Inside Marine Headquarters, the air was tense as Captain Smoker sat before a Den Den Mushi in his office at Loguetown, his expression grim. The device crackled to life, and a deep voice echoed through the room.
"This is Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Report, Captain Smoker."
Smoker exhaled a cloud of smoke, his fists clenching. "Monkey D. Luffy... defeated me in Loguetown."
There was a brief silence on the other end before Sengoku's voice returned, sharper this time. "You were defeated? How? Explain."
Smoker leaned forward, his tone unwavering. "He's not an ordinary rookie. He possesses Haki. Armament and Observation. And... he used Conqueror's Haki."
A loud crash echoed through the Den Den Mushi. Sengoku had slammed his hands onto his desk. "WHAT?!"
In the large meeting hall, several high-ranking officers turned their heads at the outburst. Vice Admirals exchanged wary glances as the tension in the air thickened.
Garp, sitting off to the side, casually munched on a bag of rice crackers, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. However, his sharp eyes flickered with amusement at the mention of Luffy's abilities.
Sengoku, rubbing his temples in frustration, paced around the room. "You're telling me this brat, who's barely set sail, already has access to Conqueror's Haki? Damn it, Garp! This is your family again!"
Without hesitation, Sengoku stormed over to Garp and snatched the bag of rice crackers from his hands. Before Garp could react, Sengoku dumped the entire contents into his mouth and swallowed them in one gulp.
Garp blinked, his hand frozen mid-reach. Then, with a loud laugh, he smacked his knee. "Bwahaha! That brat! I knew he'd be strong, but to have Conqueror's Haki already? Looks like he's finally making waves!"
Sengoku's eyebrow twitched violently. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?! This is serious, Garp! If Luffy has that kind of power, he's a bigger threat than we anticipated!"
Garp grinned. "Nah, he's just gettin' started."
Sengoku gritted his teeth, barely restraining his frustration. "Fine. Then we have no choice. We need to raise his bounty."
A Marine officer rushed forward with a clipboard. "Sir, what should the new amount be?"
Sengoku took a deep breath, considering the implications. "Luffy's current bounty is 30,000,000... No. That's far too low. For defeating Smoker and displaying Conqueror's Haki… Raise it to 100,000,000 Beli. Effective immediately."
The officer nodded, quickly writing it down.
Sengoku turned to another officer. "And his crew?"
The officer flipped through some reports. "His swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, also made waves. He fought and defeated several Marines and has been seen wielding a cursed sword."
Sengoku sighed. "Increase his bounty as well. 60,000,000 Beli."
The officers scrambled to finalize the updated bounties.
Garp chuckled. "Well, well, looks like my grandson's finally causing you headaches, huh?"
Sengoku pointed an accusing finger at him. "This is YOUR FAULT! You let him run wild!"
Garp shrugged. "Eh, kids gotta have their adventures."
Smoker, still seated in his office, took a deep drag of his cigar. "I won't let him slip away again," he muttered, his voice carrying a rare determination. "I will follow him into the Grand Line if I have to. I'll capture him myself."
Sengoku sighed, rubbing his temples once more. "Then so be it. Do not fail again, Smoker."
Smoker stood up, gripping his jitte tightly. "I won't."