After the incident in Ohara, the World Government immediately imposed a strict information blockade, forbidding anyone from discussing what had happened. Anyone who disobeyed was to be arrested without question.
But no wall can completely block the wind. Despite their efforts, news of the Navy's crushing defeat spread like wildfire, causing an uproar across the world.
At first, people dismissed the reports as mere rumors. The idea that a single individual had defeated five vice admirals, ten rear admirals, and an entire fleet of ten battleships manned by over ten thousand Navy soldiers was beyond belief.
One person single-handedly annihilating an entire fleet?
What a joke!
To most, such a claim was pure fantasy. Even if Whitebeard himself had shown up, he wouldn't have been able to pull off something like this.
After all, this fleet was composed of some of the Navy's top elites. Among them were two rising stars being groomed as future admirals—powerhouses in their own right. Their strength was unquestionable, and they were more than capable of toppling entire nations with ease.
However, the World Government's unusually secretive behavior caught the attention of certain individuals. Those with a keen sense for information—particularly prominent pirates—quickly realized that something was off and began sending their own spies to investigate.
If it had been nothing more than baseless rumors, the World Government wouldn't have been so desperate to suppress the news. Their hasty attempts to silence discussion only made them appear guilty.
After thorough investigations, an astonishing truth was uncovered—the events in Ohara had indeed occurred.
The Navy fleet had truly been defeated.
The deserted remains of Ohara, the devastated coastline bearing the scars of battle, and the wreckage of Navy warships all confirmed this shocking revelation. Furthermore, the surviving residents of Ohara bore witness to it all.
Then, as if to solidify the truth, the World Government issued a brand-new bounty list.
The amount on the bounty poster stunned the world.
Five hundred million.
The bounty was set at a staggering five hundred million Berries.
The world was in an uproar.
Was this a joke?
A mere newcomer, immediately slapped with a five-hundred-million bounty?
This was twenty years ago—even Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger hadn't started with such a high bounty. It was an absolutely ridiculous sum.
What made it even more unbelievable was that the person responsible for the Navy's crushing defeat was a beautiful, delicate-looking young girl.
Many speculated that the World Government must have made a mistake with the portrait.
She simply didn't look like someone capable of decimating a powerful Navy fleet.
But no one could deny it—the girl in the bounty poster was breathtakingly beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that people found it just as unbelievable as the claim that she had single-handedly defeated an entire fleet. The bounty posters posted around towns didn't stay up for long before they were stolen by admirers.
Regardless of the doubts, the events in Ohara sent shockwaves across the world. Not only did an impossibly beautiful silver-haired girl enter the world's spotlight, but the Navy itself also began undergoing subtle yet significant changes from within.
At this point, the Ohara incident had diverged drastically from the original history. In the original timeline, it had been Robin's nightmare—but now, it had become the Navy's nightmare.
One could only marvel at how fate played its tricks.
Meanwhile, the instigator of the Ohara incident, Kaguya, was currently riding atop a massive Sea King that oddly resembled a cow. Compared to the enormous creature, Kaguya looked like a mere speck—but that tiny speck had given the Sea King quite the headache.
"Faster!" Kaguya punched the Sea King's head. "If you swim this slow, I'll know you're slacking!"
Despite her delicate appearance, her punch left the Sea King seeing stars.
The Sea King was miserable. Once, it had lived a carefree life as a sea-dwelling bovine, free to roam the vast ocean. But ever since encountering this little demon, its life had plunged into an abyss of suffering. If it had known this tiny creature was so terrifying, it would never have dared to try and eat her.
Now, not only was its freedom restricted, but even its safety was constantly at risk. Every day was a torment. Tears welled up in its large eyes as it lamented its fate.
"Hey, move faster! If you slack off again, I'll turn you into stew!"
"Moo-moo!"
"Moo, my foot! Faster!"
"Moo..."
Staring out at the vast, endless sea, Kaguya regretted not buying a compass back in Ohara. On the Grand Line, sailing without a compass was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
After all, this wasn't Earth as she knew it. This planet was mostly ocean, with landmasses making up only a fraction of its surface. Most of the seas were filled with Sea Kings and deadly Calm Belts. The moment she saw mountain-sized monsters breaking the ocean's surface, she knew she had taken the wrong route.
But she wasn't worried—sooner or later, she'd find land. Her real concern was something else entirely: her mission in this world.
The system had assigned her a bizarre task—to absorb all the Devil Fruits in existence.
Absorbing Devil Fruits?
This puzzled Kaguya. If it simply meant eating the fruits, she could understand. But many of them had already been consumed. How was she supposed to absorb them?
Did she have to kill every Devil Fruit user and wait for the fruits to respawn?
If that were the case, it would be utterly insane.
There were countless Devil Fruit users—likely in the thousands. Many of them were famous figures in the original story. Was she supposed to eliminate them all?
Some of them were characters she actually admired. Wiping them all out seemed like such a waste.
Then there was the mysterious object in her possession. It was only the size of a coin, incredibly hard, and made from an unknown material. Exquisite engravings adorned its surface, depicting a dragon.
When she had crossed into this world, the object had been with her, but she had no idea what it was for.
A currency coin, perhaps?
She had no clue about its value, but judging by the craftsmanship, it had to be worth a decent sum.
Kaguya flicked the "coin" between her fingers, lost in thought.
After aimlessly wandering the sea for several days, she lay sprawled across the back of her "cow," listless and exhausted. She had been eating nothing but fish, and she was sick of it. She hated fish, and now the mere smell of it made her nauseous. She swore she would never eat fish again in her life.
Oh, and by the way, "Cow" was the name she had given the Sea King beneath her.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The crisp sound of clashing metal echoed across the distant ocean.
Kaguya perked up instantly, sitting up straight. When she spotted a large ship on the horizon, her eyes lit up.
