As Koa, Kuzan, and Greenbull began their adventure, they hoisted their flag and set sail. It didn't take even a day before they ran into trouble. Marines immediately opened fire the moment they spotted their banner. Although the crew had no bounties yet, the sight of a pirate flag was enough to provoke a fight in the South Blue.
A Marine captain, eager to boost his reputation for a promotion, was aboard his warship patrolling the waters of World Government-affiliated nations. He sat casually in his chair when an officer entered the room.
"Captain, we've spotted a pirate ship sailing nearby. According to our records, there are only three individuals on board, and none of them have any bounties," the officer reported.
"Did you get their photos? We need evidence to submit to headquarters—it'll make reporting this incident and claiming credit easier," the captain replied.
Especially for me, the captain thought. I'm only a few arrests away from becoming a commodore. Then I can just sit in some base, collect my salary, and not lift a finger.
"Yes, Captain. We've taken their photos using the Den Den Mushi," the officer confirmed.
"Good. You know the drill," the captain said.
He had no intention of fighting pirates face to face. His strategy was simple: bombard the pirate ship with all available artillery until it sank. Then, if any of them survived, they'd be picked off with rifle fire while swimming.
---------
Aboard Koa's ship, the crew had already noticed the approaching Marine warship. However, they didn't pay it much attention. With no bounties on their heads, they were confident the Marines wouldn't attack them. But then, Koa suddenly stood up, sensing something.
"Get ready," Koa said sharply to Kuzan and Greenbull, who looked at him in confusion.
Before they could react, a thunderous explosion echoed across the sea—the Marine warship had fired its cannons.
Koa responded immediately. With a single swing of his axe, he unleashed a flying slash that intercepted the incoming cannonballs, detonating them mid-air in a burst of flame and debris. But the slash didn't stop there—it continued forward, cutting clean through the warship and causing a massive explosion upon impact.
Without looking back, Koa and his crew resumed sailing, unconcerned about survivors. As far as they were concerned, the Marines had fired the first shot.
----
More than three hours later, another Marine warship arrived at the last known location of the destroyed vessel. The previous ship had failed to report back after sending a photo of the pirates they intended to apprehend. Concerned, the new crew followed protocol and headed toward the area.
What they found was devastating.
Floating debris from the shattered warship littered the sea. Among the wreckage, the bodies of Marines drifted lifelessly in the water. Some were still breathing—barely clinging to life—but out of a crew of one hundred, only twenty had survived. The rest—eighty men, including the ship's Captain—were dead.
The second Marine warship slowed to a halt as the crew stared in stunned silence at the floating debris and bodies scattered across the waves.
One officer, wide-eyed, clutched the rail and whispered, "What... what happened here?"
A grizzled Vice Captain stepped forward, scanning the wreckage with grim eyes. "This wasn't a storm. This was precision. Someone cut straight through that ship."
"Sir!" a marine shouted from the crow's nest. "We found survivors! At least twenty!"
"Bring them aboard!" the Vice Captain barked, snapping out of his daze. "Get the medics ready!"
Minutes later, the battered survivors were hoisted onto the deck—burnt, bruised, some missing limbs. One of them, barely conscious, had just enough strength to mumble, "Monsters… They weren't normal pirates…"
Another survivor weakly lifted a shaking hand, offering a soaked Den Den Mushi. The Vice Captain took it and played the last recorded image. The screen crackled to life, showing a still photo of three individuals standing on a small pirate ship: a man with molten magma around his shoulders, a tall figure cloaked in frost, and a green-haired youth surrounded by sprouting vines.
The Vice Captain's eyes narrowed. "So this is them."
He turned to his officers. "Send a report to Marine HQ. We have a new pirate crew operating in the South Blue. Unknown name, unknown origin—but extremely dangerous. One of them destroyed a warship with a single strike."
Another officer added gravely, "And they haven't even entered the Grand Line yet…"
A heavy silence fell over the ship as the implication set in.
-----------
At Marine Headquarters, Garp, Tsuru, and Bogard were seated inside Fleet Admiral Kong's office. Garp, as usual, was casually munching on donuts while Tsuru and Sengoku engaged in a serious discussion regarding the resurgence of the Rocks Pirates' remnants in the New World.
"It seems Rocks was the only one holding them in check," Tsuru remarked. "As ruthless as he was, he managed to control the pirates under him. But now that he's gone, the New World has fallen completely under their influence."
"We need to recruit more talented officers," Sengoku responded. "We should bring in stronger candidates like Sakazuki and Borsalino. They're both topping the marks at the academy."
"Don't worry," Garp said, interrupting with his mouth full. "Once I catch Roger, the whole world will know the Marines are still relevant—and awesome."
Sengoku chuckled, then asked, "Anyway, how's your son's training going?"
Garp was about to answer when the office door burst open. A commodore stepped in, panting heavily.
"How dare you barge into the Fleet Admiral's office without permission? Don't you have any respect for authority?" Tsuru snapped, already standing to scold him further.
But Sengoku raised his hand. "Let him speak. If it's urgent, this isn't the time for protocol."
The commodore nodded gratefully before delivering the report. "A Marine captain's warship was attacked in the South Blue. Eighty are confirmed dead, including the captain. The remaining twenty are critically injured."
All eyes widened in shock.
"What?" Sengoku asked sharply. "Was it a known pirate? Someone with a bounty?"
"No," the commodore replied, handing over a file. "The captain managed to take a photo with a Den Den Mushi before the attack. The pirates are unknown. There are only three of them. One appears to be quite young."
Tsuru and Sengoku examined the photos. Neither recognized any of the faces.
"Who are they? Do we have anything on them?" Tsuru asked, confused.
Garp leaned forward, donut in hand. His eyes narrowed as he pointed to one of the figures in the photo. "I recognize this one. He was an apprentice on Roger's ship. Looks like he's started his crew."
The room fell into silence.
Realization dawned on Tsuru and Sengoku's faces. An ex-member of the Roger Pirates forming his crew was no trivial matter. It had the potential to rival the chaos caused by the remnants of the Rocks Pirates.
Kong then straightened as he issued orders immediately. "Put a bounty on them. Set that one—Koa—at 70 million. The other adult, 20 million. And the kid… give him 10 million."
The commodore saluted. "Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
As the officer rushed out to fulfill the command, Sengoku turned to Garp. "Looks like your rival was giving us another headache."
Garp simply took another bite of his donut. "He always did have a knack for shaking things up."