"Squawk—!"
A sharp cry pierced the sky as a News Coo swooped down, dropping a fresh newspaper right beside the group with pinpoint accuracy.
Everyone instinctively turned their gaze to the newspaper.
Marco, being the closest, bent down and picked it up.
He glanced at the front page.
And instantly froze.
He stood stiff, as if petrified.
"Marco? What's wrong?"
Diamond Jozu noticed something was off and leaned over, curious.
A moment later—
BAM!
Jozu gasped.
His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, eyes filled with utter disbelief.
The strange sight drew in the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates, who all gathered quickly.
When they saw the front page—
Hiss—!
Gasps filled the beach like waves crashing ashore.
On the front page were two massive photographs dominating the entire spread.
One showed Lucian in his Sun God Apollo form, divine and radiant as he gazed down from above.
The other showed Luffy in his Sun God Nika form, laughing wildly and radiating a reckless, unshackled aura of liberation.
Beneath the photos were two lines of bounty figures capable of stopping the heart of any powerful figure in the world:
['Time-Space' Lucian — Bounty: 7.5 Billion Berries! (Capture Only)]
['Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy — Bounty: 4 Billion Berries! (Dead or Alive)]
7.5 Billion!
4 Billion!
The numbers sent shockwaves through everyone present.
"S-Seven... seven point five billion... Berries?"
Vista's voice trembled. He felt like his entire understanding of the world had just been flipped upside down.
The Pirate King Gol D. Roger had a bounty of just 5.5 billion!
Even Pops' bounty was barely over 5 billion!
Seven point five billion?!
A number that made the entire sea tremble.
And more outrageous still was the note after Lucian's bounty—Capture Only!
Had the World Government gone mad?!
Even the Five Elders couldn't defeat Lucian—who else could they possibly hope to send?
Everyone's eyes turned to Lucian, who still sat quietly off to the side.
Their gazes were filled with awe, reverence… and fanatic devotion.
This was their family.
This was someone from the Whitebeard Pirates.
A man whose bounty surpassed the Pirate King.
Facing their frenzied admiration, Lucian only smiled calmly.
He took the newspaper from Marco without even glancing at it—then casually tossed it into the blazing bonfire.
Fsshh—!
The paper was reduced to ash in an instant.
"Just an empty title."
He turned to Rayleigh and said flatly,
"Take Luffy and Ace with you first. After he tells his crew the news, the real focus should be on training."
Old Rayleigh looked at Lucian deeply, struck once again by the terrifying calm this young man radiated.
He nodded.
"Alright."
...
Marineford, shattered and scorched.
The once-mighty Marine Headquarters, symbol of Absolute Justice, had been reduced to ruins.
Countless Marines quietly cleared the battlefield, retrieving their fallen comrades. The air was thick with grief and despair.
At the top of the fortress, inside a makeshift command room—
Fleet Admiral Sengoku had removed the Justice coat that symbolized the highest naval honor. He folded it neatly and placed it on the table.
His face was lined with fatigue and age. It was as if this battle had drained the last of his spirit.
Due to urgent orders from the Five Elders to rebuild the Navy quickly, Steel Bone Kong hadn't returned to Mary Geoise but stayed to assist in the reconstruction.
"Commander Kong."
Sengoku looked at the Supreme Commander of the World Government's forces, his voice hoarse but resolute.
"The execution operation at Marineford ended in a crushing defeat for the Navy."
"As the commanding officer of this operation—I accept full responsibility."
He bowed deeply.
"I, Sengoku the Buddha, hereby formally resign from the position of Fleet Admiral."
Steel Bone Kong stared at his old friend, his eyes filled with conflicting emotions. He let out a sigh.
"Sengoku… this isn't your burden alone. The Five Elders—"
"No!"
Sengoku sharply raised his head, cutting him off.
"Failure is failure! No excuses!"
"The Navy's prestige was stained because of me! Countless soldiers died because of my incompetence! I'm not fit to sit in that position anymore!"
His tone left no room for argument.
Steel Bone Kong fell silent.
He knew Sengoku had made up his mind.
This war had completely shattered the lifelong belief in 'justice' that Sengoku had upheld.
"...I understand."
Steel Bone Kong finally nodded heavily.
"Then—who do you recommend as the next Fleet Admiral?"
Sengoku closed his eyes, two figures flashing through his mind:
Akainu… and Kuzan.
After a long pause, he slowly said:
"Kuzan. Aokiji."
"Why not Sakazuki?" Kong frowned. "His achievements and strength surpass Kuzan's."
Sengoku opened his eyes. For the first time, they were clear and sharp.
"I don't deny Sakazuki's sense of justice. But his justice is too extreme—too absolute."
"I fear…"
His voice trembled with deep concern.
"I fear that if the Navy is placed in his hands, and if we ever face pirates using civilians as hostages…"
"Sakazuki would not hesitate to order their deaths in the name of 'Absolute Justice.'"
"That kind of justice isn't the Navy's—it's the work of a butcher!"
He looked straight at Steel Bone Kong, speaking every word with weight.
"By contrast, Kuzan may seem lazy, but his justice has boundaries, has warmth—and aligns more closely with the ideals we once held when we joined the Navy."
"Commander Kong… now I finally understand something."
"A Navy that stands with the people—that's the Navy that truly deserves to exist!"
Steel Bone Kong was deeply moved, falling into a long silence.
Sengoku's words were sharp—painfully so.
Sakazuki's extremism was indeed a double-edged sword hanging over the Navy's head.
However…
"Your ideals are noble, Sengoku."
Steel Bone Kong sighed, a troubled look spreading across his face.
"But I fear… the Five Elders will never agree."