Finally, a chance for a better meal.
With a firm step, Kaguya propelled herself forward like an arrow released from its bow, leaving behind a trail of afterimages as she shot toward the large ship.
Seeing Kaguya depart, "Cow" was left in a dilemma—should it take this opportunity to escape or remain where it was?
If it stayed, it would continue to suffer oppression and abuse.
But if it escaped, what would happen if she came back and punished it?
The mere thought of Kaguya's fists made "Cow" want to cry. It had been beaten far too many times.
As Kaguya neared the ship, she noticed that two individuals on board appeared to be engaged in a duel. The sound of clashing blades rang out clearly.
To her, their battle was nothing more than child's play.
The two young men fighting looked to be in their early twenties.
One of them had striking red hair, a handsome face with a refined air, and a lean yet well-proportioned body that suggested hidden explosive power.
The other youth had sharp eyebrows and piercing golden eyes as keen as a hawk's. Though not conventionally handsome, he carried an indescribable aura of presence and determination.
They wielded swords, exchanging fierce blows. Sparks flew from their clashing blades as they engaged in an intense duel, neither willing to back down.
Around them, the ship's crew had gathered in a circle, cheering and shouting with enthusiasm. Their excitement filled the air, making the atmosphere incredibly lively.
Kaguya paused, slightly intrigued. Their swordsmanship was still raw, full of flaws in both offense and defense, but she could sense their growing potential. The sheer intensity of their fighting spirit was unmistakable—they weren't just ordinary grunts.
Perhaps, in time, they could become strong warriors.
But that thought only lingered in Kaguya's mind for a moment before she dismissed it. To her, they were merely two talented young men. What mattered more to her at the moment was food. She had been at sea for too long, and she was utterly sick of eating fish.
Landing lightly on the deck, Kaguya glanced around and, without a hint of hesitation, called out, "Hey, hold on a second. Do you have anything to eat on this ship?"
The sudden unfamiliar voice caused the cheering crew members to freeze, as if someone had pressed the pause button. Slowly, their heads turned toward her, and their faces twisted in shock.
They hadn't even noticed when she had boarded the ship.
A moment ago, they had been laughing and joking, but in an instant, they grabbed their weapons and adopted battle stances. Their expressions shifted from joy to full alertness.
"Who are you?"
"When did you get here?"
"What's your purpose?"
"Are you a spy?"
"Don't move! Or we'll shoot!"
Weapons were drawn, swords pointed at her, muskets aimed. It was clear that any suspicious movement would result in immediate gunfire.
The atmosphere turned tense.
Yet, Kaguya remained completely at ease. She strolled across the deck as if she were taking a casual walk in her own home, paying no mind to their aggression.
"So, do you guys have any food?" she asked, glancing around the ship as if searching for the kitchen.
The crew members, upon getting a good look at her face, widened their eyes in shock and took an involuntary step back, their expressions filled with disbelief.
"You… You're…"
At that moment, the two young men who had been dueling stopped their fight. The red-haired one approached her with a friendly smile.
"Didn't expect to meet a guest out here near the Calm Belt," he said cheerfully. "That's quite rare."
Upon seeing Kaguya's face, the red-haired young man hesitated for a moment before saying, "You… you're that person."
The other young man's pupils constricted slightly, his sharp hawk-like eyes locking onto Kaguya. His hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword.
A nearby crew member, with golden hair, a cape draped over his back, and a long rifle in hand, stepped forward and whispered, "Shanks, it's her. There's no mistake."
Shanks?
Kaguya blinked in surprise and turned to look at the red-haired youth.
So this refined young man was Shanks?
No wonder she had doubted it. In the original story, Shanks had always been depicted as a scruffy bearded man. While mature, he was never considered particularly handsome—at least, not as much as he was now.
But thinking about it, perhaps Shanks had been quite dashing in his younger years.
If this was Shanks, then the sharp-eyed young man beside him… Kaguya could guess—it had to be Mihawk.
Who would have thought she'd randomly run into such famous figures?
Shanks' eyes lit up with excitement. "It's great to meet you! Why don't you join my crew?"
"Hey, Captain, shouldn't we at least figure out why she's here before inviting her aboard? Isn't that a bit reckless?" one of the crew members protested.
"Exactly! She's got a five hundred million bounty on her head!" another added.
"Don't sweat the details," Shanks waved dismissively, unconcerned. Then he turned back to Kaguya with a broad grin. "What do you say? Consider it. After all, I'm going to be the Pirate King one day."
Classic Shanks. They had only just met, and he was already recruiting her. Unfortunately for him, she had no intention of becoming a pirate.
"Sorry, but I'm not interested in being a pirate," Kaguya waved her hand. "If anything, I might consider joining the Navy instead."
As soon as she said it, she wondered if that might be taken the wrong way.
After all, Shanks was practically the embodiment of "Face Fruit"—the man who valued reputation above all.
Navy?
The crew's expressions darkened, and they quickly surrounded her.
The previously relaxed atmosphere grew tense once more.
"The Navy, huh?" Shanks adjusted his hat, still smiling. "That could be a problem. Having such a strong opponent would definitely be a headache for me."
"Shanks, she's not one of us. We should deal with her now, before she becomes a threat."
"That's right! If we let her go now, who knows what might happen later?"
"Five hundred million bounty? That's just the World Government exaggerating things. I don't believe she's that—"
"Silence! Show some respect to our guest!"
At Shanks' low but firm reprimand, the noisy crew fell silent immediately.
It seemed that even at this stage, Shanks commanded significant respect among his crew. Though he wasn't as powerful yet as he would later become, the aura of a great leader was already emerging.
"I apologize, but," Shanks turned back to Kaguya, his gaze suddenly sharp, "I can't just let you leave so easily."
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