The Den Den Mushi fell into a dead silence for a moment, then a bone-chilling voice exploded the next second:
"What did you say?!"
Akainu was sitting in the Admiral's office, surrounded by a chilling aura of killing intent.
His brows were furrowed into deep trenches, and his eyes churned with magma-like fury.
What he never expected was that the junior he had been watching had actually 'stabbed him in the back'!
His justice was not absolute Burning Justice after all; his flames actually had warmth!
For Akainu, this was absolutely unacceptable!
After all, in his philosophy, the Navy's justice should be absolute and cold, allowing no room for personal feelings or compromise.
Ivan's idea that comrades were more important than the mission was undoubtedly a blatant challenge to the absolute justice he revered.
"A Navy junior dares to use personal feelings as an excuse, lets pirates escape, and even dares to talk about Burning Justice?" Akainu's voice grew even colder:
"This is sheer nonsense, a desecration of the Navy's justice!
Keep watching White Dove Ivan. Report every move he makes to me!
I want to see whether his so-called Burning Justice is about staying true to his heart or about bending the law for personal gain!
If he dares to let personal feelings interfere with a mission again, even if Garp protects him, I will not let him off lightly!"
After hanging up, Onigumo glanced in the direction Ivan had left with a cold sneer before turning away.
Since they were not friends, they could only be enemies!
…
The next day, a piece of news that shook the entire sea was exclusively released by the World Economic News.
News Birds carrying newspapers filled with shocking headlines flew across the islands of the four seas.
For a time, the attention of all factions converged, and discussions raged.
The front page of the newspaper was printed with a bold, eye-catching headline in black font:
Shocking Failure! Navy's Carefully Laid Ambush, Shadow Garden Member Escapes Unscathed! White Dove Vice Admiral Emerges, Perfect Fusion of Devil Fruit and Great Swordsman Slash!
Beside the headline were two clear, real-life photographs.
One showed the shattered battlefield and scattered Seastone Powder, along with the retreating figures of Tanuki and Fox.
The other was a shot of White Dove Ivan standing with his sword, his back to the camera, exuding a sharp and imposing aura.
…
New World, Cake Island.
The hall where Big Mom dined was filled with the aroma of cream.
Many of Big Mom's pirates were dining with her, one of the rare relaxed moments for the Big Mom Pirates.
While eating, Big Mom could maintain a certain level of amiability and calm as long as her desires were satisfied.
But suddenly, as newspapers were delivered by News Birds, the once laughter-filled hall fell silent.
The executives of the Big Mom Pirates gathered around the dining table, each holding a newspaper, their eyes locked on the report about Fox.
"My goodness, surrounded by Garp and several Vice Admirals, and Fox managed to escape completely unscathed?" Daifuku couldn't help exclaiming, his tone filled with disbelief.
Oven chimed in: "The most unbelievable part is that he was in the midst of Seastone Powder the entire time, yet he didn't lose his combat ability and could still fight Garp!"
After all, even a trace of Seastone Powder could severely weaken a Devil Fruit user's stamina.
Yet Fox remained completely unaffected, maintaining peak condition.
This ability to resist Seastone suppression was simply unheard of!
The various executives discussed among themselves, but their sentiments were largely similar.
Fox's strength had far exceeded their expectations!
Amid the discussions, Big Mom, seated at the head of the table, slowly raised her eyes and stared intently at the newspaper text about Fox. Instead of anger, the corners of her mouth curled into an excited smile.
She leaned her hands on the dessert-covered table, tapping the surface lightly with her fingertips as she looked toward Cracker, who had previously interacted with Fox:
"Cracker, what do you think of this Fox?"
Cracker set down the newspaper in his hands, his usual arrogance replaced by deep solemnity:
"Mom, this Fox is terrifyingly strong. I am no match for him at all. In fact... facing him gave me a feeling similar to facing you, Mom! He... might not be inferior to you!"
"Oh? Not inferior to me?" The excitement in Big Mom's eyes intensified, and she burst into loud laughter, her sweet voice brimming with anticipation. "Interesting, truly interesting. Shadow Garden has certainly not disappointed me."
As her laughter gradually subsided, she said expectantly:
"Since he personally promised to attend my Tea Party, he will definitely not break his word.
I am already looking forward to the next Tea Party. I want to see for myself just how capable this guy is, who managed to escape right under Garp's nose!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding executives also grew quite eager to meet Fox.
They felt deeply curious about this powerhouse who had already stirred up the entire sea.
...
Meanwhile, at Marineford, the Navy Headquarters.
The atmosphere in the conference hall was extremely tense, as an emergency meeting convened as scheduled.
Around the circular conference table, numerous Navy officers sat in order, with discussions rising and falling.
"This is utterly unreasonable! Despite our carefully laid Seastone trap and Vice Admiral Garp overseeing it, we still let the members of Shadow Garden escape!" Onigumo remained unable to suppress his fury, slamming the conference table as he spoke sharply.
Sitting beside him, Vice Admiral Momonga frowned deeply, his tone grave:
"Onigumo is right. Shadow Garden's strength far exceeds our initial estimates."
Momonga's expression was cold and vigilant:
"What's even more frightening is their impeccable coordination. Tanuki's Wind Evasion scattered the Seastone Powder, while Fox seized the opportunity to teleport away. They were clearly well-prepared."
Nearby, Vice Admiral Stroberi nodded repeatedly, adding:
"Previously, we only regarded Shadow Garden as an ordinary rebel organization. Now it seems we underestimated them.
Fox's stamina remains unaffected by Seastone, his combat power is formidable, and coupled with their elusive movements, completely eradicating them will be extremely difficult."
At that moment, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, seated at the head of the table, slowly raised his hand, and the discussions in the conference hall instantly fell silent.
Dressed in his Fleet Admiral uniform, his sharp eyes swept over every vice admiral present as he spoke in a heavy tone:
"Enough, quiet.
Shadow Garden's successful escape from the trap has already demonstrated their strength to the entire sea and served as a wake-up call for us, the Navy.
As a core member of Shadow Garden, Fox possesses formidable combat power, meticulous planning, and immunity to Seastone's stamina suppression. His threat level far exceeds our expectations.
After deliberation, headquarters has officially decided to increase Fox's bounty to 2 billion berries!
At the same time, Tanuki's bounty has been raised to 1.5 billion berries, while Azure Dragon receives his first bounty of 1.2 billion berries.
In addition, anyone providing information related to Shadow Garden will be directly rewarded with 1 million berries.
Finally, pass down the order: intensify the investigation and suppression of Shadow Garden. We must locate their base and never give them another chance to act recklessly!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku had no patience to listen to further discussion and directly finalized the meeting's outcome.
"Yes, sir!" Numerous navy officers nodded in agreement.