A sea area near the windless zone.
The sea surface was frozen into ice, and a broken warship was in a semi-capsized state, fixed in the ice.
The surviving Marines were all relieved.
“Thank goodness for Vice Admiral Aokiji, otherwise we would all be finished!”
“On this vast sea, losing our warship is no different from waiting to die.”
“Damn it! The King of the West Sea, Bege! Who is he anyway!?”
“If a subordinate is this powerful, it's impossible to imagine what the leader's strength would be like!”
In the imaginations of the Marines, Capone Bege was already comparable to an Emperor of the Sea.
A Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral was present and could easily sink their warship…
Vice Admiral Hina, shirtless, wrung the water from his Marine uniform and said with a gloomy expression:
“Vice Admiral Aokiji, what do you think? I think that dragon and the man riding that black dragon must be Devil Fruit users!”
The black dragon should be a Zoan-type Ancient Species.
Vegapunk's research institute once attempted to create similar creatures. While they succeeded, it was only in form.
The fighting abilities of the two are not on the same level!
And that mysterious shadowy figure is even more troublesome!
“Who knows, anyway, it's very troublesome.” Aokiji scratched his head and sighed, pointing towards the west. “I've frozen the entire sea in this area, just abandon the warship. Take some necessary food and walk to the Rubek Kingdom.”
This place is about 400 kilometers from Rubek!
The journey that would normally take less than a day would now take a week on foot.
As he said this, Aokiji took a bicycle out of the abandoned warship's warehouse.
Aokiji smiled and waved. “I'll be on my way. You guys take your time. See you in Shihon Town!”
Vice Admiral Hina: “…”
It's not your warship that's broken, so you can still smile?
Hina felt a headache coming on. The cost of a warship was extremely expensive. How would he write the report to his superiors? He was going to be yelled at by the Fleet Admiral.
Suddenly.
Aokiji, who had just ridden a hundred meters, looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly.
“A-la-la… Looks like I'm going to be the laughingstock of the world.”
A news bird was circling high up in the sky. While it was just a bird, it wore a white beret with the logo of the world's largest news group on it.
There was no doubt that it was an employee of the World Economic Journal.
Seeming to sense that Aokiji had already spotted it, the news bird quickly pressed the shutter and took several pictures before flying away quickly.
…
…
New World, a certain island.
An airship was hidden in the forest. This was the headquarters of the World Economic News Agency.
“Big news! This is big news!”
In the president's office, Morgans received a fax from the West Sea. After reading it, he slammed his fist on the table in excitement.
A Marine Headquarters warship was sunk by unknown forces in the West Sea?
A mysterious figure riding a black dragon?
Who is the King of the West Sea, Bege?
The Celestial Dragons' Heavenly Tribute transport ship was robbed!?
As more intelligence came in, Morgans trembled with excitement.
“Quick! I want to see this news spread throughout the world within six hours!”
With a single order from Morgans, the massive news machine began to operate.
Millions of news birds, filled with newspapers, took off from their branches in every corner of the world.
…
…
Holy Land, Mariejois.
World Government Headquarters, Pangea Castle.
Power Chamber.
“Humph!”
Saturn Saint, one of the Five Elders, angrily threw a newspaper in the face of the Minister of Finance.
“The Heavenly Tribute transport ship was robbed and disappeared. Why do I have to find out about this from the newspaper!”
The Minister of Finance trembled, falling to his knees with a thud.
It's over!
His political career is over.
No, his life is about to end.
In this situation, saying that he had just received the news wouldn't fool the Five Elders.
If he had just learned about it, what explanation could he give for the Marines' actions? It was his direct order!
Knowing but not reporting, negligence in official duties. Just these two charges would be enough to kill him several times over.
Why?!
Damn the World Economic News Agency!
Damn Morgans!
He wouldn't let that bastard live!
If the news hadn't broken suddenly, his handling of this matter would have been flawless.
Even Aokiji had already reached the West Sea. He believed that it wouldn't be long before the Heavenly Tribute issue was perfectly resolved.
Perhaps, if it were a few days later, he could have survived!
“Five Elders, please give me a chance! I will definitely find the missing ship and arrest the perpetrator!” The Minister of Finance begged frantically.
“It seems you have nothing to explain. In that case, your entire family will become slaves.”
Saturn Saint, in a cold voice, passed the sentence.
The Minister of Finance's pupils shrank. “No, no! This is all my fault! Please spare my family!”
“Drag him out!”
“Yes!”
The Marines outside immediately rushed in and dragged out the crying Minister of Finance.
A high-ranking official of the World Government was instantly dismissed and lost his entire family of over a hundred people.
“What a useless fellow!”
Saturn Saint scoffed coldly.
“It's just a transport ship. Just a small loss. Just make the Rubek Kingdom pay another one.”
Venus Saint, the bald Nasu Ronsheng, wore a white Taoist robe and sat by the window, using a cotton ball to polish his beloved sword, Yondaime Kitetsu.
He didn't care about a little loss.
The other Five Elders felt the same way.
What they cared about was face!
Anyone who dared to challenge the World Government must be crushed with absolute force!
“The King of the West Sea, Bege, who is this person?” Jupiter Saint Peter asked, frowning.
“He's a man named Capone Bege, 35 years old, 1.66 meters tall, born in…”
Jupiter Saint Woculi read aloud from a document of intelligence.
This is the World Government!
In just a few hours, all of Capone Bege's intelligence was placed in front of them.
After hearing the intelligence, Saturn Saint frowned:
“He doesn't seem particularly special. Just a gangster from the West Sea underworld. But he has such a big ambition… What a bastard! He must die!”
He wanted half of the Heavenly Tribute from every ship transported from the West Sea?
The Five Elders were so angry that their faces turned black. Even the Rocks Pirates weren't as arrogant as this.
“Issue a bounty!”
…
…
That day.
A brand new bounty poster spread across the four seas.
At the same time, the name of the “King of the West Sea,” Capone Bege, spread throughout the sea with the news.
Daring to rob Heavenly Tribute, daring to jump in front of a Marine Vice Admiral, sinking a warship, and demanding half of the toll from the World Government…
When people saw these ridiculous events in the news, no one could believe it and doubted their own eyes.
What a ruthless guy!
For a time, all the forces in the world knew about this figure.
Shihon Town.
Eric received the news in the first place and chuckled.
“You don't have to thank me. Just consider it a reward for you taking the blame for me.”