That guy—Tokikake—had already confessed to Momousagi more than a hundred times. Of course, every single time, she had rejected him firmly and without hesitation. Even so, Tokikake had never given up. That alone showed how deeply he liked her.
And now Arton had teased Momousagi in Syrup Village, toying with her and forcing her to chase the Flameblade Pirates for a long stretch of the sea. Naturally, that made Tokikake furious.
"Well," Sengoku said thoughtfully, "having only Kuzan move might indeed be too risky. To ensure Arton and his crew are captured as accurately as possible… Tokikake, you may go."
He thought of how Arton had defeated Zephyr and forced Garp to retreat; after considering it for a moment, Sengoku finally nodded.
"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Tokikake said confidently, patting his chest. "With me involved, there's no way that Arton will escape."
"Alright, sit down," Sengoku replied. "We still don't know Arton's exact location. Wait until we have confirmation before taking action."
The sea was vast—finding Arton wouldn't be easy. Under those conditions, Sengoku couldn't just send someone like Tokikake, who was also responsible for guarding Marine Headquarters, to wander the seas aimlessly.
"Now then," Sengoku continued, tapping the table, "if anyone still has questions about Arton, you may ask. I'll answer what I can."
…
Half an hour later.
Female Marines Group Chat
[Doll: Vice Admiral Gion, Headquarters has summoned us back. Should we return first?]
[Gion: …We'll go back for now. Everyone's been through a lot lately—it's time to rest a bit.]
[Kujaku: Ah, in the end, we still didn't manage to catch Arton before his bounty came out. Thirty billion Berries— such a figure isn't something you see often in this sea.]
[Domino: With Arton's record, that bounty isn't undeserved. Considering he even killed a Celestial Dragon, I'd say his bounty is actually on the low side.]
[Sadi-chan: Given Arton's powers, it probably won't take long before that bounty needs an update.]
[Hina: Arton has that diary system—he'll only keep getting stronger. His companions too. That Kaya was practically filmed by Arton's diary the whole night… If this keeps up, will we even be able to stand against him anymore?]
[Gion: We will. Justice isn't so easily broken.]
[Hibari: Justice, huh…]
[Doll: Hibari, don't overthink it. Most Marines truly believe in justice.]
[Hina: That's right, Hibari. You're still young; you haven't seen much yet. When you've lived longer, you'll understand—sometimes even we Marines don't have full control over what we must do.]
Now, both Tashigi and Ain had already left the female Marines' group chat. Their departures had hit the remaining members—those who still held copies of Arton's Diary—hard.
Even though Ain hadn't been officially confirmed as Arton's crewmate, judging by her behavior, Gion and the others were almost certain she would end up following him. Given that, they didn't want the young Hibari to make the same mistake and follow in Ain and Tashigi's footsteps. They didn't want to lose anyone else.
[Hibari: But Miss Hina, you're the one who's been arrested. And now the World Government wants to put you on trial. Can that really be called justice?]
[Hina: Hina…]
Hina fell silent. Not just her—Doll, Gion, and the others also went quiet.
There was no exaggeration in saying that since joining the Marines, Hina had followed every regulation, never once acting against the principles of justice.
And yet—she now faced trial on Enies Lobby, the Judicial Island.
The same Hina who had done everything right might be judged, or worse—taken away by a female Celestial Dragon as a slave.
The thought left everyone speechless.
"If Hina is really tried at Enies Lobby," Gion muttered aloud, "it will be a devastating blow—not only to the female Marines who hold copies of Arton's diary, but also to those close to her, like Smoker."
Her gaze hardened as she looked at the floating diary interface before her.
[Gion: I'll find a way to go to Enies Lobby myself. What happened to Hina is partly my responsibility. I'll make sure the World Government releases her.]
Hibari, Hina, and the others fell silent again as they read her message.
Could it really be that easy?
Chapter 318 – Uta's Bounty — The Shocked Red-Haired Pirates
The next morning, at dawn, flocks of News Coo took off, spreading the latest edition of the newspaper across all four seas and the Grand Line. Wherever they encountered ships—whether the sailors showed interest or not—they dropped stacks of papers before flying off toward the next destination.
It didn't take long before almost everyone in the world had seen the newest headlines.
In the first half of the Grand Line—
Mihawk stared at the paper before him, the corners of his lips curving upward.
"So that's it. In that form, you weren't abandoning the sword after all… you'd hidden the entire world of blades inside a bullet."
"What an ingenious idea." He chuckled softly, but his expression quickly turned serious again.
"Even the Marine Hero Garp was forced back by such a power. If I had been the one facing it back then… I probably would have died."
Mihawk knew all too well what condition he'd been in during his battle with Arton. When Arton had entered that Alter Shirou Emiya mode, Mihawk had already taken heavy damage and expended much of his stamina. If, at that moment, Arton had used the same power he unleashed against Garp, there was no doubt—Mihawk wouldn't have stood a chance.
Even someone who had polished his swordsmanship to the pinnacle had no means of resisting a world of blades erupting from within his own body.
"Arton," he murmured, "you really do keep giving me surprises…"
"I'll be looking forward to our next meeting."
Setting down the paper, Mihawk picked up his black blade and walked out of his castle. He understood that if he wanted to stand victorious when they met again, he needed more training.
"Maybe I should find that red-haired guy and hone my sword skills with him," he muttered.
Though he had long since lost interest in sparring with Shanks after the latter lost his arm, Mihawk knew that Shanks's overall combat power and swordsmanship remained formidable. Training with him would still be far more effective than training alone.
With that decision made, Mihawk turned toward the harbor. He was heading to the New World—to meet Red-Haired Shanks.
…
Meanwhile, aboard the Red-Haired Pirates' ship—
"Ha-choo!"
Shanks rubbed his nose, frowning slightly.
"What's wrong, caught a cold, Captain?" Benn Beckman asked as he approached, a cigarette between his lips.
"Hahaha, as if!" Shanks laughed, holding his stomach. "I've never caught a cold in my life!"
"If you're that healthy, then take a look at this," Beckman said, handing him a newspaper. "Today's news is explosive."
"Explosive, huh?" Shanks grinned. "Let me guess—something about Arton?"
"Right on the mark." Yasopp approached with his rifle slung over his shoulder, carrying a few extra copies. "It's all over the papers. You're gonna want to see this."
Shanks unfolded the paper, scanning the headlines eagerly. Ever since he'd learned that Uta was aboard Arton's ship, he'd been keeping close track of Arton's movements. When Arton later defeated Mihawk and claimed the title of the world's greatest swordsman, Shanks's interest in him had grown to a downright dangerous level.
And now, hearing that there was more news about Arton, his curiosity was piqued once again.
"Hm? three billion Berries?" Shanks blinked, reading aloud in surprise. "He's been given a bounty of three billion Berries?"
"With everything he's done, that number's not unreasonable," Beckman said calmly. "He's defeated some of the most powerful people alive, and killing a Celestial Dragon only cements that reputation. Honestly, I'd say the Marines were slow to react. I can't help wondering if there's some hidden motive behind the timing."
Shanks didn't answer—he was still staring at the paper.
"Shanks," Beckman asked with a sigh, "are you even listening to me?"
"Huh? Oh—look!" Shanks thrust the paper toward him, eyes sparkling. "It's Uta! She's been given a bounty too—three hundred million Berries for her first one!"
Beckman exhaled a long stream of smoke, shaking his head. "I saw that already. But didn't you want her to live a peaceful life?"
"So why," he muttered, watching Shanks's grin, "do you look so damn excited to see her on a wanted poster?"
...
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