Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru stood quietly to one side, as if they were part of the air.
They were secretly astonished. The Five Elders' judgment and breadth of vision were truly terrifying. In just a few words, they had moved past holding the Navy accountable for its failure and zeroed in on the fundamental threat: the Rocks Pirates.
No wonder they stood at the pinnacle of the world's power. They had grasped the heart of the matter at a glance.
The Five Elder with blond hair and a short beard looked at the three of them and spoke in a low voice:
"The Navy is, after all, the face of the World Government. And Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp are the leaders of the next generation."
"If we placed all the blame on them, Marine Headquarters would lose the pillars of its future. That is not what we want to see."
Sengoku and the others felt somewhat relieved.
At least the Five Elders were still willing to give them a chance.
"The Navy's decision to gradually shift its focus to the New World deserves recognition."
"But that is not enough. Go back and tell Kong to summon the two Admirals, Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi, back into service. Before they retire, have them continue to give their all for the Navy and the World Government."
"As for Luo Tian, the new officer of the Rocks Pirates..."
"Issue a bounty poster. Set the bounty at—2.5 billion Beli!"
At that, Sengoku and the others were shaken. It was the same amount the Fleet Admiral had estimated.
This made the Five Elders' regard for Luo Tian clear.
"Additionally,"
the blond, short-bearded Elder added,
"inform CP0 to step up its infiltration of the Rocks Pirates and its intelligence gathering.
"Especially regarding Luo Tian. We need to know everything about him: his origins, the details of his abilities, his weaknesses and personality, his relationships..."
"Yes, sir."
Sengoku bowed as he replied.
The Five Elders then gave them a few more instructions, mostly concerning the strategy against the Rocks Pirates going forward and the Navy's role in the operation. Then they dismissed Sengoku and the others.
As they left the World Government building, the three exchanged glances. They saw both relief and unease in one another's eyes.
They were relieved that they had escaped severe punishment for their failure and had instead been given a chance to make amends.
But they were uneasy because the Five Elders' concern over the Rocks Pirates far exceeded their expectations. That meant the New World was about to be swept by an even more brutal storm.
And the Navy would have to stand at the very forefront of it.
The next day, Marine Headquarters issued a bounty poster for Luo Tian, an officer of the Rocks Pirates.
It also ran a story through the World Economic News Agency: "Rocks Pirates Rob Heavenly Tribute; Navy Escort Fleet Fights Bravely but Is Overwhelmed."
It was an unavoidable choice. Though the story would damage the Navy's reputation, it was better than letting news spread that the Navy had launched an attack and suffered a crushing defeat.
At least it preserved the image of the Navy as having "fought bravely" and prevented its morale from collapsing completely.
The newspaper agency rushed to print copies, and News Coo carried them to every corner of the sea.
The sea was thrown into an uproar.
On the sea, aboard a pirate ship,
the captain, a one-eyed man, took the newspaper from News Coo's claws, cursing under his breath.
"Tch... It's bound to be some trivial news again. Couldn't we get something big for once?"
Out at sea, reading the news was the only way to pass the time and keep up with what was happening in the world.
But when he casually opened the paper and glanced at the front page—
he froze.
His breath caught.
A young man with a cold expression on the front page seized his attention.
Below the photograph, bold words stood out:
[New Officer of the Rocks Pirates · Luo Tian]
[Bounty: 2,500,000,000 Beli]
"Luo Tian..."
The captain's lips trembled as he murmured the name.
"2.5 billion?!"
His eyes widened as he stared, convinced there must be something wrong with them.
He rubbed his one good eye hard and looked again—
The number hadn't changed.
2.5 billion.
An unheard-of young man had received a first bounty of 2.5 billion Beli?!
"Gasp—"
He sucked in a breath. A chill shot from his tailbone up his spine, raising goosebumps across his scalp.
A first bounty this high... What on earth had this guy done? Killed a Celestial Dragon? Destroyed a country?
He struggled to steady his trembling hands and eagerly unfolded the newspaper to read the full story.
"No way! The Rocks Pirates... stole the Heavenly Tribute?!"
"This young man is Luo Tian, the new officer of the Rocks Pirates?!"
"He became an officer at such a young age... and seriously wounded Marine Vice Admiral Tsuru, overpowered 'Black Arm' Zephyr, and fought Iron Fist Garp to a draw?!"
The report seemed like a dream. He couldn't believe what he was reading.
Similar scenes were playing out all across the sea.
The news swept through the whole world like a hurricane.
The names of the Rocks Pirates and Luo Tian instantly became the hottest topic across the seas.
Overnight, the young man named Luo Tian went from an unknown rookie pirate to a monster with a 2.5-billion-Beli bounty, renowned throughout the world.
New World, aboard the Roger Pirates' ship.
After reading that day's newspaper, Roger burst out laughing.
"Bwahahaha... Rayleigh! Come look at this!"
Rayleigh and Gaban walked over, one after the other.
"What's got you so excited?"
Rayleigh asked with a smile, taking the paper Roger handed him.
Then his smile froze.
Gaban leaned over to look and blurted out:
"No way! It's only been a little while!"
"That kid's bounty is 2.5 billion Beli now! And he fought Garp to a draw? Is this for real?"
Rayleigh didn't answer at once.
He studied every word in the paper. His brow gradually furrowed, and his voice took on a rare note of solemnity.
"The Rocks Pirates are getting stronger and stronger..."
"Rocks's ambitions are becoming clearer too. Now he's even started taking the Heavenly Tribute. He's declaring war on the World Government."
As the Roger Pirates' second-in-command and strategist, Rayleigh didn't let the news about Luo Tian cloud his judgment. Instead, he calmly analyzed the threat posed by the Rocks Pirates.
"This means Rocks is no longer content with dominating the New World. He intends to challenge the entire world order."
The atmosphere aboard the ship grew heavy.
Frowning, Rayleigh looked at Roger.
"The Rocks Pirates have entrenched themselves like rulers in the New World, constantly expanding their territory, with countless powerful fighters under their command.
"Roger, if you want to become the Pirate King... you'll have to get past them!"
"Rocks won't allow anyone to claim the title of king in front of him."
The others fell silent.
Their eyes turned to their captain, Roger, as if awaiting his answer.
Roger was quiet for a moment.
Then he raised his head and gazed at the blue sea and sky. His hearty laughter rang out once more.
"Bwahahaha... The Rocks Pirates, huh?"
"So what?!"
He spun around, his red cape whipping in the wind, an unyielding fire burning in his eyes.
"Believe me—"
"I'm the one who'll become the Pirate King!"
"If Rocks stands in our way, we'll fight right through him!"
"There's no one on these seas who can stop me—Gol D. Roger—from becoming the Pirate King!!"
His bold declaration rang out like a drumbeat.
The fighting spirit in everyone's eyes blazed to life.
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