Chapter 12: Storm in the Command Room

Marshal’s Office!

Marshal Hill, Admiral Wenhu, and Admiral Snow Lion stood together in the spacious command room, smoke swirling around them. Every face was dark with worry.

The atmosphere hung heavy and tense, like the calm before an enormous storm.

Hill took a deep breath and stared at the map spread before him, eyes sharp. Now, only the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line remained under their control. The second half had become a pirate playground, with just a handful of Navy branches barely managing to hold out.

He knew the Rocks Pirates had reached a critical mass. Their power kept growing, giving both the Navy and the World Government endless headaches.

Admiral Wenhu frowned, a deep unease churning in his gut.

If they didn’t clamp down soon, the Rocks Pirates would keep swelling in strength, becoming a massive threat to the entire world—and a disaster for the Navy’s mission of justice.

Snow Lion stood quietly to one side, his eyes cold and unblinking.

He understood perfectly well that this was the moment for decisive action.

Edward Newgate, the Second Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates, was already a force to be reckoned with.

Now this young man was important enough that Newgate had gone to greet him in person. It seemed more than likely he’d join the Rocks Pirates too.

“I want every scrap of intelligence you can get on this young man. Dispatch agents for a full investigation—immediately.”

Hill’s voice was calm and steady. He understood—there was no more time to lose.

Wenhu nodded, still full of doubts himself. He didn’t know what had drawn this young man to the Rocks Pirates.

But he realized, if the Rocks Pirates kept running wild, the world was in for a catastrophe.

“We can’t let the Rocks Pirates keep growing unchecked.”

Hill’s voice was tinged with anger and resolve. The Navy’s failure to enforce justice on the latter half of the Grand Line was a mark of their own shortcomings.

Wenhu and Snow Lion exchanged a look. Both knew this was the decisive moment. As the Rocks Pirates swelled in strength, a showdown felt inevitable.

They had to act. Stop the Rocks Pirates from spreading further, and chip away at their power—both fronts at once.

Marshal Hill, Admiral Wenhu, and Admiral Snow Lion would lead the entire Navy into a heart-pounding battle against the Rocks Pirates.

……

Beehive Island!

At this time, Morgans hadn’t yet started his News Agency. Wanted posters still came directly from the Navy, distributed to each branch by fax machines.

“Where did Newgate find such a talented newcomer?”

Golden Lion was the first to see the new wanted poster when he arrived on Beehive Island. Jealousy flickered in his eyes. He thought, if only he could recruit someone as strong as Karl, it’d be a gold mine.

Without hesitation, Golden Lion rounded up his crew. He was determined to set sail and look for even more powerful members.

Kuro Island. Giant Pirates!

“Rocks just got even stronger.”

“What are we supposed to do if this keeps up?”

Fred, the Giant Pirates’ vice captain, spoke with worry in his voice.

As the crew’s strategist, he knew the captain wouldn’t listen. These days, the captain had become cocky ever since allying with the X Pirates.

Fred had no choice but to send people out on his own to dig up every detail about Karl.

……

“We’ve arrived at Liton Island!”

Karl had just sobered up when he heard pirates shouting outside.

He scrambled out of bed in a hurry.

“Karl, you’re finally up!”

Karl stepped out the door, just in time to see Whitebeard striding over to him.

“This island’s right on the way to Beehive Island. Perfect place to restock—our food and drink are running low.”

“Gurarara!”

Newgate let out his trademark booming laugh.

Thanks to last night’s party, their food and booze were nearly wiped out. So the crew had no choice but to stop here.

“How about it, Karl? Want to come see the place?”

Newgate waved him over, eager to show him the vibrant side of pirate life.

“Sure, let’s go see what’s out there,” Karl agreed, feeling a ripple of excitement.

He realized he hadn’t seen a marketplace in years. Besides, he was curious about life in a pirate town—would something exciting happen?

“Haha, let’s go! I heard there’s an auction in town today, so we might as well check it out.”

Newgate clapped him warmly on the shoulder and strode ahead to lead the way.

“An auction, huh? That sounds fun. I’ve never been to one before.”

Karl felt a rush of curiosity. He pictured a flashy auction packed with treasures and wondered what rare things might go under the hammer.

He trailed after Newgate to the heart of the city, where the streets were buzzing with life. Stalls lined both sides, overflowing with goods. Pirates, merchants, and all sorts of people were haggling and bartering. Karl even spotted slave traders doing business right out in the open.

He couldn’t help but be swept up by the lively scene. None of this existed back on Blue Star.

They squeezed their way through the crowd and reached a massive auction house. Crowds swarmed the entrance, where a bold sign announced, “Auction Today!”

Karl stepped in, eyes wide with excitement. He’d never seen anything like this. The auction house roared with noise. The auctioneer’s voice rang out, bold and urgent, while one precious item after another went up for bidding, drawing cheers and shouting all around.

Karl scanned the dazzling treasures—a sparkling jewel here, noble finery there, legendary weapons, and rare creatures whispered about in stories. He marveled at the spectacle, lost in the temptation and mystery of it all.

“Welcome, Lord Newgate!”

In the New World’s second half, Newgate’s reputation ran deep. As the Rocks Pirates’ Second Division Commander, his arrival sent the auction staff scrambling in a flurry of respect.

Just inside, Karl’s eyes caught a massive poster on the wall. The person pictured was none other than himself—the words reading: “Karl. Wanted: 500,000,000 Berries!”

He stared in shock at his own wanted poster.

He never imagined he’d be on a wanted poster one day.

“Karl, did you see? You’re officially a wanted pirate now—and for an incredible 500,000,000 Berries!”

Newgate beamed with pride at Karl. After all, a pirate’s bounty was the measure of their strength.

“Newgate, I saw it!”

Karl answered, barely containing his excitement.

He’d expected a bounty eventually—but hadn’t thought it would come this soon.

His very first bounty was already five hundred million Berries. That crushed Luffy’s 30 million bounty when he set out.

This wasn’t anything like Luffy’s time.

Five hundred million Berries now meant far more than it did at the start of the original story.

“Lord Newgate, your room is ready! This is a private suite. If you need anything, just use this button.”

A hostess quickly led them into a private room, gave a quick rundown of the setup, left a maid behind, and slipped out.

“That’s a pretty good view!”

Karl stood at the window, looking down at the bustling crowd in the main hall.

Newgate flopped onto the sofa and cracked open a bottle of whiskey, drinking straight from the bottle.

“See anything you like? Your big brother’s loaded.”

Newgate shrugged. Over the years with the Rocks Pirates, he’d stashed tens of billions of Berries. Buying a few things here was nothing to sweat—he hadn’t even sent his ill-gotten gains home yet.

He figured buying a few items wouldn’t make a dent. He still hadn’t delivered most of his treasure back to his hometown.

He’d only returned home after leaving the Crocodile Pirates. When he saw how poor his people were, he decided to send most of his loot to help.

But he never realized the downside—his generosity had made the townsfolk lazy, unwilling to work for themselves.

After getting used to money delivered to their door, nobody wanted to work. Even after Newgate died it never changed. Some even grumbled about why he’d stopped sending money.