"Former Supernova 'High-Pressure Cannon' Egerd Riki, whose bounty was already nearing 300 million, effortlessly defeated the 350-million Ghost Leopard Hoki. His actual strength is likely equivalent to a 500 million bounty," Sengoku stated grimly, summarizing the findings from the video footage.
"Gecko Moria, former captain of the Thriller Bark Pirates with a previous bounty of 200 million, easily handled both the 300-million Bone Crusher Demon Stark and the 280-million War Demon Bagoro simultaneously. His strength is probably closer to the 600 million level now," Sengoku continued his assessment. "Furthermore, no less than eight other individuals under Bege's command took down pirates worth over 100 million belli each. To have so many pirates of this caliber gathered under Capone Bege... If this crew isn't eliminated swiftly, they will become a major catastrophe for the Marines."
"And if I recall correctly," Vice Admiral Tsuru added, her sharp eyes having missed nothing in the recording, "those two giants should be the captains of the legendary Giant Warrior Pirates from eighty years ago, Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy. Their bounties exceeded 100 million even back then. Clearly, their current strength far surpasses those decades-old figures. I'd estimate they're each worth at least 200 to 300 million now."
"But the truly terrifying one is Capone Bege himself," Zephyr interjected, his expression stern as he stared at Bege's image on pause. "He commands such an astonishingly powerful crew, his own strength must be immense. And most critically, consider his age. To display the disposition of a Conqueror at such a young age... If he is allowed to continue growing, the threat he poses will be immeasurable."
"Sheesh, youngsters these days are all monsters!" Garp grumbled good-naturedly around a mouthful of donut. "I remember thinking Roger's red-haired apprentice, the one who wears that straw hat now, was already terrifying enough... I didn't expect someone even more frighteningly young to emerge so soon."
"Fleet Admiral, Admirals," Tsuru spoke again, her tone thoughtful, "did you notice the presence of several Skypieans among Bege's crew members? For him to have Sky People aboard his ship... does this indicate Bege has visited a Sky Island? Could he have spent his two-year disappearance on one?"
"Little Tsuru makes a valid point," Fleet Admiral Kong agreed, his expression darkening further. "It's highly probable Bege discovered a Sky Island during his absence... Perhaps he even knows how to reach them reliably. The most alarming possibility," Kong took a deep breath, voicing the dreadful speculation, "is that he now controls a Sky Island."
A heavy silence fell over the room as the implications sank in. Every high-ranking officer present looked visibly disturbed.
Sengoku broke the silence, his face etched with seriousness. "Sky Islands are said to exist tens of thousands of meters above the sea, in the White-White Sea. If he truly commands such a domain, accessible only through specific, dangerous routes... then annihilating his forces would be more difficult than scaling the heavens themselves."
Kong's face grew even more grim. "The threat posed by the Fire Tank Pirates is too great to ignore. It must be stamped out immediately. Which of you three," Kong asked, addressing Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, the pillars of Marine strength, "can be spared to annihilate them?"
"You want us to handle it personally?" Sengoku responded, momentarily surprised. He quickly conceded, "A crew demonstrating this level of potential certainly warrants intervention at the Admiral level. However, Fleet Admiral Kong, Garp and I only returned to Marineford for a brief recuperation. We must return to the New World immediately to continue the pursuit of the Roger Pirates."
Kong nodded curtly. Dealing with the Pirate King was, for now, the paramount objective. His gaze shifted to Zephyr.
The former Admiral shook his head regretfully. "Fleet Admiral, you just assigned me to stabilize our New World branch operations. Tensions are incredibly high; intelligence suggests Whitebeard and Golden Lion Shiki seem poised for conflict, and many of the other major pirate crews are becoming dangerously unstable."
Kong's face tightened. His three most reliable high-level combatants were all tied up with missions of critical importance.
"Fleet Admiral!" A powerful voice cut through the tension. Vice Admiral "Mad Tiger" Simon stood sharply. "I request permission to lead the task force to purge the Fire Tank Pirates!"
"Mad Tiger Simon has improved considerably these past two years," Sengoku commented, giving his assessment. "Leading this operation should be within his capabilities."
Kong pondered for a moment, then gave a decisive nod. "Very well. You shall lead, Simon. Vice Admiral Brent, you will accompany him." He gestured towards another imposing figure in the room. "Furthermore, take three additional Vice Admirals and six Rear Admirals from available forces. Your orders are absolute: ensure the Fire Tank Pirates are completely obliterated."
"Sir!" A formidable old warrior with a full head of white hair responded with a cold, sharp salute. This was Vice Admiral "White Lion" Brent, one of Headquarters' most senior and respected officers, even older than Sengoku's generation and a former Admiral candidate himself. An Ancient Zoan user – Model: White Lion – Brent had been severely injured in a New World campaign over a decade ago, causing his overall strength to decline significantly, leaving him perhaps slightly weaker than the currently ascendant Mad Tiger Simon, but still immensely powerful and experienced.
