"If we're looking for a doctor…"
Robin frowned slightly, letting her mental map of nearby islands flicker through her mind like pages in an ancient tome.
Within seconds, she locked onto a destination.
She reached into her bag, pulled out a pile of Eternal Poses, and chose one.
"We'll go here. Not far. Two, maybe three days. A medical kingdom covered in snow all year round…"
"Got it."
Under the moonlight, Banchi puffed from its pipe and sliced across the quiet sea, charging toward the distant horizon.
New World, A nameless island.
Inside the World Economy News Agency's temporary base, fax Den Den Mushi spat out paper while typewriters clacked like machine-gun fire.
Big News Morgans held a cigar between his beak and a stack of freshly developed images,
or could these even be called photos?
They looked more like ultra-realistic sketches, drawn with impossible precision.
Either way, the scene of Admiral Akainu, cap knocked off, neck torn open, looked embarrassingly clear.
In front of Morgans hung a massive screen.
On the screen, a black vulture trembled nervously, while a pajama-wearing sea otter stood beside him, arms crossed, expression sour.
"You two messed up, but you're still glaring at me? Huh? You unlucky duo!"
The deputy scolded them sharply:
"Don't forget, after Baroque Works fell, it was YOU who crawled to Morgans-sama and begged to join the World Economy News Agency! You're official correspondents now, so follow our rules!"
He slammed the table.
"We gave you the best cameras in the world! WHY ARE YOU STILL DRAWING SKETCHES?! Even if the art is realistic, it'll never be as credible as photos!"
The otter looked away and snorted with disdain.
"Chuu! Chuu-chuu!"
The vulture flapped frantically, trying to explain.
"Oh, he says he's a traditionalist?"
The deputy turned red with rage.
"Journalists don't need "artistic principles"! You two lucked into witnessing a world-shaking battle, and you wasted it! Are you trying to kill me and the boss from stress or, "
"Not me."
Morgans interrupted suddenly, waving a wing.
He leaned closer to inspect the sketches again. The more he looked, the wider the grin on his beak became.
Close-ups of Akainu's torn neck…
A battlefield where magma fists clashed with black lightning…
A vice admiral with her neck twisted…
And a silhouette of the Curtainfall ship sailing into the shadows…
A sequence of sketches that, laid together, played like a manga, visually flawless.
"No photos? Who cares."
Morgans exhaled cigar smoke into his deputy's face and laughed.
"This is even better than photos!"
"B-Boss?"
The deputy froze.
"Print a special issue! Full Color!" Morgans bellowed, slamming the table.
"Publish all these sketches and say the photos were destroyed by the battle, these drawings are the reporter's perfect reconstruction!"
"The headline? Doesn't matter. IT'S BIG NEWS! WORLD-BREAKING NEWS!
Just put this in the paper and it'll sell itself!"
"B-But boss… The World Government said not to publish anything about a Shichibukai getting killed, "
"They told me to delay it half a month."
Morgans smirked.
"Well guess what, bird-brain? It's been half a month."
"An Admiral personally moved, and still couldn't catch the culprits."
He spread his wings.
"That's their incompetence, not my problem. They silenced me once. They don't get a second time."
"Besides…
Do you really think Marine HQ can still hide this?"
Morgans took a sip of coffee, chuckling:
"They can't. Not anymore. Just wait, the new bounties for that pirate crew are already on the way."
Causing this much chaos right after entering the Grand Line?
The future of this sea may be far more interesting than expected…
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
In a tatami-lined conference room, more officers than last time sat in solemn silence. The heavy sandalwood doors shut out all outside light, leaving only dim lamps flickering against drifting smoke.
Brannew walked to the whiteboard, face grim.
"Ladies and gentlemen."
He hammered six new bounty posters onto the board.
"Tor Island has become the most talked-about incident in HQ. You've all read the full report, but some details must be analyzed carefully."
He pointed to the first poster.
"This all began in Loguetown, where Vice Admiral Onigumo was killed in the line of duty, leading to the first bounty of the Curtainfall Pirates."
"Then came the Whiskey Peak incident, the murder of Shichibukai Crocodile."
"Our ally was slain. Their captain, the Swordmaster, only grew more brazen."
"Evidence shows, their captain's swordsmanship is already beyond normal New World pirate level."
"Therefore, Fleet Admiral Sengoku authorized Admiral Akainu to lead the suppression himself."
Brannew sighed.
"But the result shook Marine HQ."
"Vice Admiral Dalmatian, severely wounded."
"Vice Admiral Bumaya, killed."
"Numerous Rear Admirals and Captains, critically injured."
"Even Admiral Sakazuki, took damage."
"And in return?"
"The Curtainfall Pirates, all escaped."
"Not a single capture."
"This was not the fault of Dalmatian, Bumaya, or Admiral Sakazuki."
"It was ours!."
He slammed the whiteboard.
"We underestimated them, hugely."
"Never again."
Brannew pointed to the first bounty poster.
1. "Rain-Cutting Swordmaster" , Kuina
"Her previous bounty underestimated her due to her youth and appearance."
"On Tor Island, she fought Dalmatian nearly evenly, and acted as the tactical commander for the entire crew."
"Her bounty will be raised to, "
140,000,000 Berries
The room remained quiet.
Most officers knew they couldn't beat Dalmatian either.
2. Red-Leg Zeff & Rogue Hunter Smoker
"Together, they overwhelmed Vice Admiral Bumaya."
"Thus, "
Zeff, 100,000,000 Berries
Smoker, 118,000,000 Berries (extra for being a former Marine)
Three crew members… all over 100 million.
Whispers spread.
Was this crew another prelude to the Four Emperors?
Brannew moved on.
3. Nami
"The girl is not a fighter, but a genius navigator, essential to the crew."
"Her bounty will increase tenfold."
80,000 Berries
Her sister,
Nojiko, 65,000,000 Berries (for mastery of Armament Haki)
Then Brannew pointed to the giant wolf on the final poster.
4. "Thunder-Fire Azure Wolf" , Gin
"My earlier prediction was correct, this wolf is their second strongest fighter."
"Capable of manipulating both lightning and fire. Capable of breaking Marine encirclement alone."
"Confirmed to possess strength equal to a Marine HQ Vice Admiral."
Outrage erupted.
"A wolf? A Vice Admiral-level threat!?"
Brannew silenced them.
"New bounty, "
150,000,000 Berries
Then he tore down every poster.
Replacing them with a single one.
A young man, calm, handsome, seemingly harmless, yet the most dangerous criminal in the Grand Line's first half.
5. "Greatmaster Swordsman Shanu"
"Slayer of two Vice Admirals."
"Murderer of Shichibukai Crocodile."
"Survivor of a battle with Admiral Akainu."
"A threat so immense… breaking the rules is necessary."
"His bounty, raised from 180 million to, "
540,000,000 Berries