"Vice Admiral Onigumo!"
Doberman's face darkened as he listened to the report.
Even in the New World, a vice admiral wouldn't fall so easily—unless it was in the middle of a massive war.
The Marineford War was proof of this. Vice admirals were high-level combatants.
But now, not only had Onigumo been defeated, but the prisoners and treasures aboard the Marine ships had been completely seized by Moris and his men.
Most of the Marines were severely wounded.
Was Moris really that powerful?
How had he taken down Onigumo in such a short time?
Had he reached the strength of an admiral or a quasi-admiral?
Otherwise, how could this be possible?!
"Where is Crocodile?" Doberman's voice was laced with murderous intent.
"He just arrived. Moris has already escaped," the Marine on the other end reported.
"Dammit!"
Doberman couldn't help but suspect Crocodile's role in all of this.
Had he deliberately delayed his arrival?
Did he and Moris have an agreement?
There was no evidence—yet.
But the timing was too suspicious.
Crocodile's ship was right in front of him, arriving at the same time as his own.
If he had truly been in pursuit, how could his speed match Doberman's?
The most likely explanation was that he had been stalling.
"Cease pursuit. Regroup and reassess."
Doberman gave the command.
With Moris' strength unknown, he couldn't afford to rush in blindly.
Onigumo was one of the strongest vice admirals, nearly at the level of a quasi-admiral.
Yet he had still died.
---
Marine Headquarters
Fleet Admiral Sengoku listened to Doberman's report in silence, his expression grim.
A high-ranking officers' meeting, presided over by Admiral Kizaru, was about to begin.
At Marine Headquarters, flags were lowered to half-mast in mourning.
Then, the entire meeting erupted in discussion.
Many officers called for an immediate counterattack.
"First, the Intelligence Division will issue a bounty for the 'Bounty King' Moris. While he is undeniably powerful, we must consider the reactions of other pirates and bounty hunters. Based on our risk assessment—taking into account his strength, threat level, and destructive capability—we have set his initial bounty at 350 million Berries. Any objections?"
A vice admiral from the Intelligence Division made the announcement.
"None."
If they could confirm that Moris had personally killed Onigumo, and if they weren't concerned about scaring off bounty hunters, his bounty would have been in the range of 500 to 600 million.
And that estimate was made without absolute confirmation that he had defeated Onigumo alone.
Even so, an initial bounty of 350 million was already exceptionally high.
It couldn't be lowered to 100 or 200 million—the risk he posed far exceeded that range.
And for a first bounty, 350 million would shock the world and the bounty hunting community.
Bounties were not given like leveling up in a game.
They were based on strength and danger.
"Secondly, three vice admirals and four warships will be dispatched to hunt down Moris. He must be captured. If we fail, the Marines' reputation will be in shambles. The details will be arranged after this meeting."
The Intelligence Division continued.
"Additionally, new intelligence has emerged regarding Shichibukai Crocodile."
"According to Vice Admiral Doberman's report, Crocodile must bear some responsibility for Onigumo's death.
"We have reason to believe that Onigumo previously injured or killed one of his subordinates in the Sake Capital. There is a possibility that Crocodile either deliberately delayed his response or even coordinated with Moris to ambush Onigumo.
"This kind of retaliatory behavior cannot be ignored."
"Retaliation? Just because one subordinate was killed? Does he dare to threaten us?"
"Damn the Shichibukai! These pirates are nothing but trouble. The Shichibukai system should be abolished altogether. All pirates should be wiped out!"
A particularly aggressive vice admiral seethed with rage.
"This matter has been reported to the World Government. Their directive is for us to proceed with caution. For now, Crocodile will not be removed from the Shichibukai. However, all officers are advised to be extremely wary of him in future encounters."
"Understood."
"What a troublesome man…"
"There was also a report from Alabasta not long ago, accusing Crocodile of attempting to seize the kingdom."
"Quite terrifying, isn't it?"
"The Shichibukai are becoming increasingly restless.
"He left Alabasta only to get entangled in conflicts among the Shichibukai."
"And now, he's connected to Onigumo's death. "
"He's not someone to take lightly."
Kizaru's drawling tone was casual, but the weight of his words made every officer in the room tense.
"Do we have concrete evidence of his crimes?"
"If we do, we can report it to the World Government and have him arrested and sent to Impel Down immediately."
Many Marines despised the Shichibukai system.
"It has been reported, but there is no definitive proof."
"The World Government considers Crocodile's current strength a valuable deterrent against other pirates."
"For now, he will only receive a formal warning."
The Intelligence Division vice admiral shook his head.
This meant Crocodile would face no real consequences for his inaction.
In fact, his standing with the World Government might have even improved.
"If he wanted to retire peacefully in Alabasta, he should have just stayed there."
"Why venture out to sea again?"
"Is he after something?"
Kizaru mused, puzzled.
But for now, the main priority was capturing Moris.
"I'll personally look into it."
"I'm curious to see just how strong the pirates of today have become."
Kizaru took a sip of tea and made a decision that sent a wave of excitement through the room.
Of course, finding Moris in the vast ocean would not be easy.
His main role would be to supervise.
If he happened to encounter Moris, he would act.
If not, there was little that could be done.
After all, the Grand Line was filled with uncharted islands, secret locations, and extreme weather.
Many islands were beyond the reach of Marine intelligence.
"Now, let's finalize the plans for Moris' bounty and pursuit, as well as our future dealings with Crocodile."
---
The Next Day
A new bounty poster spread across the world.
It sent bounty hunters into a frenzy.
Pirates, too, took notice of a rising new force.
A man who had once dominated the bounty hunting world—
Now the captain of the Bounty Guild Pirates.
The report also contained several mentions of Crocodile, particularly his conflict with the Shichibukai-affiliated pirate Bam.
---
Dressrosa
"Fufufufu…
"That sand crocodile has finally left his little nest."
"What has he been scheming all these years?"
"Did he finally get what he wanted?"
A golden-haired man laughed in his palace, his expression one of intrigue.
"Things are about to get interesting."
"The New World is becoming restless."
"The tides of the era are shifting."
"I suppose I should pay him a visit sometime…"
Doflamingo's grin widened.
"Young Master, Crocodile killed the subordinate of our business partner, the Ghost Liquor Baron."
"Shouldn't we intervene?"
Diamante asked.
"No."
"But send him all the detailed intelligence. We're still business partners, after all. That said, he won't leave his territory so easily. A man who can steal meat from the mouths of the Four Emperors is not one to be fooled. Besides, there's nothing for us to hide. Fufufu…The show is about to begin. Dressrosa is in your hands for now."
"I'm going on a little trip."
---
Meanwhile, in the New World
On Shadow Island, where ominous spirits and monsters roamed—
A massive figure emerged from a pool of blood-red wine.
Hearing his subordinate's report, his voice remained devoid of emotion.
"So Bam is dead too."
"Useless brothers."
"Crocodile is becoming a problem."
"When I have time, I'll rip his head off."
(End of Chapter)
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