The end of the war at Marineford brought no relief to those who remained unaware of the full truth. Instead, it left ordinary people more frightened than ever.
Ever since the Great Pirate Era began, pirates had flooded the seas, bringing violence and chaos wherever they went. For most civilians, the Marines were the only force they could rely on for protection.
Under normal circumstances, the death of Edward Newgate—Whitebeard, the man hailed as the strongest in the world—should have been celebrated as a great victory.
It should have meant that the Marines had won.
However, anyone who had witnessed the live broadcast knew that the truth was nowhere near that simple.
Portgas D. Ace, the man whose public execution had ignited the entire war, had survived.
And that was not even the most terrifying outcome.
The seas had welcomed a new nightmare.
During the war, Shiki had slaughtered two Marine Admirals and used some unknown, sinister method to seize their Devil Fruits. As a result, two terrifying titles were now being spoken alongside his name.
The Strongest Man in the World.
The Most Heinous Criminal in the World.
His new bounty had risen to an unbelievable six billion Berries.
The newspapers spreading across the world also revealed the updated bounties of his crew.
First was Princess Nefertari Vivi.
According to the World Government's version of events, she was a runaway princess who had attempted to assassinate her own father. After the plot failed, she abandoned her kingdom and joined the Golden Lion Pirates.
Her bounty had been raised to 290 million Berries.
The article described her as an extremely dangerous pirate and confirmed that she possessed the powers of the Logia-type Mori Mori no Mi.
Naturally, the newspaper made no mention of the truth behind Alabasta. Every word had been carefully written to paint Vivi as a vicious princess who had betrayed both her family and her country.
Next was Nami, the crew's navigator.
Her bounty had risen to 300 million Berries.
She was also identified as a Logia Devil Fruit user, possessing the overwhelming power of the Goro Goro no Mi.
The newspaper claimed that she had once enslaved an entire island of Fish-Men before eventually joining Shiki's crew.
It was another outrageous fabrication, but after everything that had happened at Marineford, countless people were willing to believe it.
Finally, there was Nico Robin.
Her bounty had increased to 130 million Berries.
The newspaper once again called her the "Demon Child," branding her as the sole survivor of Ohara and a dangerous criminal who carried the forbidden knowledge needed to decipher the Poneglyphs. According to the World Government, her continued existence alone posed a threat to the entire world.
At the center of it all was their captain.
Golden Lion Shiki.
After killing two Marine Admirals, he had continued fighting against the Marines' remaining forces, including Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the legendary hero Garp.
Despite facing some of the strongest fighters the Navy could gather, he had still left Marineford without suffering any serious injuries.
It was one of the most shocking events in the history of the seas.
People had always believed that even one of the Four Emperors would struggle to face two Admirals at the same time.
Yet Shiki had confronted four of the Navy's greatest powers and killed two of them.
After witnessing such a feat, even the most ambitious pirates began to question themselves.
His bounty had become almost meaningless.
Six billion Berries?
Even if the World Government raised it to ten billion, who would actually dare to stand before him and attempt to claim it?
During the war, tens of thousands of Marines had been wiped out by a single attack. Their blood had spread across the ground, forming a thick crimson layer over the battlefield.
Who would willingly throw away their life by challenging someone capable of such destruction?
In the end, neither the Whitebeard Pirates nor the Marines could truly be called the victor of the Summit War.
There had only been one true winner.
Shiki.
Even the World Government and the Five Elders had begun forming one plan after another to deal with him.
There was no doubt about it.
The person they wanted dead more than anyone else was Shiki.
However, after devising several different strategies, the Five Elders were forced to admit that none of them were reliable.
Even if they gathered enough powerful fighters to surround and kill him, who could guarantee that Shiki would remain there and fight?
If the situation turned against him, he could simply fly away.
And once he escaped, there was no question about what would happen next.
He would retaliate against the World Government, without hesitation.
The possibility alone was enough to make the Five Elders cautious.
For that reason, although the matter remained at the center of their discussions, they had yet to find a solution.
Meanwhile, Sengoku, the man responsible for overseeing the war, had already intended to retire once the battle ended.
His original plan had been to recommend either Aokiji or Akainu as the next Fleet Admiral.
However, no one could have imagined that both Admirals would lose their lives at Marineford.
Now, the entire Navy had fallen into a grim and uncertain mood.
Their forces had suffered devastating losses.
Two Admirals were dead.
Their headquarters had been destroyed.
And the man responsible had escaped untouched.
As if the situation were not already bad enough, another headache soon appeared.
Big News Morgans publicly announced that Shiki would take Whitebeard's vacant position as one of the Four Emperors.
He also declared Shiki the new Strongest Man in the World.
The news caused another wave of chaos across the seas.
Countless pirates immediately set sail, hoping to find Shiki and join his crew.
His strength alone was enough to attract them, but there was another reason for their sudden enthusiasm.
Shiki possessed the ability to take Devil Fruits from the dead.
Many pirates believed that if they entered his service, they might someday be rewarded with a powerful Devil Fruit of their own.
Of course, when Shiki read the newspaper, he merely smiled in disdain.
"The Four Emperors?"
Perhaps to others, that title represented the highest level of fame and power on the seas.
But after the entire world had watched what he accomplished at Marineford, the title no longer held much meaning for him.
If anything, it seemed beneath him.
Still, he could not control what the world chose to call him.
After leaving Marineford, Shiki had flown directly toward the Whitebeard Pirates.
There were several matters he intended to discuss with them.
