At the break of dawn, the sky barely tinted with a pale fish-belly white.
The editorial team at the World Economic News was working through the night, racing against the clock—and finally, they finished their special issue.
The news-coo seagulls flapped their wings and set off joyfully, carrying freshly printed newspapers into the skies.
They soared over towns, harbors, and ship decks, scattering the papers like snowflakes to all corners of the world.
And the bold, glaring headline on the front page—
Across the Four Seas, the First Half of the Grand Line, and even the New World...
Everywhere the papers arrived, they were immediately sold out.
The sequence of explosive reports quickly fermented in public opinion, becoming a tempest that swept across the seas—stirring up towering waves!
New World — Onboard the Moby Dick
"Gurararara—!"
A bold laugh shook the deck as Whitebeard raised his head, gulped down a large swig of liquor, then casually tossed the paper toward Marco.
"Take a look, Marco. The Navy got totally humiliated this time!"
"The Fallen Ones Pirates... Shano..."
Marco caught the newspaper and glanced at it. His eyebrows raised slightly. "Akainu... actually got injured?"
"Huh?"
"No way!"
"Let me see too, Pops!"
Several other division commanders shouted in shock and hurriedly crowded over.
"Whoa?!!" Diamond Jozu's eyes went wide. "540 million berries... He's just entered the Grand Line and already has a bounty like this? That's even faster than Red-Haired's rise."
A bounty of that level could rank even among their own commanders!
"And he's a swordsman!"
Izou turned his head with interest. "A swordsman who even Akainu couldn't capture personally... Hey, Vista, this guy's sword skills might even surpass yours?"
"What the hell are you saying, you bastard Izou~!"
Flower Sword Vista snapped angrily. "There's no way that's true. Don't go comparing me to some brat who just stepped foot into Paradise!"
He talked tough, but his eyes kept flicking back and forth between Shano's youthful face and the long katana strapped to his back.
A pure swordsman who hasn't eaten a Devil Fruit?
To reach this level on swordsmanship alone...
It's been a long time since I've seen someone like that!
Vista narrowed his eyes, fingers unconsciously stroking his sword hilt.
Hurry into the New World, kid. When we meet, let's have a real duel—let me see just how much you're worth!
"Pops."
Marco closed the paper thoughtfully. "Should we reach out? A powerhouse rookie like this... we can't let the others recruit him first."
"No rush. Let him come into the New World first."
Whitebeard grinned, waving his massive hand.
"Something like this relies on fate, my sons. Gurararara... Anyway, let the Navy worry about it! The seas are about to get lively again!"
Onigashima – Skull Fortress
"Wahahaha, little Pei! Why are you running? I won't eat you!"
"..."
Two figures dashed back and forth between the pillars.
At the highest point of the main hall, the candlelight stretched a massive shadow long and thin.
"Muhahahaha! Queen, what are you grinning at now?"
Kaido lounged drunkenly on his throne, liquor jug in hand, casting a sideways glance at Queen, who held a newspaper and looked both surprised and entertained.
"Boss, big news from Paradise. Real big."
Queen puffed on his cigar, smiling as he handed the paper over.
"Take a look—some eighteen-year-old brat almost turned Marine HQ upside down. They're going nuts."
"Oh?"
Kaido lazily took the paper, squinted at the article, and then lingered on the bounty poster.
"Eighteen... younger than Yamato, huh? Hmph, interesting..."
His gaze lingered on Shano's face, then he suddenly asked, "Able to hold off Akainu for that long... is he a Zoan user?"
"Eh?"
Queen scratched his head. "According to intel, apparently not... The kid's a pure swordsman. Hasn't eaten a Devil Fruit."
"...?"
Kaido suddenly perked up. He flipped over and sat up straight.
"Hasn't eaten one?"
"Nope. Didn't you read? Says he escaped by jumping into the sea..."
"Muahahaha! Who even reads that closely?!"
Kaido's drunken eyes sparkled with interest. "That young, and already so strong just through his physical body alone... this is a rare talent!"
"Hey, Queen!"
He grinned widely. "Put those other fruits we talked about on hold. Keep a close eye on this kid. The second he enters the New World, report to me immediately! I'm bringing the fruits myself!"
"Uh..."
Queen wiped sweat from his brow. Kaido was great in every way—except maybe being too eager to recruit people?
A rookie barely into the Grand Line... and you're already offering Devil Fruits of their choice?
Still... he had to admit, that kid Shano probably was worth it.
540 million bounty before even hitting the New World? Insane.
Even King was already over a billion—but Queen himself was only at 700 million. That was just a hundred million more than the kid!
