Five days later.
Naval Headquarters, Marineford.
In the spacious conference room sat many high-ranking officers of the Navy, all wearing serious expressions.
"It's time to begin the meeting," said Fleet Admiral Sengoku. He sat upright in his chair, his face stern, then turned to his side and ordered: "Brannew, hand out the information."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" replied Brannew. A capable and efficient officer, he quickly distributed the prepared documents.
Sengoku scanned the room of senior leaders and spoke in a deep voice: "The seas have been turbulent lately, and much has occurred."
"The Four Emperors entrenched in the New World continue to expand their territories and recruit more forces. They clearly do not take the Navy seriously. Meanwhile, the Shichibukai—those so-called legal pirates—have also been restless."
Sengoku slammed the desk and declared solemnly: "Dracule Mihawk acts as he pleases, Donquixote Doflamingo traffics arms in the black market, and most troubling of all, the Empress of Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock, has been stirring up chaos."
"Brannew, explain Hancock's recent activities."
Brannew nodded respectfully. "Understood, Fleet Admiral Sengoku." He addressed the gathered generals: "Three days ago, Boa Hancock led the Kuja Pirates from Amazon Lily into the Grand Line."
"Soon after, battles erupted as she began hunting down pirates: Sayonri the Wraith, bounty 83 million; Yamomi the Butcher, bounty 37 million; Aaron of the Black Iron, bounty 11 million…" Brannew listed the names, demonstrating that Navy intelligence remained sharp and current.
"What we must do now is establish communication with her and determine the reason for her sudden move, since she rarely leaves the Calm Belt."
Brannew continued: "In fact, I already contacted her. Her response was that she intends to enter the New World. As for her motivation, she gave no explanation."
Sengoku absorbed the words and said gravely: "She is not only a Shichibukai but also the world's most beautiful woman. If she enters the New World, the seas will boil with turmoil—and that is something we cannot afford."
He looked around at the senior officers and added: "She is a Shichibukai, a legal pirate. She can eliminate other pirates, so we cannot restrain her directly. What we must do is analyze why Boa Hancock is acting so strangely."
Akainu, ever uncompromising, spoke with a hard glare: "Is it truly necessary for so many of us to discuss a mere Boa Hancock?"
"What does it matter if she is a Shichibukai? They are still pirates—filthy scum, the foulest trash on the seas!"
Kizaru leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and casually trimmed his nails, speaking in his usual languid tone: "The Shichibukai do cause a lot of trouble… that's very frightening~~"
Sengoku glanced at both admirals, ignoring their remarks. He disliked their methods of justice—Akainu's absolute justice, which led him to slaughter indiscriminately as in Ohara against refugee ships, and Kizaru's indifferent approach that lacked conviction.
On Akainu's side stood Kizaru. His sense of justice was always uncertain—lazy, unwilling to follow orders, yet when forced to comply, he carried them out in his own peculiar way.
"Hahaha, Sengoku, let's stop talking about this. Would you like a donut?" Garp said cheerfully, biting into one with a wide grin.
The seriousness of the meeting was instantly shattered by his antics.
"Garp!! You fool!" Sengoku glared at him furiously. "Who told you to eat donuts here!"
At that moment, Vice Admiral Doberman rose and addressed the room coldly: "Admiral Akainu is correct. The Shichibukai are nothing but scum. It is pointless to waste time debating them. If those so-called legal pirates dare to overstep, they will be crushed by the hammer of justice and sent straight to Impel Down."
Doberman was a staunch supporter of Akainu, sharing his vision of absolute justice. If Akainu ever sought the position of Fleet Admiral, Doberman would be among his strongest backers. He was like a hawk, waiting for prey to fall. His strength was proven during the Marineford War, where he was one of the few vice admirals able to withstand the attacks of a Yonko.
"I agree with Doberman. There's no need to waste time figuring out the Shichibukai's motives—they're garbage," said Onigumo, puffing on his cigarette. "The Navy is the greatest force on the seas. As for the Shichibukai, they should be eliminated. I strongly support Admiral Akainu. There's no reason to argue further."
Like Doberman, Onigumo followed the path of absolute justice.
"That's right, Admiral Akainu is correct. Let's not concern ourselves with those pirates," echoed other officers, their voices rising one after another.
This chorus revealed Akainu's influence—he was the central figure of absolute justice, a presence that commanded unwavering loyalty.
Meanwhile, the marines who supported Aokiji looked to him, expecting their leader to counter Akainu. None dared speak against Akainu directly, so they placed their hopes on Aokiji.
"I'm watching what's happening. Didn't Fleet Admiral Sengoku say we should discuss it?" Aokiji muttered, stretching his neck and yawning. "But I stayed up too late last night, so I'm sleepy now… I'll take a nap."
With that, he pulled down the mask resting on his forehead, leaned back in his chair, and promptly fell asleep.
