The sun rose over Green Bit.
Vice Admiral Momonga groaned. He opened his eyes. He stared at a canopy of green leaves. He sat up quickly, gripping his head. His uniform was torn, but his bones felt intact.
He looked around. Vice Admiral Bastille lay nearby, snoring softly. The CP0 agents rested in the grass.
And right in the center of the clearing, Donquixote Doflamingo lay bound in heavy Seastone chains.
Momonga stood up. He walked toward the edge of the island. He remembered the battle. He remembered the destruction. He remembered the giants. But the jungle around him stood perfectly whole. The trees were tall. The ground lacked craters.
Admiral Fujitora sat on a fallen log near the shore. He held a bowl of noodles. He ate quietly.
"Admiral," Momonga called out, walking forward. "The Straw Hats. They escaped."
"They did," Fujitora replied. He swallowed his noodles. He set the bowl down. "They left the Warlord for us."
"The island," Momonga said, gesturing around him. "The damage is gone. How?"
"The magician," Fujitora stated. "He snapped his fingers. The land repaired itself. Do not ask me how. I cannot see it, and I do not understand it. It happened, and then they left."
Momonga gritted his teeth. "We must pursue them."
"No," Fujitora said. He stood up. He grabbed his cane. "We have a different duty today. Secure the Warlord. Wake the men. We are going to Dressrosa. We need to hear the truth from the citizens."
Two hours later, the Marines crossed the iron bridge into Dressrosa.
The city was a ruin, but the people were awake. Citizens cleared rubble. Families hugged, crying over reunions ten years in the making.
Fujitora walked through the streets. He listened.
He heard a mother weeping, holding a daughter she had forgotten for a decade. He heard men cursing the Donquixote Family for turning them into tin soldiers. He heard the horror stories of the underground port, the slave labor, and the stolen memories.
Fujitora's grip on his cane tightened.
He walked to the King's Plateau.
King Riku sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Kyros stood beside him. The royal guards tensed when the Marine Admiral approached.
"Stand down," King Riku ordered his guards. He looked at Fujitora. "Admiral. You have come."
Fujitora stopped. "King Riku. I have walked through your city. I have listened to your people."
"Then you know the truth," Riku said. His voice carried deep exhaustion. "The World Government placed a demon on my throne. They gave him the title of Warlord. They gave him immunity."
"They did," Fujitora agreed.
Fujitora turned his head. He spoke to a Marine captain standing behind him. "Bring the visual Transponder Snails. Connect them to the neighboring islands. Connect them to the global feed."
The captain blinked. "Sir? We usually require authorization from Marineford to—"
"Do it," Fujitora commanded.
The Marines scrambled. They set up three large visual snails in the center of the courtyard. The snails hummed, projecting their feed to screens across the world.
Fujitora faced King Riku.
"The Marines are supposed to be the shield of the innocent," Fujitora spoke. His voice carried clearly over the snails, broadcasting to every corner of the sea. "We claim to uphold justice. But here, in Dressrosa, we failed. The World Government allowed a pirate to steal your kingdom. We turned a blind eye to your suffering."
King Riku stood up. He did not know what the Admiral planned.
Fujitora dropped to his knees.
The marble stones cracked slightly under the weight of his guilt. The Admiral pressed his forehead against the ground. He bowed deeply before the deposed king.
"On behalf of the World Government, and on behalf of the Marines," Fujitora announced to the world. "I apologize. We allowed this atrocity to happen. We did not save you. The pirates saved you. I am deeply, truly sorry."
The royal guards gasped. Kyros widened his eyes. King Riku stepped back, holding his hands up in shock.
"Admiral!" Riku stammered. "Please! You cannot kneel! The world is watching!"
"Let them watch," Fujitora kept his head pressed to the stone. "The world must see the truth. The Warlord system is a failure. And we bear the blame."
Thousands of miles away.
Marineford.
The Fleet Admiral's office smelled of burning sulfur.
Sakazuki sat behind his desk. He stared at a visual Transponder Snail. The snail displayed the image of Admiral Fujitora kneeling in the dirt before King Riku.
