When Akainu heard that Sengoku was holding an emergency Navy meeting, he rushed over without hesitation. Even though he didn't participate directly, Akainu could easily guess the purpose of the meeting—without a doubt, it was to plan an operation targeting Katie.
Which led to the current situation.
"Sengoku, it's rare for Akainu to be this proactive. Just let him take Aokiji's place," Garp said.
"But—" he suddenly paused, his sharp gaze fixing on Akainu. "The upcoming conscription mission will be handed over to Aokiji. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
With a dull thud, the previously determined look in Akainu's eyes suddenly turned hesitant upon hearing Garp's words.
The Navy's upcoming large-scale conscription was a campaign planned long before the war. Everything had already been arranged—except for who would lead it. Only two candidates were left: Akainu and Aokiji.
If Akainu insisted on fighting Katie, then Aokiji would naturally be the one handling conscription.
At first, both Aokiji and Sengoku were surprised to hear Garp speak in Akainu's favor, but now they understood his intention and stayed silent, waiting for Akainu's decision.
"Forget it. Let Aokiji go instead. You're hesitating too much," Garp said decisively when he saw Akainu still struggling.
"Indeed. Akainu, you should handle the conscription. Take this time to rest and recover. Aokiji can get revenge for you," Sengoku added fuel to the fire.
"No! I'm going! Katie must be defeated by my own hands. Let Aokiji handle the conscription!"
Sengoku's words sent Akainu into a panic. This was an execution order—if all went according to plan, this would likely be Katie's final battle. If Akainu missed this chance, he might never get another one. There was no way he could accept that.
So, without a second thought, he relinquished the leadership role to Aokiji.
"Are you sure? Remember, this is a military order—you can't go back on it," Sengoku quickly followed up. Once agreed, there would be no turning back.
"I'm sure!" Akainu answered firmly.
He understood exactly what Sengoku and Garp were doing. But this time, he had to follow through. Katie had become a mental shadow—if Akainu couldn't defeat him personally, it would become a future obstacle. He'd rather give up some things than allow that shadow to persist.
"Akainu, Kizaru—listen up!" Sengoku's face turned serious.
"Yes, sir!" Neither of them dared be careless in the face of military orders.
"From today forward, the mission to eliminate Katie is yours. Once Cipher Pol provides intelligence, you are to deploy immediately—no delays! Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Admiral, should we issue a bounty for Katie?" one vice admiral suddenly asked, just when everyone thought the discussion was over. The room fell silent again.
"Yes. And do it quickly. It's the only way to lower their guard," Sengoku replied after a brief pause, then turned to Tsuru.
"Tsuru, how much do you think Katie's bounty should be?"
In matters like this, Tsuru was the expert. Among everyone present, no one understood pirates better than she did—even if she was a woman.
"Ten billion. It may be a bit low, but considering he's a newcomer, it's appropriate," she said calmly.
At the mention of "ten billion," everyone's hearts tightened. They didn't even notice she had added, "a bit low."
They all knew the true meaning of bounty values. It wasn't just a number—it represented how dangerous someone was and reflected their strength.
There was an unspoken rule within the Navy: Ten billion was the dividing line between weak and strong. Any criminal with a bounty above that threshold was someone Admirals needed to pay close attention to.
In the entire world, only about twenty criminals had bounties exceeding ten billion, and each one was a legendary figure.
Now, that group had a new addition: Katie.
Whether she could survive the coming hunt was unknown, but from this moment forward, Katie had earned her place among the most fearsome names on the sea.
"Alright, let's go with Tsuru's suggestion. Set it at ten billion. Get the posters made and published as soon as possible."
"Yes, Admiral!" the same vice admiral responded again.
"That's all regarding Katie. Now let's move on to the Navy's long-term strategy."
With that, the first objective of the emergency meeting was complete. Everyone's attention finally shifted away from Katie.
"This defeat in the war is mainly my responsibility. I didn't organize things well. After the conscription campaign, I will resign. But until then, I am still Fleet Admiral—and I will not tolerate anyone slacking off in my final days."
His sharp gaze swept across the room, making everyone tense. No one dared meet Sengoku's eyes.
He knew rumors about his resignation were already circulating among them, and he didn't care. But he wouldn't allow it to make anyone lax or careless on the job.
Except Garp, of course. That guy didn't care about anyone's authority—even when Sengoku was fully in command, Garp had always done things his own way, like a battle-hardened rogue. But with his reputation and strength, no one could say a word.
"Don't worry, Admiral. We're not ready to see you leave yet. None of us would let you down now," someone finally spoke, not out of flattery but genuine respect.
Sengoku had been part of the Navy for decades. He'd watched most of the people in the room rise through the ranks. There was a bond there—personal and professional—and no one wanted to see him embarrassed at the end of his tenure. On the contrary, they would do everything they could to make his final days as Admiral count.
Feeling the support and concern around him, Sengoku's heart warmed, though he didn't show it.
"Alright, let's get back to business. The plan ahead consists of two main points."
"First, the large-scale conscription. A new era is coming, and the Navy must grow stronger. This campaign will span the entire world. Every department must give it their full effort—no mistakes allowed!"
"Second, we need to deal with the escaped prisoners from Impel Down and possible pirate uprisings across the seas. Our failure in the war against the Whitebeard Pirates will no doubt lead to a surge in piracy. Combined with the reemergence of old pirate veterans, the world's oceans are going to descend into chaos."
"In times like these, as defenders of justice, we must step up to protect the peace of the seas. Specific tasks will be assigned later. For now, prepare yourselves—things are about to get very busy."