The conference room fell silent for a moment, and everyone turned puzzled looks toward Strawberry.
This seemingly honest and simple-minded vice admiral was one of Chief Instructor Zephyr's prized students. His strength was beyond question.
And yet, a pirate who had only recently set sail had defeated him?
It would have been easier to accept if their captain had done it. After all, he was Garp's grandson; a great general never had a weak descendant.
Back when Dragon was still in the Marines, he had been monstrously strong even at a young age.
Strawberry noticed Onigumo's gaze. After pondering for a moment, he scratched his head and smiled calmly.
"Well, before I fought that opponent, I had already battled Reiner and suffered serious internal injuries. My wounds happened to flare up at the time, so he found an opening."
"Oh, so that was it."
"Indeed, that makes sense."
Everyone voiced their agreement. Sengoku's expression was strange, but he had probably figured out what had happened.
Strawberry was usually rather close to Garp. He had likely held back during the battle.
"Even so, the opponent's strength cannot be underestimated."
Strawberry's expression remained gentle as he continued.
"Although I did not fight Roronoa, based on my observations and experience, the two are not far apart in strength. It is simply that he does not strike with the same sharp, ruthless ferocity as that swordsman."
Hearing that, everyone roughly understood.
A pirate's conduct was also a factor in determining their bounty. It reflected the threat they posed to civilians and the scale of losses that could result when the Marines fought them.
The more extreme examples were the Emperors who ruled the seas.
Without the World Government's authorization, they were entities that absolutely could not be attacked. Once a battle began, the resulting