If he really wanted to join the Beasts Pirates... his position would immediately be second only to the All-Stars...
Tch. What would we call him then? "Drought Shano"?
Just then—
Two more figures burst into the banquet hall.
"Damn it, little Pei! Why are you hiding from me?!"
"Calm down, sis!" Page One shouted while scrambling to avoid her. "Kaido-sama is talking about serious stuff right now!"
"Hey." A vein bulged on Queen's forehead. His cigar crunched audibly in his teeth. "You two..."
First time—he held it in.
Second time—his chubby face twitched.
The third time, when Ulti barreled past and crashed into his precious wine—
"Shut the hell up!!!"
Queen exploded in fury, his bulky frame moving with shocking agility. He grabbed both siblings by the collar and roared:
"You two little brats! Go roughhouse outside! Kaido-sama's ears are about to bleed!!!"
"...Uwah, uwaaah..." Ulti was sprayed with spittle. She blinked up at Queen, eyes welling with tears.
"YOU'RE the one busting my eardrums, you idiot!!!"
BOOM! Kaido's kanabo came down on Queen's head. Queen toppled over, arms going limp with the siblings still in his grasp.
"Take your brother outside," Kaido said, looking at Ulti. "It's too cramped in here."
"Okay! Thank you, Kaido-sama!"
Ulti gave him a sweet bow, stuck her tongue out at Queen, and dragged her brother out by the ear.
Kaido quietly watched them leave.
Queen groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. "Tch... that hurt. Boss, do you have to go that far? Aren't you spoiling those two a bit too much...?"
"They're still kids. Let them do what they want. I promised Hanafuda I'd raise them right!"
Kaido huffed, then frowned as if remembering something.
"Right, contact Hanafuda yourself. Ask him why this quarter's batch of Devil Fruits still hasn't arrived."
Friendship was one thing—business was another.
That guy promised three Zoan fruits per shipment. It's already several days late—what's going on?!
"Yes, boss!" Queen scrambled up. "He's probably just held up. I'll go urge him!"
[Insert: Image of Hanafuda]
Whole Cake Island
Sea breeze whistled.
Katakuri sat alone atop the mast, reading the newspaper.
The bounty was high. The strength was real. It had been a long time since a monstrous rookie like this had appeared.
But what caught his attention the most was...
That guy also has two little sisters?
And he can travel freely with them, no burdens, no obligations, sailing the sea as he pleases?
"Heh..."
Katakuri's eyes carried a trace of envy. Thinking of how Mama had recently started pushing for another political marriage for his little sister… he pulled at his scarf and leaned back against the mast with a slightly tired expression.
Such an enviable brat.
——
On a small and pitiful little sailboat.
Creak—!
Tashigi suddenly pushed open the cabin door, gripping the freshly delivered newspaper tightly in her hand, her face flushed with excitement.
"Mihawk-sama!"
She took three steps in two and rushed to the man known as Hawkeye, unfolding the newspaper with a flourish. "Tada! Look, look! There's more news about Lord Shano!"
Mihawk paused for a moment as he was wiping his black blade, Yoru.
He raised his head and scanned the article—Akainu wounded, Crocodile killed in battle, Marine fleet defeated with no gains… Each line made his hawk-like pupils flicker with sharp light.
Had he underestimated him after all?
So that guy's swordsmanship… was that strong?
"Interesting."
He muttered under his breath, a long-lost fighting spirit igniting in his gaze.
Ever since that inconclusive duel with Red-Hair, no one in this ocean had stirred such a strong urge in him to draw his blade again.
The black blade Yoru slightly trembled in its sheath, as if resonating with its master's mood. Mihawk suddenly looked out toward the depths of the Grand Line and spoke:
"After tonight, we'll part ways."
"Eh?!!"
Tashigi, who had still been gleefully holding up the newspaper, widened her eyes in shock. "Why, Mihawk-sama? Weren't we both headed out to find Lord Shano?"
"Your ship… is just too slow."
Mihawk shook his head slightly. "At this rate, we'll never catch up to that guy."
"Hmph, like your ship was any better. It sank faster than it sailed!" Tashigi muttered with a pout. "Admit it—you just think I'm annoying!"
"..." Mihawk massaged his brow in frustration. "At least you're self-aware."
These past days, Tashigi had been pestering him non-stop, begging to be taught swordsmanship—it was utterly exhausting.
As for why he was on the same ship as Tashigi in the first place...
That all started the day they left Loguetown.
He was setting out toward Reverse Mountain, still trying to chase down Shano's ship.
