International Philanthropy Federation

The International Philanthropy Federation passes itself off as a global charitable body devoted to aiding the needy, with its seat at a temple known as Foot Colony. Behind that pious facade lies a fraud, a front that lets its members swindle desperate people who believe they are donating to a good cause. The group leans heavily on religious trappings, dressing in clerical garb, calling their base a Temple, and addressing their leader as High Priest.

The scheme ran long enough and profitably enough that the temple's vaults held an enormous sum, judging by how much the Rocks Pirates managed to haul away. The organization also appears to have enjoyed official standing, since the World Government and the Marines treated its plight seriously, dispatching a sizable fleet the moment the temple came under attack. Whether that legitimacy was earned or simply assumed, it shielded the con from scrutiny for a considerable stretch of time.

The federation's followers are an anonymous body of supposed clergy who answer to their High Priest. At least 42 years ago the Rocks Pirates raided Foot Colony, and despite the members' efforts to repel them, the invaders escaped with vast amounts of cash. With the temple left in ruins from the assault, the present fate of the organization remains unknown.