Gion asked curiously. It was just a casual question, but Tsuru's expression turned grave as she handed her the newspaper.
"Take a look. The world's about to fall into chaos again. This Morgans people really can't stand it when things are peaceful..."
Gion's demeanor grew serious as she accepted the paper. She hadn't even read the contents yet—just the headline was enough to make her frown.
"After Roger's Death, Who Will Become the Next Pirate King?!"
She took a deep breath and continued reading.
The first three names came as no surprise: the three infamous Grand Line pirates—Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Silver Axe. But the fourth name caught her off guard. It was someone the Navy found both unfamiliar and familiar—the Sky Pirates' Yemu.
Gion quickly finished reading and handed the paper back to Tsuru, then asked with a hint of curiosity,
"Is this the World Government's doing?"
It was no wonder she asked. The article's tone of forced praise was far too deliberate.
For one, ranking a pirate who hadn't even entered the New World as fourth—above countless well-known pirates—was already suspicious. But even the way it described the others seemed intentional.
When speaking of Whitebeard, though full of praise, the wording subtly implied that despite his immense strength, he lacked ambition.
When describing Big Mom, it emphasized her uncontrollable emotions and brutality.
As for Silver Axe, it was downright insulting—calling him a relic of the old era, an old man.
Only when it came to Yemu, ranked fourth, was the tone completely different. The entire section overflowed with admiration, praising him as if he were extraordinary. Because of that conversation at the execution platform, the article even went as far as to call him the one who inherited Roger's will.
What surprised Gion even more was Tsuru's response. The Vice Admiral shook her head.
"No. I've already asked the World Government. This isn't their doing. In fact, Morgans' report caused serious conflict between him and the Government."
"Eh?!"
Gion was genuinely shocked.
"So this is Morgans' own opinion?!"
That changed everything.
As the leader of the world's news and intelligence, Morgans' insight was nothing to underestimate.
"Yeah, and that's exactly why everyone's so troubled," said Yamakaji, who had been silent until now.
"Shouldn't that be a good thing? If that's the case, even if the Marines don't take action, the pirates he's put down won't sit still—they'll go after him themselves."
"That's true," Tsuru replied, "but clearly the World Government doesn't want his reputation to spread too far. After the Loguetown incident, Marine Headquarters actually planned to raise his bounty. But when they submitted it, the World Government immediately suppressed it."
"I see..."
Yamakaji nodded in understanding.
Indeed, while the Sky Pirates hadn't done much, every incident they were involved in sent shockwaves across the world—each one striking at the Navy's and the World Government's prestige.
At that point, Vice Admiral Tsuru's expression darkened as she continued.
"The most troublesome thing for our Marines right now is that we simply don't have the manpower to deal with these Sky Pirates."
Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke as she unfolded the newspaper and laid it flat on the small table in front of her.
"These two are far too young—especially that pirate named Yemu. Kuzan has interacted with him before. He told me Yemu is an exceptionally ambitious and decisive young pirate. If we allow them to keep growing, their future will be unpredictable, particularly with the Logia-type abilities they possess."
"Logia-type fruits are already extremely rare, and the highest-grade ones are even more valuable than the Mythical Zoan types. You all know this well. Borsalino, Sakazuki, Kuzan—they're the pinnacle of Logia users. You've all seen firsthand just how terrifying their power and destructive potential can be."
Vice Admiral Tsuru's words brought silence to the room.
As graduates from various generations under Instructor Zephyr, the names Borsalino, Sakazuki, and Kuzan were infamous—nightmares that haunted every cadet who passed through the Marine Academy. The gap between them and the rest was enormous. From the day they enrolled, the three stood on an entirely different level—monsters from the very start.
Of course, their strength came not only from talent but from their relentless training as well. Still, their Logia abilities had given them a tremendous edge. The sheer destructive power of their abilities—the kind that resembled natural disasters—was something no amount of training could replicate.
Vice Admiral Tsuru continued.
"It's only a matter of time before those three become Admirals. And yet, the Sky Pirates possess two equally terrifying Logia users—both with powers not inferior to theirs."
"The Goro Goro no Mi is hailed in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia as the strongest among all Logia fruits, surpassing even Borsalino's Pika Pika no Mi. As for the Mera Mera no Mi, while it's considered a lesser version of Sakazuki's Magu Magu no Mi, that's not entirely true. You've all seen the news from Loguetown—this pirate Yemu has developed the Mera Mera no Mi to an incredible degree."
She paused for a moment, then spoke again.
"If they were just a pair of arrogant fools relying solely on their Devil Fruit powers, that would be one thing. But according to the intelligence from Kuzan and Borsalino, their Observation and Armament Haki are outstanding, and their physical combat skills are on par as well. What's more, that pirate Yemu possesses Conqueror's Haki."
"What makes it even worse," Tsuru continued, her voice low, "is that from Kuzan's intel, this pirate Yemu is clearly a man of great intelligence and strategy. It's been two weeks since they left Loguetown, yet neither we nor the World Government have been able to locate them. That alone proves they're bold, but also extremely cautious. And that type is always the most dangerous."
"To make matters worse, there's now the fishman Fisher Tiger. That man is a legendary hero of Fish-Man Island, and his combat power is anything but weak."
"If we don't take this opportunity to eliminate them now, I fear the future Morgans described in his news report might very well come true..."
None of the officers present had ever seen Vice Admiral Tsuru so serious before. This was a stark contrast to the calm and composed demeanor she was known for.
Seeing this, Gion tried to offer some comfort.
"I believe justice will always triumph over evil. The Marines will definitely wipe out these pirates."
Tsuru let out a long sigh.
"Let's hope so."
Seeing that everyone was clearly exhausted, she decided to end the meeting.
"Everyone, go rest. The road ahead is still long."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The officers nodded and prepared to leave. They were truly worn out—after all, fighting pirates every day would wear down even someone made of iron.
But just then, a Marine suddenly rushed in.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru! Representatives from the World Government have arrived!"
At once, a sense of unease spread through the room.
Those despicable bureaucrats showing up here could only mean trouble.
And when Tsuru saw who was leading them—Spandine, the same man she'd met back in Loguetown—her frown deepened even further.
Spandine, on the other hand, was in high spirits. Seeing the woman who had embarrassed him back in Loguetown made him feel triumphant.
Without wasting a breath, he spoke arrogantly.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, by order of the Five Elders, the Marines are to cooperate with us in capturing the Sky Pirates..."