Chapter 31:The World Reacts(Part One)

At the highest level of power in the world, the World Government's central meeting room was tense, thick with the air of urgency. The Five Elders, the supreme rulers of the government, sat around their long, ornate table, their faces twisted in frustration and anger. They had received grave news, and the implications were rippling through their minds like shockwaves.

One of the Elders, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, slammed his fist on the table, his expression one of disgust. "Damn that despicable creature!" he roared. "How dare he set foot in the holy land of the gods! How dare he defile Mariejois and humiliate us in front of the world! We need to hunt down those bastards and remind them of the consequences of defying the gods!"

The other Elders nodded in agreement, each of them seething with anger. The attack on Mariejois, the heart of their power, was an act of war in their eyes. Worse, it was a personal affront.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a CP0 agent clad in white robes and a mask entered the room, bowing deeply. "Elders, I have further news regarding the raid on Mariejois."

"Speak," one of the Elders growled, eyes narrowed.

The CP0 agent raised his head. "A silver-haired child was identified as one of the culprits. He's been linked to the Sabody Archipelago and is known as the 'Phantom Blade.' He aided Fisher Tiger in freeing the slaves, but that's not all. He infiltrated the Celestial Dragons' treasury... and stole every Devil Fruit stored within, including a Devil Fruit illustration, a copy of advanced Rokushiki practice methods, and a cursed sword that no one has conquered in 800 years."

The room fell into stunned silence, the weight of the words hanging in the air. Then, all at once, the silence was shattered by furious roars of disbelief.

"How could CP0 allow such an atrocity?" Saturn bellowed. "The treasury was supposed to be impenetrable, guarded by our strongest agents!"

"This is a disaster!" another Elder exclaimed. "Devil Fruits of that magnitude loose in the world? The cursed blade? We cannot allow these items to circulate—they could tip the balance of power!"

Saturn took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Enough. We cannot afford to lose control. We will issue a bounty immediately. Give this 'Phantom Blade' a bounty of one billion berries. Make it clear that the world is to fear him."

"And Fisher Tiger?" another Elder asked.

"230,000,000 berries for Tiger," Saturn said decisively. "We will crush them both and send a message to the world."

The Elders nodded, and the CP0 agent bowed once more before retreating from the room.

Meanwhile, at Marineford, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was pacing back and forth in his office, his rage building as he stared at the report in his hand. His prized teacup shattered on the ground, a casualty of his fury.

"How could this happen under Kizaru's watch?" Sengoku snarled, slamming his fists onto his desk. "How could he let the Holy Land be attacked like this?"

Without waiting for an answer, Sengoku grabbed a Den Den Mushi and dialed Kizaru. The snail rang for what felt like an eternity, but there was no response. Fuming, Sengoku dialed Kizaru's lieutenant instead. The line connected almost immediately.

"Where is that lazy bastard Kizaru?" Sengoku barked.

The lieutenant's voice was hesitant. "He's here, sir. One moment." The sound of shuffling followed before the familiar voice of Kizaru, slow and lazy as always, came through.

"Hello, Fleet Admiral," Kizaru greeted, sounding groggy. "What can I do for you?"

Sengoku's temper flared. "Where the hell were you when Mariejois was attacked?! And why didn't you answer your damn snail?!"

Kizaru yawned on the other end of the line. "Ah, I was... napping. Left my snail back on the ship. Didn't know there was an emergency."

"Napping?!" Sengoku's roar could probably be heard across the Grand Line. "Get your ass to Marineford right now!"

"Yes, sir," Kizaru said lazily before the line went dead.

Still fuming, Sengoku immediately called for a high-level meeting. Marines from every division were summoned, and soon, the room was filled with the top officers of the Navy. Sengoku stood at the front, his expression grim.

"Listen up!" Sengoku barked. "Mariejois was attacked last night by Fisher Tiger and a silver-haired boy identified as the 'Phantom Blade.' The boy infiltrated the treasury and stole dangerous Devil Fruits, techniques, and cursed weapons that have been guarded for centuries. We cannot let this stand. Our duty is to protect the world's stability, and these criminals have disrupted that balance."

He slammed his fist on the table. "We will hunt them down and bring them to justice. The world must know that the Marines and the World Government will not tolerate this!"

At Big News Morgans' headquarters, the news spread like wildfire. Morgans, the flamboyant head of the World Economy News Paper, was practically vibrating with excitement as he reviewed the reports. He wasted no time.

"This is going to be the headline of the century!" Morgans cackled as he typed out the story for his fleet of News Coo birds. "A billion-berry bounty, a raid on the Holy Land, and a new legend in the making! The people are going to eat this up!"

Back at Sabaody Archipelago, a News Coo swooped down, dropping a fresh newspaper at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar. Shakky picked it up and scanned the front page. Her eyes widened in disbelief at the headline: Phantom Blade: Silver-Haired Boy Receives 1 Billion Berries Bounty After Mariejois Raid! She let out a sharp whistle.

"Rayleigh! Come here!" she called out.

Rayleigh strolled over, his usual calm expression never wavering. "What is it, love?"

Shakky handed him the paper, and Rayleigh's eyes scanned the headline before a low chuckle escaped his lips. "Well, well… my son has made quite the name for himself."

He threw his head back and laughed heartily. "A billion-berry pirate already! That boy is going to shake the world."

On the Moby Dick, the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco was casually flipping through a newspaper when he froze at the headline. His eyes widened, and without wasting a second, he dashed to where Whitebeard sat, showing him the front page.

"Pops, look at this," Marco said, still in shock.

Whitebeard glanced at the paper, and his booming laughter filled the deck. "Gurararara! That kid's got guts! Not only him but Fisher Tiger too! They've earned their place in history."

He turned to his crew, grinning. "Break out the liquor and food! Tonight, we celebrate these brave fools!"

The crew erupted in cheers, eager to celebrate the daring acts of defiance against the World Government.

On the Red-Haired Pirates' ship, Ben Beckman was the first to receive the newspaper. His usually calm expression turned to one of surprise as he read the headline. He quickly waved over Shanks.

"Captain, you need to see this," Ben said, handing him the paper.

Shanks scanned the story and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Phantom Blade, huh? A billion berries at such a young age. That kid's something special."

He raised his bottle of sake, grinning. "To freedom! Let's celebrate the new wave of pirates rising up to challenge the world!"