One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 408: Catch One, Kill One—Catch the Whole Family, Kill the Whole Family!

Claudius and the others carefully examined the division of regional jurisdictions, ultimately breaking them down into seven districts.

At one point, Claudius even considered whether, after subduing the pirate forces in the New World, he could establish a new system, perhaps something akin to the Seven Warlords of the Sea, distributing power among these seven districts while keeping pirate influence within manageable limits.

As for the New World itself? Perhaps it could have its own "Pirate King" to maintain balance.

Of course, this was merely an ambitious thought, something for the distant future. For now, he put the idea aside.

"This is the latest anti-corruption report and asset seizure summary for the quarter. Have a look," Dragon said, handing a document to Claudius.

Claudius nodded, taking the file in one hand while lifting a teacup with the other. "What's the situation?"

Dragon chuckled wryly. "Same as before. Even though I expected it, it's still… unbelievable. The sheer scale of corruption is staggering. These bastards have committed countless crimes, so much so that the extent of their greed is beyond imagination."

As Dragon vented his frustration, Claudius flipped through the report. His expression darkened as he read. Indeed, corruption within the former World Government had reached an absolutely abhorrent level.

Had he taken power ten years later, the rot might have been beyond repair.

The system had already decayed to its core.

Just within the tax collection department, even a low-ranking official could embezzle 3 to 5 billion Berries per year. And that corruption extended layer by layer all the way up.

For every 10 billion Berries collected in annual taxes from various nations, only 3 billion would actually reach the World Government's treasury. The remaining 7 billion? Devoured by officials at every level.

Claudius' expression turned ice-cold.

"Hit them hard. Catch one, kill one. If they have a family, kill the whole family. Anyone who dares to flee will be hunted worldwide, and all their assets will be confiscated. Not just their families, their entire bloodline and former colleagues will be punished as well!"

His words were merciless, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.

This was the iron-fisted approach he had maintained for the past two years in his anti-corruption campaign—swift, brutal, and utterly relentless.

Recover as much stolen wealth as possible, then publicly execute the guilty. If their embezzlement exceeded 5 billion Berries, their entire family would be beheaded—down to their youngest children.

If the amount surpassed 10 billion Berries, then it was extermination—not just their immediate family, but also their extended relatives and associates.

And if anyone dared to escape, the CP-X special agents would hunt them down. At the same time, their colleagues, anyone who had worked alongside them would also be arrested and punished.

This approach terrified corrupt officials. Many attempted to flee before being exposed, but in the end, they were betrayed by their own colleagues.

After all, nobody wanted to risk being implicated—so everyone kept a close watch on each other.

At first, Claudius' ruthless policies had provoked intense backlash.

But he crushed all resistance—and soon enough, order was restored.

For Claudius, there was zero tolerance for corruption.

Unless he executed entire groups, they would never learn their lesson.

Of course, Claudius understood that even if he eradicated today's corrupt officials, there would always be new ones in the future.

Corruption was like piracy, it could never be truly eliminated.

But the harsher the crackdown now, the longer it would take for corruption to return.

By purging entire bloodlines and wiping out families, Claudius could guarantee that for the next 20 to 30 years, the New World Government would remain clean and efficient, with only minimal corruption.

If he went easy now?

Then, in just three to five years, corruption would resurface, perhaps even worse than before.

"Understood. You already know I fully support this approach," Dragon said with a smirk.

After a brief pause, he added, "This quarter alone, we've recovered over 700 billion Berries. And that's not even everything, many assets are still under review. Preliminary estimates suggest the total amount of dirty money could exceed a trillion Berries."

"Send it back into the government treasury.

Even though our finances are stable, we need funding for major development projects, expanding sea train networks, improving trade infrastructure, and supporting large-scale commercial enterprises.

Everything requires money.

Also, I plan to increase government salaries and boost Marine military expenditures."

Claudius' tone was decisive.

While the World Government's current finances were strong, with Tezoro holding trillions in reserves, most of that wealth remained unused.

At present, they were still sorting out internal affairs.

But once that phase ended, Claudius planned to fully launch development initiatives.

At that point, initial investments would be massive—and even trillions wouldn't be enough.

The larger the empire, the more resources it needed.

"Increase salaries?" Dragon raised an eyebrow, surprised. "What are you planning?"

Claudius smirked.

"If you're going to beat them with a stick, you should also offer a carrot.

We must eliminate corruption while ensuring that official salaries are high enough to prevent the temptation in the first place.

We need both strong discipline and generous compensation.

Our public servants should be wealthy and respected. That way, they'll be less likely to engage in corruption and will be more willing to work for the people."

Dragon frowned slightly. "Isn't there a flaw in that logic?"

Claudius nodded.

"Yes. High salaries alone won't guarantee integrity. There must also be strict oversight.

Just because we offer high wages doesn't mean we can ignore supervision.

We need strong anti-corruption laws, constant monitoring, harsh punishments, and a zero-tolerance policy."

Dragon's eyes lit up. "So, you're saying, while we increase salaries, we also increase penalties?"

"Exactly," Claudius said firmly.

"You want money? Fine. We'll pay you well, but if you dare to steal, then you'll pay with your life.

If someone commits minor corruption, they'll face severe punishment.

If they embezzle large sums, their entire family dies.

With high salaries and brutal consequences, few will risk taking bribes. This should significantly reduce corruption."

The others nodded in agreement. It made perfect sense.

Still, Claudius chuckled and shook his head.

"Of course, this is still experimental. We're feeling our way through this.

Whether it actually works—only time will tell.

Mistakes will happen. But what's important is that we have the determination to admit them and correct them."

"Understood. I'll discuss this with Tezoro and draft an official policy," Dragon replied.

Just as they were finishing their discussion, there was a knock at the door.

Claudius called out, and the door swung open.

In walked Commander Kong, a smile on his face.

Claudius respected Kong deeply. With a warm grin, he waved and said, "Commander, what brings you here?"

"Heh heh heh… Your Highness, I'm here to submit my retirement application."

Claudius paused for a moment, slightly surprised.

"The Marine Headquarters restructuring plan isn't even finalized yet. Why are you stepping down so soon?"

"The plan is done. I have it right here.

Sengoku has decided to hand over the Fleet Admiral position to Sakazuki before the Marine Headquarters relocation."

Claudius fell silent, then sighed.

"He's paving the way for Sakazuki, huh?"

"Exactly," Kong nodded solemnly. "It's a long-standing Marine tradition.

And now, it's my turn to retire.

Your Highness, I humbly request your approval."

With that, Kong handed the official document to Claudius.

Claudius hesitated for a moment—then silently accepted it.

(To be continued.)

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