After a while, the discussion in the conference room gradually subsided.
Sengoku cleared his throat and addressed the gathered officers.
"I hope you all understand the gravity of this situation."
"The East Blue is considered the most peaceful sea in the world. The average pirate bounty there is under 5 million."
"But now, Knight Gawain's bounty has reached 85 million. And even that doesn't reflect the full extent of his threat."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"Smoker fought him twice. The first time, he couldn't even touch him due to the limitations of facing a Logia-type. But only a few months later, in their second encounter, Gawain had already mastered Armament Haki."
"That kind of growth rate puts him on par with the monsters of the New World."
There was incredulity in Sengoku's tone. Since Roger's execution in Loguetown twenty years ago, no true powerhouse had emerged from the East Blue. It had long served as a symbol of peace—a facade for the Navy and the World Government.
And now, that fragile peace had been shattered by Gawain, as if the World Government had been slapped across the face.
A tense silence filled the room. The faces around the table turned grim.
With a sharp, crackling sound, everyone's gaze shifted to Akainu, seated to Sengoku's left. Dressed in his crimson uniform, his expression remained unreadable beneath the shadow of his cap.
But his voice was resolute:
"Evil must be eradicated at the root."
"I will personally take down Knight Gawain—and Fire Fist Ace, who has also surfaced in the East Blue."
"Fire Fist Ace?" someone echoed.
Sengoku cast a sidelong glance at Garp.
The Marine Hero sat silently, cheeks puffed, his head lowered. His fists were clenched tightly beneath the table, as if trying to suppress a storm inside.
Sengoku sighed inwardly and shook his head.
"Kaido's been stirring up trouble in the New World again. I heard he clashed directly with Ochoku. You should keep your eyes on the situation over there."
"The Four Emperors are the ones the Navy's top powers should be focusing on."
Akainu gave a curt nod in acknowledgment.
Sengoku then turned to Zephyr, who had recently stepped down from his post as Chief Instructor and returned to active duty.
"Zephyr, you'll be heading to the East Blue. It'll be a good opportunity to test the Crusher."
Zephyr adjusted his sunglasses coolly. "Understood."
"Good." Sengoku nodded. "And one more thing—according to reports from the scene, the sunken pirate ship was sliced clean through."
"That suggests Gawain has a strong command of swordsmanship as well. With his abilities, an 85 million bounty is too low."
"We'll finalize the new amount today."
The Navy Headquarters moved faster than its branches. Within three days, the World Economic News Agency's messenger birds were airborne.
By order of the World Government, newspapers and updated bounty posters were distributed across the globe.
Somewhere in the New World.
Hawkeye Mihawk, having just passed Fishman Island, floated atop the sea on a crude raft built from a few logs. It was barely worthy of being called a ship, yet he drifted calmly, letting the currents guide him into unknown waters.
The sea was volatile, the weather ever-shifting. But the raft beneath Mihawk's boots was as steady as solid ground.
Minutes passed.
A messenger bird flew down from the heavens, dropped a bundle of newspapers, then took a few bills from Mihawk's hand and tucked them into its chest pouch before flying away.
"This is..."
Mihawk unfolded the paper, his eyes narrowing at the image on the new bounty poster.
"The photo doesn't do him justice, but the name is unmistakable. That man... even after such a humiliating defeat, he's risen again?"
He examined the bounty.
"It's risen again. Impressive."
Mihawk gazed at the name: Knight Gawain. The numbers next to it were rapidly climbing.
He found himself anticipating the day Gawain would come for him—stronger, more complete, able to fight without reserve.
Unlike the unripe fruit he was back in the East Blue, Gawain would become someone who could truly match Mihawk's strength.
Ever since Shanks had lost his arm, Mihawk had longed for such a worthy opponent.
His lips curled into a rare smile. But his eyes turned sharp as he sensed a change.
In the distance, the sky darkened. Clouds churned like a vortex, bolts of lightning streaking across the sky.
Tidal waves rose like mountains, towering over the sea with an intent to swallow everything in their path.
The pressure alone caused the sea around him to sink.
For any other ship, let alone a raft, such a force would be absolute destruction.
But Mihawk showed no fear.
Instead, he smiled wider.
"You want to challenge me, too?"
Clang!
The black blade was drawn.
With a casual swing, a light blue arc slashed through the air, cleaving the towering wave in two.
Boom!
The sea roared again, forming another even larger wave.
Undeterred, Mihawk charged into the storm on his raft.
He would take the ocean itself as his opponent.
When the storm passed, Mihawk's raft had docked on a remote island.
Forests surrounded the shore, and wild beasts occasionally wandered close. But the moment they met his hawk-like eyes, they fled in terror.
Mihawk sheathed his blade and walked along the beach, only to pause when a familiar sound reached his ears.
Laughter. The clinking of mugs. The unmistakable sound of a banquet.
And there it was: the Red Force anchored nearby.
"Red Hair..."
Unconsciously, Mihawk quickened his pace.
"Hey, Mihawk! You're here too?"
Shanks grinned as he spotted his old rival. Then, almost as if he'd been waiting, he reached into his coat and produced a bounty poster.
"Did you hear? My bounty went up again! Hahahaha!"
Mihawk blinked. "How do you know the bounty of the man I'm interested in went up again?"
Silence.
Everyone turned to look at Mihawk, then at Shanks. Their eyes twinkled with unspoken meaning.
So the rumors were true after all...
Even Beckman couldn't resist teasing: "Hey, ever consider joining us? It'd bring you closer to the man you're so invested in."
"..."
Noticing the odd glances, Mihawk furrowed his brow.
Then, he pulled out a different bounty poster from his own pocket.
"It's Knight Gawain. His bounty has gone up again."
He pointed to the number on the poster.
"248 million."
"In under half a year, he's gone from 8 million to nearly 250 million. That rate of growth is rare, even in the New World."