Sakazuki's face twisted into a mask of pure rage.
The desk beneath his hands began to melt. Lava dripped from his knuckles, burning holes into the thick rug.
"ISSHO!" Sakazuki roared.
He grabbed the communication snail on his desk. He yelled into the receiver.
"What do you think you are doing?!" Sakazuki screamed. The snail trembled in his grip. "You are an Admiral of the Marine Headquarters! You represent the absolute justice of the World Government! You do not kneel to a fallen king! You do not apologize on live broadcast!"
Fujitora's calm voice answered through the snail. "I spoke the truth, Fleet Admiral. We failed them."
"We cover our failures!" Sakazuki shouted. "We dictate the truth! You have shamed the Marines! You have shattered our authority!"
"I cannot blind myself to the suffering of these people," Fujitora replied. "Even if I lack eyes."
"And the Straw Hat Pirates?!" Sakazuki demanded, smoke pouring from his mouth. "Why are they not in chains?! Why did you not arrest them?!"
"They escaped," Fujitora said simply.
"YOU LET THEM GO!" Sakazuki slammed his fist on the desk. The wood caught fire. "You let the son of Dragon walk away! You let them claim the glory of taking down Doflamingo!"
"They fought the battle," Fujitora countered. "We did not."
"I do not care about your personal honor!" Sakazuki roared. "Listen to me, Issho. You are forbidden from stepping foot in Marineford. You are banned from all Marine bases. Do not come back until you bring me the heads of Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar Law! Do you hear me?!"
"I hear you perfectly, Sakazuki," Fujitora answered. The line clicked dead.
Sakazuki threw the snail against the wall. The shell shattered.
He breathed heavily. Lava dripped from his chin. He pressed a button on his intercom.
"Brannew!" Sakazuki barked. "Get in here!"
Commodore Brannew rushed into the office a moment later. He carried a stack of files. He avoided the burning holes in the floor.
"Fleet Admiral," Brannew saluted.
"Draft the bounties," Sakazuki ordered. He sat down heavily in his chair. "The Straw Hat Pirates. All of them. We update their posters today."
Brannew opened his files. "Yes, sir. Based on the reports from Dressrosa, the alliance of Trafalgar Law and Monkey D. Luffy brought down the Donquixote Family. Luffy defeated the Heavenly Demon in single combat."
"Make Monkey D. Luffy's bounty one point two billion," Sakazuki stated.
Brannew paused. His pen hovered over the paper. "Over a billion, sir? He is only a rookie."
"He possesses Conqueror's Haki. He is Dragon's son. He toppled a Warlord with ease, and I know what his true power is. Make it one point two billion."
"Understood." Brannew wrote it down. "Roronoa Zoro. He held off Admiral Fujitora for several hours."
"Eight hundred million," Sakazuki growled.
"Black Leg Sanji," Brannew continued. "We have received a special request from Germa regarding his poster."
Sakazuki scoffed. "Vinsmoke Judge is pulling strings. Fine. Make it seven hundred and ninety million. But change the condition. 'Alive Only'."
"Yes, sir. Next is the magician. Ben."
Sakazuki crossed his arms. "He is dangerous. He plays tricks with reality. Seven hundred million for the magician."
Brannew nodded. "Nico Robin. Six hundred million."
"Agreed. She reads the Poneglyphs. She is a constant threat."
"Ariel the Eagle."
Sakazuki glared at the photo. He did not know it was Princess Vivi. "Give the bird woman five hundred and fifty million."
"Cat Burglar Nami," Brannew read. "Four hundred and fifty million."
"The giants," Sakazuki noted. "Dorry and Brogy receive seven hundred and fifty million each. Oimo and Kashii receive six hundred and eighty million each."
"Jewelry Bonney," Sakazuki growled. "Five hundred million."
Then they calculated other Straw Hat Pirate bounties.
"Wait," Sakazuki raised his hand.
He stared at the desk. The lava cooled into black rock.
