The Fifth Emperor

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The Sunny is sailing smoothly after the escape, but Luffy is more interested in the raid suit Sanji is trying to throw away. Chopper and Luffy shout, "Don't throw that away...!!!" and Luffy promises, "If you do that, I'll go looking for it even in the depths of the ocean!!" Sanji snaps that the suit "had to have been Niji's doing!" because Niji was the only one who came into contact with them after all. Even at the very end, Sanji says, Niji was looking down on him. Nami warns that if Sanji moves slowly, he will be shot full of holes. Sanji rejects the idea entirely: "I don't want my strength to come from this kind of science!!" and insists, "Science is an amazing human strength!! Think about it, Sanji!!"

Luffy immediately imagines the raid suit as a toy of possibility: "If you use that to wear a raid suit... you'll probably be able to shoot laser beams!!" Sanji tosses it away and answers that Franky can do that just fine, and they do not need anyone on the crew relying on such tricks. Nami asks, "Hmmm? Did you just make fun of science?" while the suit suddenly activates with a "Poof." Zeus appears from inside it, delighted: "Bwahh-- Being inside that tact... It's amazing." Nami explains, "My Sorcery Clima-Tact... is the combination of sky science and Usopp's technology!" Sanji is stunned that Zeus came with them. Nami says she cannot believe he would choose food over loyalty, but Zeus admits he was already Big Mom's slave long before they came around. Brook notes Sanji is now competing with water vapour, and Zeus says he has "obtained a strong slave."

The crew's argument is interrupted when the newspaper arrives. Nami calls, "Hey everyone, the newspaper's here!!" while Sanji fumes, "Don't ever mention the names Germa 66 or Vinsmoke in front of me, again!!" Luffy still wants him to try the suit: "Hey, Sanji! I can't get this thing to work at all!! You must be the only one that can use it!!" The newspaper reports, "Luffy, Sanji, Jinbe, and Bege attempted to assassinate Big Mom," and also says that Luffy was the ringleader. Nami asks what happened after they left and what about Jinbe, while Carrot notices, "Woah!! Luffy's picture is on here!!" Bounty posters fall out. Sanji finds his new poster and cheers, "Uwoooh!! It's my bounty!" The poster reads "Vinsmoke Sanji" with a bounty of 330,000,000 berries, but Sanji freezes at the family name.

Sanji's joy collapses because the poster says "Vinsmoke Sanji." Brook celebrates anyway: "Yeeessssssssssss!! Take that, you shitty moss headdddddd!!" and notes that Sanji's bounty is "330 million," another big increase. Sanji screams, "They printed it as... Vinsmoke Sanji...!!! My name...!!!" Luffy asks what's wrong, and Sanji answers, "They gave me that cursed Germa name!!" Brook makes the wound worse by adding, "Huuuuh!? There's an even more depressing aura over there!!" Luffy is devastated because he misreads his own poster: "My bounty went down... Look. It's 150 million..." Nami tries to reason that Luffy is captain and this low reputation would be a problem, while another voice points out, "It was 500 million before!!" The Sunny sinks into comic panic as they all misunderstand the number.

While the Sunny panics, the world prepares for the Reverie. At Fishman Island, the Ryugu Kingdom reads the news. Someone exclaims, "He finally did it-jamon!! Jinbe finally joined Luffy-kun's crew!!" The royal family debates the implications of the Whole Cake Island incident. They cannot believe the Straw Hats escaped on the same ship after fighting Big Mom, and conclude she must be furious. Neptune states the political result plainly: "Well, then we have no other option but to declare this country under the Straw Hat crew's protection!!" Shirahoshi rushes forward, saying, "I... I will go with you!! If I don't go to the Reverie, Luffy-sama will call me weak-hoshi again." Neptune had been waiting for that answer and says, "Alright, let's go!!"

The newspaper spreads a sensational account of Luffy's fight with Big Mom. The narration says that, more important than the start of the Reverie, the news grabbing the world's attention is that Big Mom's emperor position has not wavered for decades, yet the young pirate Straw Hat Luffy has bared his fangs at her. According to certain sources, "Straw Hat Luffy has seven powerful pirate crews serving under his flag," with one captain commanding a fleet of 5000 subordinates. It also highlights Sabo as Luffy's brother and second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army, then claims Luffy's charisma convinced the evil army of Germa, the Sun Pirates, and the Fire Tank Pirates to follow his commands. The article further alleges that his intelligence let him plan the operation and destroy the Queen's Castle.

The Marine Headquarters receives the report. The article argues that Luffy's strength allowed him to defeat two commanders worth over 800 million and over 1 billion berries, and therefore this incident is "Straw Hat Luffy's victory!!" The world-shaking conclusion follows: "The fifth emperor of the sea has emerged!!" At the same time, a fleet admiral is informed of trouble with the Lulusia Kingdom: while traveling to the Reverie, their ship was attacked by pirates. Their king is safe, but Princess Komane has been kidnapped. Elsewhere, the Revolutionary Army reacts to the newspaper. Koala tells Dragon, "Hey, have you read this yet? Luffy's in the news!!" Morley jokes that they are pirates now, while the group prepares to reach the Holy Land, where they cannot speak casually about their own mission.