His supporters exchanged helpless glances. They were used to his indolent nature—lazy, detached, always appearing half-asleep.
Sengoku sighed, choosing not to scold him. Of the three admirals, Aokiji was the one Sengoku favored most, yet his constant lethargy was a source of endless frustration. Each admiral had his flaws, and none could be called "normal."
"Let me share my opinion," said Staff Officer Tsuru, resting her chin on her hands. The light of wisdom shone in her eyes—her cunning intellect was evident at a glance.
At her words, both Akainu's and Aokiji's supporters fell silent. All respected Tsuru deeply and admired her insight.
"What's your opinion, Tsuru? Let's hear it quickly!" Garp said, laughing loudly as he devoured another donut.
Tsuru ignored him and continued: "Boa Hancock is an extremely proud woman. Her reputation is already unmatched; she has no need to prove herself further. Hunting pirates to raise her fame is not her goal."
"As for aiding the Navy, eliminating bounty targets is not her true purpose either."
Crossing her arms, she declared firmly: "There is only one explanation—she seeks strength. Hancock intends to enter the New World, confront its powers, and rapidly grow stronger. The women of Amazon Lily are warriors; they will never remain idle."
Garp slapped the table, laughing heartily. "Amazing, Tsuru! You're as sharp as ever, wise as always! Bwahahaha!"
Sengoku ignored Garp's antics and nodded.
"Staff Officer Tsuru's words are sound. Boa Hancock clearly harbors new ambitions. She desires strength above all."
"As for her ultimate purpose, we must continue to monitor and investigate."
Kizaru leaned back, legs crossed, and remarked in his drawling tone: "Women these days are so frightening~~"
Akainu's gaze was unwavering as he declared: "If this is the case, we cannot remain idle. In the name of justice, she must be eliminated!"
His supporters nodded in agreement, their voices echoing in unison.
On Aokiji's side, silence reigned. Their leader slept, leaving them powerless to oppose Akainu's faction.
"This is the Navy I joined? They look more like children squabbling over toys," Vice Admiral Gion muttered quietly, watching the scene unfold.
Her disillusionment with the Navy grew, especially toward Akainu. He preached justice, yet his actions resembled those of a pirate cloaked in a marine's uniform.
And in her thoughts lingered the power of Baccarat's Lucky-Lucky Fruit. Its influence had swayed her, pushing her to ally with Drake. Without Drake's overwhelming strength, the fruit's ability would mean little—but together, it was formidable.
Boa Hancock's defiance of the Navy was no secret, yet she showed no fear. She had begun gathering allies even among the marines themselves, and if danger ever struck, it was certain that Drake would come to her aid.
On the Deck of the Black Sun Pirates Ship.
Chirp Chirp
A delivery bird soared across the sky, squawking as if asking those below whether they wanted a newspaper.
"Give me one," Lafitte said with a faint smile, twirling his cane as he looked up.
With a whistle, the white-feathered bird descended onto the railing. It wore a small black cap and carried a reddish-brown bag around its neck for collecting payment.
"Still a hundred Belly?" Lafitte asked politely.
The News Bird nodded silently.
Lafitte placed the coins in the bag, took the newspaper, and said with courtesy: "Safe travels, my friend."
"Quack~~" the bird chirped happily, flapped its wings, and flew off to continue its deliveries.
"The deputy captain is always so polite… what a gentleman," a low-ranking crewman muttered, impressed by Lafitte's demeanor.
Nearby, Burgess was practicing Armament Haki. He grinned and asked, "So, Lafitte, any big news?"
Hawkins remained silent, focused on his own Haki training. Only days earlier, Drake had explained the fundamentals of Haki to him. Hawkins had been astonished—he had never imagined such a power existed. His respect for Drake had grown immensely.
"Eh?" Lafitte froze as he opened the newspaper. On the front page was the image of the world's most beautiful woman—Boa Hancock.
Drake had already told them that the Shichibukai Alliance had gained another member: the Empress of Amazon Lily. And now, here she was, printed in black and white.
"Just as the captain said… the most beautiful woman in the world," Lafitte murmured, admiration swelling in his chest. Everything was unfolding exactly as Drake had predicted, deepening Lafitte's respect for him.
"Shichibukai Boa Hancock… she's in the Newspaperr," Law said casually as he walked over, glancing at the headline.
Hawkins spoke in a low tone: "So it's true. She's the ally the captain mentioned. We'll need to move faster."
Doc Q, coughing as he tinkered with poisons, turned his head and rasped: "Cough… no need to rush. The captain said we'd travel through all four Blues first, gathering enough men before entering the Grand Line…"
"Damn it, I still don't have a bounty!" Burgess complained, throwing up his hands. "Everyone else's rewards keep climbing, but mine hasn't even started. We've crossed South Blue, West Blue, and now North Blue, and not a single decent Marine has shown up. What rotten luck!"