One Piece: Starting at the War of the Best

"The Navy must've lost their minds—how could someone this terrifying have a bounty of only one million?!"

By now, partial information about Katie had begun surfacing. And when people got their hands on the ridiculously low seven-digit bounty, their jaws nearly hit the floor.

This girl—who clashed swords with Mihawk and set Akainu on fire—was only worth one million Berries?

It was the funniest thing they had heard all year.

"Maybe she kept himself too well hidden. Otherwise, the Navy wouldn't have made such a huge mistake."

Most people preferred to believe Katie had been concealing her true power. Otherwise, none of this made any sense—it was just too absurd.

Meanwhile, on an island in the Sabaody Archipelago…

"So this is the backup you arranged? Silvers Rayleigh?"

The old man in front of him looked so ordinary he could've vanished into a crowd—but Bogard dared not underestimate him.

Why? Because this was Silvers Rayleigh, the strongest first mate of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

Having lived through that era, Bogard knew exactly how terrifying this seemingly harmless old man could be when angered. That was precisely why, as an old rival, he had been stationed here instead of joining the battlefield—to keep watch.

"Whether he's ours or not, shouldn't you be the one who knows best? Haven't you been watching our every move all these years? Why even bother asking me?"

Bogard, as if expecting this answer, didn't press further.

Just like Rayleigh said, former crew members of the Pirate King had long been under surveillance by the Navy and CP organizations.

If anything had changed, he would've known by now.

They had no choice—these people were too dangerous. Even after the disbandment of the World Government, they still couldn't be given free rein. Thankfully, most had lived quietly for decades.

But because this execution involved the bloodline of the Pirate King, these old legends had become potential threats—and so Bogard and others were dispatched to keep them in check.

Yet, even after accounting for every possibility and watching every former crewmember, the battlefield had still spiraled beyond their expectations—because of Katie.

Her sudden appearance disrupted all of their carefully laid plans.

Bogard was baffled.

Where did this girl even come from?

How could someone so powerful remain completely hidden?

"Divine Flame: Shiranui!"

Under Katie's control, the blue-green flames compressed rapidly. Flaming spears formed midair, floating ominously.

Unlike before, with her Fruit leveled up and boosted by the Heavenly Fire – Threefold Transformation, Katie could now launch multiple high-level attacks simultaneously.

In the next instant, dozens of flame lances, each trailing bright blue tails, hurtled toward Akainu.

The sky was now dyed in shades of blue and green.

Even though the onlookers knew the attack wasn't aimed at them, they couldn't help but shiver. The sheer pressure was terrifying.

"Meteor Volcano!"

Massive magma rocks launched into the air, clashing with the flaming spears.

Explosions and shockwaves erupted, destabilizing the surrounding space.

As they felt the destruction in the sky, both pirates and Marines were relieved the battle was happening above and not on the island below.

This island couldn't possibly endure such devastation—if it collapsed, they wouldn't stand a chance.

"Old mutt Akainu, your punches really are pathetic. And you call yourself an admiral? That's all you've got?"

Katie's mocking tone, her disdainful expression, and eyes full of scorn—all of it was her returning every bit of suffering she'd endured earlier.

Seeing the look on Akainu's face—wanting to rip Katie apart but unable to—was deeply satisfying.

"Bastard! Don't think I haven't noticed—you're already weakening! That form of yours can't last much longer, can it?"

Akainu snapped back, not willing to lose face.

"Weakening? You're overthinking it. Let me remind you one last time—try not to die."

"Berserk Mode!"

Not giving Akainu a chance to argue, Katie struck again with action, not words.

Her aura, which had seemed to dip slightly, suddenly surged again, instantly returning to its peak—and then surpassing it.

"Impossible!"

Even Akainu couldn't help but shout.

He simply couldn't comprehend how someone could continuously force themselves to new levels.

If this kept up, couldn't this one man challenge the entire world?

"There's no such thing as impossible. You just don't understand—because you're too weak. Got it, rookie?"

"What did you say?!"

The word "rookie" pushed Akainu over the edge.

He had fought for decades. His name was feared across the seas.

Even Whitebeard never dared speak to him like that.

Yet now, this not-even-twenty-year-old brat had the audacity to insult him?

"Hellhound!"

Consumed by rage, Akainu lost all rational thought and launched a full assault, disregarding his deteriorating condition.

"Solar Flame!"

Katie casually breathed out a column of fire, stopping Akainu's massive magma fist in its tracks.

"You still don't get it, huh? You're no longer my match."

Akainu had been tricked by Kizaru, set up by Aokiji—without a doubt, he had put in the most effort in this entire war.

Because of Katie's interference, Whitebeard hadn't been weakened by his traitor son before the battle began.

Akainu had to face Whitebeard at full power, a man capable of going toe-to-toe with Kaido.

The pressure he endured was unimaginable—it was power capable of destroying the world.

By the time Akainu began fighting Katie, he was already far from peak condition.

And after such a long battle, he'd grown even weaker.

Meanwhile, Katie was the complete opposite—not only had she not weakened, she was now in a dual-enhancement state.

Though temporary, it gave her a massive edge.

The Heavenly Fire – Threefold Transformation greatly boosted her firepower.

And now, Berserk Mode has pushed her physical abilities to an unprecedented level.

With both combined, Katie felt like she could take on the world.

"Damn you! If it weren't for people like you abusing power, I wouldn't have to go this far! You're all just parasites in this world!"

At Akainu's furious roar, Katie fell silent for a moment—then calmly responded:

"Whether someone's a parasite or not… you don't get to decide.

The Navy isn't automatically just, and pirates aren't automatically evil.

After all, the place with the most slaves in the world is not any pirate's territory, but the so-called Holy Land—Mariejois, under your protection."

Having said that, Katie stopped wasting words.

She began to gather her full power, blue-green flames swirling wildly around her.

"Akainu, I'll say this in advance—

This is my final strike. Let's see if you can survive it."