Red Line, Holy Land Mariejois
"Alright, we understand. You may go."
"Yes!"
The bald Gorosei with a birthmark on his forehead ended the Den Den Mushi call and turned to the other four elders.
"You all heard that, didn't you? It seems we may have underestimated Uchiha Chiga."
The only Gorosei not dressed in a suit, cradling a samurai sword against his chest, nodded slowly.
"Indeed. We all know the strength of Silvers Rayleigh. For Uchiha Chiga to injure him and escape unscathed is no trivial feat. His strength deserves serious attention."
The golden-haired Gorosei in the crimson suit crossed his arms and looked down thoughtfully.
"I've heard Chiga aligns more with the hawkish faction of the Marines?"
The long-haired Gorosei with straight white locks tapped his armrest lightly.
"That's accurate. Every pirate crew he's eliminated has left no survivors. Not even corpses intact."
The last Gorosei, identifiable by the flat hat and scar across his left cheek, paused in contemplation before speaking.
"Right now, Sengoku's dovish faction dominates the Marines. Their leniency toward pirates—and sometimes even toward us—is out of step with our objectives. If another strong Marine like Akainu were to rise, it would be in our favor."
"Agreed. Let's use this battle with Rayleigh to boost Chiga's image and public standing."
"Hm. According to Stussy, this Chiga has a habit of collecting Devil Fruits. Any idea why?"
"Does it matter? We can offer him a high-quality Devil Fruit as a reward. Besides, isn't he also showing interest in that new agent, Kalifa?"
"She's practically a surveillance asset. I believe Chiga was aware of her from the start but chose to let her stay. That shows he's tactful."
"Then here's an idea—Kalifa has outlived her usefulness. Have Stussy inform him that the authority to deal with her now lies with him."
"A fair trade."
"I support it."
"Seconded."
Thus, Kalifa's fate was decided—treated like merchandise. Simultaneously, news of Chiga's clash with Rayleigh began spreading across the seas, carefully orchestrated by the Gorosei.
---
Across the Seas: Reactions to the Battle
On the Moby Dick
"Pops! Silvers Rayleigh reappeared—and fought a new Marine!"
A man with pineapple-shaped hair burst in, waving a newspaper excitedly.
Whitebeard, mid-swig from his sake jug, raised an eyebrow and took the paper. The headline blared:
"Shocking Clash! Marine Rookie Uchiha Chiga Injures Silvers Rayleigh! Rayleigh Escapes in Disarray!?"
A bold image of Chiga accompanied the article.
Whitebeard crumpled the paper and bellowed with laughter.
"Gurararara! Rayleigh's still alive? That's good. As for fleeing in disarray—ha! That's just Marine propaganda. That boy's still wet behind the ears."
The pineapple-haired crewmate added with concern, "Even if the report's exaggerated, this Chiga must be strong. At the very least, he survived a clash with Rayleigh."
Whitebeard downed another gulp of sake and wiped his mouth.
"So what? Just another Marine brat. I am Whitebeard!"
---
Elsewhere Among the Yonko
Big Mom: "Mamamama! Boring. Now where's my cake?"
Kaido: "Rayleigh? Just an old relic. And that Marine brat—if he gets in my way, I'll show him what real power is!"
Shanks: "Vice-Captain Rayleigh… it's been a long time. I'd like to meet you again—there's something I found in East Blue."
---
In the Underworld
In a dark chamber, Doflamingo held the paper, eyes fixed on Chiga's photo, and let out his signature chuckle.
"Fufufufu… The Marines really know how to polish their image. Still, this Uchiha Chiga—he's worth watching closely, don't you think, Corazon?"
Next to him, Corazon, cloaked in black feathers, remained silent. A cigarette dangled from his lips as his gaze lowered.
But his heart was far from calm.
When did the Marines get such a monster? I need to find a way to reach Sengoku.
---
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stared at the report in disbelief, rereading it for the third time.
BANG! The door slammed open. Garp burst in, newspaper in hand, followed by Tsuru and Aokiji.
Slamming the paper on Sengoku's desk, Garp barked, spit flying,
"LOOK! That punk Chiga fought Rayleigh—and injured him? Who writes this garbage!?"
Sengoku ignored Garp and silently passed him the official report.
Garp grabbed it, scanned it quickly—and froze.
"…It's true? He really injured that Rayleigh?"
Behind him, Tsuru crossed her arms and asked calmly, "Sengoku, if Chiga's strength has reached this level, what's your take?"
Aokiji remained silent, his expression unreadable—but clearly disturbed.
Sengoku answered after a long pause.
"This news was released under orders from the Gorosei. They've instructed us to publicize it aggressively. They seem… optimistic about Chiga."
Tsuru nodded. "He annihilated two pirate crews—ruthlessly. That probably impressed them. He's also polite, well-mannered… a far cry from most admirals."
She glanced meaningfully at Garp and Aokiji.
Garp didn't even flinch. Aokiji, likewise, ignored the jab.
Garp cracked his knuckles with a grin. "That kid's something special. Next time I see him, I'm testing him myself!"
Sengoku didn't acknowledge the outburst. He turned to Tsuru.
"Pass this to the Public Affairs Division. Make it a big deal within the Marines. That's what the World Government wants."
Tsuru nodded and left, Garp and Aokiji in tow.
Left alone, Sengoku stared at the newspaper photo Garp had left behind.
In it, Chiga wore a faint smile. His Rinnegan gleamed, and his palm was raised toward the lens, a black vortex swirling within.
Sengoku muttered softly to himself:
"…Is it good or bad for you to be exposed to the world so soon, Chiga?"
---
If I were to tag y'all that sent stones, It'd make the chapter unnecessarily long
But you have my thanks !!