While Sora's crew clashed with the Mad Bull Pirates, the Navy Headquarters was deliberating their fate.
In a spacious office within Marineford's towering central building, nearly every vice admiral stationed at headquarters sat in two rows on the floor. Sengoku, the fleet admiral, occupied the rightmost seat at the head.
Sengoku addressed the room's lone standing figure. "Brannew, tell us—what's on the agenda for this meeting?"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" Brannew saluted.
Privately, they called Sengoku "Mr. Sengoku," but in formal settings, it was "Fleet Admiral."
Brannew's expression hardened. "Two matters today. First, an East Blue pirate crew. Second, Fire Fist Ace."
"Hold on, Brannew," interrupted a burly man with thick brown sideburns, clad in a double-breasted orange suit with a deep red tie.
Puffing a cigar, Vice Admiral Onigumo grinned. "What's this about an East Blue crew? Ace, I get—he's interesting. But East Blue pirates? What's special about them?"
Onigumo voiced the skepticism of many vice admirals. Since Pirate King Roger, East Blue hadn't produced pirates worth their attention.
The vice admirals turned to Brannew.
"No need to rush, sirs. I'm about to explain," Brannew said, pointing to a blackboard displaying several photos.
Alongside images from Sengoku's prior meeting were shots of the Arlong Pirates—and a grisly close-up of Colonel Mouse's severed head.
How they'd snapped these was unclear. Sora's crew had burned Arlong Park after taking the money, likely when Sora and Kuina fetched Ahua, Alo, and Ata to haul the loot.
Brannew gestured to a photo of Sora's crew facing Krieg's pirates. "We first noticed them during their battle with Krieg's crew."
He pointed to images of Kuina, Sora, and a bisected galleon. "Post-battle analysis suggests their captain, Sora, is a great swordsman, while this girl, Kuina, is at least a swordsman."
"Great swordsman?" The vice admirals shed their dismissive airs, eyes narrowing with gravity.
Brannew glanced at Sengoku before continuing. "Last time, they showed no dangerous intent and hadn't raised a pirate flag, so we didn't prioritize them."
Sengoku nodded. "We discussed this before. It wasn't a major issue, so we only alerted East Blue branches."
His eyes gleamed sharply. "But this time's different. The World Government demands we issue bounties."
Upon receiving the news, he'd investigated through East Blue's Marines, uncovering Colonel Mouse's collusion with Arlong. Mouse's survival might've downplayed it, but his death made it more than a pirate matter.
The World Government wanted Mouse's treachery hushed, even within the Navy.
Not exactly honorable, was it?
"Continue, Brannew," Sengoku ordered.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral." Brannew pointed to the remaining photos. "These show Sora's crew defeating Krieg, then visiting the Baratie. Their route clearly aimed for Loguetown."
"But for unknown reasons, they diverted from Baratie to the Golem Islands, targeting Arlong's crew stationed there."
"Arlong's crew?" Onigumo asked. "The Fish-Man pirates tied to Warlord Jinbe, formerly of the Sun Pirates?"
"Correct, Vice Admiral Onigumo," Brannew replied. "Arlong, their captain, was imprisoned in Impel Down but released by Jinbe's Warlord privileges."
He indicated at Arlong's photo. "Arlong and his officers—Kroobi, Chew, and Hachi—were all Sun Pirates."
"Hm. Thought he looked familiar," Onigumo mused. "Sorry, Brannew. I nabbed Arlong six years ago for Impel Down. Didn't know he was freed and set up in East Blue."
As a New World vice admiral, Onigumo rarely tracked the Four Seas, especially not a 20-million-Belly pirate.
"No problem, Vice Admiral," Brannew said, pausing before continuing. "Analysis suggests they either targeted Arlong deliberately or acted on sudden intel. The reason's unclear."
He knew the reason but couldn't say a pirate crew liberated villagers from Arlong. Absurd.
"And Colonel Mouse's death?" another vice admiral asked.
"Mouse…" Brannew sighed. He didn't care about a corrupt officer's death—headquarters wouldn't have spared Mouse either.
But his killing was another matter. The World Government, for pride's sake, wouldn't let Sora's crew slide. Just another pirate crew to them.
Sticking to the script, Brannew said, "The World Government claims Mouse was ordered to subdue Arlong's crew, encountered Sora's group, and was killed."
"Right…" The vice admirals weren't fools. Mouse was clearly spineless—challenging Arlong?
Unlikely.
They sensed the cover-up but didn't press. Some things in the Navy and World Government weren't questioned.
Brannew pointed to the final photo. "This latest image shows their ship flying a pirate flag. They've officially formed a crew."
Adjusting his glasses, he turned, voice stern. "By killing a Marine officer, they've challenged the Navy and World Government's authority. We must respond."
He paused, addressing the vice admirals. "We're here to decide their bounties."
The room fell silent. This was clearly the World Government's directive. How could they decide? They knew little about this crew.
A great swordsman who hadn't committed heinous crimes—too high a bounty was illogical, too low was pointless. After pondering, the vice admirals, as if synchronized, looked to Sengoku.
"Your turn, Sengoku-san."
Sengoku's mouth twitched under their gazes. He'd called them to share the burden, not to be stared at! Knowing he couldn't dodge, his eyes gleamed, fixed on the photos.
"Too low, the government complains. Too high, it's unreasonable."
He mused briefly. "Let's say 70 million for the boy."
His gaze shifted to Kuina's photo. "And 30 million for the girl. Rounds their crew to a clean hundred million."
The vice admirals nodded. Sengoku's decision set the crew's initial bounty at one billion Belly—an unprecedented sum for a new crew.
Most vice admirals were mildly surprised, but it didn't affect them directly. Those overseeing the Grand Line's first half, however, took note. The crew's trajectory suggested they'd soon reach the Grand Line, potentially crossing paths.
A billion aside, a great swordsman's crew was hard to ignore.
"Oh, right, Fleet Admiral," Brannew said. "Since you've set the bounties, how about their epithets?"
"Everything's on me? What are you lot here for?" Sengoku inhaled, stifling a retort, and said flatly, "The boy's Silver-Hair. The girl's Blue-Hair."
The room collectively grimaced.
"Hey, that's way too lazy!"
"Could you be any more half-assed?"
But sensing Sengoku's darkening aura, they held their tongues, staring at Sora and Kuina's photos.
"Impressive," they muttered. "The Grand Line's about to get lively."
(End of Chapter)