The next day, the news that the Fire Tank Pirates had defeated the Fear Pirates shook the entire world.
The headlines of every newspaper proclaimed the ascension of a new king, reporting on how Demon Dragon had defeated the Demon Lord of Fear to take his place as a ruler of the seas.
The New World, and indeed the entire world, was in an uproar, with everyone discussing the exploits of the Fire Tank Pirates.
On a deserted island in the New World, the members of the Red Hair Pirates were gathered. Every one of them was injured, especially Shanks, who was covered in bandages. It was clear that holding back Kaido had not been an easy task.
Shanks held the day's newspaper, a wide grin spreading across his face as he looked at the picture of Bege standing in the ruins, wreathed in a bloody aura.
"Bege really did it! A new king of the New World is born! Ssssss, ow, ow," he hissed in pain. "After a while, I'll have to go find Bege for a drink. After helping him out so much this time, if he doesn't treat us to three days and three nights of drinking, I won't let him off the hook."
"The Marines played their hand well," Benn Beckman said in a low voice. "The Hero of the Marines, Garp, plus two Admirals, more than a dozen Vice Admirals, and other World Government powerhouses... they were trying to wipe out two Emperor-level crews in one fell swoop. If the Whitebeard Pirates hadn't shown up, I'm afraid Demon Dragon and the Fire Tank Pirates would have been in grave danger."
Shanks's expression turned serious. "That's right. A life-and-death battle between two major pirate crews was the perfect opportunity for the Marines. But it seems fate wasn't done with Bege. For Whitebeard to intervene... it looks like they have some kind of relationship."
"But Demon Dragon's situation is still far from good," Benn Beckman said, his face growing grim. "The Fear Pirates' territory is a huge prize. The other rulers of the New World won't just let it be. That place is going to turn into a massive meat grinder. The Fire Tank Pirates have just been through two major wars and must have suffered heavy casualties. Do they still have the strength to hold such a large territory?"
Shanks's expression also grew heavy. He didn't need to think hard to imagine how many different factions would soon converge on the Fear Pirates' former territory.
"Shanks, I know you and Demon Dragon are on good terms, but we've already done enough by holding back Kaido for him," Benn Beckman said sternly. "Don't even think about helping him defend that territory. With our current strength, we can't hold it."
"Don't worry, I know our limits," Shanks said with a solemn nod.
At the same time, at the Revolutionary Army's headquarters on the white soil island, Baltigo, Dragon stood on a balcony, a smile on his face as he felt the gentle breeze. He, too, had just seen the day's news.
"Dragon, even though Demon Dragon defeated the Fear Pirates, they suffered heavy losses under the Marines' surprise attack. They probably won't be able to hold the Fear Pirates' territory. Should we intervene?" the Okama King, Ivankov, asked.
Dragon shook his head. "No. The Revolutionary Army cannot appear before the world just yet, nor can we let the World Government know about our relationship with Bege. That would do him more harm than good."
"Don't worry," Dragon said with a slight smile. "He fought too hard for that territory. He won't just hand it over to someone else."
At that moment, the entire New World was in turmoil. One major pirate crew after another set sail, heading for the Fear Pirates' former waters. The crews in the surrounding areas were especially eager, already beginning to seize territory, leading to small-scale skirmishes.
The real chaos, however, would begin in the coming days, when the larger crews and the other Emperors finally made their move.
Of all the people in the world, the ones most angered and troubled by Bege's ascension to power were the Marines and the World Government.
In the Fleet Admiral's office at Marineford, Sengoku hadn't slept for a day and a night since receiving the news.
Before this, he had been on a call with Commander-in-Chief Kong for a full hour, the entire conversation revolving around Bege and the Fire Tank Pirates.
"We failed to annihilate the Fire Tank Pirates this time. They are now fully fledged and will surely soar. And according to Garp, Capone Bege's Devil Fruit awakened during the battle. His strength is likely to have grown even further. I'm afraid we'll never get such a good opportunity again," Vice Admiral Tsuru said, shaking her head with a sigh.
"Even before his Devil Fruit awakened, he was able to defeat the Demon Lord of Fear. Now that his ability has awakened, Demon Dragon's strength won't just be a step further; it'll be like giving wings to a tiger. Aah..." Sengoku sighed deeply.
"It's all that bastard Newgate's fault! Otherwise, our Dragon Extermination Plan would have definitely succeeded!" Sengoku slammed his hand on his desk, shattering it in a fit of rage.
"What's done is done. Getting angry won't change anything. We should be thinking about what comes next," Tsuru said calmly.
"What can we do? The only thing left is to issue a new bounty," Sengoku said with a look of helplessness.
"Has Capone Bege's bounty been decided?"
"It has. For now, it's set at 2.2 billion."
"Only 2.2 billion? Andrew's bounty was 2.7 billion. He defeated Andrew and survived an encounter with Garp. His bounty should be higher than Andrew's," Tsuru said, frowning.
Sengoku sat down and sighed again. "There's nothing to be done. If a young man like him gets such a high bounty, I'm afraid he'll become a role model for other pirates. This is the Great Pirate Era, an era that is already out of control. If another powerful young pirate like him emerges, I fear even more civilians will be inspired to follow his example and set out to sea."
Tsuru immediately understood and nodded. "That is indeed a risk. In any era, role models have a terrifying influence. Just as Garp became a hero of the Marines and inspired countless people to enlist, if Capone Bege becomes a role model for pirates, he will inspire countless people to become pirates as well. However, that role model has already been established. No matter what his bounty is, it will still spur many people to set out to sea. All we can do is try to reduce his influence."
"Fleet Admiral Kong shared an idea with me earlier. I'd like your opinion on it," Sengoku said to Tsuru.
"Let's hear it."
"The Fleet Admiral wants to use the media to build Capone Bege up as the successor to the Pirate King," Sengoku said.
"Kill him with praise?" Tsuru's eyes lit up.
"Exactly. We'll kill him with praise," Sengoku confirmed. "Capone Bege's potential is too great. If we let him continue to develop, he could become the next Newgate, or even stronger. So, we must do everything we can to eliminate him. Since we Marines can't find an opportunity, we'll let the other pirates do it for us."
"We'll praise Capone Bege, say he has the potential to become the Pirate King. Such a high honor will surely attract the attention of the other rulers of the sea. Those Emperors are all incredibly arrogant; how could they possibly let a junior stand above them? They will definitely cause trouble for Bege. Perhaps they can solve this future problem for us."
Tsuru stroked her chin, her head bowed in thought.
"To kill Capone Bege would require at least two Emperor-level crews to join forces, but the chances of them cooperating are slim. However, this could greatly inhibit the growth of the Fire Tank Pirates. It's a good plan."
"If you think it's good, then it's worth implementing. When Garp and the others return, we'll hold a high-level meeting to finalize this matter."