World Government — Kong's Office, Marine HQ
BAM!
A thunderous slam echoed through the high-ceilinged chamber as Fleet Commander Kong brought his massive fist down on his polished desk, sending pens and papers flying.
"Who did this?!" he roared, his voice reverberating like a war drum.
Before him, a trembling marine officer stood at attention, stiff as a board. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he dared not wipe it.
"S-Sir! The report just came in… we don't know the exact details yet, but it's confirmed… your grandson, Zino… he's been declared a pirate."
The words hit harder than any cannonball. Kong's thick brows furrowed, veins visible on his temple. He stood slowly, the old warlord's frame still radiating immense strength despite his age.
"Zino… what the hell are you doing…" he muttered under his breath, barely audible.
The marine cautiously stepped forward, placing a thick file on the desk. "This is the compiled report, sir. These… are the accusations."
Kong opened it, eyes scanning the contents rapidly. *Piracy. Aiding and abetting known criminals. Assault on a marine officer. Property damage.*
The deeper he read, the heavier his scowl became.
Inside the folder were damning photographs. One showed *Nami*, a known thief, kicking a marine officer, Captain Nezumi, while Zino stood beside her, arms folded and unconcerned.
"Tch… you didn't even try to hide it," Kong muttered bitterly.
"Most of his crew… half of them have record of being pirates, and are on wanted lists," the marine added hesitantly. "And the rest, well, they're being monitored."
Another soldier suddenly burst into the office, panting.
"Fleet Commander! A new report just came in—it's spreading fast through the internal network."
He handed over a newly printed photo. Kong took it, his eyes narrowing.
In the image, *Captain Smoker*—a tough, well-respected marine, also a logia ability user, was lying sprawled against a fence, clearly wounded. Standing nearby, smoke swirling around him, was none other than Zino.
The room was frozen. A thick tension settled over everyone present like a crushing fog. The two Marines who handed the report stood still, nervous.
Kong slowly set the photo down, pressing two thick fingers to his temple. The veins on his arm were taut beneath his uniform. He sighed, long and deep.
"Smoker… defeated?"
No one answered. They knew better.
He picked up the report again, flipping through its contents with a grim scowl. Detailed accusations, scattered eyewitness accounts, and a fresh stack of wanted posters.
Then his eyes locked onto one of them: *Zino – Wanted Dead or Alive*.
A low growl rumbled from Kong's chest as he slammed the file shut.
"Who… issued this bounty?" His voice dropped low, dangerously calm. "Who the hell authorized this without running it through me first?"
The officer closest to him flinched. "W-We believe it came from one of the Cipher Pol divisions, sir. They acted based on real-time evidence without formal clearance."
Kong's hand clenched into a massive fist.
"Are they raring to get on my bad side?" he snapped. "If I find out who greenlit this bounty without my word, I'll personally remind them what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the 'Hero of the Marines.'"
The room stayed quiet, save for the low rustle of the report pages still fluttering from the impact.
Another marine stepped forward nervously. "Sir, if I may… the bounty's already circulating. Word's getting around fast. We even have reports that a few World Nobles have taken interest."
At that, Kong's eyes narrowed like a predator.
"No need to worry about them. I'll handle the Gorosei myself."
"But sir—"
"I said I'll handle it!" Kong barked, shutting the conversation down.
He took a few slow steps toward the wide window behind his desk, staring out over the sea. The sun's light reflected off the ocean, but his eyes were clouded.
"Zino… why?" he muttered. Behind him, the room remained still.
One brave officer stepped forward again. "Should we send forces to intercept him?"
Kong didn't respond immediately. His shoulders rose and fell with a deep, restrained breath.
"Not yet. Keep watching him," he ordered. "I don't want him hounded. Not until we understand what path he's truly chosen."
"And if he goes too far?" someone asked.
Kong's gaze darkened, though his voice was quiet.
"Then I'll stop him myself."
The threat hung heavy in the air. No one questioned it.
But as the room slowly began to disperse under his command, Kong remained where he stood, staring at the wanted poster still clutched in his hand.
He whispered, almost too softly to hear:
"…Zino. I still want to believe in you."
...
Calm Belt — Aboard the Marine Vessel *Grizzly Pride*
The stillness of the Calm Belt hung heavy over the seas, broken only by the gentle slosh of water against the massive hull of a marine battleship. On the upper deck, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp reclined in his chair, coffee in hand and newspaper spread across his lap.
"Ahh, peaceful mornings like this don't come often," he mumbled with a grin, eyes scanning the *Marine Times*.
That peace shattered in an instant.
"NEW PIRATE EMERGES — MONKEY D. ZINO WANTED!"
PSSHHHT!
Garp violently spat out his coffee, spraying it across the deck as his eyes bulged at the front page.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MARINEFORD—?!!"
He snatched up the paper for a better look, muttering under his breath, "Zino... a pirate?! Who the hell let this run?!"
His face twitched between disbelief and frown. "Kong's definitely going to punch someone for this... and I hope I get to watch."
To the side, Bogard, who was polishing his sword calmly, glanced over. "Should we check on Zino?"
Garp waved it off with a grunt. "Nah. He's Kong's grandson. The last thing we need is two old men and a warship showing up to add fuel to the fire. Let him deal with it."
Still, he didn't look away from Zino's photo for a long time.
...
New World — Marine Base 79
Inside his office, Rear Admiral Monkey D. Goki stood frozen, the wanted poster clenched in his hand.
