Marine HQ.
Akainu stared furiously at the two old men in front of him, eyes burning with anger and frustration.
That Devil Fruit—just like Kaido's, a Mythical Zoan-type—had ended up in the enemy's hands... and they were the ones who gave it away!
"Uh… Sakazuki, you can't really blame us for this, right?" Sengoku looked a little ashamed, and his voice grew soft.
"We even asked Vegapunk back then. He was really confident when he said that Devil Fruit was a failed experiment..." Garp added, also looking guilty.
"Failed experiment…"
Akainu clenched his teeth and repeated those words, his anger growing hotter.
"A failed product that works just like the real one except the color is different?! How is that a failure?!" Akainu slammed the table and roared.
"Damn it!"
He was shaking with rage. He just couldn't accept it.
If not for that huge mistake, the Marines would be the ones with that Mythical Zoan Fruit now—not Kuina of the Dream Exploration Team.
Sengoku and Garp had no words. Akainu's furious face said it all.
They knew it was their oversight that led to this.
Even though they were trying to be friendly toward the Dream Exploration Team back then, that kindness didn't justify handing over such a rare and powerful Devil Fruit.
What shocked them most was that after Kuina ate that artificial Mythical Azure Dragon Fruit, she never showed any signs of having powers.
Not until the recent fierce battle against the giant elephant, Osmond, did she reveal her true strength for the first time.
Now, people all over the seas were probably laughing at the Marines.
Even though no one could understand why Kuina's Devil Fruit ended up being the same as Kaido's, one thing was clear—her bounty was way too low for someone that strong.
Even without the Devil Fruit, Kuina was already a master swordswoman—one recognized even by the world's greatest sword master!
With sword skills of that level, and a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit on top of that, she was clearly worth way more than just 1.733 billion berries!
"Wahahaha~~~"
"Why don't we just change her bounty, Sakazuki?" Garp said, laughing.
"No!" Akainu's face turned dark, and he answered firmly, "We just released the bounties—if we change them right away, I'd lose face as Fleet Admiral of the Marines!"
He knew very well that if they changed Kuina's bounty now, it would hurt Marine's credibility and make people question their decision-making.
So no matter what, it couldn't be changed easily.
"We already made the mistake, so let's just stick with it. Marine doesn't need to give any explanation," Akainu said through clenched teeth, his eyes filled with firm resolve.
"Now that the Dream Exploration Team has entered the New World, they're bound to clash with the Four Emperors eventually," Sengoku nodded in agreement.
"That's going to happen for sure," Akainu said coldly, a sharp look in his eyes. "By then, everyone will see how strong she really is. That's when we can raise her bounty."
Sengoku and Garp looked at each other and sighed.
"As for the people questioning Kuina's bounty, let them doubt all they want. It's even better if someone goes and tries to test her strength," Akainu added, his voice calm but full of confidence.
Sengoku and Garp didn't argue. They didn't have the face to.
After all, this mistake was their doing. Now all they could do was wait and see how powerful this young girl really was.
Back in the New World—
Even though Kuina really wanted to fight Marine, it wasn't possible right now. After all, only the members of Akainu's former faction had changed their attitude toward the Dream Team.
At the moment, the Dream Exploration Team couldn't afford to fall out with the other Marine factions.
"Ryuen, so when are we leaving Red Adventure Island?" Nojiko asked Ryuen. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement, like she couldn't wait to start the next journey.
"Hmm~~~"
"Let's leave tomorrow. Nami, the next island is Punk Hazard, right?" Ryuen replied after thinking for a bit.
Everyone turned to Nami, eyes full of interest.
By now, Nami had drawn up a perfect map of the Red Adventure Islands. Her knowledge of the area was unmatched.
Meanwhile, the rebuilding of the town was going smoothly. Facilities were coming back to life, and people's lives were returning to normal.
There was no more reason to stay. It was time to move forward and explore more unknown places.
Right now, Punk Hazard had a strange and intense atmosphere, as if every inch of land held a story of adventure.
This island had just been through a fierce battle between Akainu and Aokiji.
The fight had turned the whole island into a land of ice and fire. The leftover poison gas made the place even more mysterious and dangerous.
But for the Dream Team, none of this was a big deal.
Daisy had already taken a deep interest in the poison gas on Punk Hazard. She was eager to explore and learn more about it.
She believed that by studying the gas, she might find ways to solve similar problems elsewhere.
As for the lava on the island, no one was worried.
If Ryuen wanted to, he could drain all the energy from the magma and turn it into his own power.
"That's right!"
"It is Punk Hazard. Since Ryuen has decided we leave tomorrow, should we tell the mayor and the others?" Nami asked after checking the sea chart Shanks gave her, confirming that Punk Hazard was next.
"No need. If we tell them, it'll be just like what happened back on Fishman Island. Let's just slip away early in the morning," Ryuen said, thinking back to the overly emotional farewell they got last time, which made him cringe.
"Ryuen's right. We leave early tomorrow!" Daisy agreed enthusiastically.
"I'm in!"
...
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