East Blue – Cocoyasi Village
A thunderstorm raged over Arlong Park, naturally alarming the villagers.
On his way to Marine Branch 166, Sugisawa Yuuto had already handled Arlong and his gang. Meanwhile, village representatives, led by the local police officer Jian and Nami's sister Nokigao, rushed toward Arlong Paradise, anxious to see the aftermath.
Jian, who had always regarded Nami as a daughter, couldn't hide his shock.
"Nami, why are you here? Did Arlong hurt you? Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.
Nokigao embraced Nami gently. "It's alright, Nami. I'm here."
"I'm fine… Nokigao, it's over. Arlong… they're all dead. We're free." Nami shook her head, laughing through tears. "It's okay! Everything's fine!"
Nokigao patted her back in relief.
But then, their gazes swept over the scene.
Suddenly, everyone froze in horror.
"What? Nami… you said Arlong is dead? Is this… real?" Nokigao's voice rose in disbelief.
Before Nami could answer, the villagers screamed at the sight before them.
"Ah! Ahhh!""Th… these… these are… murloc corpses!""The murlocs… they're all dead!"
The scorched, lifeless bodies of Arlong's followers littered the ground.
"Nami, what happened here?" Officer Jian asked nervously.
Nami turned her head to glance at the Fairy Tail ship anchored behind her.
"All thanks to Fairy Tail…" she said quietly.
Grand Line – Marine Headquarters, Marineford
"What? The East Blue 166 Branch was destroyed? Who did this?!"
Marshal Sengoku's roar shook the headquarters. Even though it was a small outpost, its destruction was no trivial matter. Casualties aside, it was a direct challenge to Marine authority—one that could seriously damage public trust if not handled properly.
"Based on the evidence at the scene and eyewitness reports, the culprit is likely this man… Sugisawa Yuuto, chairman of the recently famous Fairy Tail guild in East Blue!"
Commodore Brandon delivered the compiled evidence to Sengoku.
At that moment, a casual voice drifted in from outside the office.
"Sengoku, if you go there now, it will only complicate things."
Another calm, authoritative voice followed.
"Little Crane, why do you say that?"
Ignoring the grumbling gaze of the Marine hero Garp, Vice Admiral Rayleigh entered Sengoku's office.
"These are all the reports on Fairy Tail," Crane said. "I've been tracking them for three months. From my investigation, they're not pirates—they're closer to a Bounty Hunter Guild. They accept commissions for payment. So far, they…"
Crane explained everything he had discovered about Fairy Tail, including the possibility that Sugisawa Yuuto might possess Logia-level Thunder abilities.
"What?! A Logia Thunder ability?! Such power hasn't appeared in years!" Even Garp was taken aback.
"Little Crane, you're saying they're just a guild dedicated to maintaining peace at sea? If that's true, why would they attack us?" Sengoku demanded.
He sent several photos to Crane—live images of the attack on East Blue Branch 166.
The branch had vanished without a trace. Every Marine, including Colonel Rat, was reduced to ashes. Only a massive crater hundreds of meters wide remained.
"The guild takes commissions for pay, yet they can eradicate pirates for the poor and attack the Marines for others. They have no bottom line," Sengoku muttered.
"Wait… Sengoku, there could be a reason behind this. It might need context…" Crane said cautiously.
"No matter the reason, this is an outright challenge to the Marines. We will never tolerate it," Sengoku declared firmly.
"Very well…" Crane sighed, knowing there was nothing more to say.
"So… how much reward do you plan to offer this man?" Crane asked.
"80 million!" Sengoku replied without hesitation.