It was one of the reasons he had allowed Marco to take Whitebeard's body away from the battlefield.
And now, it was time to settle those matters.
...
On Fish-Man Island, the three women stared at the newspaper in silence.
Nami's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"Three hundred million?! What did I even do to deserve that much?!"
"And what is this nonsense about me enslaving Fish-Men?! I should charge Morgans for ruining my reputation!"
Vivi gripped the newspaper so tightly that it crumpled in her hands.
"They said I tried to assassinate my father... How dare they spread such a cruel lie!"
Robin calmly sipped her coffee, a faint smile touching her lips.
"One hundred and thirty million... It seems they still fear the Demon Child."
"But compared to the captain's bounty, ours looks almost modest."
Robin's next words nearly made Nami collapse on the spot.
"Maybe it is already too late. The entire world now knows that our captain can take Devil Fruit powers from the dead. Pirates will come after us, and after what happened at Marineford, the Navy will never stop hunting us."
Nami's face turned pale.
"Why would you say something that terrifying so calmly?!"
Robin chuckled softly.
"Perhaps someone is already planning to attack us."
She took another peaceful sip of her coffee.
"We could be surrounded, captured, and killed at any moment."
"Stop it! ROBIN!" Nami screamed.
Robin had only been teasing Nami.
Unfortunately, somewhere else on Fish-Man Island, her grim little joke was already becoming reality.
Far from where Nami, Vivi, and Robin were staying, Hody Jones sat before the officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates. An open newspaper lay on the table between them, with Shiki's face covering the front page.
"The Golden Lion went to Marineford alone and left his crew on this island," Hody said, tapping one finger against the newspaper. "He practically handed us the perfect opportunity."
Dosun blinked.
"You mean we're going after those women, dosun?"
"That's right."
Hody's sharp teeth showed as he grinned.
"We will capture those women and keep them alive. Once they're in our hands, we send a message to Shiki."
Zeo narrowed his eyes beneath his hat.
"So the mighty Golden Lion becomes our pawn without even realizing he has been defeated."
"If he wants his crew back, he'll do exactly as we say," Hody continued. "With that monster carrying out our orders, no human on the surface will dare oppose us—not the Marines, not the World Government, not even their precious kings."
Dosun scratched his head.
"But what if he refuses, dosun?"
Hody reached into the bowl on the table and picked up several Energy Steroids.
"Then we send one of them back to him."
His fingers closed around the pills.
"One piece at a time."
The officers grinned, pleased with the plan.
Not one of them considered the obvious problem.
Taking Shiki's crew hostage would never make him kneel.
It would only invite their death.
Not long after reading the newspaper, Nami, Vivi, and Robin were escorted to the audience chamber of Ryugu Palace.
King Neptune sat upon the throne, with the ministers of the kingdom gathered nearby.
Though he welcomed the three women with proper courtesy, the uneasiness on his face was difficult to hide.
"First, allow me to thank you for causing no trouble during your stay," Neptune said. "You are guests of Fish-Man Island, and you will be treated as such."
Vivi immediately recognized the careful distance in his words.
"We appreciate your hospitality, King Neptune."
Neptune nodded, but his expression remained troubled.
"However... after what happened at Marineford, your captain has become the most feared pirate on the seas. The World Government will not ignore anyone connected to him."
He paused and glanced toward the windows overlooking the island.
"If they learn that the Golden Lion's crew is staying here, Fish-Man Island may be dragged into a conflict it cannot afford."
Nami frowned slightly.
"So that's what this is about."
Before Neptune could respond, Robin smiled calmly.
"You need not worry, we only came here because our captain instructed us to remain somewhere safe while he went to Marineford."
She placed her cup down gently.
"Now that the war is over and we know he is unharmed, we will leave as soon as he returns."
Neptune's shoulders relaxed a little.
"I see. Then I hope he returns quickly."
"There is one thing I would like to ask before we leave," Robin continued.
Neptune immediately became cautious again.
"And what would that be?"
"I heard there is a Poneglyph on this island."
The entire chamber fell silent.
Neptune stared at Robin for several moments. As the sole survivor of Ohara, there was no need to ask why she wanted to see it.
"That stone is connected to the history of this kingdom," he said slowly. "It is not something we normally show to outsiders."
"I understand," Robin replied. "I only wish to read what was left behind. I have no intention of damaging it or bringing trouble to your people."
Neptune hesitated.
Refusing a member of Shiki's crew was not a decision he could make lightly. More importantly, Robin had spoken honestly and had shown no hostility since arriving on the island.
At last, he released a long breath.
"Very well. I will have someone escort you to the Sea Forest."
Robin's smile deepened slightly.
"Thank you, King Neptune."
Once the audience ended, the three women went their separate ways.
Robin departed for the Sea Forest under the guidance of a palace guard, eager to examine the ancient stone and discover what message had been left upon it.
Nami, meanwhile, stretched her arms above her head as soon as they left the palace.
"Well..."
She turned toward the glittering streets below with a grin.
"I'm going shopping."
Vivi looked at her suspiciously.
"You do remember that we are pirates with enormous bounties now, don't you?"
"That has nothing to do with having some fun."
Nami caught Vivi by the wrist and pulled her toward the city before she could object.
For days, all three of them had remained tense, unable to do anything but wait for news from Marineford.
Now that Shiki was safe, they could finally breathe again.
Even if only for a little while, they decided to enjoy the brilliant coral streets, drifting bubbles, and strange beauty of Fish-Man Island.
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