The grand conference room of Marine Headquarters was filled with a tense, solemn air.
This meeting was personally presided over by Fleet Admiral Steelbone Kong, his expression carved from stone as he surveyed the room.
Gathered before him were some of the strongest pillars of the Navy: Sengoku the Strategist, the wise and composed admiral; the legendary hero Garp, who had once refused a promotion out of stubborn humility; the calm and sharp-eyed Vice Admiral Tsuru, serving as the staff chief; and three formidable vice admirals-in-training Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru.
Behind them stood a row of mid- and lower-ranking officers: Onigumo, Burning Mountain, Doberman, Dalmatian, Strawberry, Gumir, and a host of other lesser-known marines. Every face was grave, every breath measured. Even the air itself seemed to weigh a ton.
At the head of the long table, Fleet Admiral Kong cleared his throat. His deep, commanding voice rolled through the chamber.
"Today, I have gathered you all because, during the execution of the Buster Call on Ohara, Admiral Sakazuki's unit encountered an unforeseen incident. The daughter of Nico Olvia Nico Robin was rescued by a mysterious individual."
He paused, letting the name sink in.
"She is the last surviving scholar of Ohara. According to our intelligence, Nico Robin possesses the ability to decipher the ancient Poneglyphs."
At once, murmurs rippled through the hall. Even the calmest officers felt their hearts tighten.
Everyone knew why the World Government had ordered Ohara's destruction. It was not simply an act of punishment, but fear fear that the scholars might uncover the truth buried in that lost century of history. Yet among the Navy's ranks, only a handful truly understood this.
Kong's eyes swept across the assembly once more.
"Therefore," he said firmly, turning toward the officer recording the meeting, "issue a bounty for Nico Robin. Code name: Devil's Child. As for the amount…"
He hesitated briefly, then declared, "Set it at seventy-nine million berries."
A collective hiss swept through the room.
"She's only eight years old," someone muttered under their breath.
An eight-year-old girl branded a devil, with a bounty rivaling seasoned pirates of the Four Seas. It would be seen as excessive, even ridiculous. The world would surely mock such a proclamation.
But no one dared to voice an objection aloud.
Kong's expression darkened. "Next," he said, "is the matter of the man who saved her. Sengoku, as the lead officer of the Ohara operation, you will explain."
Sengoku adjusted his round glasses and stepped forward. Under the glow of the visual Den Den Mushi, a projection flickered to life on the wide screen behind him.
A figure appeared within the image Liam Ross. His face was obscured by a strange black-and-white smiling mask, and he wore the uniform of a marine. In the image, he was clashing fiercely with Aokiji.
"This," Sengoku began gravely, "is the mysterious man who rescued the Devil's Child. Codename: Emperor of Earth, Ten. A Logia-type user of the Earth-Earth Fruit. Though this name is likely an alias."
The officers watched intently as the footage unfolded. Gasps escaped the room when Liam's power became apparent. With a single blow, he sent Aokiji hurtling into a warship.
Murmurs rose, and even Garp's usual smirk faltered.
The projection continued Liam now facing both Aokiji and Akainu together. He moved with unhurried precision, his hands summoning vast waves of solid earth that surged like living mountains. The devastation was beyond belief.
Garp's face grew serious. If even he was troubled, the others were terrified.
Aokiji countered with his Ice Age, Akainu retaliated with Great Eruption, and the battlefield turned into a storm of fire, ice, and earth.
Then the image abruptly went black. The Den Den Mushi's eyes rolled back and shut.
Everyone knew what that meant. Sengoku had deliberately cut the feed. After all, showing Akainu being struck down by a single punch from that masked man would only humiliate the Navy. Better to end it there and preserve morale.
Sengoku's tone hardened. "You have all seen it. This so-called Emperor Ten possesses strength on par with an admiral. The Navy and even the World Government have no record of his existence. That alone tells us how carefully he conceals himself."
He straightened his posture.
"He appeared during our annihilation of Ohara and took the Devil's Child under his protection. His motives remain unknown, but we cannot afford to underestimate him. He aided fugitives who sought to defy the World Government. That alone makes him an enemy of global stability."
Sengoku raised his voice, each word ringing through the hall.
"For the sake of world peace and order, the Navy will issue a bounty on this man and initiate a global manhunt. He must be captured alive if possible, terminated if not."
He paused, then declared, "This man wields power capable of destroying the world. Justice cannot allow him to walk free."
A chorus of voices echoed through the room.
"Yes, sir!"
And so, the meeting concluded.
Within hours, the new bounty posters were printed and released. Countless seagulls carrying newspapers and wanted flyers took to the skies, scattering across the seas.
In every corner of the world, the news spread like wildfire.
"The Devil's Child, Nico Robin seventy-nine million berries! She's just a kid. What could she have done to deserve this?"
"They say she's the last survivor of those Ohara demons, the ones who tried to destroy the world."
"She sank six warships on her own!"
"A monster in human form. Best they catch her soon, or the world won't be safe."
While the ordinary people whispered and speculated, far away in the New World, a very different scene was unfolding.
On a massive ship shaped like a white whale, the Moby Dick, a grand celebration was underway. Music and laughter filled the air as the legendary pirate Whitebeard guzzled down a massive bowl of rum, his booming laugh shaking the deck.
"Gurararara! What fine drink this is!"
"Father, please, not so much," pleaded Marco, his first division commander, rubbing his temples. "If you get drunk again and Kaido shows up, we'll have our hands full."
Whitebeard only roared louder, waving him off. "Gurararara! Your old man can handle a thousand drinks and still stand tall. Come, sons, drink with me!"
Marco sighed helplessly. "There's no reasoning with you…" Still, he grabbed his cup and joined the toast.
Just then, a seagull swooped overhead, dropping a newspaper onto the deck.
Marco caught it midair, tossed a coin skyward in payment, and unfolded the paper. His eyes widened as he read. "Father… something big has happened."
Whitebeard, intrigued, raised a brow. "What's this, my son?"
"The island of Ohara has been destroyed."
Whitebeard snatched the paper, his expression darkening as he scanned the headlines.
Ohara, the Island of Scholars, Destroyed by the World Government
The Devil's Child Escapes Bounty: 79,000,000 Berries
Masked Man Codename Emperor Ten Rescues Her Bounty: 500,000,000 Berries
For a long moment, Whitebeard said nothing. Then, slowly, his deep, rumbling laughter returned.
"Gurararara… So another remarkable man has risen upon these seas."
The waves crashed against the hull, carrying his laughter across the ocean. Far beyond that horizon, the name Liam Ross the masked Emperor of Earth was beginning to stir the balance of the world itself.