This time, there were no mistakes.
It was indeed Kuina's wanted poster.
The newly taken photo perfectly captured the moment when the black-haired, high-ponytailed female Master Swordsman drew her blade.
The sword gleamed like snow, her dark hair fluttering in the wind, and the sharp sword intent in her eyes seemed ready to pierce through the image itself.
Brannew spoke in a solemn tone:
"Kuina, proficient in Two-Color Haki, possesses extraordinary swordsmanship. She single-handedly held off Kaji for over an hour, nearly matching him blow for blow."
"Everyone, you must understand—Kaji is a candidate for Admiral! This level of strength is utterly terrifying!"
"Considering the distinct style of swordsmanship she displayed this time—each strike as fierce as a gale—the strategy department recommends changing her epithet to 'Gale Swordsman'!"
"Her new bounty has been set at—777 million Berry!"
A bounty approaching 800 million Berry.
This was a staggering figure.
Even among the top officers under the Four Emperors, more than half didn't have bounties this high.
But... a feat like fighting a candidate Admiral to a standstill alone justified this bounty.
The meeting room was filled with a haze of smoke, and for a moment, no one raised objections. Brannew swiftly moved on to the next topic:
"Finally, we come to the core issue of this meeting!"
"—That man! The true madman and ambitious schemer! Formerly the Captain of the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates with a bounty of 1 billion Berry, the Blade Swordsman—Xiano!"
Brannew pulled out the last wanted poster and slapped it onto the whiteboard.
The photo captured the moment Xiano drew his Greatsword and severed Rayleigh's arm.
Amid the pouring rain, the handsome black-haired youth strode forward step by step from an elevated position, his cold expression tinged with mockery, like a god looking down upon mortals.
"Severing the arm of Silvers Rayleigh, repelling Admiral Borsalino—this ruthless villain, who has repeatedly challenged the balance of the seas and flaunted his arrogance to the world, has undoubtedly reached a level of strength approaching the very pinnacle of the world!"
"And not long ago, one of the Celestial Dragons, the Warlord of the Sea Donquixote Doflamingo, also fell to this man's blade!"
"The epithet 'Blade Swordsman' now seems far too ordinary, no longer befitting his status. After extensive deliberation by the strategy department, it was ultimately Vice Admiral Tsuru who proposed the most fitting new epithet—"
"The World's Greatest Swordsman, Xiano!"
At this point, Brannew couldn't help but glance at Tsuru with admiration.
The other high-ranking Marines quickly caught on, erupting into hushed discussions. The more they debated, the more they realized how brilliantly calculated this epithet was.
This was a masterstroke!
Among weapons, the sword reigns supreme.
Countless powerful Master Swordsmen across the seas dream of claiming the title of "World's Greatest Swordsman."
By bestowing this title upon him just as he escapes Paradise and prepares to enter the New World, they were practically painting a target on his back.
How many Swordsmen would now see him as a thorn in their side?
Perhaps even the real "World's Greatest Swordsman," Hawkeye Mihawk, might be stirred into action...
That guy, nominally a Warlord of the Sea and their ally at Marine Headquarters, was usually impossible to summon. He hadn't attended any Warlord meetings in recent years.
If just a free, meaningless title could make him restless enough to personally hunt down Xiano... that would be a huge win.
Under the admiring gazes of the crowd, Tsuru's expression remained unreadable as she sipped from her cup of sake.
"It seems no one has any objections, then. The title is settled. As for the bounty, the preliminary amount is—"
Brannew took a deep breath and slammed both palms onto the table:
"1.98 billion Berry!"
...
Wano Country, Onigashima.
"What do you mean there's something in this newspaper that I'd care about, so I have to read it?"
A massive figure, freshly roused from sleep, rubbed his bloodshot eyes and glared down from his throne.
"Does such a thing even exist? Hey! Queen! You know the price for disturbing my nap, right?"
"Just a hit from your Spiked Club, right?"
Queen grinned as he handed over the newspaper. "Just take a look, Big Brother Kaido."
Yawning, Kaido took the paper indifferently. But halfway through unfolding it, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his drunkenness vanished instantly.
