the work of criminals from the slums. There's something suspicious about this case—it must be thoroughly examined."

"The details of the case—whether there's a conspiracy or hidden truths—are not the pressing issue," the Minister of Internal Affairs said sharply. "The existence of the slums itself already threatens the safety of the royals and nobles. That's the most urgent matter right now!"

"You're absolutely right," Arcadio agreed, nodding. But then he shifted his tone: "However, even if we decide to build the walls, it won't happen overnight. In the meantime, further deterioration of public order would be disastrous for us."

Seeing the debate going nowhere, Norton I, who had remained silent until now, suddenly proposed, "In that case, how about imposing higher taxes on the nobles?"

The room fell silent for a moment before erupting into a storm of objections.

"Your Majesty! The nobles and royals are the foundation of this kingdom's rule and its face to the world," one minister protested passionately. "If the nobles cannot maintain their own dignity, what will others think of this kingdom? They'll believe it to be weak and impoverished!"

Norton I frowned. "If that's the case, what are your suggestions?"

The ministers, already uneasy about Norton's impatience and his proposal to tax the nobles, were now on edge.

Arcadio, realizing the urgency of the situation, quickly devised a solution. He couldn't afford to oppose the Minister of Internal Affairs any further.

"Your Majesty, building the walls and imposing higher taxes on the commoners are both feasible proposals. However, before the walls are completed, we must address a critical issue: preventing further deterioration of public order, which could threaten the safety of the royals and nobles."

"Do you have a solution?" Norton I asked.

"Stolt and his militia," Arcadio said slowly, organizing his thoughts. "Their original duties already include assisting in maintaining public order. The best course of action now is to deploy them as soon as possible to restore order—especially by apprehending the lawless criminals in the slums. This will ensure our safety until the walls are completed."

"Can they handle it?" Norton I asked, his face full of concern.

After all, the victim wasn't just anyone—it was his royal guard captain, the so-called "Kingdom's Strongest Warrior." In Norton's mind, the criminals in the slums now seemed even more dangerous than Germa 66, who were at least far away. The slums, however, were a problem right on his doorstep.

"Stolt is a formidable warrior. Even Andre was no match for him. Moreover, he has a deep hatred for evil and will surely excel in this task."

...

"I can't do this job," William said flatly to Arcadio, looking visibly troubled.

As soon as the palace meeting ended, Arcadio had returned home and summoned William to relay the proceedings, giving him an early heads-up.

Arcadio had assumed, based on William's usual behavior, that he would readily agree to the proposal and carry it out diligently. He hadn't expected William to refuse so decisively.

"Why can't you do it?" Arcadio asked, his tone hardening.

"I only have three hundred men under me, and they're all pirates. Maintaining public order on land isn't exactly their forte. Besides, with so few people, how could we possibly manage the entire slums while also ensuring the safety of the noble districts?" William said, spreading his hands in exasperation.

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