Zino's smirking face stared back at him, framed by the unmistakable red ink of a bounty.
His jaw tightened. "What the hell…? Zino's now a pirate?"
As his brain tried to make sense of it, the *Den Den Mushi* rang loudly on his desk.
He instinctively felt dread.
With a shaky hand, he answered, "H-Hello, honey—?"
"MONKEY D. GOKI!!*" a furious voice shrieked from the other end. "EXPLAIN THIS TO ME RIGHT NOW!"
He winced as his wife, *Miria*, unleashed a storm of verbal fury.
"Our son! Our *last* son! Labeled a pirate on every paper in the sea! And you didn't even warn me?!"
Goki sweated bullets. "M-Miria, calm down! I just found out too, I swear—!"
"Don't you *dare* tell me to calm down! Do you know how bad is this? My son is going to be hunted non-stop!! Aren't you worried? Or, are you behind all of this?"
"I swear I had no idea! I've got no hand in this!"
"Then FIX IT!" she snapped. "Call your father. I want Zino's name cleared."
"Yes, yes, I'll do that right away!" he yelped.
CLACK.
The Den Den Mushi went silent.
Goki slumped back in his chair, dragging a hand down his face.
"Zino... what the hell did you do...?"
He reached for the Den Den Mushi again and muttered with a deep sigh, "The old man certainly have seen the news. He might be blowing some steam in his office..."
Then he dialed the line for *Commander-in-Chief Monkey D. Kong*.
...
Aboard the Silent Orca, the ship steadily sailed toward the yet to appears Reverse Mountain. The crew was busy training, their focus sharp under Zino's watchful eye. He had insisted that every crew member master at least one Rokushiki technique—a demanding martial art that could make the difference between life and death in the Grand Line.
Alvida was the only one who had fully succeeded so far, her confident smirk showing she thrived in combat. The others—Nami, Gin, Kaya, Sanji, and the rest—were still struggling, their movements stiff and uncoordinated. But progress was visible. Stumbles were becoming precise steps, and frustration slowly gave way to determination.
Amid the noise of training, the crew's attention kept drifting to Zino. He wasn't training with them. Instead, he stood apart, quietly burning a small bundle of dried herbs in a tin container. As smoke curled upward, Zino inhaled deeply and exhaled thick plumes that drifted lazily across the deck.
Gin's curiosity got the better of him. "Zino, what's with the smoke? What are you doing?"
Before Zino could answer, Alvida stepped in with a knowing grin. "That's his ability. Not just eating fruit or swallowing medicine, but elements too. The guy's freaky."
The crew murmured, recalling Zino's fight with Smoker—the Marine who could turn into smoke and whom Zino had bested without a scratch. Could this be the secret?
Zino caught their gaze and finally spoke, calm but confident. "Yeah. Air and medicine aren't all I can control."
He exhaled another cloud of smoke. "My third element is smoke."
A hush fell over them. The crew absorbed the meaning. Smoke—intangible, elusive, dangerous. Yet Zino wielded it.
Gin shook his head in disbelief. "Broken…"
Alvida chuckled. "Three elements—air, medicine, and smoke. Nobody else has that."
Nami furrowed her brow as she watched Zino exhale another thick swirl of smoke into the sky. "Isn't controlling smoke risky? I mean… it's unpredictable. You can't even grab hold of it."
Zino offered her a small, calm smile. "That's exactly why I'm training so hard. It's not just about swallowing elements—it's about mastering them. Smoke can suffocate, conceal, or attack. But only if it bends to your will."
Sanji, shirt half-unbuttoned and glistening with sweat, said thoughtfully. "That explains how you handled Smoker back in Loguetown. Man made of smoke… and you beat him at his own game."
Kaya, seated near the mast with a towel around her neck, nodded slowly. "It's like watching magic... but it's not just wonder. It's power. It's discipline."
From across the deck, where the others were mid-training, Zoro grunted and looked over. "Tch. Enough admiring him already. Get back to work. That freak's getting stronger just standing there, doing absolutely nothing."
Usopp blinked and glanced over. "But he *said* he's training."
"Exactly!" Zoro shot back, his tone dry. "Standing still and breathing—that's *him* training hard. Meanwhile, we're still fumbling with the basics."
There was a quiet pause.
"Unless you all want to be left choking on his smoke trail," Zoro continued, drawing his swords and resuming his drills, "then pick up the pace."
Motivated by Zoro's blunt but rousing words, the rest of the crew quietly returned to their training. A small smile tugged at Zino's lips as he looked Zoro's way, appreciating the swordsman's unique way of pushing others forward.
Then, just as he turned back to his own concentration, a soft *ding* echoed in his mind.
*[System Notification: Your Air Element has reached Level 50. You can now use your palms to absorb air.]*
Zino blinked. "Oh? A new method?"
Curious and intrigued, he raised both palms in front of him. Instinctively, he activated his ability.
At once, a faint pull began—like an invisible breath through his hands. The air shifted around him, spiraling inward. A small vortex formed at each palm, drawing the breeze into his body without a single inhalation.
The sensation was strange—weightless yet full. The pressure began to build inside him, just as it did when he swallowed air through his mouth, but this was faster, more focused, and far more controlled.
He glanced at the invisible experience bar in his mind.
It was moving—steadily climbing.
Zino's grin widened. This… this changes everything.
With his hands alone, he could now absorb air from a distance, not to mention, he could still swallow air with his mouth, making it twice faster for him to level up the Air Element.