"Worororororo!!!"
He leaped to his feet, his roaring laughter shaking the entire castle. "That brat's still alive?! What a pleasant surprise! And he made Marine Headquarters lose face again... Double the celebration, huh? Hey, Queen! What are you standing around for? Start the feast! I'm drinking my fill tonight!"
This reaction again, huh?
Tch.
Last time, he'd been furious over Xiano and jumped out of the castle to chase him down across the seas.
Now he's overjoyed that Xiano's alive and throwing a party to celebrate?
"..." Queen shook his head.
Well... that's just Kaido for you!
His priorities were always unique. Personally, Queen was more interested in the bounty change.
"World's Greatest Swordsman, bounty of 1.98 billion Berry..."
What a terrifying title.
The bounty was also significantly higher than his and King's. Even Whitebeard and the Charlotte family didn't have executives with bounties in that range.
Queen stroked his thick chin.
So, setting aside those old relics hiding in the shadows, forgotten by the times, this kid's bounty was now second only to the Four Emperors themselves in the entire New World.
Didn't that mean...
This guy was now the undisputed strongest under the Four Emperors?
...
Somewhere in an unnamed sea, a deserted island.
A group of seemingly unremarkable pirates scavenged around the island, while two rookie apprentices with 100-million-Berry bounties kept watch from higher ground.
On a large rock, a red-haired middle-aged figure sat engrossed in a newspaper.
"World's Greatest Swordsman? That guy really pissed off Marine Headquarters, huh? They're resorting to such cheap tricks now!"
Shanks burst into laughter. "I wonder how Mihawk will react when he sees this!"
He thoroughly enjoyed reading this report, especially the close-up of Kizaru's distorted face on the cover, which made him laugh so hard when he first saw it that he nearly passed out.
As for Mr. Rayleigh...
Why would he fight that kid?
How strange. Did he also place some kind of bet on the new era?
Shanks scratched his head and instinctively glanced at his shoulder.
...
Totto Land.
"Mamamamamama!!!"
The massive, obese figure on the sofa tossed the newspaper aside. "Do as I say, Katakuri! We absolutely must find a way to recruit such an outstanding young talent!"
"Mamamama, now that I think about it, that kid's not bad-looking either. Makes me almost want to go myself..."
"Katakuri, help me think—which of my precious daughters would be best to marry him off to? Don't suggest anyone too ugly, it'd disgrace the family and he'd definitely refuse!"
"Hmm... Custard? She's a bit older, but some young men like older women, right? She can be a backup..."
"Smoothie isn't bad either. That girl's always so willful—go talk to her and see if she's willing to marry him."
The obese figure above seemed to be getting carried away, rambling on and on to herself.
Below.
Katakuri narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent.
Using his sisters as tools for political marriages again...
This endless cycle was truly tiresome.
However.
Compared to many of the mismatched pairings in the past, this time he actually didn't feel like opposing it.
That guy's strength was genuinely astonishing, capable of shifting the balance of the New World.
And a man who could keep his sisters safe by his side at all times was at least somewhat trustworthy.
"I'll talk to Smoothie, Mama. Don't worry."
He finally nodded and spoke in a low voice.
"That's my good Katakuri, mamamamama!!!"
...
Shimotsuki Village.
At the highest peak on the island, two young figures sat on the grass, surrounded by scattered newspapers.
"Just over half a year..."
The green-haired boy gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked, his eyes filled with frustration.
"That Kuina... she's already able to fight evenly with a Navy Admiral? Just over half a year, and she's already this famous?! I'm so jealous I could die!"
"Damn it! Back at the dojo, we used to be evenly matched! Now the gap's this huge?! Aaargh! This pisses me off!"
He kicked a nearby tree in frustration, splitting it cleanly in half.
"It's an Admiral candidate, you idiot Mosshead! And you lost to her over 5,000 times—how is that 'evenly matched'?!" Sanji wiped his sword disdainfully.
"Shut up, damn Curly Brow! I'll kick you to death!"
"With those amateur kicks of yours? My One-Sword Style isn't just for show!"