But just as he was charging down the mountain, the whale Laboon suddenly disappeared without a trace. Distracted by this, Mihawk ended up flipping his ship right into the sea.
Soaked like a drowned rat, he watched helplessly as his ship crashed into the shore of Twin Capes and completely shattered.
As luck would have it, Tashigi—who had set out just before him—was sunbathing on the grassy fields of Twin Capes at that moment. And so, the utterly embarrassing scene was seen in full by this sword-fanatic girl, eyes wide in disbelief.
His first instinct had been to knock her unconscious and just take her ship.
But remembering what the little girl had said back at the Loguetown port…
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
And so, things ended up like this.
He became a temporary passenger hitching a ride.
And ever since Tashigi had recognized his identity, she'd been overjoyed—clinging to him day and night, begging to be taught swordsmanship. She even squatted outside his cabin door with her sword in the middle of the night.
Only to fall asleep out of exhaustion, muttering in her dreams:
"Mihawk-sama… please accept me as your disciple… only if I become stronger… will I be worthy of following in Lord Shano's footsteps…"
—It was maddening.
He was used to being alone, hated being disturbed, and detested the trouble of taking in disciples.
But strangely enough… he never truly chose to leave.
He didn't know why.
Maybe… it was because of this sword-fanatic girl's pure obsession with swordsmanship—it reminded him of his own younger self?
"…"
Mihawk was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"In that case…"
Tashigi looked up sharply, eyes round, not even daring to breathe.
"Until we catch up to Shano," he said calmly, "I'll teach you a few moves each day—and check your progress the next morning."
Tashigi's eyes instantly lit up.
"If I'm satisfied, then perhaps… I might really take you as a disciple someday."
"But…" Mihawk looked down at her indifferently. "If your progress is too slow—if I think you have no talent and are just wasting my time—"
"I promise I won't!" Tashigi shot to her feet, face flushed with excitement. "I'll train with everything I've got! I won't disappoint you! I-I'll go get my sword right now!"
She dropped the newspaper and turned to dash off—only to trip over the cabin threshold and fall flat on her face.
"…"
Watching this clumsy girl scrambling around looking for her glasses, Mihawk shut his eyes, doubting whether he'd just made an incredibly foolish decision.
Shano… oh Shano.
Where the hell are you? Stop for a moment and let me catch up, would you…
——
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!! GARP!!!"
Sengoku slammed the newspaper onto the desk. His roar of disbelief nearly blew the roof off the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Did I say something wrong again?"
Garp blinked, then went back to casually picking his nose. "But it's true. I've known that brat for a while now—taught him Armament Haki myself."
"That's exactly the problem!!!"
Sengoku ground his teeth, nearly punching the old bastard in front of him.
"Your so-called student is now one of the Navy's biggest headaches! He's killed two Vice Admirals and even took out a Warlord!"
"Student? Come on, that's a stretch. I just owed him a favor and taught him some basic stuff."
Garp shrugged, then glanced at the photo of the wounded Akainu on the paper and suddenly grinned.
"But still… to force Sakazuki into that state, that's impressive! Bwahahaha!"
"Garp!!"
Sengoku's angry roar made the windows tremble. "You can still laugh?!"
"Why so mad?"
Garp wiped his finger on the goat nearby. "Ghost Spider got himself killed, didn't he? And that Buma guy? Total maniac."
"Their deaths made this place cleaner if you ask me…"
As for Crocodile—
Garp clicked his tongue. He'd seen the guy a few times over the years, and his gut had always told him that Crocodile hadn't truly reformed.
That guy used to be a ruthless pirate—went to Alabasta and put on a 'good guy' act, hunting pirates more actively than the Navy itself…
Who knew what kind of dirty schemes he was running behind the scenes?
But Shano—
That brat had never attacked any town, never looted merchant ships, and even the title of "pirate crew" had been something forcibly slapped on him by HQ.
"Anyway, I don't really have a bad impression of the kid. Though if I see him, I will haul him in."
Garp grinned. "Speaking of which, if you're that desperate to settle things, why not just make him the new Warlord of the Sea?"
Two birds with one stone!
It'd stop Shano from fighting the Navy, and the Warlords would finally have someone who didn't abuse their legal looting privileges.
"Warlord…"
Sengoku's face darkened.
It was a feasible plan.
In fact, he'd thought of it already—as soon as Crocodile died, he'd considered Shano as a potential replacement.
But not anymore.
At least, not anytime soon.
Sengoku glared at the newspaper from the World Economy News.
