This is not a formal meeting. In a quiet corner of the hallway, Vice Admiral Aramaki simply stood to give his report, as if he were taking out the trash. However, the news he carried was far heavier than that.
Among the high-ranking Marine officials bustling back and forth, Garp, with his relaxed, burly physique, felt a strange wave of unease as his eyes caught the bounty poster of his grandson. There was a faint admiration in Garp's heart, but also annoyance. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Tokikake was already pondering how he would act casually when he met Luffy later.
Aramaki swallowed hard before beginning his report, his eyes alight with anger.
"News from the Shells Town branch shows that Captain Morgan was no match for Luffy at all. After Luffy defeated him, he saved the Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro and took him under his wing."
"And more recently, there's news that the 'dead' Captain Kuro, who was presumed to have died three years ago, has surfaced in Syrup Village! This man is a master deceiver, who fooled Captain Morgan with a hypnosis trick, disgracing the Marines!"
The green-haired Vice Admiral was so furious he almost lost control. He punched the wall, a dull echo reverberating in the hallway. "This is being played by a pirate! And the one who exposed the truth was a pirate from the Straw Hat Crew! This is an absolute disgrace!"
All the officers present gave a bitter smile. Who would have thought Kuro was hiding so deeply? One could only say that the man was too cunning. However, they all had the same question: What does this have to do with Luffy's bounty?
"This is worth mentioning..."
Facing the confused stares of his superiors, the green-haired Vice Admiral said sternly, "Kuro was defeated by Roronoa Zoro, whom Luffy saved. It was clean and quick; he defeated Kuro in a single move! His strength is far superior to Kuro's, who had a bounty of 16 million Berries!"
"What?"
"He defeated Kuro in a single move?"
"The Pirate Hunter was saved by Luffy? He's really something."
Many people were shocked upon hearing this. If a crew member of Luffy was so strong, how terrifying must Luffy be!
"And what's most infuriating is... the Straw Hat Luffy has repeatedly disregarded justice, publicly executed a Marine prisoner, and even colluded with his crew to rob the nobles of 'Syrup Village'!"
The Marine Headquarters was completely enraged. Then, he posted two more wanted posters. In the middle was Monkey D. Luffy, to his left was Buggy the Clown, and to his right was Roronoa Zoro.
"News from the Marine branches in Syrup Village and Shells Town has confirmed that Monkey D. Luffy possesses the power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi Devil Fruit!"
"Buggy the Clown, on the other hand, has the power of the Chop-Chop Fruit, and Zoro is a master swordsman, almost on par with a grandmaster swordsman!"
"These three individuals in the same pirate crew pose a significant threat to the Marines. This momentum must be suppressed as soon as possible to prevent them from growing stronger. The Marines must take this seriously and deliver a heavy blow early on!"
Aramaki slammed his palm on the table, and the bounty amounts of the three began to show. Luffy was in the middle, with a towering bounty of 40 million Berries, while Zoro and Buggy the Clown on either side also had a hefty bounty.
Aramaki said sternly, "Even if it means sacrificing the Marines' reputation, we must not let them get away with it!"
"La la la~ Monkey D. Luffy, is he that Dragon's son? This family is a real headache."
A lazy voice came from the doorway, and then a tall, relaxed figure sat down, saying in a casual tone, "Send a notification to Smoker at the Loguetown base."
"These naughty kids can't be allowed to get stronger; they must be captured and brought to Marine Headquarters as soon as possible."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present bowed their heads: "Yes—Admiral Kuzan!"
Only Vice Admiral Tokikake, sitting at the top, glanced at Kuzan, his face full of confusion. What was this ice user thinking? Luffy was Garp-sensei's grandson, so wasn't he one of us? Why are you looking for someone to capture him?
Time rewinds back a few days, three days before the Marines issued the wanted posters, in Syrup Village.
"Bad news! Captain Usopp, Kaya has been kidnapped!"
A snot-nosed kid ran over, shouting.
"What? Kidnapped? That's impossible, isn't Kuro dead?" Usopp, who had just jumped down from a tree, looked confused.
A kid with a paprika hairstyle said, "Kuro is dead, but he's not the one who kidnapped Sister Kaya; it's a new pirate!"
"A new pirate? Could it be..." Usopp's eyes widened, and he had a guess in his heart.
"That big brother was with the Straw Hats, Captain. You even acted with them before," added an onion-headed kid.
Oh my God!
Usopp's last hope was instantly shattered; his three subordinates wouldn't lie to him. Kaya was really kidnapped?
Usopp's eyes widened, and after realizing what had happened, he didn't dare to delay for a moment.
"Where are they now?"
"They've already gone to the beach!"
Usopp didn't say a word, took off running, and headed straight for the beach, his face anxious: "Oh no, oh no, I thought they were good people after they defeated Kuro, but I forgot they were also pirates! Kaya is in trouble, it's all my fault, I'm a real big idiot!"
But guess what? When Usopp ran to the beach, the sight before him made him freeze.
His goddess, Kaya, whom he had a secret crush on, was standing there with her butler Merry, chatting happily with Luffy! Behind Luffy stood Zoro, Buggy, and Nami, whom he had seen that day!
"Kaya!!"
Usopp, in a burst of emotion, charged forward. Then, from a distance, he raised his slingshot, aiming it at Luffy.
His legs were trembling, but he still held on, shouting loudly, "Luffy, I misjudged you! Let Kaya go!"
He used almost all his strength for that shout. There was no other way; the people on the other side were too terrifying; he couldn't deal with them at all.
"Huh? Usopp, what are you doing?"
Luffy looked at him curiously, his face full of question marks.
Kaya, wearing a light yellow dress and a khaki cardigan, stood beside him, also staring blankly at him. But she quickly understood and said with a smile, "Usopp, you misunderstood."
"I wasn't carried away by Mr. Luffy; I willingly went with him."
"Perhaps… the way Mr. Luffy invited me onto the ship was too 'special' that the villagers misunderstood."
After defeating Kuro, Luffy had discussed with Kaya about taking her with him. Since he heard that there was a doctor in the Drum Kingdom who could heal her sickness, he wanted to bring her for treatment.
When Kaya heard this, how could she refuse? She immediately told her Merry that she would be going out for medical treatment, and Merry, of course, was very supportive.
But Luffy was too mischievous. After she packed her luggage and all her treasures, he lifted her up and ran to the village. He even yelled, "Kaya is being taken away by me!" which enraged the villagers.
And he didn't even explain; he just picked her up and ran straight for the ship. This was just too unreliable!
Although Kaya felt a little helpless, she found Luffy's "big boy" personality quite charming. Strangely... she felt a sense of elopement? She glanced at the grinning Luffy, her face turning slightly red, and quickly turned her head away.
After hearing Kaya's explanation, Usopp finally heaved a sigh of relief. He glared at Luffy in annoyance and said, "Luffy, you're too out of line; the villagers will worry."
"What's there to worry about?"
Luffy didn't take the villagers' worries to heart at all. After thinking for a moment, he said to Usopp, "As for you, Usopp, do you want to join my crew?"
"From now on, you'll follow Zoro as a brave sea warrior, how about becoming my capable assistant?"