Sakazuki remembered a battlefield. He remembered Thriller Bark. He remembered a long-nosed sniper standing on a wall. He remembered the sniper annoying him.
Sakazuki had waited for this moment. The Straw Hat crew had stayed under the radar. But now, he was part of the crew that toppled Dressrosa.
"God Usopp," Sakazuki whispered.
Brannew checked his notes. "Ah, yes. The sniper. Our reports indicate a massive uprising in Dressrosa attributed to him. Thousands of pirates and gladiators swear loyalty to him. They call him a deity. He appears to be the central charismatic figure behind their grand fleet."
"One billion," Sakazuki said.
Brannew dropped his pen. "Sir? One billion? For the sniper?"
"One billion," Sakazuki repeated, his voice dropping into a lethal register. "And set the condition to 'Alive Only'."
Brannew blinked. "Alive only? Sir, he is a pirate commander. Why capture him alive?"
"Because," Sakazuki growled, squeezing his molten fist. "I want him brought to me. I want to execute my absolute justice personally. I will punch a hole straight through his chest. I will make an example out of that lying, disrespectful brat. Issue the bounty."
Brannew swallowed hard. He picked his pen up. "Yes, Fleet Admiral. I will send the posters to the printers immediately."
The News Coo birds flew across the world. They carried newspapers and bounty posters. They dropped them on islands, ships, and naval bases.
East Blue.
Dawn Island. Foosha Village.
The Party's Bar overflowed with people.
Mayor Woop Slap stood on a table. He held a newspaper in his hand. His face turned completely red.
"One point two billion!" the mayor yelled. He hit his cane against the floor. "That idiot boy! He defeated a Warlord! He is bringing shame to our peaceful village! The Marines will target us!"
Makino stood behind the bar. She wiped a glass with a towel. She looked at the poster pinned to the wall. Luffy's face grinned back at her, showing all his teeth.
Makino smiled softly. "He looks happy. He looks free."
In the mountains behind the village, a bandit hideout echoed with loud wailing.
Curly Dadan sat on the wooden floor. She held the bounty poster in her massive hands. She wore a pink handkerchief over her face. She sobbed uncontrollably.
Dogra and Magra stood nearby, cheering and drinking ale.
"He did it!" Dogra laughed. "Our boys are big shots in the New World!"
"I'm not crying!" Dadan screamed, tears soaking the handkerchief. "I hope the Marines catch those little brats! I hope they throw him in jail! Why did they have to get so famous?!"
She hugged the posters of Luffy and Ace tightly to her chest, sobbing harder.
East Blue.
Shimotsuki Village.
Inside the Isshin Dojo, the sound of wooden swords clashing filled the air. Young students practiced their swings.
Koushirou stood on the wooden veranda. He wore his glasses and his simple kimono. He held a freshly delivered newspaper.
He flipped past the headline. He pulled out the bounty posters.
He found Roronoa Zoro. Eight hundred million Belli.
The picture showed Zoro biting down on Shisui, his single eye glaring forward. He looked hardened. He looked like a master of his craft.
Koushirou smiled softly. His eyes formed gentle crescents.
"You walk a difficult path, Zoro," Koushirou whispered to the wind. "You carry the weight of two ambitions. Do not lose your way."
He folded the paper. He turned back to his students.
"Straighten your backs!" Koushirou called out. "Put your spirit into the blade!"
East Blue.
Syrup Village.
A large mansion sat on a hill. Inside a quiet study, Kaya sat at a desk. She read a thick medical textbook. She wore a simple white dress. She looked healthy.
The door burst open.
Merry ran into the room. The butler held a stack of bounty posters. He panted, out of breath.
"Miss Kaya!" Merry gasped. "The paper! You must see the paper!"
Kaya closed her book. She took the posters.
She sifted through them. She saw Luffy. She saw Zoro.
Then, she stopped.
She stared at a poster. It showed Usopp. He wore his goggles. He had his chest puffed out. He stood in front of a massive crowd of cheering pirates.
The name read: "God Usopp."
The bounty read: 1,000,000,000 Belli.