That bastard Morgans… had published a special edition overnight, before HQ could suppress the news. Now the whole world knew—
"MARINES DEFEATED! ONE VICE ADMIRAL DEAD, ONE WOUNDED, ADMIRAL AKAINU SERIOUSLY INJURED!"
"WARLORD CROCODILE CONFIRMED DEAD—SAME CULPRIT!"
"HIGHEST BOUNTY EVER IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE GRAND LINE—540,000,000 BELI!"
All of it sensationalized, exaggerated.
Each headline a slap across the Navy's face.
Sengoku could already imagine pirates in the New World laughing their heads off after reading it.
If the Navy turned around now and invited the guy in? Made him a Warlord?
How would they save face?
Where would he, as Fleet Admiral, put his old face?
"…Let's wait a little longer."
Sengoku took a deep breath and looked down at the bounty poster.
The black-haired youth in the photo stood with a sword on his back, a wild smile on his lips, and eyes sharp enough to pierce right through the paper—
Mocking.
Blatant, naked mockery!
As if laughing at the Navy's grand-scale operation, which ended with an Admiral wounded and the fleet returning empty-handed.
Sengoku's fingers clenched unconsciously, crumpling the edge of the bounty flyer—
——
Somewhere on the Grand Line.
On the deck of the Curtainfall, everyone had their heads together, reading the freshly bought newspaper, murmuring in excitement.
"Hah! I knew it!"
Nami was the first to finish reading. She crossed her arms and laughed smugly. "So much for that Navy Admiral. He couldn't even do anything to big bro!"
They'd been worried, since their Den Den Mushi calls hadn't gone through.
Luckily, the World Economy News had worked fast—delivering the good news early in the morning.
"Is that so?"
Kuina looked up with a blank face. "Because I remember I had to knock you out with a chop. Otherwise, you were ready to rush back in, weren't you?"
Probably would've had a hole blasted through your chest by Akainu right on arrival. Might as well have gift-wrapped yourself.
"I…" Nami was at a loss, but quickly put on a stubborn face. "T-That's only because I was worried! You've got a lot of nerve saying that—weren't you the one holding your sword, staring north all night on deck? Your neck was practically stretched out like a giraffe!"
"..." Kuina's ears flushed bright red.
Damn it, why'd she have to say that in front of everyone?!
"Hey, hey, you two—"
Nojiko tried to interject, but the noise across the table cut her off—
"Whine… whine… Awooo!"
Silver suddenly stood on two legs, slapping the paper with her paws excitedly. Everyone looked down—inside the paper was a whole stack of bounty posters.
The first one was Silver's—with a shocking number—
"150,000,000 Beli?" Kuina blinked in surprise. "That's quite a jump, Silver."
"You're not bad either." Nojiko grinned and handed her the next one. "140 million."
Kuina raised her brows and looked at the rest.
Second only to Lord Shano?
The Navy sure had high hopes for her. Quite the leap past Zeff and even Smoker.
As for falling behind Silver… well, that made sense. Her strength was still a bit lower, and in that last dockside battle, Silver had clearly shone the brightest.
"Me! Me! What about me?!"
Nami waved her hand excitedly. "I helped a lot this time too! And now the Navy knows I'm a Logia user, right? My bounty must've gone way up!"
If not 100 million, then 90… No, 80 million would still be okay!
"Let me find it—whoa, the captain's jumped to over 500 million, huh? With those feats, that's to be expected… Oh, here it is. Right after the captain's…"
Everyone leaned in.
Then all turned to look at Nami with sympathetic eyes.
"Hey…"
Nami squinted. A bad feeling crept in. "Why are you all looking at me like that…"
"80,000 Beli!" Nojiko slapped the poster in front of her. "Congrats—it's a tenfold increase from before!"
Nami's expression froze.
One, two, three, four… she counted the zeroes again and again, confirming there were only four on the page. Her vision darkened and her whole body trembled.
"WHY?!!!"
"Are the Navy's intelligence officers all brain-dead?! Didn't they see the fire wall?! The flame serpent?! The fire phoenix?! I even defeated a Marine captain in single combat!"
"Uh, well… based on the report's description and Silver's new nickname…"
Smoker flipped through the paper. "It seems… maybe… probably… the Navy thought all that firepower came from Silver."
Silver?
Nami whipped her head around and stared at Silver.
Why?!
Silver was just lazily stretching in bliss. But seeing Nami approach with a dark face… she tilted her head in confusion—
…
Two minutes later.
"Silver, Silver, Silver… Silver!!!"
Nami, nose bruised and kneeling on the ground, cried tears of rage as she pounded her left arm—the one with the newly applied Silver sticker.
