Upon hearing the name "Ace," Nami instinctively turned her attention from the massive bounty for Whitebeard back to the chaotic photo.
To her, the name was unfamiliar, but judging from the sudden intense shift in the conversation between Luffy and Robin, this person clearly held a deep significance for them.
Nami turned to her captain, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Luffy, who is Ace?"
Because of a strange twist of fate on their journey, a different path taken on the Grand Line, the Straw Hats' fated meeting with Ace in Alabasta had never happened.
They remained completely in the dark about their captain's brother, a secret he had never thought to mention.
"Ah! You're talking about Ace?" Luffy's furious pout about the "stolen" Pirate King title instantly vanished, replaced by a wide brilliant grin that seemed to light up the entire deck.
His face was brimming with a pure, infectious pride and affection.
"Of course I know him! He's my brother!"
The simple happy declaration landed with the force of a cannonball.
Everyone who heard it was utterly, completely shocked, as if they'd just heard something unbelievable.
Nami in particular, couldn't believe it.
She reached out and tugged hard on Luffy's rubbery ear to confirm he was real and not spouting nonsense.
"Luffy, don't lie! That's a Yonko' pirate crew! One of the Yonko of the Sea!" Her voice was laced with a frantic astonishment and deep skepticism.
Luffy irritably shook off Nami's hand, his expression turning unusually serious.
"Why would I lie about that? Ace really is my brother. We grew up together. He just set sail a few years before I did." His words were firm and sincere, leaving no room for doubt.
Then, his gaze returned to the newspaper, his tone a mix of pure admiration and surprise.
"I just didn't expect that Ace is now the Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' 2nd Division." He broke into his signature laugh.
"Shishishishi! I always knew Ace was amazing!"
Chopper, who was still lying on the deck, craned his neck to peer at the newspaper, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Wow," he whispered in awe, "Luffy's brother is so cool! He's part of an Emperor's crew?"
Nami, her own shock slowly subsiding, pulled the newspaper closer so the small reindeer could see the details.
Robin too, was taken aback.
She never expected their captain's brother to be the 2nd Squad Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The coincidence was so uncanny that she couldn't help but marvel at the strange whims of fate.
"I'm just glad to see Ace is doing fine," Luffy laughed carefreely, his good mood fully restored.
But then, his eyes landed on Whitebeard's picture again, and his expression turned furious once more.
Clenching his fists with a determined look, he declared.
"But even if it's Ace's captain who stole my title of Pirate King, I'll still find him and knock him out!"
The group fell into a familiar, weary silence, their heads lowering as a sense of helplessness washed over them.
Faced with the colossal might of an Emperor's crew, they were acutely aware of their own insignificance.
Soon after, Nami flipped through the rest of the newspaper when her gaze suddenly caught on another, smaller article, accompanied by another shocking bounty poster.
She began to read the report in a hushed voice, her tone growing increasingly shocked as she went deeper into the content.
By the end, she practically shouted.
"Whitebeard Pirates' Vice-Captain, the world's youngest Great Swordsman, Ron… has a bounty of… four… FOUR BILLION BERRIES!!!"
The sudden news startled everyone, pulling them from their stupor.
A bounty as high as four billion—it was a number they couldn't even begin to fathom.
For a moment, everyone fell into a stunned silence, the atmosphere on the deck turning unusually heavy.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Chopper was so shocked that his fur stood on end. His mind, used to simpler calculations, tried to process the number.
"Luffy's bounty is 100 million! That's… that's… more than thirteen Luffys!"
Robin's pupils constricted instantly.
She leaned in, clearly stunned by the number.
She had never heard of such a figure for a mere vice-captain.
Her eyes shifted to the person on the bounty poster—a handsome face with a calm aura.
The description beneath the photo praised him even more highly.
"'Vice-Captain in name, the true power behind the crew,'" Nami read aloud, her voice trembling slightly.
"'The soul of the Whitebeard Pirates, the youngest Great Swordsman in history!'" She gasped, staring at the photo.
"He looks about our age… how can anyone be this strong?"
Robin's heart was similarly unsettled.
"Most importantly," she murmured, her mind racing with the implications, "he's the 'soul' of the Whitebeard Pirates… their de facto captain…"
"Gasp…!!!" Nami sharply inhaled, and in a flash of her true nature, her eyes instantly turned into little Berry signs.
"The actual captain of an Emperor's crew! That's incredible! He must be filthy rich!"
Just then, Zoro, who had been locked in a silent seething stalemate with Sanji, strode over swiftly, his gaze magnetically drawn to the striking figure on the newspaper.
"The youngest… Great Swordsman in history…" Zoro muttered under his breath, his tone laced with a profound disbelief and deep astonishment.
He stared fixedly at Ron's name, as though trying to glimpse the man's strength from those two simple characters.
This single title was a massive shock to him, a blow more powerful than any physical strike.
Becoming a Great Swordsman had always been Zoro's most fervent dream, the promise he had made to his friend.
He had poured endless sweat and effort into it, each swing of his blades bringing him one step closer to that singular goal.
However, this news was like a bucket of ice water, making him realize with brutal clarity that his path was not just long, but that someone else had already run it at a full sprint.
The appearance of someone even younger who had already reached such a legendary height filled Zoro with an unprecedented, crushing pressure.
"Ron, is it?" Zoro took a deep breath, a complex storm of emotions flashing in his eye—both a deep, grudging respect for the strong, and the fierce, burning fighting spirit of a man who refused to fall behind.
'Being the youngest doesn't mean you're the strongest in the world,' he thought, his hand tightening on the hilt of his Wado Ichimonji.
'True strength… is proven with the sword in your hand.'
These words were not just a response to the news, but a spur to his own heart.
His goal, in that instant, became clearer and more challenging than ever before.
It was no longer just about aiming to surpass Mihawk.
Now, he also had to compete with this newly risen genius swordsman, Ron.
'Then let's see', he vowed silently, 'who becomes the World's Greatest Swordsman first.'
"HEY, HEY, HEY! What are you all standing around staring at a newspaper for?!" A loud, boisterous voice suddenly interrupted the heavy atmosphere.
Franky stood by the ship's railing, striking a pose.
"Hurry up and try out the super pirate ship I built for you all! She's SUPER!"
He was brimming with pride and excitement, eager to show off his unparalleled work of art.
But just then, a sharp CRACK of a gunshot suddenly rang out from the shore!