At Marine Headquarters, not all of the summoned officers had arrived for the meeting yet—but the whiteboard in the room was already plastered with wanted posters, courtesy of a green-haired man in sunglasses.
The admirals who had arrived early were seated in their respective places. Some sat with their eyes closed, resting. Others appeared lost in thought. But most had their attention fixed on the whiteboard overflowing with bounties.
Their gazes gravitated toward three posters in particular—Maude, Bullet, and Aokiji.
[Bacardi Maude – 2,980,000,000 Berries]
[Aokiji Kuzan – 2,680,000,000 Berries]
[Douglas Bullet – 3,336,000,000 Berries]
Since the end of the Paramount War, the seas had remained relatively calm for several years. But recently, turmoil had begun to stir again.
The sudden appearance of powerful and dangerous individuals was only part of the problem. The more alarming threat came from the escapees of Impel Down's Level 6—men whose very existence posed a grave risk to world stability.
And among those escapees, none was more dangerous than the successor to the Demon Heir—Douglas Bullet.
"Three billion, three hundred thirty-six million… That's the guy who defeated Vice Admiral Garp…"
"Watch what you say."
"Ah—right, thank you for the reminder."
"Even if the incident has been officially suppressed, for those of us in our positions... we can't afford to treat something that humiliating to Marine HQ as casual gossip."
"My apologies. It won't happen again."
"The Demon Heir, Bullet… As much of a monster as he is, from his actions after leaving the Roger Pirates, it's clear he's a lone wolf. He doesn't seem the type to build a crew or join another pirate group."
"With strength and experience like his, if he were to form a crew… the consequences would be catastrophic."
"Damn that Blackbeard Pirates… Letting someone like him escape from Impel Down."
"Speaking of the Blackbeard Pirates—we thought they'd be a long-term threat. Never expected them to be defeated in Dressrosa by the Maude Pirates."
"Nothing's more satisfying than pirates tearing each other apart."
"Haha, ain't that the truth!"
"But compared to a solitary beast like Bullet, the Maude Pirates—with Aokiji among their ranks—now pose a threat on par with any of the Four Emperors."
"…"
At the mention of Aokiji, the lively discussion among the admirals suddenly quieted.
Every face turned solemn, heavy with unspoken thoughts.
After a pause, one vice admiral finally spoke in a hushed voice, "Even now… I still can't understand why Aokiji would join the Maude Pirates."
"…"
No one had an answer.
When the news was confirmed, the entire world was shaken. But for those in the Navy—especially those who admired or respected Aokiji—the reaction was confusion and disbelief.
What exactly did Bacardi Maude possess that could persuade a former admiral to willingly serve under him?
The murmurs around the room gradually faded into silence.
In front of the whiteboard, the green-haired officer in sunglasses noticed the change in mood. With a quiet sigh, he turned back toward the sea of bounty posters.
[Ferryman, Lafitte – 828,000,000 Berries]
[Humming Brook – 660,000,000 Berries]
[Scopper Gaya – 360,000,000 Berries]
[Grim Jim – 198,000,000 Berries]
[Black Crow Philo – 78,000,000 Berries]
[Ghost Princess Perona – 120,000,000 Berries]
[Mad Monk Urouge – 288,000,000 Berries]
[Magician Basil Hawkins – 320,000,000 Berries]
[Rain Shiryu – 980,000,000 Berries]
[White Weasel Bailey – 500 Berries]
The core members of the Maude Pirates had all received updated bounties.
And this round of updates had pushed their total bounty well past 10 billion Berries—a figure matched by only a handful of crews in the New World.
"Never imagined Maude would accept Shiryu's 'loyalty.'"
A voice came from behind. It was Vice Admiral Tsuru.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru."
The green-haired man turned quickly and saluted her.
Tsuru gave him a slight nod, then calmly studied the bounty posters displayed on the board.
The officer hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, "While I personally lean toward your assessment, the intel we currently have doesn't officially confirm that Shiryu has joined the Maude Pirates."
"The Blackbeard Pirates were annihilated. Shiryu survived. That says enough."
Tsuru cast him a sidelong glance, but chose not to press the matter. Instead, she shifted focus.
Her tone was steady as she spoke:
"Lafitte and Brook—their bounty increases are also quite unusual. I assume it's due to the Holy Land Mariejois incident."
"Yes, ma'am."
The green-haired officer nodded firmly.
The Mariejois Incident had left the upper brass deeply displeased.
Given their involvement, Lafitte and Brook naturally drew attention—and consequences. The most visible of which was the spike in their bounties.
Although the increases weren't on the same scale as Maude or Bullet, they were rare nonetheless in the history of bounty revisions.
As for Shiryu's high bounty, much of it stemmed from his former identity, his involvement in the assassination of Magellan, and his consumption of the highly lethal Venom-Venom Fruit.
If Shiryu's affiliation with the Maude Pirates was ever officially confirmed...
Then with Aokiji already in their ranks, the addition of Shiryu would mark the rise of yet another fearsome powerhouse under Maude's command.
Sengoku entered the meeting room.
He stepped beside Vice Admiral Tsuru, glancing up at the bounty posters. His eyes immediately fell on Aokiji.
More precisely—on Aokiji's bounty photo.
"What's with this photo of Kuzan?"
Sengoku looked visibly conflicted, his expression somewhere between troubled and amused.
Tsuru's face remained serene. She likely didn't see it as something worth fussing over.
"That photo…" the green-haired officer began with a wry smile as he offered an explanation.
Sengoku went quiet.
Before long, nearly all personnel had arrived.
A few more minutes passed.
Clack—
The shoji doors slid open. Sakazuki, a lit cigar in his mouth, strode into the room.
Under the watchful eyes of the gathered admirals, he made his way to the head seat and sat down.
"Let's begin."
As always, Sakazuki got straight to the point.
The green-haired officer, tasked with chairing the meeting, immediately switched into official mode.
Facing the seated admirals, he placed one hand on a poster behind him and announced solemnly:
"First, please review the most recent bounty updates—"
"We'll postpone the bounty discussion."
Sakazuki cut him off, voice flat and emotionless.
The green-haired officer blinked. That wasn't the scheduled topic order.
But he didn't argue. He simply nodded and asked, "Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, which topic would you like to begin with?"
"Let's start with the matter of how to handle Silvers Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, and Phantom Sniper Sol. I want to hear your opinions."
Cross-legged, his back straight, Sakazuki's cold eyes peered through the smoke curling up from his cigar.
A murmur swept through the room.
Vice Admiral Tsuru and Sengoku—seated closest to Sakazuki—both furrowed their brows.
The moment Sakazuki brought up those three names, the two veterans instantly sensed his underlying intent.
This newly appointed Fleet Admiral...
…might be planning to use Sol, Rayleigh, and Gaban to push a certain agenda.
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