Far away on the Grand Line—
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The towering, solemn headquarters stood majestically, the massive iron-hooked characters for "MARINE" exuding a powerful aura. One glance was enough to make anyone feel a crushing pressure.
Inside the grand building, in a spacious room decorated in green and white, a group of Marine officers sat cross-legged on both sides of a long table. Untouched dishes and fine wine were set before them.
With a sharp slap, a freshly printed bounty poster was placed on the board at the front.
The grinning face of Monkey D. Luffy stared back at everyone.
Below it read: "Capture Alive Only."
Bounty: 40,000,000 Berries.
"Ever since the Great Pirate Era began, troublesome people keep appearing on these seas…"
The green-haired Marine captain at the front spoke solemnly, his expression grim. "And the East Blue—mocked as the weakest sea—has produced some of the most dangerous ones."
"From Gol D. Roger, Portgas D. Ace, and Monkey D. Dragon… and now another one appears—Monkey D. Luffy."
"This kid has only been at sea for barely a month. First he executed a Marine captain on our behalf, then he subdued Buggy, former apprentice of the Pirate King, and now he's stirring up even more chaos…"
His words triggered murmurs among the officers seated on both sides.
At the front row, Vice Admiral Tea Dolphin folded his arms and raised a brow.
"Hey, hey, this Luffy is Vice Admiral Garp's grandson, right?"
"He took in Buggy with a 15-million bounty, executed Captain Morgan, and now he's causing trouble in Syrup Village… What a headache."
Across from him, Gion (Momousagi) shot him an annoyed glance and simply turned away, unwilling to encourage him with a reply. This wasn't even a formal meeting—Captain Aramaki Gen'nai was only briefing them on new intel—so everyone was relaxed and doing their own thing.
Still, Luffy's name certainly drew attention.
There were many who respected Garp; seeing the bounty of his grandson put up like this made more than a few of them uneasy.
Tea Dolphin was already thinking: If I run into Luffy… how much should I hold back?
"Shelz Town reports that Morgan wasn't even a match for Luffy. After killing him, Luffy rescued Roronoa Zoro—the Pirate Hunter—and recruited him onto his crew…"
"And as of recently, we received word that in Syrup Village, the pirate Kuro—who supposedly 'died' three years ago—has resurfaced! He used hypnosis to fool the Marines into believing he was captured. And the Marine he hypnotized… was the disgraced Captain Morgan!"
By now the green-haired captain was trembling with rage.
"This was a calculated humiliation against the Marines. And the one who exposed the truth… was a group of pirates! It's an utter disgrace!"
Officers exchanged bitter smiles.
No one had expected Kuro to hide so well. The man was far from ordinary.
But… what did this have to do with Luffy's bounty?
"One more thing."
The captain's tone grew even more serious. "The one who killed Kuro was Roronoa Zoro—rescued and recruited by Luffy. He took Kuro down in a single strike. His strength far surpasses the 16-million bounty Kuro once held!"
"What?!"
"One strike?!"
"That Pirate Hunter… that's terrifying."
Shock rippled through the room.
If even Luffy's subordinates were that powerful, then how fearsome must Luffy himself be?
"What's most infuriating is that this Straw Hat brat repeatedly defies justice. Not only did he publicly execute a Marine criminal, he even abducted a noble lady from Syrup Village with the help of his crew!"
Captain Aramaki slammed two more bounty posters onto the board.
In the center was Monkey D. Luffy.
On the left, Buggy.
On the right, Roronoa Zoro.
"Based on reports from both Shelz Town and Syrup Village, we have confirmed that Monkey D. Luffy is a Rubber-Human."
"Buggy possesses the powers of the Chop-Chop Fruit. Zoro is a swordsman rapidly approaching the level of a master swordsman."
"These three belong to the same pirate crew. They already pose a threat to the Marines. Such evil seedlings must be crushed early—before they grow!"
He struck the board again, revealing the posted bounties.
Besides Luffy's 40 million, Buggy and Zoro each had newly issued rewards.
Captain Aramaki declared, voice firm:
"For the honor of the Marines, we cannot allow them to roam free!"
"Ala-la-la… Monkey D. Luffy, huh? Dragon's kid? That family really is full of problems."
A lazy voice drifted from the doorway.
A tall man casually walked in and took a seat, speaking lightly,
"Notify Smoker at Loguetown."
"Can't let these little monsters grow. Better capture them early and bring them straight to headquarters."
At his words, every officer in the room instantly lowered their heads.
"Yes, Admiral Aokiji!"
Only Tea Dolphin sneaked a confused look at Kuzan.
What is this ice guy thinking?
Luffy is Garp-sensei's grandson. That makes him on OUR side!
Why the hell are you trying to catch him?!
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T/N:
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