Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru stood silently nearby, as if they were part of the air.
They were inwardly astonished by the Five Elders' terrifying perspective and judgment. With just a few words, they had skipped over holding the Marines accountable for their failure and went straight to the root threat—the Rocks Pirates.
Truly worthy of being the five men standing at the pinnacle of world power, they had immediately grasped the core of the problem with a single glance.
The blond, short-bearded Elder looked at the three of them and spoke gravely:
"The Marines are, after all, the face of the World Government, and Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp are the next generation's leaders."
"If we place all the blame on them, Marine Headquarters will lose its future pillars. That is something we do not wish to see."
These words brought a measure of relief to the three.
At the very least, the Five Elders were still willing to give them a chance.
"The Marines' previous decision to gradually shift their focus to the New World is commendable."
"But it is not enough. Go back and inform Kong to recall Admirals 'Zhu Yan' and 'Qiongqi.' Let them shine for the Marines and the World Government one last time before they retire."
"As for the new Officer of the Rocks Pirates, Raiver Sky..."
"Issue a Bounty Order. The bounty is tentatively set at—2.5 billion Belly!"
Hearing this, the three were inwardly shaken. It was exactly as the Fleet Admiral had estimated.
This clearly showed how much importance the Five Elders placed on Raiver Sky.
"Additionally,"
the blond, short-bearded Elder added,
"Notify CP0 to intensify their infiltration and intelligence gathering on the Rocks Pirates."
"Especially regarding Raiver Sky. We must know everything about him: origins, detailed abilities, personality weaknesses, interpersonal relationships..."
"Yes."
Sengoku bowed in acknowledgment.
Afterward, the Five Elders gave a few more instructions, mainly concerning the subsequent strategic deployment against the Rocks Pirates and the actions the Marines needed to coordinate with, before dismissing Sengoku and the others.
As they stepped out of the World Government building, the three exchanged glances, seeing both relief and gravity in each other's eyes.
They were relieved that they had not been severely punished for their failure this time and were instead given a chance to atone through merit.
The gravity came from the fact that the Five Elders' emphasis on the Rocks Pirates far exceeded their expectations. This meant that the New World would soon face an even more violent storm.
And the Marines would have to stand at the forefront of that storm.
...
The next day, Marine Headquarters issued a Bounty Order for Raiver Sky, an Officer of the Rocks Pirates.
Moreover, through the World Economic Journal, they published news stating that "the Celestial Tribute was plundered by the Rocks Pirates, and the Marine escort fleet bravely resisted but was overwhelmed by superior numbers."
This was a necessary move. Although it would damage the Marines' prestige, it was better than letting the news spread that "the Marines actively pursued the pirates but suffered a crushing defeat."
At the very least, it preserved the image of the Marines "bravely resisting" and prevented morale from completely collapsing.
The news agency immediately rushed to print, and News Birds delivered the newspapers to every corner of the seas.
Thus, the seas were shaken.
...
On the seas, aboard a pirate ship.
The captain, a one-eyed man, grumbled as he took a newspaper from a News Bird's claw:
"Tch... Must be some trivial news again. Can't we get something earth-shattering this time?"
Reading newspapers was the only way to pass time and keep up with world events while at sea.
However, when he casually unfolded the newspaper and glanced at the front page—
His movements froze.
His breath hitched.
A cold-faced young man on the front page completely captured his attention.
Below the photo were striking words:
[Rocks Pirates New Officer · Raiver Sky]
[Bounty: 2,500,000,000 Belly]
"Raiver Sky..."
The captain's lips trembled as he murmured the name.
"2.5 billion?!"
His eyes widened in disbelief, rooted to the spot, wondering if his vision was failing him.
He vigorously rubbed his intact right eye and looked again—
The number remained unchanged.
2.5 billion.
An unheard-of young man receiving an initial bounty of 2.5 billion Belly?!
"Hiss—"
He drew a sharp breath, feeling a chill crawl up his spine from the base of his tailbone, his scalp tingling.
For an initial bounty to be this astonishing... What exactly had this guy done? Killed a Celestial Dragon? Or destroyed an entire country?
Suppressing his trembling hands from excitement, he eagerly unfolded the newspaper to read the details.
"Impossible! The Rocks Pirates... actually stole the Celestial Tribute?!"
"This young man is the new Officer of the Rocks Pirates, Raiver Sky?!"
"Becoming an Officer at such a young age... and severely injuring Vice Admiral Tsuru, overpowering 'Black Arm' Zephyr, and fighting Iron Fist Garp to a standstill?!"
The contents of the newspaper were so unbelievable it felt like a dream.
Similar scenes were playing out repeatedly across the seas.
The news swept through the entire world like a hurricane.
The names of the Rocks Pirates and Raiver Sky instantly became the hottest topics across the oceans.
That young man named Raiver Sky transformed overnight from an unknown rookie pirate into a monster with a 2.5 billion bounty, famous throughout the world.
...
New World, Roger Pirates.
After reading today's newspaper, Roger burst into laughter:
"Hahaha... Rayleigh! Come quick and see this news!"
Rayleigh and Gaban approached one after another.
"What news has got you so excited?"
Rayleigh asked with a smile, taking the newspaper Roger handed him.
Then, his smile froze.
Gaban leaned over for a look and immediately exclaimed:
"Impossible! How long has it been?!"
"That kid now has a 2.5 billion Belly bounty! And fought Garp to a draw? Is this real?"
Rayleigh didn't speak immediately.
He carefully read every word in the newspaper, his brow gradually furrowing, his voice carrying rare seriousness:
"The Rocks Pirates are growing stronger..."
"Rocks' ambitions are gradually revealing themselves. Now they're even stealing the Celestial Tribute—this is a declaration of war against the World Government."
As the Roger Pirates' second-in-command and strategist, Rayleigh didn't react impulsively to the news about Raiver Sky. Instead, he calmly analyzed the threat posed by the Rocks Pirates:
"This means Rocks is no longer satisfied with dominating the New World. He wants to challenge the entire world order."
His words immediately cast a solemn atmosphere over the ship.
Frowning, Rayleigh looked at Roger:
"The Rocks Pirates dominate the New World like overlords, continuously expanding their territory with countless powerful members under their command.
Roger, if you want to become the Pirate King... you must overcome them!"
"Rocks will never allow anyone to proclaim themselves king before him."
As these words fell, silence enveloped the crowd.
All eyes converged on Captain Roger, as if awaiting his response.
Roger remained silent for a moment.
Then, he lifted his head, gazing toward the blue sea and sky, and his heroic laughter once again rang out:
"Hahaha... The Rocks Pirates?"
"So what?!"
He spun around abruptly, his crimson cloak flapping fiercely in the wind, his eyes blazing with unyielding fire:
"Believe me—"
"The title of Pirate King will undoubtedly belong to me!"
"If Rocks stands in my way, then I'll fight my way through!"
"On these vast seas, no one can stop Gol D. Roger—from becoming the Pirate King!!"
His bold declaration echoed like war drums.
The fighting spirit ignited in the eyes of everyone aboard the ship.