….
[Marine Headquarters]
Shortly after the Blue-Eyed Pirates departed from the scene alongside the Camouflage Pirates, news arrived detailing the fall of Kisaki—a man with a thirteen-million-Beli bounty—who had been defeated by the Blue-Eyed Pirates, a crew whose collective bounty was worth only 8.5 million Beli.
The central question, however, was how a crew of seemingly insignificant pirates with a lower bounty could have overpowered an individual with a substantially higher valuation.
A Rear Admiral was at a loss for words, his gaze fixed upon the wanted posters of Gojo and Ryuken. "And now, they have recruited another member?"
"What intrigues me the most," another officer mused, sipping his lemon tea, "is the nature of the Devil Fruit he may have consumed. An invisible barrier user? That defies conventional classification; it is clearly not a Logia, a Paramecia, or a Zoan?"
"Commander Keigo's report corroborated the existence of the invisible barrier, but what of the blue flames he utilized to vanquish a Sea King in a single strike?"
"That… I still find it utterly unbelievable. If he truly possesses such formidable power, then why does he remain in the East Blue?"
"I wonder why," a third Rear Admiral remarked, stroking his temple as he scrutinized the wanted poster. "This swordsman bears a striking resemblance to 'him'."
"Indeed." The response came from Tsuru, a thin, tall, and elderly woman with gray hair tied into a austere bun. Her attire was less formal than that of her fellow high-ranking officers, but as a veteran Marine, she was not without profound wisdom earned through decades of experience. "The Dragon Slayer, Ryuma."
Her declaration plunged the room into a stunned silence before the Rear Admirals erupted in unanimous disbelief. The Marines laughed initially, though their mirth quickly gave way to palpable unease. "That is impossible! Ryuma is merely a fairy tale!"
"How could that brat possibly be related to the Dragon Slayer, Ryuma?"
"Is he not a historical figure from Wano Country—a legendary samurai also revered as the 'Sword God'?"
"Yes," one of the Rear Admirals affirmed, swallowing hard. "Then… he is a descendant of Ryuma?"
Throughout the conference hall, the faint buzz of murmuring Rear Admirals provided a constant backdrop as they shuffled papers, traded reports, and sipped their tea. Maps of the Grand Line lined the walls, with fresh notices and bounty posters stacked meticulously before every seat.
Yet, Tsuru sat in contemplative silence. In her hand, a single wanted poster crackled as she studied the face rendered upon it—calm eyes, a mocking grin, the name scrawled boldly beneath: "Ryuken."
The surrounding chatter dulled to a whisper as she swallowed hard, her gaze heavy with dawning recognition. A palpable weight settled over the entire room.
"Is something troubling you, Vice Admiral?" Inquired one officer, peering curiously at the poster she held.
Tsuru placed the sheet upon the table. A wave of gasps rippled through the assembled officers.
Another officer shook his head in denial. "No… observe the name carefully."
The atmosphere in the room shifted palpably, with unease spreading like a lengthening shadow. Tsuru's voice cut through the tension, low and steady.
"He is no ordinary upstart. That name—Ryuken—is not a coincidence. He carries the bloodline of Ryuma, the Dragon Slayer."
The hall fell into a profound silence. The legend's name hung in the air, heavier than any cannon. Even the boldest Rear Admirals averted their eyes, the terrifying prospect of confronting a descendant of Wano's mythical swordsman chilling their very resolve.
One man scoffed nervously, attempting to dispel the mounting tension. "Legends are not inherited through bloodlines; he is merely a boy."
Tsuru's sharp eyes cut through his feeble protest like a honed blade. "History possesses a tenacious habit of resurfacing… and when it does, the very world trembles. Do not underestimate the significance of this bloodline."
Her fingers tightened imperceptibly on the poster, slightly crinkling the paper at its edges. "Dispatch a communiqué to Fleet Admiral Sengoku immediately. If this young man continues his ascent… he may evolve into a threat far greater than we currently dare to imagine."
A thoughtful silence followed before an officer posed the inevitable question. "If he is to be labeled a significant threat, and he serves merely as the second mate of the crew, then what assessment must we make of his captain, Satoru Gojo?"
"The man whose power remains entirely enigmatic… It would be profoundly troublesome for the higher-ups in Mary Geoise if we were to allow them to roam freely across these vast seas."
"Consequently, we are confronting a far more substantial threat, particularly if we fail to intercept them while they remain in the East Blue, actively recruiting new members to bolster their pirate crew."
"We must demonstrate the absolute authority of Justice and apprehend them decisively, before they can venture into the Grand Line and transform into major players upon the world's stage."
Tsuru smoothed the crumpled poster flat against the polished table, her voice low yet unwavering. "To comprehend the enigma of Ryuken… you must first endeavor to understand the immense shadow cast by the legacy he was born beneath. Allow me to remind you of a name inscribed within Wano's most ancient history, written in its very blood—Ryuma, the Dragon Slayer."
She began to tell the tale…
Long before the world spoke of Pirate Kings and Marines, Wano whispered of a man whose sword rivaled gods. Ryuma, the "Sword God," was born in the heart of Wano, where steel and honor shaped men sharper than their blades.
He was no noble, no lord—only a man whose resolve cut deeper than any title. With a single stroke, he felled a dragon that had laid waste to villages, its wings blotting out the sky. From that day, the world named him "Dragon Slayer."
