Shiro shot Garp a sharp sidelong glance, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. "Vice Admiral Garp, I think you should be persuading your son to go back to the Marines, not me!"
Garp froze in place, his face turning a deep red.
"Wahahaha! Shiro, well said! You truly are the future of the pirate world!" Roger's laughter boomed across the sea, startling a flock of seagulls that scattered into the sky.
Elsewhere, the battle continued.
Rayleigh and Bogard clashed in a fierce sword duel, sparks flying from every strike. Their moves were unpredictable, and neither could gain the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Gaban faced off against the young Kuzan. Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit powers chilled the air, freezing seawater wherever it touched. Gaban dodged the sharp ice shards, slightly flustered—but he wasn't fighting at full strength.
"Little Ice Demon, your Devil Fruit is wasted in the Marines. Why not join the Roger Pirates?" Gaban teased, dodging another ice attack.
"I follow justice! I'm here to defeat pirates like you and bring peace to the seas!" Kuzan replied firmly, refusing to join.
Before Gaban could argue further, Garp called off the attack. Kuzan, frustrated, returned to the Marine ship. Shiro's words had unsettled Garp—thinking of his son in the Revolutionary Army drained his fighting spirit. Roger, not wanting to escalate things, also ordered a retreat.
However, Kuzan's ice powers had left the surrounding sea a vast frozen expanse, sparkling coldly under the sun. Both sides were trapped.
On the Oro Jackson, the Roger Pirates gathered on deck, worried.
"What do we do? If we wait too long, more Marines might arrive!" Rayleigh said, frowning.
"Let's break the ice! That should speed up the melting," Gaban suggested, gripping his twin axes.
"Smashing the ice could damage the ship," Roger warned.
"Let me handle it," Shiro said, stepping to the bow. His eyes glowed as he activated his Paw-Paw Fruit powers.
A wave of invisible force rippled through the air.
"Crack… crackle…" Ice shattered under the impact, breaking into smaller pieces. The shards turned into sparkling ice crystals that soon melted into droplets, flowing back into the sea.
Shiro's power worked by compressing air to shatter the ice, a clever way to melt it without heat. The crew watched in awe, even Shanks and Buggy, who were clearly impressed.
With the ice melting, Roger stuck out his tongue at Garp playfully. "Set sail! Let's leave these Marines behind!"
The Oro Jackson's sails caught the wind, and the ship quickly disappeared into the open sea.
Garp slumped in disappointment. Kuzan clenched his fists, vowing, "Next time, I'll catch you!"
Bogard quickly relayed the shocking news to Admiral Kongou: Shiro had awakened Conqueror's Haki.
"What?! A ten-year-old pirate trainee awakened Conqueror's Haki… and he ate the Paw Paw fuit?!" Kong exclaimed.
The World Government's Five Elders immediately issued a bounty for Shiro.
The bounty was set at 180 million Berries.
At that time, Roger's bounty was 650 million Berries, and even Rayleigh and Gaban were below 400 million. For a ten-year-old, Shiro's bounty already ranked fourth in the crew—a staggering number.
When the newspaper arrived on the Oro Jackson, Roger was more excited than Shiro. Waving the paper, he shouted, "To celebrate Shiro's first bounty of 180 million Berries, we'll have a three-day feast! Wahahaha!"
The crew cheered, filling the deck with excitement.
Shiro, however, wasn't focused on the party. He was fascinated by his new Conqueror's Haki, experimenting and feeling its power.
Meanwhile, Shanks and Buggy endured Shiro's Haki bursts, often knocked out and waking up dazed. Shanks, realizing his gap with Shiro, trained relentlessly to improve. Buggy focused on treasure maps, dreaming of wealth.
After the battle with the Ward Pirates, they had seized many spoils. Buggy secretly hid a Devil Fruit, hoping to sell it later for a fortune—unaware that he would one day accidentally eat it, starting a completely new adventure.
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