Nojiko stood beside her with a long sigh.
This little sister is a total idiot.
This wasn't caused by Gin.
Gin couldn't bear to lay a hand on the master's little sister, so he kept dodging instead. As a result, Nami bumped into several corners while chasing him, ending up with bruises all over her face...
"Uuu..."
Nami suddenly looked up with teary eyes and pleaded pitifully, "Nojiko, help me! Help me beat up Gin and vent my anger!"
"Technically, as your older sister, I should pat your head now and raise my fist saying, 'Of course!'"
"But I can't."
Nojiko sighed, "Because even if we teamed up, the two of us still couldn't beat Gin."
Damn it!!!
Nami sniffled hard, even more aggrieved. Her pet stole her achievement and became the second-highest bounty on the ship, while she was labeled as the pet by Marine Headquarters...
Is there even justice in this world?!
When big bro gets back, I'll definitely tell on him hard!
"Want to complain to our brother?"
Nojiko saw through her thoughts at a glance, "We can't contact him yet. We already discussed it—just keep wandering aimlessly for now. When we find an island, we'll stop, store magnetic force, and wait for his call."
"As for when that call will come..."
Nojiko looked toward the distant sea:
"Just wait. It's only the second day. Knowing our brother, he's probably exhausted and still drifting somewhere, sound asleep..."
"Hoo... hoo..."
At this moment, Shano was indeed still sound asleep.
But not drifting at sea—he was lying on a soft lap.
Robin, with her chin resting on one hand, sat leaning on the sofa. A thick cloth was spread across her legs, and Shano lay horizontally on top of it.
There was no helping it. The turtle's back only had so much space. Though this position wasn't exactly elegant, it at least made both of them comfortable.
As for tossing Shano onto the hard, bumpy turtle shell beside her...
Robin gently shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips.
—She couldn't do something like that.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze soft as she watched the handsome, peaceful sleeping face before her.
For some reason, the purple poison marks on the boy's body would surface at times, then completely fade again.
Maybe it was his body's natural resistance fighting the poison?
That was Robin's guess. In any case, his breathing was steady. And with the ship getting closer and closer to that medical kingdom, there wasn't too much need to worry.
Right now, he was in a stable state.
The boy's black hair messily lay over his forehead, his long lashes casting faint shadows below his eyes, and there was a faint smile at the corner of his lips, as if he was experiencing something amusing in his dreams.
"Honestly..."
Robin couldn't help but reach out, gently brushing aside the bangs on his forehead as she muttered softly, "You just went through such a fierce battle, yet you're sleeping so soundly."
—Even though he's a terrifying criminal who gave the Marines a headache and killed her former boss Crocodile with ease.
Yet now, lying in her arms, he was like a defenseless child.
"Heh." Robin chuckled lightly.
This contrast was just so...
It really stirred up her protective instincts.
Suddenly, she remembered what happened last night.
Just after she had brought him onto the turtle's back and sailed a little distance, he had suddenly opened his eyes, glanced at her face in a daze, and said, "So it's you."
Right after saying that, he collapsed again and fell straight back into unconsciousness.
Too strange.
He trusted her way too much, didn't he?
Didn't he even worry that she might have bad intentions and turn him over to the Marines for a bounty?
And what did he mean by that line—had he known her already?
That didn't make sense...
The other way around would be more reasonable—she had known him for quite a while.
Ever since that call with Crocodile, she couldn't help but investigate and collect info on this black-haired boy.
By the time Crocodile set out for Whiskey Peak to lay an ambush, she had already finished her mission and, out of growing curiosity, secretly followed from afar.
And from there—
She witnessed him killing Crocodile, training with the giants in Little Garden, then staying behind alone on Thor Island to hold off the enemy so his crew could escape, even fighting Akainu and making a name for himself with a world-shaking achievement...
At first—
She was just curious. And since Baroque Works had disbanded and she had nowhere to go, she followed him, hoping to seek shelter under a new boss.
But now, what she cared about was no longer just the strength of the "Dusk Pirates."
It was the atmosphere on that ship.
Freedom, trust, bonds.
Things she had never truly possessed in over twenty years of life—on this ship, they seemed so natural.
If she could get him to accept her and become part of the crew...
The sea breeze brushed against her, and she snapped out of her thoughts, laughing at herself—How could someone like her start fantasizing about things like this again?
But then again, why did he know her?
Robin lowered her gaze, fingers absentmindedly brushing Shano's bangs.
Probably just too tired and groggy, mistaking her for someone else with a similar face?
That was all she could guess.