A few suppressed laughs escaped in the conference room, quickly stifled by the increasingly solemn atmosphere.
Everyone knew the main event was coming.
"Next, one of the primary figures behind the Enies Lobby incident!"
Brannew adopted an extremely serious expression as he posted Robin's new wanted poster.
"Devil Child, Nico Robin! The sole survivor of Ohara. An archaeologist capable of deciphering the Poneglyphs! Following CP9's interrogations and analysis by our intelligence division, we strongly suspect this woman may have obtained key information—or even the location—of the Ancient Weapon Pluton. Her danger level now far exceeds her ability to simply read the Poneglyphs! Accordingly, her bounty is raised from 79 million Berry to 140 million Berry!"
"And the abducted princess, Nefertari Vivi!"
Brannew posted the eye-catching 500 million Berry wanted poster. "Princess of the Alabasta Kingdom. Bounty remains 500 million Berry. The conditions remain unchanged: she must be taken alive. However, based on available intelligence, Princess Vivi may not be merely a captive but may have formed a cooperative relationship with the Straw Hats. We have already begun investigating this matter with the King of Alabasta. Therefore, while the alive capture condition remains, if she actively attacks during an encounter or safe capture proves impossible, necessary measures may be taken depending on the circumstances!"
Finally, the atmosphere in the room reached its peak.
"Finally, this man!"
Brannew took a deep breath and slammed his fist against the edge of the wanted poster with a dull thud.
"Straw Hat Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy! Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates!"
"His bounty is raised from 200 million Berry to 660 million Berry!"
660 million?
The room's occupants stared at the young man in the wanted poster.
In the age of the Pirate King, and in the current age that followed, this was the highest bounty ever issued in the first half of the Grand Line.
Forget the Emperors.
Even Gol D. Roger, at this stage of his journey, had never done anything so audacious or received such a high bounty!
Storming Enies Lobby. Escaping from a Buster Call. And most importantly—being able to fight an Admiral head-on. Aokiji himself had acknowledged Luffy's strength.
Any one of these would elevate his threat level to the maximum.
Moreover, some of the more top Vice Admirals present—such as Momonga and Doberman—had learned through Aokiji or other channels that this man possessed the qualities of a king—found in only one in a million!
660 million berries!
This figure shattered the ceiling for bounties in the first half of the Grand Line. It was a bounty reserved for the most top pirates who roamed the New World.
And when you examined the Straw Hats' composition:
A captain with kingly qualities. A swordsman, chef, navigator, sniper, archaeologist, and doctor—each competent in their roles. Balanced strength with immense potential.
This didn't look like a ragtag group of ordinary pirates. Instead, it resembled a crew famous in the New World for balanced officer strength and exceptional cohesion—an iron wall of a pirate crew.
Could this be another Red Hair Pirates?!
A chill spread through the Vice Admirals' hearts.
That would be an Emperor crew.
Meanwhile, at the peak of world power—Holy Land Mary Geise, Pangea Castle, the Chamber of Authority.
Five sat figures or stood, dressed in black suits. Their bearing was either majestic, refined, fierce, steady, or ethereal—but all radiated the absolute authority that controlled the world.
They were the World Government's highest authority—the Five Elders.
The latest internal Marine report, along with the 660 million bounty poster, lay on the table before them.
"So, Red Hair is making moves as well?"
The bald Elder who carried the Shodai Kitetsu tapped his fingers lightly on the sofa armrest, his tone unreadable.
The Marine officer reporting below kept his head bowed, not daring to meet their eyes: "Yes. According to our intelligence, while Red Hair Shanks himself has not personally moved, his forces are unusually active at sea, operating through dispatched envoys. Their target appears to be the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Whitebeard?"
The handsome blond Elder frowned slightly. "Contact between Whitebeard—the strongest pirate in the world—and Red Hair, the most unpredictable of them all, would be too dangerous."
"Indeed."
The Elder with the birthmark on his forehead agreed. "Red Hair, though seemingly carefree, possesses vision and depth far beyond ordinary pirates. Any action of his could upset the balance of the entire sea."
The Elder with long white curly hair spoke slowly: "However, he is not a man who would easily upset the world's pattern for personal gain. His actions usually have deeper purposes. For now, we should avoid precipitate action and observe closely."
The reporting Marine departed.
"Now, the most important issue is him."
The final Elder—wearing a black flat cap with a mustache—turned his gaze to the bounty poster on the table.
All their eyes focused on the photograph.
Gear Fifth: Nika Form Luffy!
"Monkey D. Luffy." The bald Elder with the Shodai Kitetsu spoke the name, a hint of solemnity in his voice. "The D. clan. And that fruit whose name we have hidden for centuries."
"This photograph cannot circulate."
The blond Elder said decisively. "We have already used our authority to ensure the wanted posters distributed worldwide use his ordinary appearance. Nika's form and name must be suppressed."
"The Will of D. The natural enemy of the gods. The fruit that bears the name of the Sun God, symbolizing liberation and freedom. And now all of it resides in one man." The Elder with the birthmark spoke low. "His danger level can no longer be ignored."
"Most pirates are impulsive and reckless by nature."
The Elder with white curly hair mused. "Perhaps that fruit, with its own will, saw precisely that quality in this boy?"
"Regardless, this crew must be treated with the highest priority." The flat-capped Elder concluded, his gaze sharp as a hawk. "The appearance of the Nika fruit—especially in this awakened state—poses a huge threat to the foundations of World Government rule."
Particularly in the current context.
Possible contact between two Emperors. Vacancies in the Shichibukai system. The public destruction of Enies Lobby...
The Chamber of Authority fell into a brief silence.
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!