"Is he here? Meteor Volcano." Akainu arrived over a small island. Though the island was modest in size, it had forests and several homes. Suspecting Crocodile might be hiding there, he showed no mercy.
Countless magma bombs rained down from the sky, more devastating than a Buster Call, tearing the island apart. Deep chasms opened, and seas of magma ignited everything. But no figures were found.
The few households that once stood there had already turned to ash in the inferno.
"A boat?" Akainu suddenly remembered an inconspicuous small vessel he had passed earlier.
After three days and nights of relentless pursuit, his mind was worn and unfocused.
In truth, it wasn't just him—Rosen, dragging a severely injured body, could only evade Akainu because of his regenerative ability. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted.
Over the past three days, countless nearby islands, including the area around Water 7, had witnessed this unprecedented pursuit. Many had been caught in the crossfire.
Akainu considered turning back to resume the chase, but it was too late.
The window had closed. Even if he found the boat again, he knew this opponent wouldn't linger in one place for long.
"Damn it!" Akainu seethed in frustration. Just then, his Den Den Mushi rang—it was Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
"Sakazuki, return to Marine Headquarters immediately."
"What happened?" Akainu wasn't ready to abandon the hunt.
"A war is about to break out. A former Whitebeard pirate has captured Fire Fist Ace. The news isn't public yet. Take a fleet to retrieve the prisoner and hold him at Impel Down. Once the World Government and Headquarters are ready, we'll release the news," Sengoku said, his tone heavier than ever.
It was a good opportunity—but terrible timing. Still, the World Government was determined to eliminate Whitebeard, to make an example and bring peace to the seas. Strategically, Sengoku agreed. But in such turbulent times, would things go as planned?
They knew how it started—but had no idea how it would end.
"We're going to war with Whitebeard?!" Akainu was surprised. Whitebeard's crew usually stayed in the New World, where Marine power was thin. Capturing one of the Four Emperors' officers was nearly impossible. But someone had managed to capture Ace.
"Understood. I'll return at once." Akainu nodded. This was a real war. Crocodile might have potential, but he was still far from reaching Emperor level. There were priorities.
So he gave up the chase.
Shortly after Akainu left, a merchant ship passed by. Aboard was a team of reporters. A man and a woman looked at the burning island and sighed. "That's the third island destroyed. I remember this one had a few families. Admiral Akainu is even more extreme than the rumors say."
"Do you think Crocodile is dead?" the female reporter asked, snapping photos. Their tabloid had been quietly spreading word of the chase, and business was good.
They had even taken the risk of following Akainu from a distance.
"We'll know tomorrow from Marine reports. If there's no capture or death notice, then he's still alive. Who knew a former Shichibukai could be this strong?" the male reporter said, clicking his camera before they sailed off.
What they didn't notice was that just as they stopped, a small rescue boat had quietly departed from beside them—taken from their own ship. It circled the burning island and vanished from view.
Lying on that small boat, barely breathing and gasping for air, was Rosen.
He had boarded the reporters' ship briefly but realized Akainu might suspect it. So despite his critical injuries, he shifted to another vessel and hid.
These days of nonstop combat had drained even his regenerative ability. He couldn't take much more.
He never expected the reporters to be so reckless—following Akainu this closely. It was so obvious that Akainu hadn't even considered Rosen might be hiding on such a ship. Too many vessels had shown interest recently, and by sheer chance, they missed each other.
Once Rosen confirmed Akainu had left, he could no longer keep his eyes open. He lay on the boat, drifting with the current, and fell into unconsciousness.
It was incredibly dangerous. Pirates, merchants, or Sea Kings—any would be fatal to Rosen in this state.
He would rather drift at sea than be around anyone. With his bounty and pirate status, many wouldn't hesitate to turn him in.
Even unconscious, if anyone tried to move his body, his Conqueror's Haki might instinctively lash out—but only once.
And even with regeneration, this shattered body wouldn't recover anytime soon.
Marine Headquarters.
"So Crocodile escaped after all? I didn't think he'd grown so powerful. Could he have found something in Alabasta? Did he use any powerful weapons in battle?" Sengoku frowned as he looked at Akainu—disheveled, bloody, and missing part of a finger.
"No."
Regardless of excuses, for an Admiral of Marine Headquarters to not only fail to capture Crocodile but also suffer injury—it was unacceptable.
The injury wasn't crippling and didn't affect his strength, but the failed chase had already spread widely. Since Crocodile escaped, they'd have to raise his bounty. That meant the world would know an Admiral had failed.
It wasn't the worst scandal, but it was no small matter either. Whether it caused further damage would depend on what followed.
"Tell Intelligence to raise the bounties on Crocodile and his crew. Let the bounty hunters go after them. Our top priority now is preparing for Whitebeard," Sengoku told a nearby Vice Admiral.
"Understood." Though no one wanted to admit it, the Marine Headquarters had clearly lost this battle. That was undeniable.
"Add that thunder user to the wanted list. Also, there was a beautiful woman on their ship—she should be the Crimson Queen. Update her bounty as well," Akainu said. Without that thunder user's repeated interference, they might have captured Crocodile's crew already.
"Understood."
It was extremely rare for the Marines to raise bounties again in such a short time. Clearly, their previous evaluation had been completely wrong.
The next day, new wanted posters were released worldwide. Everyone learned that a massive naval battle had taken place near Water 7—and that the former Shichibukai had escaped the joint pursuit by Hero Garp and Admiral Akainu.
The Dawn Pirates rose to fame overnight.
Enel, member of the Dawn Pirates. First bounty: 480 million Berries.
An exceptionally high initial bounty. From the moment he emerged, he displayed overwhelming strength. As the Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, his twin lightning strikes dealt heavy damage to the Marines.
Hathaway, officer of the Dawn Pirates. Killer of a World Noble. Updated bounty: 790 million Berries.
The increase wasn't huge, but the amount rivaled some senior officers of the Four Emperors. Her threat level was extremely high.
(End of Chapter)