Below the bounty, the text read: ALIVE ONLY.
Kaya covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes widened.
Outside the window, loud shouting echoed across the lawn.
Ninjin, Piiman, and Tamanegi ran across the grass. The three teenagers carried wooden swords and wore Usopp Pirate armbands.
"HE IS A GOD!" Ninjin yelled, waving the newspaper above his head.
"CAPTAIN USOPP COMMANDS THOUSANDS!" Piiman cheered.
"HE IS WORTH A BILLION BELLI!" Tamanegi cried, tears of joy streaming down his face. "HE WAS NEVER LYING! ALL HIS STORIES WERE TRUE!"
Kaya looked back at the poster. She traced Usopp's face with her finger. She smiled, a deep, genuine smile of pride.
"You really became a brave warrior of the sea, Usopp," Kaya whispered.
East Blue.
Cocoyashi Village.
Genzo marched down the dirt road. The pinwheel on his hat spun furiously. He held a crumpled bounty poster in his fist.
He kicked open the door to Belle-mere's old house.
"Look at this!" Genzo roared.
Nojiko sat at the kitchen table. She peeled an orange. She looked up.
Genzo slammed the poster onto the table. It showed Nami. She held her Clima-Tact, lightning sparking from the tip. She looked confident. She looked dangerous.
"Four hundred and fifty million Belli!" Genzo yelled, his face turning purple. "The Marines are putting a target on her back! Every bounty hunter in the world will chase my daughter! I will write a letter to the Navy Headquarters! I will demand they retract this!"
Nojiko picked up the poster. She examined the picture.
Nami wore a new outfit. She looked strong. She didn't look like a scared girl drawing maps in a dark room.
Nojiko laughed. She handed the poster back to Genzo.
"She looks happy, Genzo," Nojiko said. "She's traveling the world. She's fighting for her friends. Don't write a letter. Frame the poster."
Genzo huffed. He crossed his arms. He looked away, trying to hide the proud tears forming in his eyes.
East Blue.
The Baratie.
The ocean-going restaurant rocked gently on the waves. The dining room bustled with customers.
In the kitchen, chaos reigned.
Patty and Carne stood over a boiling pot. They stared at a bounty poster pinned to the wooden cabinet.
"Seven hundred and ninety million," Patty grunted. He chopped a carrot violently. "That little eggplant. He thinks he's so tough."
Carne crossed his arms. "Did you read the condition? 'Alive Only'. What does that mean? Did he piss off some noble?"
"Probably hit on a princess and got caught," Patty laughed.
Zeff stood at the pass. The old chef folded his arms. He wore his tall chef's hat. He looked at the poster. He looked at the drawn picture of Sanji, kicking fire into the air.
Zeff didn't smile. He didn't laugh. He simply nodded once.
"Keep cooking," Zeff ordered gruffly. "The customers are waiting."
But internally, Zeff felt a swell of pride. The boy he raised was surviving the New World.
Grand Line.
Alabasta Kingdom.
The royal gardens of Alubarna bloomed. Palm trees provided shade. Fountains flowed with clear water.
King Nefertari Cobra walked briskly along the stone path. He stood tall, his muscles dense and his lungs clear. Ben's Super Soldier Serum coursed through his veins, reversing his illness, which he had recently gotten entirely. He felt thirty years younger.
A young woman walked beside him. She had long, light blue hair. She wore a royal gown. She moved with perfect, calculated grace.
Neo-Vivi.
The android duplicate Ben had forged. She served as the public face of the princess while the real Vivi sailed the seas.
Footsteps pounded on the stone behind them.
"Your Majesty!"
Igaram sprinted down the path. The royal guard captain carried a newspaper. He breathed heavily. His signature curls bounced with every step.
"Igaram," Cobra stopped. "What is it?"
Igaram held up a bounty poster. "The news from Dressrosa. The Straw Hats defeated Doflamingo. And... and Princess Vivi's alias bounty."
Cobra took the poster.
Ariel the Eagle. Five hundred and fifty million Belli.
