"Summon every Marine who was in Area 12 earlier!"
"I want everything you know about the man who fought Admiral Xia Le!"
"Also, send all the captured Supernova pirate crews to Marineford immediately."
"Remember, hand them over to Admiral Xia Le or his subordinates!"
The aide committed each order to memory, then turned and left with a solemn expression.
An hour later, Joyce personally questioned every Marine who had witnessed the battle in Area 12 that day.
"The oppressive presence at the center of the battle was suffocating. I couldn't get anywhere near it."
"I only saw Admiral Xia Le's opponent from a distance. He looked just like Straw Hat Luffy!"
"I suspect he was someone related to Straw Hat Luffy, perhaps his twin brother!"
"It probably wasn't Straw Hat himself. Even a famous Supernova pirate couldn't possibly be a match for an admiral!"
"..."
After compiling all the intelligence, Joyce reached a startling conclusion that made him draw a sharp breath.
"Admiral Xia Le really was telling the truth!"
"Monkey D. Luffy, the greatest dark horse of this era, actually fought the strongest admiral at headquarters and walked away unscathed!"
"Has he already reached the level of the Four Emperors?"
If this news got out, it would undoubtedly shock the world.
Joyce pulled Straw Hat's bounty poster from a thick stack of documents and slapped it onto the desk, his expression shifting uncertainly.
"I hear his grandfather is Garp, the Hero of the Navy!"
"And Admiral Xia Le is Vice Admiral Garp's student!"
"What an extraordinary legacy and bloodline!"
After a brief hesitation, he carefully prepared a thorough written report, then personally sent it to the Fleet Admiral's Office at Marine Headquarters.
Xia Le arrived at Marineford two hours later.
The moment he stepped off the ship, he