Chapter 27 - The First Bounty
"You wished to see me, commodore?"
The man who spoke was the one who assigned bounties to pirates along the Grand Line, Commander Brannew. Standing opposed to him was a commodore of the Navy.
The air which surrounded the two men was suffocating, as they both had an overwhelmingly dominant presence. The commodore outranked Commander Brannew, but there was no way that the commodore could use his rank to his advantage in this conversation due to just how important Brannew was in the Navy… not that he would, anyways. He didn't hold much value in one's title, and that applied to his own as well.
The commodore began to speak.
"Yes, there was a new bounty placed on someone recently… and I'd like to know why."
Brannew looked confused, unsure of why a man like the commodore was curious about such a matter.
"Who would you like to know about?" Brannew questioned.
"Izuku Midoriya."
Suddenly, everything clicked together within the commander's mind.
"I see…" the commander stated, not needing to speak any words in order to understand what his superior wanted. The commander explained himself, "As the first person who has never lived outside of the Seven Continents to gain a bounty, you already know that these orders came from far above me, right?"
"At least tell me why his bounty is so damn high."
Brannew sighed deeply, as he began to explain.
"He's the ninth inheritor of the Haki which the strongest man on the Seven Continents, All Might, formerly possessed, and he seems to be able to use said Haki better than him." Brannew stated, "Beyond that, he's learnt about the Grand Line, which means he could potentially spread information about it. Finally, he also proved dangerous enough to play a hand in defeating the three Pacifista that arrived in Japan a week or so ago."
"Three Pacifista arrived in Japan?"
"I didn't make that decision." Brannew retorted.
The commodore sighed and turned around. In order to cope with the information he was just given, the commodore placed a cigar in his mouth, and then lit it with just his breath.
"If anything… 91 million berries is a light sentence, Hisashi." Brannew noted, "It might have even been higher if we hadn't neutralized All Might."
The commodore merely remained silent at Brannew's statement, and began to walk away.
"Thanks for your time… but I've heard enough."
This time, Brannew was the one to remain silent. Staring at Hisashi, he questioned just what the commodore was thinking.
"I still don't get what the Navy's thinking putting a bounty on Izuku…" Hisashi Midoriya thought, as a smile began to form on his face, "But at the very least… it's good to know that my son's a big shot now. I hope I'll be able to see him again!"
About a week earlier, in the hospital ward of UA, Chopper just returned from a trip to Fajesta. Awaiting him was the still recovering Aizawa, and the almost recovered Izuku Midoriya.
"Chopper, you're back!" Izuku happily stated, "How was All Might?"
"Bad news…" Chopper began, as a look of fear began to materialize on Izuku's face, "He's gone missing!"
Hearing this news, Izuku's body completely froze.
"There's no doubt…" Izuku stated, clenching his fists as tight as he could, "It was them."
"...What are you planning to do about it?" Aizawa questioned, as he saw a fire ignited in Izuku's eyes.
"I don't know, but I can't just let them have All Might!" Izuku growled, "I'll go to Sabaody, and save him!"
"You're thinking irrationally now... you think that All Might would want you to do that?" Aizawa questioned, stopping Izuku, "You're not thinking of how to help now… you're only thinking of how to get revenge!"
Unable to retort due to the fact that he understood and partially agreed with Aizawa's words, Izuku stayed silent for a moment.
"Still…" Izuku began, "There has to be something I can do, I can't just let him die!"
"Chances are he could already be dead." Aizawa bluntly stated, as Izuku's pupils widened in shock because of that.
"You don't know that."
"But it's entirely possible."
"You don't know that!"
"Let's just stop for now!" Chopper shouted, interrupting the two, "This conversation isn't going anywhere… and you're both in emotionally charged states! Either way though… Aizawa's right about one thing, Izuku. You shouldn't go to Sabaody."
"Why?!"
"If you do, you'll probably only make this situation worse, since the Marines already know about the fact you've been to the Archipelago before." Chopper explained, "I'll go down there myself to see just what's happening on the Grand Line. You both still need rest."
"...But I can't just sit here doing nothing!"
"What can you do?" Aizawa growled at Izuku, "You're a fifteen year old kid. This isn't your battle to fight."
"But-"
"Aizawa's right. Leave it to us."
Izuku couldn't contain his emotions inside of him. He wanted to do something and help, but he wasn't able to…
Izuku sat back down on his bed.
"Right now… you're being no better than the old, worthless Deku." he thought, clenching his teeth, "All Might was the only one who gave you a chance to be something… and now he's gone?! I won't accept that... I will save him!"
Barely any time passed before Chopper located the Sabaody Geyser once more, and once he did, he subsequently went straight down to the archipelago. Unlike why Izuku would've went, Chopper didn't seek to save All Might, but instead, he sought to gain any information that the World Government may have posted on the news.
While the geyser began to settle down onto the archipelago, Chopper looked below himself, and saw something.
"Marines!" Chopper thought, "They must be guarding the geyser so that people from Japan don't come down here… they're quick to act, but that won't stop me! Jump Point!"
Transforming, Chopper leapt off of the geyser and down into the city below.
"Hey… did you see something jump off of that geyser just now?" a more observant Marine questioned.
"Huh? That brown thing? It must just be a big rock or patch of dirt." another stated, as the brown fur of Chopper allowed him to gain the Marines' benefit of the doubt.
The geyser slowly settled into the ground below, with nothing but a few rocks and other small objects laying on it.
"Seems to have just been a natural cycle… but the timing is a bit off…" the more observant Marine noted.