The two started arguing again. Both trained in swordsmanship and leg techniques, so they were used to belittling each other's skills.
Though truth be told, Zoro primarily focused on Two-Sword Style, while Sanji specialized in leg techniques.
Amidst their bickering, the two ended up fighting. By the time the sun was nearly setting, they collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
"Hey, Zoro," Sanji suddenly spoke, gazing at the horizon bathed in the sunset.
"Hmm?"
"Let's set sail early. Next year, as soon as the snow stops."
"Huh?" Zoro turned to look at Sanji, taken aback. "You serious?"
"Of course! Don't you want to catch up to Boss Xiano?"
Sanji crumpled the newspaper in his hand and hurled it angrily into the sea. "Kuina aside, but Nami and Nojiko are pulling further and further ahead of us. They could probably knock us out with one punch—how can we just accept that?!"
"Do whatever you want. I sure as hell don't wanna wait till adulthood to officially set sail. By then, we might not even see their shadows anymore!"
Zoro fell silent for a moment before his lips slowly curled into a wild grin. "Sounds perfect to me!"
"Then we'll set sail early next year, form our own pirate crew, and head to the Grand Line—to the New World!"
"I'll make sure the whole world knows—"
"That the future world's greatest Master Swordsman will be me, Roronoa Zoro! Ow! What the hell, you damn Curly Brow? Why'd you hit me?!"
"What pirate crew?! You wanna become some murderous, pillaging scum? It should be an adventure crew, idiot!"
"Oh, right…"
...
Fish-man Island.
Located directly beneath the Holy Land Mariejois, ten thousand meters beneath the sea.
If one chose to bypass the Red Line and instead enter the New World via Coating, this island was an unavoidable stop.
At a depth of roughly eight to nine thousand meters.
After several days of sailing, the Sunset had arrived here and was continuing its descent.
The bubble-like Coating enveloping the ship warped slightly under the immense pressure of the deep sea but remained resilient overall.
"Wow! Is that Fish-man Island? It's so beautiful!"
Nami leaned over the railing, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the dreamlike island encased within a massive double-layered bubble.
At this depth, there should logically be no light.
But Fish-man Island was home to an enormous Eve, the Sunlight Tree, which absorbed sunlight through its canopy and transmitted it downward through its trunk, distributing light and air to its roots.
This allowed Fish-man Island to maintain a fully functional ecosystem.
With day and night cycles, pleasant temperatures, even ordinary humans could live here year-round.
From afar, aside from Eve, countless glowing corals and deep-sea fish swam near the shores, illuminating the entire bubble like a scene from a dream.
The girls had gathered together, utterly mesmerized.
Meanwhile, Xiano lounged on the open-air Sword Training Field on the second deck, legs crossed, observing the scenery while idly twirling a purple Devil Fruit in his hand.
Its surface was covered in spiral snail-like patterns, resembling a pineapple in shape.
This Devil Fruit was naturally the one he had discovered while rescuing slaves at the auction house—the one corresponding to the detection radar.
It had rolled beneath the auction stage, hidden on three sides by wooden planks.
If not for a particularly short dwarf among the slaves—forcing Xiano to crouch low to remove the explosive collar—he might never have found it.
One could say…
Good deeds bring good rewards.
Or perhaps it wasn't quite a reward yet?
Xiano glanced at Robin. At first glance, he thought this fruit was the extremely rare Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit.
But after consulting the walking encyclopedia that was Robin, he learned it was actually a rarely seen Zoan-type fruit in history—the Fly Fruit.
Its pattern was slightly different from the Dark-Dark Fruit, though the distinction was minimal. Unless you were an expert, the average person would hardly notice the difference.
Turning into a fly…
Red head or green head? Adult or larva?
No matter how you thought about it, it was disgusting. No wonder this fruit couldn't even be found in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and had almost no historical presence.
Anyone who ate this Devil Fruit would probably be too ashamed to reveal their ability.
"What's the point of it…"
Xiano shook his head and was about to casually put the Devil Fruit away when Smoker's voice suddenly rang out beside him:
"Huh, boss, take a look over there. That flag flying on that ship… isn't that Whitebeard's?"
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