But everyone who saw the result was stunned.
No one bothered reading the article personally written by the president of the World Economy News Paper. Everyone's attention had been drawn to the two contrasting photographs on the paper.
One showed two powerful figures colliding.
And the unidentified powerhouse had revealed half his face.
Beside that photograph was a bounty poster.
<World-Shaking Powerhouse, Madman Lin Ye, Bounty: 87,000,000>
Elsewhere, anyone seeing that headline would probably think the World Economy News Paper had lost its mind and was making a joke.
What did a world-shaking powerhouse have to do with an 87 million bounty?
But now?
It did. Very much so. It fucking absolutely did.
Perhaps no one would have recognized him from the photograph alone, but with the bounty poster placed beside it, the comparison made his identity crystal clear.
The world-class powerhouse who had fought the Grand Line's ruler Kaido for seven days and seven nights was actually a minor pirate with an 87 million bounty.
Had this world gone mad?
That was what most people thought after seeing the report.
World Government, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Many people stood inside the spacious office.
Zephyr, still an admiral but already reassigned as an instructor at the training camp!
The three monster vice admirals with Logia powers.
Borsalino, wielder of the Glint-Glint Fruit.
Sakazuki, wielder of the Magma-Magma Fruit.
Kuzan, wielder of the Ice-Ice Fruit.
Tsuru, the Navy's chief staff officer.
Garp, the Navy Hero and vice admiral.
Along with several other Headquarters vice admirals, everyone stared at the newspapers in their hands, sinking into silence.
"The information has been confirmed. We contacted Morgans; a News Coo broke into the battlefield in Wano Country and took the photographs."
In the silent office, Sengoku spoke with a grave expression.
"I propose we deploy immediately. While their battle has yet to end, we should capture them both."
Sakazuki said in a low voice, a cigar clamped between his teeth.
"Ooh, how terrifying. Unfortunately, it's too far away. By the time we get there, it'll probably already be over."
Borsalino puckered his lips as he responded to Akainu.
"But your ability can get you there quickly. You can hold them off."
Sakazuki turned and stared at Borsalino.
Borsalino, the vice admiral who had already begun practicing lazy justice, froze with his lips still puckered.
"Are you trying to get me killed?"
Borsalino was dumbfounded.
He already had trouble dealing with one of them, and now Sakazuki wanted him to face two and hold them off?
If he went, he would probably be beaten to death.
"Enough!"
Sengoku looked at the two men who were about to start bickering.
"It's too late!"
There were not many Navy bases on the Grand Line. Even if there were, sending those men would merely be sending them to their deaths.
If Headquarters sent people, it would take even more time.
Besides, they had not gathered to discuss capturing anyone this time.
"Hahaha! So it really was that brat!"
Garp suddenly burst into laughter, laughing until tears came out.
Everyone looked speechlessly at the wildly laughing Garp.
Tsuru and Sengoku exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in the other's eyes.
When they had first received the news, they had indeed thought of Madman Lin Ye, but they had immediately dismissed the possibility.
They had spent all this time analyzing who exactly had fought Kaido, only to find themselves back at the starting point.
It really was Lin Ye.
But now, the words "87 million bounty" were simply too glaring.
"Why aren't you laughing?"
Garp felt a little awkward when he saw everyone staring at him.
"Vice Admiral Garp, another monster has appeared on the seas, and he's so young. This is not good news for us."
Kuzan looked at Garp and spoke with some helplessness.
At this time, Kuzan was still a young man whose heart overflowed with justice.
He wanted to devote everything he had to the Navy's great cause.
A powerhouse on Kaido's level, yet so young—one could imagine that before long, an immensely troublesome pirate would surely appear on these seas.
No, even now, he was already more than enough of a headache.
Against a powerhouse like that, throwing numbers at him was useless. Only truly powerful fighters stood a chance of dealing with him.
And even then, it was only a chance.
"Based on our previous assessment, Lin Ye is not a Devil Fruit user!"
Tsuru suddenly spoke.
The office instantly fell utterly silent.
Then everyone's gaze landed on Garp.
Most of the people present were Devil Fruit users. By consuming a powerful fruit, one could gain formidable strength in a short period of time.
As for top-tier powerhouses who had not eaten a fruit—
Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh of the Roger Pirates were two such men, while on the Navy's side, Garp was one.
"That brat..."
Garp's expression became solemn.
Even now, he was not certain he could gain an advantage against Kaido in a head-on fight.
"Judging by his age, this Lin Ye hasn't even entered his prime yet. If he truly hasn't eaten a fruit, then that's terrifying. How scary indeed."
Borsalino said with a thoroughly punchable expression.
"Enough. I called you here to solve the problem."
After glaring at Borsalino, Sengoku swept his eyes across the others before finally settling them on Tsuru.
"At present, we absolutely can't reach them in time. Even if we leave now, crossing the Calm Belt with the Navy's ship speed would take at least a month."
Tsuru shook her head.
"Is there any possibility?"
Sengoku hesitated for a moment.
Tsuru naturally understood what Sengoku meant. After thinking for a while, she shook her head.
"It's too late. If we had discovered him one or two years earlier, perhaps even before he went to sea, there might have been a chance. But now, he has already become a top-tier powerhouse on the seas and carries a bounty poster."
"Then what about the Shichibukai?"
Sengoku's expression turned grave as he spoke again.
When Sakazuki heard the words "Shichibukai," his face darkened somewhat.
He believed that pirates should be killed the moment they became pirates. For a Navy that upheld justice to ally itself with pirates was a disgrace.
"Not very likely either, but we can try!"
Tsuru considered it before adding after she finished speaking:
"Actually, it wouldn't be suitable. If he truly became one of the Shichibukai, he might disrupt the balance between the Shichibukai and the Navy. The Shichibukai might even unite under his call later on, and that would not be good."
The condition for coexistence as equals was that you were genuinely about the same.
But if the other Shichibukai were all on Gecko Moria's level, while one of them was Kaido, Whitebeard, or someone on Lin Ye's current level, then the balance would be shattered.
What would happen afterward was something no one could predict before it truly happened.
But there were several possibilities, and none of them would lead to a good outcome.
Besides, a powerhouse like that could never be restrained.
"You're right. I was overthinking it."
Sengoku sighed, his voice full of regret.
"Um, shouldn't we adjust the bounty poster?"
A young woman with extremely long legs beside Tsuru raised her hand.
"Is it still appropriate for it to be 87 million now?"
Before you continue