Summer had arrived in Cocoa West Village.
In the season of cicadas, everyone in the village—whether at the entrance or deep within—was talking about the same thing.
"Something must be wrong! Shano and the others are actually wanted criminals now?!"
A Jian stopped his bicycle in shock, staring at the newspaper in his hands.
"Utter nonsense!"
A nearby villager said angrily, "They say Shano attacked Loguetown and was only arrested because that Vice Admiral Ghost Spider stepped in. Sounds like they're twisting the truth to frame him!"
"Exactly! If anyone's going to do some petty theft, it'd be that troublemaker Nami. But Shano? Absolutely impossible!!!"
Another aunty returning from grocery shopping fumed with righteous indignation.
"That's right, that's right!"
"Sounds like even Marine Headquarters is full of bad guys!"
Hearing the voices outside the window…
"Heh." Bellemere, with her legs propped up on the table, lit a slim cigarette and smiled as she gazed at the deep blue sky.
Even the villagers didn't believe Shano had become a ruthless pirate—how could she, his foster mother, ever believe that?
Still…
That was truly her kid. He'd barely been out at sea and already stirred up such a commotion.
And the bounty—terrifyingly high. Even that little tagalong Nojiko was worth 40 million now?
Back when she was in the Marines, all the pirates she met added together didn't come close to that much!
Whoa~, that's a whole lotta money… Seriously, when they come back, she might as well tie them all up and hand them in for the bounty.
She exhaled a puff of smoke slowly.
Back in those days, scraping together 300,000 was already a huge joy—how could she have ever imagined a day like this would come?
...
Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo.
In the candlelight, Koshiro sat cross-legged on the tatami, reading the newspaper. Two heads poked out from behind him, nearly squashing his ears.
"One hundred and eighty million! Whoa!!!"
"Eighty million Berries! Whoa!!!"
"Eight thousand Berries! Whoa… huh?"
Okay, skipping that one. On the next page, seeing the cool silver-haired wolf, the curly-brow and moss-head kids were shouting again.
"Hmph, Kuina only has 75 million? She's not even higher than Uncle Zeff and Gin!"
After looking through all the wanted posters, Zoro blew his nose hard. "Not that impressive. Once I set sail, I'll catch up in no time!"
"Dream on!"
Sanji scoffed, "You lost to her five thousand five hundred times, and you think you'll surpass Big Sis Kuina? I'd say the perfect bounty for you would be 5,500 Berries!"
"Still better than you!!"
Zoro roared, "You don't even have the guts to challenge Kuina, so don't you dare keep hiding behind that 'I don't fight women' excuse—you're just a coward!"
"That was the old me! Don't underestimate me!" Sanji's face turned red.
The memories of Kuina's sharp gaze freezing him up, and being constantly picked on by that brat Nami, flashed across his mind.
He pounded his chest dramatically. "My chivalry evolves too! I've finally realized—not fighting women is actually a sign of disrespect! If I truly want to show respect, I should take them seriously and give it my all!!!"
"Now that's the spirit!"
Zoro's eyes lit up, giving a thumbs up. "Can't believe you actually said something that profound. Even your curly brow is starting to look kinda decent."
"Right?!" Sanji beamed. "Since you complimented me, I think calling you moss-head all the time was a bit harsh too."
The two idiots slung their arms around each other and laughed out loud.
In between them, Koshiro still wore his usual gentle smile—but a bulging vein had already popped out on his forehead…
Back when Zeff and Kuina helped keep them in check, things weren't so bad.
But now, he could truly feel the pain of having these two energetic brats together—always shouting, always bickering…
Forget waiting until adulthood—just go to sea as soon as possible, both of you!
...
Loguetown, at the docks.
"You're really resigning, Tashigi?"
The sergeant who came to see her off looked disappointed. "Your probation is almost over, and with your swordsmanship, it'd only take a few months to become an officer. Quitting now is such a waste."
"I have no regrets, Sergeant!"
The black-haired girl shook her head. "I used to be inspired by Lord Shano and joined the Marines to pursue justice, but now I understand—"
She pointed to her chest. "Justice lies in the heart, not just appearances!"
"As long as you stay true to your convictions and act with justice in mind, it doesn't matter where you are or what role you take on. But if you lose that inner justice, then even in the self-proclaimed righteous Marines, you become an irredeemable villain!"
"In fact, the headquarters that framed Lord Shano and labeled him a wanted criminal—they're the ones I can no longer forgive!"
Tashigi's gaze was firm. "One day, I will step onto Marineford and ask the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral directly—what exactly is their so-called justice?!"
"Then face me when you say that!"
The sergeant shouted, baring his sharp teeth. "You're way too close—your spit's all over my face! Ever heard of personal space?!"
"Ah, I'm so sorry!"
Tashigi hurriedly removed her glasses, bowed frantically, and only then did she realize she had been staring directly at a tall stranger carrying a massive black sword.
"No problem."
Mihawk casually wiped his forehead without much reaction. Under their apologetic gazes, he folded the newspaper and boarded his small boat.
Missed him again?
Mihawk silently looked back at the retreating silhouette of Loguetown. He had only arrived last night, but after asking around, he learned that Shano had left days ago.
They should be past Reverse Mountain by now.
Normally, he would have given up. He wasn't the type to chase after some swordsman who likely wasn't even on his level across the vast seas.
But then the Loguetown incident happened.
After hearing what the townspeople said, reading the news, and witnessing the vanished execution platform himself—
"Shano…" Mihawk murmured.
This man who had just set sail and already shone like a star… he was becoming more and more intriguing.
...
Somewhere in the New World.
A campfire crackled behind a massive rock. Half a giant elephant tuna roasted over it, sizzling with oil. The members of the Red-Haired Pirates sprawled drunkenly across the grassy field, surrounded by empty liquor bottles.
"Hmm?"
A wanted poster fluttered in the wind and slapped against Benn Beckman's face. Half-drunk, he squinted at the bottom-most one.
"Four, five, six… huh? Seven zeroes? That's not 18 million—it's 180 million Berries?!"