The picture showed a red-haired woman holding a silver spear, blue flames erupting from her shoulders.
Cobra stared at the picture. He touched the paper.
"Five hundred and fifty million," Cobra murmured. He threw his head back and laughed. His healthy lungs projected the sound across the garden. "My daughter! A notorious pirate! The Marines tremble before her!"
Igaram pulled at his hair. "Sire! This is a disaster! If the World Government connects Ariel to Alabasta, we will face severe consequences!"
"They won't," Cobra dismissed the concern. He looked at the android beside him. "Vivi is right here."
Neo-Vivi turned her head. Her optical sensors scanned the bounty poster. Her internal processors analyzed the data instantly.
"Subject Ariel identified," Neo-Vivi spoke. Her voice sounded exactly like the real princess. "Bounty assessment: High. Threat level: Escalating. Probability of survival alongside Monkey D. Luffy and Ben: Ninety-nine point nine percent."
Cobra smiled. He patted the android's shoulder.
"She is safe, Igaram," Cobra said, handing the poster back. "Ben is looking after her. Luffy is looking after her. Let her fly."
Grand Line.
Sakura Kingdom (formerly Drum Island).
Snow fell constantly. The massive drum-shaped mountains pierced the clouds.
Inside the castle at the highest peak, Dalton sat at a desk. He wore his heavy fur coat. He signed paperwork.
The door opened.
Dr. Kureha walked in. The elderly doctor wore her sunglasses and a tight crop top despite the freezing temperature. She carried a bottle of plum wine in one hand and a newspaper in the other.
"Hey, King," Kureha cackled. "Want to know the secret to my youth?"
Dalton put his pen down. "I assume you have news, Doctor."
Kureha tossed a small bounty poster onto his desk.
Dalton leaned forward. He saw the picture. It was Chopper, sitting on a log, eating cotton candy.
Tony Tony Chopper. 100 Belli.
Dalton blinked. He looked at Kureha. "One hundred Belli? Did they miss some zeros?"
Kureha took a swig of plum wine. She wiped her mouth.
"The World Government is full of idiots," Kureha laughed loudly. "They still think my son is a pet. Let them underestimate him. He is a doctor. He cures diseases they haven't even named yet. When the time comes, that reindeer will shock the world."
She turned and walked out of the office, laughing into the snowy wind.
Grand Line.
G-5 Marine Base.
Thick cigar smoke filled the commanding officer's room.
Vice Admiral Smoker sat with his boots on his desk. He smoked two cigars simultaneously. He held the newspaper in his leather-gloved hands.
Captain Tashigi stood by the window. She wore a Marine captain's coat draped over her shoulders. She wore a white shirt and dark trousers. She kept her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, Shigure.
"Fujitora apologized," Smoker puffed out a cloud of smoke. "He actually got on his knees and apologized to the whole world."
Tashigi looked out the window. "The World Government will try to bury it."
"They will," Smoker agreed. "Akainu will throw a fit. But the truth is out. Issho has guts. I'll give him that."
Smoker tossed the stack of bounty posters onto the desk.
Tashigi turned around. She walked over to the desk. She ignored Luffy's poster. She ignored Ben's poster.
She picked up the poster for Roronoa Zoro.
Eight hundred million Belli.
Tashigi stared at the picture. Zoro held three swords. He looked dangerous.
Tashigi tightened her grip on Shigure.
"He is getting stronger," Tashigi muttered.
Smoker looked at her. "He held off an Admiral. He is out of your league right now, Captain."
The New World.
An uncharted island.
Portgas D. Ace sat on a large wooden chair on the beach. He wore his trademark orange hat and no shirt. The Whitebeard tattoo spanned his back proudly.
Marco the Phoenix walked across the sand. He held a newspaper.
"Ace," Marco called out. He tossed the paper onto Ace's lap. "Your little brother is making waves."
Ace picked up the paper. He read the headline. "Straw Hat Luffy Defeats Doflamingo."
Ace's eyes widened. He grabbed the bounty posters tucked inside the paper. He saw the one point two billion bounty.
