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Time flew by, a whole month slipping past in the blink of an eye.
During this month, Logan had stayed on Nine Serpent Island, his life returning to a quiet rhythm.
By day, he trained as usual—but when there was free time, he liked to tease the girls.
Whenever Nami, Robin, or the others were deep in their own training, Logan would suddenly appear, plant a kiss on them, and vanish, leaving them stomping their feet in frustration.
Or when Kaya was seriously flipping through a medical book, Logan would sneak a playful swipe at her backside, instantly turning her bright red.
Evenings were simpler.
They had group sessions.
Logan, facing nineteen girls alone.
Even someone as formidable as the pirate empress Hancock bent to his will.
Meanwhile, Logan kept an eye on the outside world too.
And naturally, the hottest topic out there… was him.
With the Tenryuubito incident still reverberating, Logan had truly been pushed to the center of the storm.
The day after Charles Saint was captured, the Five Elders learned of his death through his life card.
They were furious, thunderstruck. Following protocol, they first unleashed a verbal assault on Sengoku, then issued a new bounty on Logan.
40 billion Berries. Dead or alive.
As the saying goes, heavy rewards attract brave men.
Countless pirates and bounty hunters swarmed the Sabaody Archipelago, hunting for Logan.
No matter how strong Logan was, the lure of forty billion Berries was too much for many to resist. Just imagining a single stroke of luck catching him—and a lifetime of wealth—was irresistible.
But Logan seemed to vanish into thin air. Tens of thousands of pirates and hunters scoured the islands and surrounding seas, yet he left no trace.
Still, they kept searching, driven by the determination to catch him.
At the heart of the storm, Logan's presence completely eclipsed all other pirates of the era.
Even so…
The year 1520 of the Ocean Calendar was still known as the Year of the Pirates.
Not long ago, the Navy released the list of "Supernovas"—new pirates with bounties over 100 million Berries in their first year at sea across the six seas.
Compared to Logan, they were insignificant.
But among the other rookies, hitting a 100-million-Berry bounty in just a year was extraordinary.
For decades, nothing like this had been seen.
These supernovas, all with bounties over 100 million, were dubbed the "Worst Generation."
There were eleven of them:
Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates
Roronoa Zoro, swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates
Eustass Kid, captain of the Kid Pirates
Killer, combatant of the Kid Pirates
Trafalgar Law, captain of the Heart Pirates
Scratchmen Apoo, captain of the On Air Pirates
Basil Hawkins, captain of the Hawkins Pirates
X Drake, captain of the Drake Pirates
Big Mom Pirates' captain, Big Mom
Capone "Gang" Bege, captain of the Fire Tank Pirates
Urouge, captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates
Logan? The Navy had already classified him as a threat on par with the Yonko—a league entirely above these rookies.
On a large, isolated island, Logan lounged lazily in a hammock, bored out of his mind as he flipped through a newspaper.
He still dominated the front page. Nearly ninety percent of the coverage was some exaggerated tale of him.
In a tiny corner, the paper listed the eleven supernovas—their origins, strength, powers, and the crimes they'd committed since setting sail.
Besides Logan, the one shining brightest was the Straw Hat Luffy.
Though Logan's presence had slightly altered Luffy's path, his status as the wielder of the Nika Fruit could not be overshadowed.
"Getting this far… your journey's almost over," Logan muttered, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes as he read about Luffy.
He was at a deadlock with Garp now, and there was no way he'd let Luffy continue growing unchecked.
With his system backing him, Logan didn't fear a Gear Fifth Luffy.
But crushing the Sun God before he even rose? That was tempting.
"Blackbeard's moving too slow," Logan muttered, scanning the papers for news of Ace being captured. No luck yet. He pouted in mild annoyance.
According to the timeline, it should happen any day now. Once Blackbeard had Ace in hand, the Great Pirate War across the seas would ignite—and that's when Logan's plan would kick in.
He tossed the paper aside, bored, and glanced toward the girls sweating it out in the gravity training room.
Under doubled gravity, their training efficiency had skyrocketed. Nami and the others were constantly improving.
Morning meditation boosted Observation Haki.
Daytime drills honed Armament Haki and developed Devil Fruit abilities.
A special exercise boosted their physical constitution while stabilizing their foundation.
Nighttime dream techniques honed Conqueror's Haki.
Not a single second wasted.
With Hancock sharing her experience freely, their growth was like rocket fuel.
By Logan's estimate, Hancock and Nami now had power levels that could threaten Navy Admirals.
Their only shortfall? Physique and Haki were still slightly underdeveloped.
Haki would take time. As for their bodies—they still needed more nourishment.
Even so, Logan was satisfied.
They'd only been at sea for three months. If anyone found out they'd gained Admiral-level strength in that short span, jaws would drop.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, chaos reigned.
Amid the uproar over Logan, an unexpected visitor arrived.
In Sengoku's office, the Marshal was buried in a mountain of paperwork, stressed out from the Logan situation.
The one relief? Logan hadn't caused trouble elsewhere during this month.
As for Charles Saint, Sengoku couldn't have cared less. A spoiled, arrogant brat—it was no loss.
But his Tenryuubito status had made things messy.
Even the World Government couldn't handle Logan, so Sengoku had only made empty promises before the Five Elders.
Of course, Logan had to be caught. When? That was up to fate.
"Report!" a voice called outside.
"Come in," Sengoku replied without looking up.
The adjutant entered, saluted, and reported, "Marshal, a pirate named Blackbeard is here, asking to see you directly. He says it's urgent."
