The meeting room fell silent as the Vice Captains of the Dawn Pirates and the officers who participated in the war were laid out for discussion.
The Dawn Pirates were undeniably strong, but Marine Headquarters was capable of eradicating them.
Yet if the entirety of Marine forces pursued Crocodile, who would maintain order at sea? Who would monitor the Yonko's movements?
Even deploying half their strength would be a massive commitment, requiring careful planning—blind frontal assault would risk heavy losses.
"Does anyone have a solid strategy?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked.
Heads bowed in thought. If the assessment was accurate, killing Crocodile would require at least two Admirals, carrying the Demon Extermination Order, several Vice Admirals, and elite forces. Only then would success be possible.
This was the most straightforward, conservative estimate of required strength. Marine Headquarters could spare such forces, but who to assign, and whether there were strategies to increase success while reducing casualties, required careful deliberation.
This expedition fleet was mandatory.
"The pirates' ranks are fragile. CP0 will work to weaken them and even create internal strife," said the CP0 Commander.
"How exactly?"
"There are promising talents in CP9, skilled in infiltration and undercover work. With the Justice Island chief gone, they've been idle. I will summon and evaluate them under CP0 authority. Once qualified, they'll be dispatched. With their cover as shipwrights, they'll infiltrate the Dawn Pirates when we confirm their whereabouts." Sengoku and others trusted CP0's expertise implicitly.
"Good. Leave this to you. As for the expedition fleet, Garp and Aokiji will lead. Vice Admirals may join freely. We must execute this swiftly. Crocodile cannot linger," Sengoku said coldly.
"I can lend a hand within a month. I hope everyone performs," Ramirez said with a smile.
"Beyond Marine forces, bounties must also be raised. Perhaps skilled bounty hunters from the New World will create trouble for them. Even if they don't kill them, they'll drain their strength. Spread the news publicly and secretly: the Dawn Pirates are poised to become Yonko. I want to see how long they survive in the New World with that title." Sengoku's pronouncement shocked all.
Sengoku was deliberately inflating the Dawn Pirates' notoriety—a risky but calculated move. A pirate crew with no New World presence, suddenly promoted to Yonko status, would attract attacks from countless powerful pirates and Yonko-level scrutiny. Marine Headquarters might eliminate them without a fight.
The downside: their fame would skyrocket quickly, potentially drawing a following of dangerous outlaws. But this was necessary.
Marine Headquarters had successfully used this "praise to destroy" tactic multiple times. The New World was ruthless; countless powerful pirates had perished. Even the mighty Rocks Pirates had fallen. Sometimes, pirates eliminating each other solved more than half the world's pirate problems for the Marines.
"Anything else to add?" Sengoku asked.
"Fleet Admiral, I request deployment to the New World! If the Dawn Pirates reach it, I can prepare and let them exhaust each other," Vice Admiral O'Neill stood.
Sengoku glanced at him. This once underwhelming Vice Admiral had matured greatly after the Lantis incident, accepting difficult tasks and excelling. His presence and decisiveness stood out, though his strength was slightly lacking for an Admiral candidate. His willingness to go to the perilous New World was commendable.
"Good. If there are no objections, release the latest bounties and news reports."
That night, on an island in the North Blue crowded with pirates, Den Den Mushi began broadcasting news of the war—a Marine victory.
It included participating pirates and their updated bounties.
"What the hell?! Did I drink too much? Crocodile's bounty is 1.88 billion Beli? One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand…" A drunken pirate froze, staring at the bounty sheet.
The island's strongest pirate captain only had a bounty of 250 million. What had Crocodile done?
"Drunkard, haven't you seen today's news? Whitebeard died, Akainu died. The Marines won, but it was a bitter victory. Akainu was killed by Crocodile!" another pirate laughed at him.
"Akainu, the Marine's top power… dead? Whitebeard too?!" He was stunned. One drunken sleep and the world had turned upside down.
"This pirate crew is insane. Soon I'll head to the Grand Line for One Piece. Hope I don't run into them."
"This bounty is absurd—1.88 billion Beli! Killing him alone could last a lifetime, no, ten lifetimes!"
"You'd need to survive first. Killing someone who can slay Admirals isn't easy. The North Blue is going to be chaotic."
"Ha! Chaos is what we pirates thrive on. More chaos means more money, women, and wine! Let's set sail!"
"Wait, look at this news report! The Dawn Pirates are poised to become Yonko!"
"What?!" Even with a high bounty, average pirates only marveled—they couldn't truly grasp it. Some sharpened their blades, targeting Dawn.
But Yonko status was understood even by children: a symbol of fear.
Simultaneously, the bounty sheets and news spread worldwide. With Whitebeard and Akainu dead, a tidal wave shook the world.
"Ah! Hathaway has become so valuable—1.2 billion Beli! My heart races!" The pirate empress, returning to Amazon Lily, received the news via Den Den Mushi.
"Hmph, that bastard is worth 1.88 billion, and I'm only a fraction… Let's see the others…"
Enel: new bounty 740 million Beli (previous 480 million)
Nico Robin: new bounty 520 million Beli (previous 120 million)
Robin's danger rating was higher than Enel's, yet her bounty surged over fourfold. The Marines were still unsure of her full abilities.
Updated bounties for Daz and others followed.
(End of chapter)
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