That single exclamation threw the merchant ship's dining hall into silence.
The Pirate King and the Navy's Hero?
Those were names of true legends—both hailing from the East Blue.
Even if Roger had been a pirate, the fact that he rose to become the Pirate King gave him immense prestige in his homeland.
"What great figure?"
Curiosity turned toward the drunken man—a middle-aged fellow with a flushed face, waving a newspaper excitedly in his hand.
"Could it be another great pirate from the East Blue?" someone asked.
So long as such figures didn't appear before them in person, ordinary people like these could only feel a mix of excitement and distant awe.
"Not a pirate!"
The drunk man, enjoying the attention, grew even more animated.
He stood abruptly, raising the newspaper high.
"Fresh off the News Coo—I bought a copy just now. And it turned out to be this kind of explosive headline!"
He shook the paper with gusto. Robin glanced over curiously, her eyes locking onto the blurred image in motion.
When she finally caught sight of the large photograph splashed across the back page, she froze.
"It's you."
Robin whispered the words to Don.
"It's Don! Don, the pirate hunter from the East Blue!"
Before Don could respond, the man with the paper shouted the words aloud.
"Pirate hunter Don? Never heard of him. Did he do something big in the Grand Line?"
Murmurs spread through the hall.
Many passengers hadn't heard the name before. Was he some newcomer who had suddenly risen to fame?
Some even regretted not buying their own copy when the News Coo had stopped by earlier.
And why couldn't this drunk just spit it out in one go?
"Eat."
Don said quietly to Robin.
"The last time your name showed up in the paper, you said it didn't mention you. Well, this time it does."
Robin's whisper carried a note of amusement.
Meanwhile, others had already surrounded the drunken man, snatching the paper from him and reading aloud.
"Never thought that albatross could pull off this kind of scoop."
Don's voice carried a trace of surprise as he overheard the recited report.
"Albatross?" Robin asked curiously.
"The president of the World Economy News Paper. He's an animal-type Devil Fruit user—Bird-Bird Fruit, Albatross form."
Don explained casually.
"I don't even know that much about you."
Robin's eyes widened slightly as she listened to the details.
Hunting down pirates in the East Blue.
Clashing with the Arlong Pirates and even the Sun Pirates.
Crossing blades with Jinbe.
Slaying a cadre of the Donquixote Family.
Battling Chinjao.
Toppling one island after another in the North Blue.
But what truly stunned people were the final lines:
Facing Admiral Aokiji in the West Blue.
And even crossing paths with Admiral Kizaru in the North Blue.
Though the paper reported the outcomes as "uncertain," the mere fact that Don had fought two of the Navy's top Admirals and lived to tell the tale was staggering.
The voices reading aloud gradually quieted until the room fell completely silent.
Don rose and left the dining hall. Robin quickly followed.
"Now that the World Economy News Paper has reported on you, you won't be able to move as quietly as before."
At the stern of the ship, Robin spoke softly beside him, as Don leaned on the railing.
"Mm. But I don't plan to linger in the Four Seas anyway. Once I finish what I've got on hand, I'll head for the Grand Line. That sea is far vaster, far more complex."
Don glanced at her.
"And maybe I'll find a few capable people to rely on."
"Capable people?"
Robin blinked.
"People like you—quick-witted. The Association's affairs can be delegated in advance."
"So you intend to hand off responsibility?"
Robin instantly grasped his meaning.
After all, building a force from scratch was no simple matter.
It wasn't something one could manage with just a snap decision—there were endless details to handle.
"You already have someone in mind?" she asked.
"Mm. I don't have the patience for trivial matters. Best to find others to handle them, while I focus on what I want to do."
Robin suddenly had the ominous sense that her own days ahead would grow busier.
But she knew she couldn't demand otherwise from Don.
The two chatted idly for a while, then returned to their cabin.
Yet news of Don spread quickly throughout the ship.
After all, there wasn't much entertainment at sea, especially for the crew.
Such earth-shaking headlines became the only topic of conversation.
Of course, with only one copy of the paper, few got to read it themselves.
When the ship's captain finally caught sight of the photo, he froze.
That familiar face…
Different background, perhaps, but unmistakably him.
Don.
So it wasn't just someone with the same name.
Though his heart burned with the urge to speak to Don, reason told him the gulf between them was far too wide.
Instead, to ensure Don's peace was undisturbed, he even bought the paper at a high price and quietly passed it to Robin while Don was away.
Don could sense it too—the once-cheerful captain had grown far more reserved around him.
He had no solution for that.
The merchant ship continued across the East Blue. Meanwhile, copies of that same paper—carried tirelessly by the News Coo—flooded across the Four Seas.
The Grand Line, both Paradise and the New World, received it as well.
Some were shaken by Don's feats.
Others remained skeptical.
Still others grew deeply intrigued.
And of course, many more were pirates.
After all, Don's declared identity was "Pirate Hunter."
A profession built entirely on the pursuit of pirates and their bounties.
Naturally, no group paid more attention than the pirate hunters themselves.
Never before had their ranks seen someone of such fearsome ability.
As for the Navy, their reaction was a different matter.
Kizaru's clash could be excused—it had been ordered by Sengoku.
But Aokiji? He had crossed blades with Don in the West Blue?
In the office of the Fleet Admiral.
Sengoku's gaze bore into Aokiji.
The same question hung in everyone else's eyes—everyone except Garp, who was idly picking his nose.
"So, you crossed swords with him in the West Blue. Yet you never reported it."
Aokiji, as unhurried as always, remained silent until Sengoku pressed.
"Mm. We ran into each other. Tested him a bit."
Aokiji nodded.
"And?"
Sengoku's mouth twitched violently as he demanded further.
His glance flicked toward Garp with thinly veiled irritation.
That unreliable man—and his disciples were no different.
"That's it."
Aokiji shook his head.
"Yo, Admiral Kuzan. The paper paints it differently. Looks like you made quite a mess out there."
Kizaru, freshly returned from the North Blue, chimed in lazily.
"The paper claims your battle caused extensive destruction."
END OF CHAPTER
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