He pointed at Garp, his finger trembling.
"You bastard... you've fought him! Tell me everything you know!"
"Ah, we fought."
Garp scratched his head, reminiscing for a moment.
"I just punched him once. He didn't dodge and took it head-on. Yeah, he's very tough; his bones are like iron. As for the rest... he felt like a very strong young man, nothing else."
Nothing else?
Sengoku felt like he was being driven mad by this unreliable colleague.
He forced himself to calm down, sat back in his chair, picked up the den den mushi on the desk, and dialed a few numbers.
"Summon all officers of Vice Admiral rank and above. We're holding an emergency meeting in five minutes! There is only one agenda item: the re-evaluation of 'frost fairy' Lorne's threat level and the determination of a new bounty amount!"
Hanging up the den den mushi, Sengoku rubbed his brow tiredly.
What on earth was going on with the East Blue, the 'Weakest Sea'?
First, it produced the pirate king Roger, and now a monster with at least Vice Admiral-level combat power has emerged.
A few minutes later, the atmosphere in the Marine Headquarters' highest conference room was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.
When the wretched photo of the frozen Krieg fleet was projected before all the officers, the entire conference room fell into a dead silence.
Even veteran Marine officers who had been through hundreds of battles couldn't help but feel a chill seeing this scene that looked like a scroll from hell.
"This wasn't a battle; this was a one-sided massacre..."
Marine Staff Officer Tsuru spoke slowly, breaking the silence.
"The bounty must be raised immediately! This man's existence is, in itself, a massive threat to the world order!"
The hawkish officer from before slammed the table and stood up again, but this time, his voice held a deep sense of dread alongside the anger.
"An eighty-million bounty is a joke! I propose we raise the bounty directly to three hundred million Berries!"
Another Vice Admiral spoke up with a shocking suggestion.
"Three hundred million? Are you crazy! That's the value of great pirates who have made a name for themselves in the New World! He's just a rookie!"
"A rookie? A rookie who can freeze a fleet of three thousand people single-handedly?"
The conference room immediately became noisy as the officers argued incessantly over the bounty amount.
"Everyone, be quiet!"
Sengoku gave a furious shout that silenced the room. He stood up and looked around at everyone.
"This is no ordinary criminal. His behavioral patterns are unpredictable. He annihilated Arlong, perhaps to save the villagers. He killed Captain Nezumi because of the man's corruption. He froze Krieg because he was provoked."
Sengoku paused, his voice becoming incredibly heavy.
"But the means he uses possess destructive power. This uncontrolled strength is what's most dangerous! To demonstrate his threat to the whole world, to warn all those with ill intentions, and to uphold the unshakable justice of the Navy!"
He slammed the table hard, making his final decision.
"Raise the bounty of 'frost fairy' Lorne to... one hundred and eighty million Berries! Dead or Alive! Issue it immediately!"
One hundred and eighty million!
This number brought all the arguing to a halt.
It was an extremely exaggerated figure, yet one within the psychological tolerance of those present.
It was enough to show the Navy's seriousness without being so excessive that it shook the foundations of the entire bounty system.
Shortly after, a new batch of News Coos flew out to the world again, their wings carrying news enough to make the entire sea tremble.
And at this very moment, at the center of this storm...
Lorne was standing at the bow of his small boat, gazing at a peculiar structure appearing on the distant horizon.
It was a massive ship shaped like a giant fish.
The sea restaurant, Baratie.
An expectant smile appeared on Lorne's face; he could already smell the faint aroma of food drifting through the air.
"Finally arrived."
He murmured softly to himself, completely unaware that his name and face were about to spread across the four seas in an even more sensational manner.
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