One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

Holy Land Mariejois — Hall of Power

The Five Elders were in session once again.

It had been two days since Vane sabotaged Enies Lobby. The news arrived earlier that morning, and the Five Elders were furious. Not only had Vane killed Spandam and his men, but he had also smiled directly at the surveillance Den Den Mushi—an open provocation against the World Government!

The swordsman among them said coldly, "We must eliminate him."

The long-haired elder scoffed. "I've never encountered such arrogance in my entire life."

The short-haired elder sighed with restrained frustration. "Fortunately, this hasn't gone public yet. At least the World Government's reputation remains intact."

The elder with a cane slammed it on the floor. "If we don't eliminate him soon, I won't be able to eat or sleep in peace! Killing Celestial Dragons, stealing the Heavenly Tribute, and now attacking Enies Lobby?! What's next—Mariejois itself?"

The mustached elder growled, "The Navy has been completely incompetent lately! They can't even capture one brat!"

The swordsman elder stood and declared, "Then let's give the Navy Headquarters a direct order—they are not allowed to let someone like him continue to exist in this world."

Just then, the great doors of the audience chamber swung open.

Striding in was Spandine—Spandam's father. His expression twisted with rage.

"Lord Five Elders, this pirate must die—and not just die! He must suffer, beg for death! He must be utterly destroyed!"

Spandine's voice trembled with fury.

The elder with the cane responded calmly, "We are taking this matter very seriously."

"He murdered my son! My only son!" Spandine shouted. "And he didn't just kill him—he butchered him into pieces!"

The mustached elder barked, "This is a sacred place! Watch yourself, Spandine!"

The short-haired elder added, "We are not going to sit by and do nothing."

The swordsman elder gave a cold glance. "Spandine, that's enough. Leave us. We have things to discuss."

Spandine clenched his fists, barely restraining his fury. "Lord Five Elders... I hope you'll deliver a result we can all live with."

With that, he turned and stormed out, still seething.

The chamber quieted once more, the Five Elders alone again.

"The CP9 unit has been completely annihilated," the short-haired elder growled.

"Except for one," the swordsman elder said. "Kalifa defected."

The mustached elder scowled. "From the surveillance footage, it's clear—his Haki is formidable. But the most alarming thing is his power. If Whitebeard were dead, I'd say it was the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"

The elder with the cane nodded gravely. "Exactly. An explosive-type fruit? If he hadn't been seen using it, no one would question if it was the same as Whitebeard's Devil Fruit. But as we all know, there can't be two identical Devil Fruits in the world."

"So," the short-haired elder muttered, "his Explosive Fruit holds power comparable to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit? He shattered the Bridge of Hesitation with a single punch—that's the same level of destructive force. A pirate with power like this cannot be allowed to run free. It's too dangerous."

The swordsman elder's eyes narrowed. "With that strength, there may be no one who can challenge him in the first half of the Grand Line."

The mustached elder clenched his fists. "Then we must act. Forget the Celestial Dragons for now—kill Vane! And if not, lock him up in Impel Down!"

---

Elsewhere – Marine Headquarters

Today, Akainu was beyond furious.

He had already learned that the target he'd spent days pursuing wasn't in Alabasta, but had actually been in Water 7 all along. Even worse, Vane had taken out key members of CP9 there before attacking Enies Lobby. It was a complete humiliation.

The high command at Marineford were both shocked and livid.

"What a cunning bastard…"

"We were all fooled. While we were watching Alabasta, he was already in Water 7!"

But no one was more furious than Akainu himself.

He'd wasted over six days squatting in the desert, only to find out he'd been duped completely.

His rage boiled over.

"Hellhound!"

"Crimson Lotus Fist!"

"Volcanic Meteor!"

As he traveled back toward Headquarters, the sea around his ship steamed and bubbled, volcanic magma hissing and swirling beneath the surface.

---

Three Days After Water 7

A new bounty had been issued.

Without any public explanation, Vane's bounty had increased by 50 million Berries, now totaling 750 million. The World Government hadn't announced his latest crimes to the world—but they couldn't hide everything. After all, the incident at Sabaody, where he killed several Celestial Dragons, had been caught on film by reporters. Otherwise, it too would've been buried.

Kalifa, now a wanted traitor, had received her own bounty—30 million Berries.

Aboard the ship, Kalifa stood at the bow, letting the sea breeze lift her hair. The season hovered between spring and summer, and the night air was mild.

It was a little past nine in the evening.

She had just finished preparing dinner for Vane. He typically ate before ten, then went to sleep early so he could rise and train by three or four in the morning. His discipline was relentless.

Suddenly, Kalifa squinted at the horizon.

"…Huh? Is that someone riding a bicycle—on the sea?"

Roughly two hundred meters ahead, a figure was indeed cycling across the ocean surface. It was hard to make out who it was at this distance.

But he was getting closer. And closer.

Kalifa's eyes widened in recognition.

"No… it can't be…"

"Admiral Aokiji?!"

Her face turned pale as she dashed back toward the ship to alert Vane.

---

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