Mad Tiger Simon's eyes burned with fierce killing intent. "Rest assured, Fleet Admiral," he declared. "The Fire Tank Pirates will be annihilated this time."
"Hoh," Garp remarked with a slight chuckle, raising an eyebrow. "Deploying forces on the scale of a Buster Call, hmm? Quite the investment against a single crew."
"With Mad Tiger Simon and White Lion Brent working together, supported by such significant forces, they should have no problem taking down the Fire Tank Pirates," Sengoku stated confidently.
"If you three weren't occupied with missions of paramount importance, I would have preferred to dispatch an Admiral personally to ensure the outcome," Kong grumbled, making his determination to eliminate Bege unmistakably clear.
Meanwhile, Bege, having concluded his business on Kullen Island, decided against an immediate return to Skypiea. Having returned to the West Blue, there was someone he needed to see first: his father.
The Sky God sailed through the West Blue waters, eventually docking at a bustling trade island under the cover of plausible deniability. After night fell, Bege disembarked alone. Moving like a phantom through the darkened streets, he navigated the alleys and rooftops, finally slipping unnoticed into a particular, rather unremarkable house.
After swiftly and silently incapacitating the guards stationed inside, Bege approached an inner door and knocked softly.
"Come in."
Bege pushed the door open and stepped inside. Behind a large desk piled with documents sat a tall, imposing middle-aged man, engrossed in writing.
Bege casually removed his hat, revealing his face. The man looked up, saw Bege, and a warm smile touched his lips. With an audible pop, his body underwent a startling transformation. The tall, stern figure seemed to melt and reshape in an instant, reforming into the familiar short, stout form of Rod, Bege's father. The difference between the two appearances was drastic.
As it turned out, Bege, deeply concerned for his father's safety in the treacherous underworld after his own rise in infamy, had used the Shipping King's extensive network and spent a fortune hoping to acquire a specific type of Devil Fruit – one that could guarantee his father's security through disguise. What he had eventually obtained was the Clone-Clone Fruit, granting the power to perfectly mimic the appearance of others.
After consuming the fruit, Rod had decisively abandoned his previous mafia territories and identity. He had changed his 'face,' moved to a more remote island far from his old haunts, and begun rebuilding his influence from scratch. At Bege's urging, he had shifted focus away from direct criminal enterprise, instead establishing a sophisticated intelligence network dedicated solely to gathering information for Bege. With Bege's resources backing him, Rod's intelligence operation had flourished, with agents now spread throughout the West Blue and preparations underway to expand into the other seas.
"Pops, these guards you keep are pathetic," Bege teased, dropping casually into a nearby chair with a grin. "Seriously, let me assign you some of my elite soldiers for proper protection."
"Since when do I need your protection?" Rod retorted, glaring playfully, though a hint of fatherly pride was evident. "Besides, I have several highly capable operatives under my command; I just didn't bring them with me on this trip."
"Keep your flashy soldiers for yourself," Rod grumbled good-naturedly, though his tone softened. "I prefer maintaining a lower profile than you do, son." He picked up a stack of papers from his desk and handed them to Bege. "Here, look at the latest bounty posters. Just came in."
Bege took them curiously; he hadn't received any updates since leaving Skypiea. The poster on top was his own.
"My bounty's 450 million belli now?" Bege raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Must be because of the Kullen Island incident, but... I didn't even fight personally. Why such a big jump? An increase of 100 million..."
"Keep reading, you'll understand," Rod said simply.
Bege flipped to the second poster. It was Moria's. His bounty was now a staggering 500 million belli.
"Good grief!" Bege whistled. "Moria's bounty is even higher than mine, and I'm the Captain! Tsk tsk tsk... His old bounty was only 200 million. It jumped 300 million just like that!"
He continued flipping. "Riki's bounty isn't bad either, 450 million... up 150 million from his previous Supernova bounty."
"Dorry and Brogy have been re-issued too, 250 million each. Impressive for their age." Bege smirked. "And Hank the brat hit 200 million! He's going to be unbearably cocky now."
He quickly scanned the remaining posters. It seemed that essentially all his crewmates who had significantly distinguished themselves on Kullen Island – particularly those who had defeated pirates worth over 100 million – had received new bounties exceeding the 100 million mark themselves.
After reviewing the entire stack, Bege leaned back, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips. "The combined bounty for the Fire Tank Pirates must be over three billion now... No wonder my own bounty jumped 100 million even though I didn't lift a finger. The Marines are clearly assessing us based on the collective threat of the entire crew." He chuckled. "A crew with a total bounty over three billion... that makes us a major power even by New World standards."
"Bege," Rod said, lighting a cigar, his earlier teasing replaced by genuine concern. "You've made too much noise this time. Such a blatant display of force... The Marines won't ignore this. They'll come after you seriously now."
"Relax, Pops, don't worry," Bege replied confidently, leaning back in his chair. "Unless they send an Admiral personally, they can't wipe us out. And we'll be returning to Skypiea soon. Once we're back in the sky, the Marines won't be able to touch us." He was supremely confident in the Sky God's unparalleled escape capabilities.
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