Summer had come to Cocoyashi Village.
During the season of cicadas, from one end of the village to the other, everyone was talking about the same shocking thing.
"Is this some kind of mistake? Shanu and the others have been wanted by the Marines?"
Genzo stopped his bicycle in disbelief, staring at the newspaper in his hands.
"What nonsense!"
A nearby villager shouted angrily, "They're saying Shanu attacked Loguetown and that Vice Admiral Spider Hand captured him? I bet it's the other way around—they're framing him!"
"That's right! If you told me that troublemaker Nami stole something small, I might believe it—but Shanu? No way!!"
A housewife returning from the market joined in, equally outraged.
"Exactly! Just goes to show—even inside Marine Headquarters, there are bad people too!"
From inside her house, Bellemere could hear the villagers' heated voices.
"Heh."
She kicked her legs up on the table, lit a thin cigarette, and smiled as she gazed out the window at the bright blue sky.
If even the villagers didn't believe Shanu could turn into some vicious pirate, how could she ever believe it?
Still…
That kid really was something else. Barely out to sea for a little while, and already causing such a huge stir.
And that bounty—unbelievably high! Even that little tag-along, Nojiko, was worth forty million now?
Back in her Marine days, all the pirates she ever caught combined didn't add up to that much!
"Geez… so much money," she muttered with a grin. "When they get back, maybe I should just tie them up and cash in the bounty myself."
She exhaled a puff of smoke, eyes softening.
Back then, when saving up just 300,000 was enough to make her happy, she never could've imagined seeing a day like this.
Shimotsuki Village – Isshin Dojo
Under candlelight, Kōshirō sat on a tatami mat reading a newspaper. Two small heads poked out from each side of his shoulders, nearly smothering his ears.
"One hundred and eighty million?! Whoa!!"
"Eighty million berries! Whoa!!"
"Eight… thousand berries… whoa? Huh?"
Alright, maybe skip that one. They flipped to the next page—and when the two saw the cool silver-haired wolf on the poster, they started screaming again.
"Kuina's only seventy-five million? She's still below Zeff and Gin!"
After looking through all the wanted posters, Zoro snorted and wiped his nose. "Hmph. Doesn't look that impressive. Once I set out to sea, I'll catch up to them in no time!"
"Keep dreaming," Sanji sneered. "A guy who's lost to Kuina five thousand five hundred times thinks he's gonna surpass her? Please. You're worth 5,500 berries at best!"
"That's still better than you!" Zoro roared. "You don't even dare to challenge Kuina! Don't give me that 'I don't hit women' excuse again—you're just a coward!"
"That was when I was young and foolish! Don't underestimate me!" Sanji's face flushed red.
Memories flashed through his mind—being frozen stiff by one glare from Kuina, or getting bullied by that brat Nami.
He clenched a fist to his chest. "My chivalry has evolved too! Not fighting women isn't respect—it's disrespect! The best way to honor them is to fight seriously, with everything you've got!"
"Now that's more like it!"
Zoro's eyes lit up. He gave a thumbs-up. "Didn't think you had it in you to say something so deep. I'm even starting to find your curly eyebrows less annoying."
"Is that so?" Sanji smirked proudly. "You know, maybe I was too harsh always calling you Moss Head."
The two idiots threw their arms around each other's shoulders and burst out laughing.
In the middle of them, Kōshirō still wore his usual gentle smile—but a throbbing vein popped at his temple.
Back when Zeff and Kuina were around to keep order, things were manageable.
Now, with these two hyperactive brats yelling nonstop all day, he finally understood true suffering.
Hurry up and grow up so you can both set sail already!
Loguetown – The Harbor
"So you've really decided to resign, Tashigi?"
The warrant officer sending her off looked regretful. "Your training period's almost over. With your swordsmanship, you'd be an officer in no time. To quit now—it's such a waste."
"I have no regrets, sir!"
The black-haired girl shook her head firmly. "I joined the Marines because I was inspired by Lord Shanu—to follow justice. But now I understand—"
She pointed to her chest. "Justice lives in the heart, not in appearances!"
"As long as you hold onto that ideal and act upon it, it doesn't matter who you are or where you go on the seas. But the opposite is also true—if your heart's corrupt, even the Marines, who claim to represent justice, become nothing but unforgivable villains!"
"In fact, the Headquarters that twisted the truth and branded Lord Shanu a criminal… to me, they're the ones beyond forgiveness!"
Tashigi's eyes burned with conviction. "One day, I'll march into Marineford itself and ask the Admirals face-to-face what their so-called 'Justice' really means!"
"Hey, maybe face me when you say that!"
The warrant officer yelled, baring his teeth. "Why are you shouting so close to that guy?! You're spitting all over him—how rude can you be?!"
"Ah! I'm so sorry!"
Tashigi panicked, adjusting her glasses, and quickly bowed—only then realizing she had been shouting right in the face of a tall, dark-haired man carrying a massive black sword on his back.
"It's fine."
Dracule Mihawk subtly wiped his forehead, not saying more.
Under their embarrassed gazes, he folded up the newspaper, stepped onto his small boat, and set off from the dock.
He looked back at Loguetown in silence.
So, he'd missed them.
He'd arrived the previous night—only to learn that the group had already left several days ago.
By now, they must've crossed Reverse Mountain.
Normally, he wouldn't have bothered chasing after another swordsman—especially one who might not even rival him.
But then came the Loguetown incident.
After hearing the townsfolk's accounts, reading the papers, and witnessing the vanished execution platform with his own eyes—
"Mhm… Shanu," Mihawk murmured.
This man, who'd just set sail yet already shone like a star—was becoming more and more interesting to him.
The New World – Somewhere at Sea
A bonfire crackled behind a giant rock. Half a massive elephant-tuna sizzled over it, dripping oil into the flames. Members of the Red-Haired Pirates sprawled across the grass, surrounded by empty bottles.
"Huh?"
A bounty poster fluttered in the sea breeze, smacking right into Benn Beckman's face. Still tipsy, he blinked at the bottommost one.
"Four… five… six… wait—seven zeros? That's not eighteen million—it's one hundred and eighty million berries?!"