The kidnapped ship is identified by nearby pirates: "Those are the ships of the Dressrosa and Prodence Kingdoms!! They don't have any marines guarding them!!" Another voice recognizes Princess Viola: "That... that's Princess Viola! She's just as beautiful as they say." The pirates fantasize about ransom, but the royals and escorts remain composed enough to stall. Someone tells Princess Komane, "Right? Princess Komane. Hurry up and contact Papa already!!" The attackers laugh that they love royalty and will take as much money as they want, though they admit their greed means the captives must wait a little longer. The scene looks like a normal pirate kidnapping until help arrives from below the sea.

A marine counterattack erupts with "Unblockable torpedo, fireeeeeee!!" and the order "Sink them!!" A torpedo cuts through the water toward the captured ship, but someone suddenly notices something wrong: "Hm?" A body rockets through the sea and intercepts the weapon. The impact bursts into foam, and a large shape marked with the kanji for justice takes the hit. The pirates and royals look on in shock as the torpedo is stopped before it can hit the ship. The attack that should have sunk the vessel is neutralized in the water itself, revealing that the escort is not absent after all; it has arrived from beneath the waves.

The stopped torpedo explodes harmlessly away from the ship, and panic ripples through the attackers. "Is it an ambush!?" someone asks, and another orders, "Ready the cannons!!" but the answer comes immediately: "No!! There's no need!!" Marine Headquarters Captain Koby emerges, breathing hard but smiling: "Huff... Huff... I'm glad I made it in time!! It's alright now." He asks, "Is anyone hurt? This is the Dressrosa and Prodence group, right?" The travelers are astonished: "A marine...? What happened just now? How did you get here?" Koby explains, "I have a ship, of course, although, it's a little behind where we are. Thank you for making this long journey!!" He had noticed that pirates targeting them were underwater and that the weapon was a torpedo, and he reached them first.

Helmeppo arrives as Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander Helmeppo and reports the rest of the operation: "I've captured all of the pirates!! Princess Komane is also unharmed!!" He explains, "They were using a submarine... We cannot let our guards down when it comes to pirates these days... That was close." He then snaps at Koby, "But anyway... Koby!! What the hell is up with your colour of observation?! I wasn't able to sense a thing." The civilians praise him as "the famous Captain Koby" and "the hero that protected all of the citizens in the Rocky Port incident," while Koby protests, "Please don't call me a hero!!" Viola recognizes him and notes that he has become a good young man, but Koby still refuses credit for saving them.

Koby's connection to Luffy becomes visible when Viola mentions the newspaper: "Straw Hat Luffy is all over the newspaper!!" Koby gasps, "Ah!! It's Luffy-san!!" but then corrects himself nervously, "No, I mean... Straw Hat Luffy is all over the newspaper!!" Asked if he wants to read it, he stammers, but his reaction gives him away. He thinks, "This is so cool... As expected, Luffy-san is... moving ahead one step at a time... When I see you in the newspaper like this... I'm reminded of the events of that day...!!" Komane and Viola notice his excitement and guess he is a fan of Luffy-land. Koby blushes and asks them to keep it secret. His ship calls that they will arrive at New Marineford shortly and escort the royal ships.

Far away, Blackbeard reads the same news and is irritated by the report. He growls, "Why was the bastard that interfered with my trade... in that old hag's territory?" Then he laughs in the darkness: "Zehahahaha... An emperor...? It's still too soon for you, Straw Hat...!!" At Whole Cake Island, Big Mom is furious too. Someone asks, "The victory!? When exactly did I loseeeeee!?" and Big Mom concludes, "This news... he is definitely the one who did this, Mama!! You better watch your back, Morg-no... The one who should watch their back is you, Straw Haaaatttt!!!" Another watcher notes from a distance, "It looks like we'll be able to meet soon." The article has made Luffy famous, but it has also sharpened the attention of emperors and enemies.

The newspaper's impact spreads across the seas. Reactions explode with "Whaaaaaa!!!" and "Eeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh!?" as the world sees Luffy's new wanted poster. The narration says, "The impact spreads across the seas... As the world heads towards the Reverie, this group heads towards the Wano Country..." Sanji notices the mistake first: "Luffy-san, this... you didn't see the extra zero?!" Luffy pauses: "Hm? Wait a second...!" Brook reads the true amount aloud: "Look... one hundred thousand, one million, ten million..." The poster fills the page: "Wanted. Dead or Alive. Monkey D. Luffy. 1,500,000,000." The number is not 150 million. It is 1.5 billion, and the scale of the world has shifted with it.

The chapter ends on Luffy's new bounty poster and the crew's shock. The wanted sheet declares him "Dead or Alive: Monkey D. Luffy" with a bounty of "1,500,000,000" berries. Around the world, allies, enemies, marines, pirates, emperors, and royals have all read the same news: the Straw Hat captain is being treated as the newly emerged fifth emperor of the sea. Sanji's warning about the extra zero lands too late; Luffy and the crew have already been thrown into the next level of notoriety. As Reverie begins and the Straw Hats move toward Wano, the chapter closes by making Luffy's reputation itself a world event.

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