One Piece: Starting with Sign-in Naruto Character Cards

At the moment, Rikuya had no intention of harming the two Red Hair crewmen he'd kept onboard—after all, he still planned to use them to navigate toward Alabasta. They were free labor, after all.

Just then, Douglas Bullet entered the room holding a newspaper in his hand.

"You made the front page again. And the World Government has just issued your bounty notice. You're officially a wanted man now."

Rikuya had long expected to become an enemy of the World Government, so the bounty didn't faze him much.

But after glancing at the front page, his expression changed.

Morgans was terrifyingly efficient.

In just a single day, he had uncovered so many details.

The report started with a summary of the World Government's announcement.

Three days after Rikuya and Bullet escaped, the government finally issued their arrest warrants.

Under Rikuya's photo was a bounty of 1 billion Berries, while Douglas Bullet's bounty had been updated to 1.8 billion.

The gap in their bounties was due to Bullet's long-standing infamy, while Rikuya was still a rising force.

All Rikuya had done so far was escape from Impel Down—he hadn't caused any world-shaking destruction yet. That explained the relatively modest bounty.

In addition, Marine HQ had issued a worldwide manhunt for Rikuya's pirate crew, and Fleet Admiral Sakazuki himself had already set sail from Marineford at the head of a "Justice Fleet" heading toward the East Blue.

It was clear that this elite fleet—led by an Admiral—was targeting Rikuya directly.

On the next page, the newspaper reported that Rikuya and Bullet had encountered Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates in the East Blue.

The two sides clashed fiercely on the deck of the Red Force, and the battle was described as intense—sky-darkening and earth-shaking!

The final outcome? A total defeat for the Red Hair Pirates, who were forced to abandon their ship and retreat.

According to the report, after fleeing, they came across another large pirate ship, took it by force, and made landfall on a nearby island in the East Blue for rest and recovery.

The article also revealed a bombshell: according to reliable sources, Rikuya had personally defeated Red-Haired Shanks in one-on-one combat!

Obviously, the moment the Red Hair Pirates landed on that island, the news had leaked.

And once it did—it shook the world.

The World Government had just issued his bounty—and now Rikuya had already defeated a world-famous pirate like Shanks?

Though Shanks had not yet been officially named one of the Four Emperors, his strength was already recognized by all major factions.

Now, out of nowhere, a total unknown had burst onto the scene, escaped from Impel Down, and defeated one of the most powerful pirate crews in the world.

From this moment on, every major power began taking Rikuya seriously.

Meanwhile, in the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine HQ, Sengoku sat grimly at his desk.

On it lay the day's newspaper.

"This guy again. Not only did he escape, now he's running rampant like we're nothing. Unbelievable," Borsalino said lazily from the sofa, legs crossed.

"This is getting interesting," said Garp, arms crossed. "Not only did he beat the guards at Impel Down, now he's taken down a world-class pirate. Saves us some work, if you ask me."

"Garp, you almost sound like you admire the guy," Sengoku raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so strange? Honestly, I think he'd be perfect as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," Garp said plainly.

"What?! You want to recruit him into the Warlords?" Sengoku's brow furrowed instantly.

The World Government and Navy had just issued his global bounty—and now Garp wanted to offer him a title? That would be a slap in the face to both the government and the Marines.

As Fleet Admiral, Sengoku couldn't allow that.

"The Warlord system was flawed from the start," Garp said seriously. "I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking when they came up with it."

"Look at the ones we've already recruited—how many of them actually follow the rules? They just use their government protection to commit crimes. And we, the Marines, the so-called enforcers of justice—can only stand by and watch."

"But now we've got someone capable of defeating pirates from the New World. Why shouldn't we give him a status and let him work for us?"

"You're not wrong," Sengoku muttered. "But the Warlords are supposed to have established forces. Rikuya has strength, sure—but he's got no crew, no territory—just one ship and two men. That's not enough."

"Besides, all seven Warlord slots are full. Unless he defeats one of them and takes their turf, he has no right to join."

Borsalino nodded, stroking his chin. "Exactly."

"Hmph. It's too early to talk about him joining the Warlords anyway," Sengoku said coldly. "With Sakazuki leading the mission, they'll probably wipe him out before it even comes to that."

At the same time, aboard the Justice Fleet's flagship, sailing across the vast open sea…

Admiral Sakazuki stared at the freshly printed newspaper—then casually tossed it overboard.

"Pass my orders. Have all remaining ships spread out and form a search line. I want every corner covered."

"Not even a rowboat gets through."

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