The morning sun had barely risen when a flurry of activity erupted at the World Economy News Paper headquarters. At the very top of the towering building, Big News Morgans laughed uncontrollably, slapping his feathery hand against the freshly printed newspaper in front of him.
"This... THIS is what the world has been waiting for! The Voidreign Pirates! Appearing out of nowhere, shaking the world to its core, and now—this! The bounties have been confirmed! Spread it across the seas! Let all the seagulls carry this message—THE VOID KING HAS RISEN!"
His workers scrambled, printing tens of thousands of copies, some infused with Haki protection against tampering, others enchanted to resist storms. The headlines were massive and bold:
> "VOIDREIGN PIRATES - THE NEW RULERS OF THE SEA?"
> JESSIE "VOID KING" - 4.8 BILLION BERRIES
> UTA "WORLD DIVA" - 3.6 BILLION BERRIES
> VASH THE STAMPEDE "THE GUNSLINGER" - 2.9 BILLION BERRIES
> KUINA "SWORD SAINT" - 2.3 BILLION BERRIES
> BLACKEYE "DEMON PET" - 2.1 BILLION BERRIES
> SERAPHIM MIHAWK - 2.0 BILLION BERRIES
> SERAPHIM HANCOCK - 1.9 BILLION BERRIES
The headlines sparked chaos and awe alike across the seas.
---
Shakky's Rip-Off Bar - Sabaody Archipelago
Reighley sat relaxed, sipping a drink, when a paper was slapped on the counter by one of Shakky's helpers.
"Reighley, you're gonna want to see this."
Reighley raised a brow and looked down. As his eyes scanned the numbers and names, he slowly sat up straighter. A soft whistle escaped his lips.
"So the boy finally shook the world... Jessie, eh?" he muttered, a chuckle rising. "Void King... fitting."
He flipped to the second page. There she was. Uta.
Reighley laughed heartily and looked to the ceiling. "Shanks... your daughter is blazing across the world, and you don't even know it."
---
Red-Haired Pirates Territory
A few days later, the bounty posters made their way to the Red-Haired Pirates. One of the crew members brought it straight to Ben Beckman while the crew was drinking and enjoying the calm before another journey.
"Ben, check this out," the pirate said, slapping down the paper. Beckman took a deep puff of his cigar, then scanned the paper.
His eyes widened. "Void King? 4.8 billion? This guy just was finally appeared"
The crew began to crowd around. Shanks came over with a tankard in hand. "What's all the noise?"
Beckman silently pointed at the bounty poster. Shanks leaned over... and then froze.
There she was.
"Uta...?"
The entire crew burst into an uproar.
"THAT'S UTA!?"
"3.6 BILLION!?"
The drinking turned into a full-blown party. Shanks was laughing, part shocked, part proud. "My daughter really did it... World Diva! Hah! That's my girl."
---
East Blue - Frost Moon Village
Koshiro stood calmly in his dojo, teaching sword basics to a group of children. The serenity was interrupted when a traveler arrived in a rush.
"Master Koshiro! Master Koshiro! A new bounty... a whole new crew!"
Koshiro gave a gentle nod and dismissed the children to rest. He took the rolled bounty paper and unsealed it carefully. His eyes scanned each name and title... and then stopped.
"Kuina..."
His fingers trembled as he touched the image.
"It can't be..."
He dropped the paper and ran. Moments later, he stood before a grave with the name Kuina etched into the stone.
Koshiro dropped to his knees. He dug with trembling hands, clearing the grave.
No bones.
"You're alive... you're truly alive. My daughter… my daughter is alive."
Tears flowed down his face as he clutched the bounty poster close to his chest.
---
Somewhere in the Grand Line – Blackbeard's Hideout
Blackbeard roared with laughter as he read the new bounties.
"Zehahaha! That brat Jessie's making waves, huh!? 4.8 billion! He's almost at Roger's level in bounty!"
He tossed the paper aside and stared at the unconscious Coby chained nearby.
"Don't worry, marine boy. The real chaos hasn't even started yet."
---
Voidreign's Ship – Calm Belt
Jessie sat at the ship's deck, sipping from a coconut while watching his crew laugh, eat, and train.
Uta played her music with Seraphim Hancock, lifting the mood.
Kuina sparred with Seraphim Mihawk in intense silence.
BlackEye climbed the mast while munching on a fruit conjured by the Unlimited Food Gadget.
Vash was napping again, straw hat covering his face.
Jessie stared into the sky. He knew the world was watching now. Bounties that high meant one thing.
The World Government saw them as a threat.
"It's only just beginning," he whispered.
---
Back at the News Morgans HQ
Morgans watched as live den-den mushi feeds around the world showed people panicking, cheering, or going silent in fear.
"The Void King... now everyone knows his name," he said to himself. "Now let's see how the other Emperors respond."
He grinned, flipping through the next issue draft.
The world was no longer in balance.
A storm was brewing—and Voidreign Pirates were right at the center.
---