Sengoku slammed his pen down.
Pirates had gotten this bold? Demanding to see a Marine Marshal by name?
He stormed out, fuming. If Blackbeard didn't have a good reason, he'd make him regret it.
But when Blackbeard presented Portgas D. Ace, Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, and revealed his true identity, Sengoku froze.
He remembered clearly how the Navy had once attempted to wipe out all pregnant women in that timeframe to prevent Roger's bloodline from continuing.
Now… this.
Realizing the gravity, Sengoku immediately ordered Ace imprisoned under strict supervision. Blackbeard was also temporarily detained at HQ. Sengoku rushed to Mariejois to inform the Five Elders.
In Panga City, power brooded.
"What?! Ace is Roger's son?!" Even the normally composed Elders were stunned.
"Sengoku, are you sure about this?" the long-bearded Elder demanded darkly.
Sengoku nodded firmly. Anyone else, he might have doubted. But Blackbeard had been with Whitebeard for over a decade. He knew Ace's secrets inside and out.
Though he despised Blackbeard's betrayal, from the Navy's perspective, it was useful: dog-eat-dog drama.
"Damn… after killing so many to erase Roger's bloodline, he still escaped."
The blond Elder's mood darkened further. Roger's final words had triggered the Great Pirate Era. Countless pirates had flooded the seas, burning and looting.
Now that things had finally stabilized, Roger's son had appeared.
If the world learned of his existence, the seas would shake again, just because of who he was—not his strength.
"The damage is done, but at least there's still time to contain it," said the sword-wielding Elder calmly, cleaning his blade. Ace didn't flaunt his heritage, which was a relief.
"Logan hasn't been found yet, and now this Ace mess—headaches all around," the long-bearded Elder muttered.
Circumstances breed heroes. Logan might be stronger than Ace, but in influence? Ace was untouchable. One news release, and he would overshadow Logan in no time.
Yet now, both situations had erupted simultaneously.
"Sengoku, any word on Logan?" asked the sword-wielding Elder.
"Not yet," Sengoku replied. "By my estimate, having just killed Charles Saint, he won't act rashly anytime soon."
The Elder nodded. Sengoku's reasoning matched his. Killing a Tenryuubito was already madness. If Logan started acting freely on the seas, it would be like dancing on a knife's edge.
"Put Logan aside for now. Handle Ace first," the Elder said firmly. "Logan may be the World Government's enemy, but the bloodline of Pirate King Roger is our first priority."
"Exactly!"
The long-bearded Five Elder immediately nodded in agreement. "Finally, we've caught this last stray. We absolutely cannot let history repeat itself."
"Once Ace is dealt with, we'll find a way to handle Logan."
At his words, the other Elders all nodded in agreement.
Logan was dangerous because of his strength. Ace, however, posed a threat simply because of who he was.
Even a casual word from him could send ripples across the seas—a scenario the Five Elders could never allow.
And it was also something the big boss behind them wouldn't tolerate.
The World Government could never allow another Pirate King to rise and shake their control over the seas.
The Elder holding the sword paused, thinking, then decisively commanded, "Sengoku, send the order. In ten days, execute Ace publicly at Marine Headquarters."
"This time, Logan has already caused the Marines heavy losses, tarnished their reputation, and even shaken public confidence. This is the perfect opportunity to restore it."
"If the people know the Marines have captured and executed the son of Pirate King Roger, their respect for us will skyrocket!"
"And it will send a warning to every criminal on the seas."
At that, Sengoku's eyes lit up, and he nodded. Publicly executing Ace was indeed a plan that killed two birds with one stone.
All gain, no risk.
But then he hesitated. "What about the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"From what I know of Whitebeard, he won't just stand by and watch Ace die."
The blond Elder scoffed coldly. "The Whitebeard Pirates? That's nothing to fear!"
"If it were the young Whitebeard, maybe he could've caused some trouble. But now? Half his life is already behind him. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Sengoku, have you really been scared off by Logan? Are you this timid now?"
"If the Whitebeard Pirates really dare attack Marine Headquarters, take the chance to wipe them out too!"
"Mark my words: our enemies aren't just Logan. The Yonko crews are our enemies too!"
Mentioning Logan made the blond Elder's tone even sharper. If the Marines had done their job properly from the start, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.
"I understand," Sengoku said quietly, nodding.
"Good. Then go back and make the arrangements," the sword-wielding Elder said, waving impatiently.
Without another word, Sengoku strode out of the suffocatingly tense hall.
Back at Marine Headquarters, he immediately called an emergency meeting.
All Marine commanders were present.
The agenda: Ace's execution, the construction of defenses at Headquarters, and issuing a compulsory summons for all Seven Warlords.
Of course, Sengoku didn't reveal Ace's true identity.
At first, the commanders were confused by his orders. But when they learned this was a direct command from the Five Elders, they sprang into action.
Everyone had their role, their tasks clearly defined.
Under Sengoku's leadership, the massive Marine Headquarters began operating like a well-oiled machine.
It was worth noting that Admiral Kizaru had returned to duty.
With one arm gone, he was far quieter than before. Especially around his old comrades, he often felt awkward, like he couldn't hold his own.
Although the Marines tried to keep the truth hidden, a small number of people still knew what had happened.
And when they encountered Kizaru, they instinctively avoided sensitive topics—and a certain sensitive name.
Three days later, under the Marines' orchestrations, a newspaper hit the stands, stealing Logan's headlines and dominating the front page.
"....."