His victories became legends, his blade "Shusui" a treasure. But legends cast long shadows. Enemies beyond Wano's borders remembered his name with fear, and allies with reverence. Even after death, his story lived… until it returned in the strangest way, in a corpse that once walked again on Thriller Bark.
The silence that followed was absolute. For the first time that day, the gathering of Marines felt not like a meeting of justice, but a council of men staring into the shadow of a storm yet to come.
Tsuru leaned her back against the wall as she contemplated the worst possible outcome: the descendant of Ryuma. Zoro, and now, Ryuken—both were, in fact, descendants of that legendary bloodline.
….
Meanwhile, the Blue-Eyed Pirates sailed across the sea toward their next island, completely unaware that news of their exploits was circulating throughout the entire world; their bounties had now officially skyrocketed.
A News Coo flew through the sky, dropping off newspapers which detailed the exploits of these particular pirates, causing more rookies across the East Blue to become terrified at how their bounties had escalated so rapidly upward.
One of the News Coos spotted the pirate ship as it flew past, releasing a bounty poster that fluttered down onto the deck, startling the trio.
"The newspaper," Gojo murmured, his curiosity piqued for the first time regarding the details that undoubtedly concerned his crew.
"Hoh, I didn't think you would become interested in newspapers," Ryuken teased, reminiscing about the first time they received their bounty, when Gojo had shown not the slightest interest—only to discover it was about them.
"Now, let's see what it says," Gojo said, loosening his blindfold as his lips curled into a faint smile while he slowly opened the newspaper.
"Wha—" Gojo was utterly stunned as he glanced at the photograph of himself and Ryuken printed within the newspaper.
Jake and Ryuken, now equally intrigued, joined their captain to read the article.
The newspaper recounted the defeat of Kisaki and his crew, who had been brought down by the Blue-Eyed Pirates—a feat which caused their bounties to skyrocket from a single-digit million value to a double-digit number: Gojo, 34 million Beli bounty, and Ryuken, 25 million Beli bounty.
This revelation caused their jaws to drop, seeing just how much their bounties had increased merely by defeating the Camouflage Pirates—but was that truly the sole cause? Well, regardless of the reason, it is what it is.
"This is becoming interesting!" Gojo hummed in amazement, not bothering to read all the finer details within the newspaper.
Jake grabbed the newspaper from Ryuken, bringing it directly to his face to get a better view. "It seems I haven't gotten a bounty yet."
"Ehhh? That's too bad," Ryuken teased with a smirk, quickly crouching down to dodge a kick from Jake.
"Well, it won't take long for you to be noticed by the Marines, since you're officially a crewmate of mine now," Gojo muttered, stretching his muscles.
"That's true," Jake felt reassured, "and by the time I'm wanted, I'll be in second place."
"Eh? Second? At what?" Ryuken argued.
"Butt off, Ryu. Just watch—some day I'll be in second place."
"Good luck with that, since I won't be losing to you."
….
[Somewhere in the East Blue]
A ship sailed across the vast sea; a cool breeze blew gently as the crew erupted in cheers, partying with abandon throughout the entire day.
A News Coo distributed newspapers worldwide, and one managed to land squarely upon the deck.
"Guys, it's the newspaper," a feminine voice rang out, her orange hair glowing like the sun as she bent to pick it up.
"What's that, Nami? Do you think it's about me, the great Captain Usopp?" Usopp muttered, pausing briefly in his dancing and drinking.
Nami took a sip from her cup before unfolding the newspaper, only to discover it was not about the Straw Hats but another rookie crew that had just emerged within the East Blue. "It's about a certain pirate group," she announced.
"If it isn't about us, forget about it and let's feast!" Luffy, the captain adorned with the iconic straw hat, declared while savoring a huge mouthful of chicken.
"Luffy, you really ought to show a little interest and know what's happening in the world around us," Nami chided.
"Hey, Nami, you know he's an airhead—it's useless telling him that now," Zoro, the first mate of the Straw Hats, remarked while sipping his sake, his three swords securely strapped to his waist.
Nami's eyes widened in shock as her gaze fell upon the photograph accompanying the article. "It 'is' about the Blue-Eyed Pirates!" she exclaimed, immediately seizing the crew's attention. "Satoru Gojo: 34 million Beli bounty, and Ryuken, the swordsman: 24 million Beli bounty," she uttered, sweat beginning to stream down her face.
"A rookie with a higher bounty than Luffy? Hey, Nami, are you sure you aren't drunk?" Usopp swallowed nervously.
"Then see for yourselves!" She retorted, tossing the newspaper toward them as the crew collectively glared at the wanted poster.
"Who the hell are these guys? And why is the captain blindfolded? Is he blind?" Sanji inquired, puffing thoughtfully on his cigarette.
Luffy adjusted his straw hat confidently. "It doesn't matter—I'll beat anybody, even if they're a god," he proclaimed before swallowing another enormous portion of chicken.
Meanwhile, Zoro was silently glaring at the bounty poster of Ryuken until a sudden realization finally struck him. "Ahh! Isn't this Ryuken?" He shouted.
"Do you know him, Zoro?" Luffy asked, tapping the ground impatiently for water as his throat remained clogged with meat.
"Yeah," Zoro sweatdropped at the memory, "we were rivals back at the dojo where I first learned swordplay."
"A childhood rival?!" The crew exclaimed in perfect unison as they sweat dropped!
...
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