Rojen's crew had left Water 7, but the storm was only just beginning.
The officials of the World Government had been slain by a pirate crew in a blatant act of defiance. The brutality of the incident sent shockwaves across the world, and countless high-ranking officials boiled with rage.
Even more damning, Spandam's family was itself a powerful one within the government, representing the interests of many.
This act of savagery was nothing less than trampling upon the dignity of the World Government itself. It delivered a massive blow to the authority they so desperately guarded.
The moment the news reached him, the Fleet Admiral of the Marines gave an uncompromising order:
"This crew of lunatics must be eradicated!"
At once, the Government machinery moved with ruthless efficiency. Massive troop deployments began immediately.
On the surface, Water 7 appeared calm, but beneath that quiet mask, dark storms were already stirring. Numerous investigation teams poured in, scouring for evidence and the trail of the culprits.
"Logia – Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit)"
Not long after Rojen's departure, a small seven-man squad stepped foot onto Water 7.
On the deck, a cold-eyed man in a top hat gazed down at the severed heads half-buried in sand. His voice was detached as he murmured:
"A towering brute. Inhumanly strong."
Below the ship, another man observed two deep holes in the ground, muttering quietly to himself.
A woman with glasses adjusted her frames before addressing the others crisply:
"We've confirmed their identities."
In mere moments, the truth was uncovered. The speed and precision of the Government's investigation left no doubt, they were relentless.
"Oh?" The man in the top hat arched a brow, glancing at her.
"A Devil Fruit user, the Suna Suna no Mi. Crocodile. Bounty: forty-five million. He was always active in the Alabasta seas. I never expected him to surface here. There's another one. Based on our deductions, and I'm confident of it, it should be Armor-Crusher Jason."
At that name, the man in the top hat's eyes narrowed sharply.
"You mean Armor-Crusher Jason? With a bounty of 110 million?"
"Correct. It's him."
"And the others?"
"According to eyewitnesses, there were ten in total, but only two were seen in action. The scene was too chaotic, so we haven't gathered clear information on the others yet."
The woman hesitated before continuing.
"What is it?" the man in the top hat asked.
"Someone reported seeing a pirate flag flying on their ship."
"Pirates…" The man's pupils contracted before his gaze steadied again.
"Then leave it to the Marines. CP5 isn't here to handle such matters."
"But… those were our superiors," the woman said with uncertainty.
"And what does that have to do with me?" The man in the top hat sneered and turned to leave.
Within an hour, the CP5 operatives who had come to investigate withdrew swiftly, leaving the matter behind. Their superior was dead, and with him gone, there was no need to obey anyone else's commands.
In truth, the CP organizations of the World Government were shrouded in mystery. Each one possessed formidable power and techniques that went far beyond ordinary comprehension.
"Boss, why aren't we handling this?"
Back aboard their ship, a young man behind the one in the top hat finally voiced his doubts. The incident involved their superior, shouldn't it have fallen under their jurisdiction?
"Don't you understand?" The man in the top hat sneered again.
Behind him, the investigator who had studied the ship and identified Jason spoke in a low, grim tone:
"That man who moved the ship… his Doriki exceeds 3000."
Those words left the entire crew frozen, their faces drained of color.
Doriki was the unit used to roughly measure combat strength. If the average Marine soldier's Doriki was set at 10, then anyone above 500 already belonged to the ranks of the superhuman. Within CP5, even the team leader, the man in the top hat, possessed only around 3000 Doriki.
Yet the one who had moved the ship had exceeded 3000.
That was staggering enough. But considering there were ten in that pirate crew in total, facing them head-on meant CP5 might not only fail to win, it could end in complete annihilation.
Doriki was the metric their organization relied on to assess an enemy's strength in comparison to their own.
Now that they knew the enemy's power far surpassed expectations, their choice became clear. Whether their superior lived or died, in the grand scheme of things, no one really cared.
The very next day after Rojen's crew departed Water 7, shocking news spread across the world like wildfire, sending tremors through every corner.
"The Nether Soul Pirates strike, World Government special envoy Spandam slain!"
The announcement reverberated like thunder. How many in history had ever dared to lay hands on a World Government official?
This was no less than a resounding slap across the face of the World Government, echoing pa pa for all to hear. Normally, no pirate crew would ever choose such a suicidal path, not even in pursuit of fame, because the consequences were far too grave. The Marines and the World Government would hunt them without end.
"Lunatics!"
At Marine Headquarters, Kong slammed the table in fury.
Before the eyes of countless high-ranking Marines, he immediately declared a new round of wanted posters, placing this crew under highest-priority surveillance.
New bounties were issued, and the name Nether Soul Pirates was, for the first time, revealed to the world.
"Armor-Crusher Jason, Nether Soul Pirates, Bounty: 250 million!"
"Desert Crocodile, Nether Soul Pirates, Bounty: 200 million!"
For now, only these two posters could be distributed, as information on the others remained unclear. Yet even so, these amounts alone were enough to shake the seas.
Two men, and their combined bounties already rivaled entire pirate crews, a staggering total of 450 million!
This unknown crew, seemingly emerging from nowhere, leapt instantly into the ranks of the Supernova Pirates, crashing directly into the top ten.
Aboard The Logan, the Nether Soul Pirates erupted into laughter.
"Hahaha! Crocodile Nii San, your bounty jumped up so high, amazing!"
"Jason Nii San too, 250 million! A proper great pirate now!"
"Captain, look, those two just surpassed you in one go!"
Laughter rang out loudly across the deck.
Rojen only smiled faintly. Standing at the ship's edge, his gaze fell thoughtfully on the six members of the Dragon-Elephant group.
Yes, they were now official crew members, but their strength was still lacking.
The journey to the Sabaody Archipelago ahead would bring battles far fiercer than anything they had faced before. Rojen remained uncertain whether these new members could take part.
"Perhaps… I should assign them another mission instead."
He sighed, his thoughts heavy.
Rojen did not want any of his brothers on board to suffer injury or misfortune. As captain, ensuring the crew's safety was his foremost duty.
If possible, he wished to carry all burdens alone, shielding them from harm.
But this time, the mission was of grave importance, one that demanded manpower.
And with that came unimaginable peril.
(End Of Chapter)
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