Ace threw his head back. He laughed.
He laughed so hard that fire erupted from his shoulders. The flames danced across his arms. He jumped out of his chair.
"Look at this!" Ace shouted, running toward the other commanders. "Look at my brother! I told you he was a monster! I told you he would shake the world!"
Jozu crossed his arms, smiling. Vista chuckled, twirling his mustache.
"He took down Joker," Marco noted, leaning against a palm tree. "That changes the balance of the underworld. Kaido relies on Joker for his weapons."
"I don't care about Kaido!" Ace grinned, holding Luffy's poster up like a trophy. "Luffy is going straight to the top! That's my little brother!"
The New World.
Whole Cake Island.
The Sweet City was made entirely of candy. Inside the massive Whole Cake Chateau, Big Mom sat on her throne.
Charlotte Linlin ate a giant croquembouche. She shoved entire pastries into her mouth.
Perospero stood beside her, holding his candy cane. He held a bounty poster.
"Mama," Perospero licked his lips. "Joker fell. The Straw Hats defeated him."
Big Mom chewed. She swallowed loudly. "Joker is gone? That throws a wrench in my weapon shipments. Kaido will be furious."
"Indeed," Perospero said. "But look at this bounty. Black Leg Sanji. Seven hundred and ninety million. Alive Only."
Big Mom took the poster. She looked at the 'Alive Only' condition. She grinned. Her massive, terrifying smile stretched across her face.
"Vinsmoke," Big Mom rumbled. "Judge wants the alliance desperately."
"Shall we proceed with the arrangement, Mama?" Perospero asked.
Big Mom laughed. "Ma ma ma ma! Yes! A political marriage! The Vinsmoke cloning technology belongs to me! Send the invitation to Straw Hats! Tell Judge we will host a Tea Party! The Straw Hat cook will marry my daughter!"
The New World.
Onigashima.
The skull dome echoed with a terrifying roar.
Kaido of the Beasts sat in the center of the main hall. He held a massive gourd of sake. He drank deeply. He pulled the gourd away, spilling alcohol down his chest.
He held a newspaper in his massive hand.
Kaido looked at the headline regarding Doflamingo's defeat.
Tears streamed down Kaido's face. He sobbed loudly, his massive frame shaking.
"Jokerrrrrr!" Kaido wailed, crying like a heartbroken child. "You weak fool! Why did you lose?! We were going to build an army!"
He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. He took another massive gulp of sake.
"My animal fruits!" Kaido cried. "My entire supply! Ruined! Because you couldn't handle a rookie!"
Kaido's sadness vanished instantly.
The tears stopped. His eyes hardened into glowing, demonic slits. His rage erupted.
Kaido crushed the sake gourd in his hand. The wood shattered. The alcohol splashed across the floor.
He stood up. He grabbed his massive kanabo club. He swung it blindly, destroying a stone pillar in a single hit. The ceiling cracked. His subordinates scattered in terror.
"STRAW HAT!" Kaido roared, his voice shaking the entire island of Onigashima. "YOU RUINED MY PLANS! I WILL CRUSH YOU! I WILL BREAK YOUR CREW! BRING HIM TO ME!"
The New World.
A quiet, snowy island.
A ship anchored in a frozen bay. The Red Force.
Red Hair Shanks sat on a snow-covered rock. He wore a thick winter coat over his usual clothes. He held a ceramic cup of warm sake.
Benn Beckman walked up the snowy path. He held the morning paper.
"Boss," Beckman said quietly. He handed the paper to Shanks.
Shanks took it. He unfolded the pages.
He looked at the headline. He looked at the bounties. He saw the one point two billion mark. He saw the picture of Luffy, grinning widely, completely fearless.
Shanks stared at the picture for a long time.
The wind howled around them, blowing snow into the air.
Shanks raised his sake cup. He took a slow sip.
He looked at the bounty poster again. A wide, genuine smile spread across his face.
"You're getting close, Luffy," Shanks whispered. "It's almost time for us to meet."