Two days later, a single piece of paper shook the seas.
A new bounty poster was issued, and the number was astronomical.
[ Whitebeard Pirates Vice-Captain—Ron ]
[ Bounty: 2,000,000,000 Beri ]
The charges listed below it were extensive: assaulting two Marine Admirals, murdering the Celestial Dragon Saint Charlos, stealing a Heavenly Tribute worth ten billion Beri and occupying islands under World Government protection.
The list went on and on, filling an entire page.
"Hahaha, two billion! Our Vice-Captain's is worth two billion!" Jozu roared, his eyes gleaming as if the bounty were his own.
He waved the newspaper frantically. "Who would've thought our Vice-Captain would be worth this much?"
"Ace," Marco teased, sidling up to him with a grin. "The Vice-Captain's bounty is four times higher than yours."
"It's higher than mine, too," Marco continued, deliberately drawing out his words with mock self-pity.
"I'm only worth a billion..."
Ace, who had been thrilled about Ron's bounty immediately scowled.
"Hmph! Don't get cocky, Marco. I was the main force when we fought Aokiji. The Marines must not have the full story, so they're focusing all their attention on Ron. That's the only reason my bounty isn't higher."
Marco looked genuinely surprised. "Not bad, Ace. You've gotten a lot smarter."
Ace's face flushed red as he swatted away Marco's hand.
"Get lost!"
Laughter filled the deck, the crew's morale higher than ever as they all turned to congratulate their new Vice-Captain.
*****
[ Kuraigana Island ]
In a dilapidated castle, Dracule Mihawk sat alone in a dimly lit room.
He swirled a glass of red wine, his hawk-like eyes fixed on the bounty poster on the table.
"Whitebeard Pirates Vice-Captain... Great Swordsman, Ron," Mihawk murmured, his tone laced with skepticism.
"Is this man truly a master swordsman?"
As the World's Greatest Swordsman, it was astonishing that such a figure had existed on Whitebeard's crew without his knowledge.
He leaned closer, his gaze falling on the image of Ron, fingers extended like a blade, surrounded by eight distinct, incorporeal sword auras.
They were pure energy, lacking traditional hilts or guards.
"This is... an invisible blade of Haki," Mihawk recognized.
To project it with such clarity was no ordinary feat.
The thought sparked a familiar desire for a worthy challenge.
His eyes narrowed.
The newspaper claimed Admiral Kizaru himself had praised Ron's ability as "swordsmanship capable of splitting the skies." Mihawk scoffed.
More likely, the Admiral had been on the receiving end, and the papers were spinning the tale.
Still, for a swordsman this young to force an Admiral's hand...
"Interesting," Mihawk mused. "A rival worth seeking."
*****
The very next day, news erupted that was explosive enough to dwarf even the bounty poster.
The "King of News," Morgans, had obtained a perilous scoop from an undisclosed source, and it sent shockwaves across the globe.
The report was simple and paradigm-shattering: Multiple members of the Whitebeard Pirates now possess dual Devil Fruit abilities.
This discovery shattered the fundamental rule that a person could only consume one Devil Fruit.
The world was forced to completely reassess the power of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The newspaper was a dense list of names that struck fear into the hearts of their enemies.
Whitebeard Pirates, 2nd Division Commander, Portgas D. Ace — a dual Devil Fruit user!
Whitebeard Pirates, 3rd Division Commander, Jozu — a dual Devil Fruit user!
Whitebeard Pirates, 1st Division Commander, Marco — a dual Devil Fruit user!
.....
Whitebeard Pirates, Subbordinates Captain, Whitey Bay — a Devil Fruit user!
The list went on and on.
But what truly set the seas ablaze was the speculation Morgans penned at the very bottom of the article:
If the crew members are dual-users, then what about their captain—that man with the power to destroy the world, one of the Four Emperors, Whitebeard? Could he possibly be a triple-Devil Fruit user?!
The question exploded like a bombshell, sparking endless debate.
"Good Gods, this is unbelievable!"
"This changes everything! How can anyone stand against them?"
"Wait a minute... isn't the Ice-Ice Fruit Admiral Aokiji's power? How do they have it?"
"That's nothing! Did you see how many Phoenix users they have now?!"
"The seas are about to be reshuffled. I thought the Whitebeard Pirates were on the decline, but they've been hiding a trump card like this..."
*****
[ A Secluded Island near Jaya ]
Marshall D. Teach stood alone on a desolate coastline, crushing a newspaper in his hand, his eyes filled with shock and fury.
"Marco, a dual-user... Ace, a dual-user... Even that oaf Jozu is a dual-user now!"
Each headline struck him like a hammer blow.
Ever since he'd left the crew, it seemed the world had turned against him.
The Dark-Dark Fruit's side effect—taking double the pain from every wound—was a constant torment for him.
His grand ambition had been to steal Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, believing that combination would make him the ruler of the seas.
But now, that power was being handed out to his former comrades like a candy, while his dream seemed further away than ever.
"Damn it! How could this happen!" he roared, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Have those bastards been playing me all along?!"
He stared out at the roaring waves, his heart a storm of confusion and resentment.
"No wonder Jaya has been shaking daily, with fire and ice everywhere... Their second power... it must be the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!" he muttered, his voice filled with bitterness.
"DAMN IT! THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY POWER!!!"
His hysterical roar echoed across the empty island as he viciously tore the newspaper to shreds.
After his rage subsided, he sank into deep contemplation.
"No, I can't just wait for death," he declared, a spark of determination rekindling in his eyes.
"There must be something I missed."
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
The golden light.
"That's right! The reports from Jaya Island... the strange golden light!" Teach's eyes lit up as if he had grasped a final lifeline.
A faint, greedy smile curled his lips. "If I can figure out what that light is... I can master that power, too."
He composed himself, his figure gradually melting into the island's shadows.
*****
[ Wano Country, Onigashima ]
On the fortress island, Kaido was merrily drinking, his face flushed with alcohol.
King the Conflagration and Queen the Plague sat beside him, surrounded by the Flying Six and countless celebrating underlings.
"Hahaha, King! The success rate of those artificial Devil Fruits is impressive! Our Beasts Pirates grow stronger!" Kaido's thunderous voice boomed as he downed a massive bowl of sake.
King's expression was grim.
He subconsciously touched the newspaper hidden at his waist.
This was not the right time to reveal such news.
"Uh... yes, yes," he replied reluctantly.
Kaido, extremely perceptive, immediately saw right through him. "King," he said, his voice calm yet heavy with authority.
"Just say what's on your mind. Keeping secrets from me won't end well for you."
Hearing this, Queen immediately put down the microphone he was using for a drunken song, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
Anything that embarrassed King was his favorite form of entertainment!
"Oh my, King!" Queen announced loudly, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
"Are you actually hiding something from Kaido-sama?"
Whispers spread through the crowd as Queen continued to provoke him
. "Out with it! What is it? Are you planning to betray Kaido-sama?"