The great conference room of Marine Headquarters was packed to the brim.
Brannew, as always, moved briskly between rows of Vice Admirals and senior officers, handing out folders thick with photos, reports, and transcribed witness accounts. Once the murmur died down, he began reciting the purpose of this emergency meeting.
When he finished, the room erupted in debate.
Some pounded the table, faces red with outrage.
"We must deploy the Admirals immediately and arrest Karl's crew!"
Others merely crossed their arms, unimpressed. A few looked uneasy—another monster of this magnitude rising so soon after the last era's chaos made their stomachs twist.
Only Akainu was absent, still commanding the G-1 fortress in the New World. The rest—Aokiji, Kizaru, Garp, Tsuru—were present.
Sengoku scanned the room, the vein on his forehead twitching.
Garp, of course, was happily crunching through his bag of rice crackers, the crackle of each bite echoing like gunfire through the hall.
Sengoku clenched his fists, breathing through his nose. Not now. Not here. I'll steal the whole damn bag later.
Then he glanced at the other two Admirals.
Aokiji slumped in his chair, the blindfold suggesting either a nap or indifference—or both.
Kizaru was… trimming his nails. Again.
Sengoku's sigh was audible. Too old for this…
At least Vice Admiral Tsuru was actually reading the dossier, brow furrowed as she flipped pages.
"Tsuru," Sengoku said finally. "Your thoughts?"
Tsuru stood gracefully, adjusting her glasses. Her voice, calm and analytical, silenced the murmurs.
"The World Government demands that we either capture or destroy Karl's crew.
But according to the intelligence presented, Karl already possesses power on par with the Four Emperors."
The room stiffened.
"He commands a Zoan Mythical Beast ability of extraordinary class, has at least one subordinate with Admiral-level strength, and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit user under his flag.
Structurally, they lack numbers—but in elite combat power, they already exceed most Emperor crews."
She paused to let the weight settle.
"Given our current obligations—guarding Vegapunk, stabilizing the New World, and deterring pirate coalitions—we cannot deploy enough force for a guaranteed victory.
Therefore, a direct confrontation would be… unwise."
She turned a page.
"The optimal course is escalation through information control:
increase Karl's bounty by ten billion berries, to 3.29 billion, and position his image as a new Emperor-tier threat.
When he inevitably enters the New World, the existing Emperors will not tolerate a rival's rise.
They'll fight him—and we'll watch. The Marines will move only when both sides bleed."
Silence filled the room.
Then Sengoku smiled faintly. As expected of our Grand Strategist.
He nodded. "I concur. Vice Admiral Tsuru's plan stands as our formal strategy. Any objections?"
None came.
"Good. Then the Marine response to Karl's faction is settled—meeting adjourned."
The crowd exhaled as one, snapping salutes before hastily departing, more eager to leave than to fight.
Garp rose lazily once the hall thinned. "Wahahahaha! Sengoku, I'm taking a month off—I haven't seen my grandson in ages!"
Sengoku's hand twitched. "You just took leave, you senile fool!"
He smacked Garp on the head, snatched his crackers, and dumped the entire bag into his mouth.
"MY RICE CRACKERS! SENGOKU, YOU SNAKE!" Garp howled, lunging for the bag as Sengoku turned away with smug satisfaction. "That's for every meeting you've ruined, you freeloader!"
The Seas Boil with News
As the Marines met in quiet halls, the oceans exploded in noise.
Blood Sword Karl was no more.
From this day forward, the world called him the Tiger God.
The photo on Morgans' front page said it all—
a colossal beast of flame and cloud suspended above the sea, its roar carving the heavens.
The report detailed every second of the Rainbow Kingdom massacre. The message was simple, chilling, unforgettable:
"Do not touch Karl's women."
Every pirate, merchant, and noble understood. Even the Celestial Dragons—those "gods"—would tremble to remember that a single one of them had been vaporized for that mistake.
New World — Onigashima
"Boss Kaido! Look at this!" King burst into the hall, waving the paper.
Kaido, already deep into his sake, blinked blearily. "Eh? What's this racket?"
He squinted at the headline… then burst into tears.
"Uuuuh! Tiger God Karl! What a glorious name! I wonder if he can kill me…? Uuuh…"
He drank harder, sobbing and laughing all at once.
King rubbed his temples. "This isn't the time to cry over a new drinking buddy. The New World balance is fragile enough as it is. Another Emperor-class crew appearing now—this could turn everything upside down."
Kaido only roared with laughter through the tears. "If he's that strong, tell him to come try!"
King sighed. Without me, this crew would fall apart.
Totto Land — Whole Cake Island
"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma! That wretched man!" Big Mom slammed a fist into her cake, crumbs flying. "And Morgans! Daring to print that Karl might be stronger than the Yonko?! That pigeon's courting death!"
Her children scattered to the corners of the room as the Homies fled from the waves of her fury.
Moby Dick — Whitebeard Pirates
"Father, take a look!" Marco held up the paper. "That Karl guy—he's a Mythical Zoan too! And he's strong enough to be called Emperor-class!"
Whitebeard chuckled, swigging from his gourd.
"Gurararara! Let the world tremble if it wants. A 'Tiger God,' huh? As long as he doesn't harm my sons, he's free to roar."
The crew grinned, confidence unshaken. After all—what beast could rival the strongest man alive?
Red-Haired Pirates — The Red Force
Shanks flipped through the pages, handing one to Benn Beckman.
"Benn, this could be a problem. We just stabilized the New World, and now this."
Beckman exhaled a thin trail of smoke, eyes scanning the article. "Maybe not. Look closer. His movements are too… aimless."
"Aimless?" Shanks raised a brow.
"They're not building territory, not seeking thrones. They're explorers, pure and simple. If that's true, Karl's crew won't disrupt the balance."
Shanks smiled faintly. "If that's how it is… then let's celebrate. Another legend's been born. Party time!"
"Cheers to that, Captain," Beckman said as laughter and music rose from the deck.
And thus, across the vast seas—from Paradise to the New World—the name Tiger God Karl thundered through taverns, ports, and palaces alike.
Feared. Respected. Untouchable.
A new monster had taken his place among legends.
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