"What are you just standing around for, fools?!" a Marine captain questioned, scaring the two Marines who were standing in front of the Sabaody geyser.
"U-uh sir!" the other Marine stammered, "The Sabaody geyser has just dropped ahead of schedule, there should be nothing to worry about!"
"Oh? Are you sure?!"
"W-well… I saw a brown thing jump out from the geyser over that way…" the more observant Marine stated, pointing in the direction he saw it fall, "It could have been something…"
"You fools, that could have been Izuku Midoriya! Stay here and guard the geyser, and get behind some cover while you're at it! I'll take care of this!"
"A-ah, yes sir!"
Both of the Marines wiped sweat off of their heads as the captain left, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.
"Phew… the Benevolent King of the Waves is really scary…" one of the Marines stated.
"Let's just do as he says and keep our guards up…" the more observant one responded.
Having made it just outside of Shakky's Rip Off Bar in his Walk Point form, Chopper breathed in a sigh of relief.
"The security of this place seems to be a little bit higher than the last time I came." Chopper noted, "Seems they're taking the situation with All Might seriously."
Opening the door to Shakky's Ripoff Bar, Shakky turned to her side and was pleasantly surprised to see Chopper enter in.
"Oh, it's nice to see you again, Doctor Chopper."
"Aw, don't think you can get on my good side just by calling me a doct- Wait!" Chopper stopped, realizing he had gotten caught up in his own antics, "The news, do you have a copy of it? I need to see if there's anything important in it."
"Oh yeah… I was hoping you could give me some more information on that." Shakky said, as she brought her newspaper forwards towards Chopper, giving it to him.
Transforming into his Heavy Point so he could grab the newspaper easier, Chopper took it in his hands, and flipped the page.
"W-what?!"
Chopper stared at the newspaper in awe. Izuku Midoriya had been given a bounty… not only that, it was a bounty higher than everyone on his crew besides Luffy and Zoro.
"No way… 91,000,000 berries?!" Chopper noted.
"So, I take it they found out about his little visits to Sabaody?" Shakky asked, "Which means… something happened to All Might?"
"Yeah… just a few days ago, some Pacifista arrived, and we suspect it was to bait out All Might." Chopper stated, "They were just as strong as the ones on Sabaody, but they had more weak points… and while All Might survived the encounter against them, he was found missing earlier today."
"I take it they didn't expect him to survive the first time around, so they finished the job later." Shakky suspected, "But the bounty on Izuku… that suggests that something more is going on."
"I… I've gotta go show Izuku this." the still shocked Chopper stammered, "If he doesn't know about this and a bounty hunter shows up… he won't last long!"
"Just be careful. Chances are that the government knows about you as well."
Currently in his Walk Point form, Chopper rushed off back to the Sabaody geyser… and once he reached it, he then quickly transformed.
"Jump Point!" Chopper thought, bouncing towards two Marines who were guarding the Sabaody Geyser.
"W-wha-"
"Call the captain, it's a deserter!"
Bouncing to the button which would typically shoot the Geyser up, Chopper gave it a firm kick, allowing it to be pressed down. Before the Marines could even react, Chopper jumped on top of the geyser… and a few seconds later… nothing.
"What the- Brain Point!"
Transforming into a smaller form, Chopper shrunk down and avoided a catalog of bullets which was fired at him... the geyser which was to take Chopper back up to Japan... it was broken?!
"Heh, it seems that you thought that we would keep the geyser functional." the less observant Marine said with a smile, "Nah, we disabled that mechanism a long while ago! We don't want anyone going up to the Seven Continents now!"
"Crap… I wasn't expecting that, but it makes perfect sense!" Chopper thought, "But, I have to show Izuku that bounty poster… I don't have a second to lose!"
"Horn Point!" Chopper shouted, as he did a flip and began to burrow himself into the ground, vanishing from sight of the Marines.
"H-huh? Where'd he go?!" one of the Marines questioned.
"Must be underground… we can't keep up with him!" the other stated, "Is that guy really just the pet of the Straw Hat Pirates?"
Sprouting up from underground, Chopper found himself a decent bit away from the Sabaody geyser. Poking his head out of the top of the hole, Chopper remained in his Horn Point form, which he possessed similar intellect to his Brain Point form in, and began to speak to himself.
"Seems I got away from those Marines." Chopper noted, looking around from side to side.
From behind him however, Chopper heard a weird noise… a sort of "oooooohhhhhhh" noise, as if a foghorn was expressing its admiration for something.
Unsure of just what the noise was, Chopper slowly turned around. Behind him was none other than the Benevolent King of the Waves, a Marine officer with the rank of captain. Looking at the captain, Chopper was initially fearful, but confronted his fear and stared at the Marine officer, prepared to counter whatever attack they might throw at him.
With an intense scowl on his face, the Marine officer breathed heavily while staring down Chopper. Chopper stared back. The man continued to breathe heavily. Chopper continued to stand his ground. The man continued to breathe heavily, eventually saying…
"Too cute!" the Benevolent King of the Waves let out in a shockingly high pitched voice, as he fell to the ground and fainted.
Chopper stared absentmindedly at the Benevolent King of the Waves once he knocked himself out.
"Huh?"
Chopper was unsure of what just happened, but decided to move past the strange incident that had just unfolded. Pulling himself up and out of the ground, Chopper began to think to himself.
"Um… well, I need to come up with a plan on how to escape the Archipelago…" Chopper thought aloud, "The geyser isn't going to work… what could I do?"
"The geyser!" the Benevolent King of Waves let out with a gag, shocking Chopper.
"The geyser?" Chopper questioned.
"Yes. The geyser!" the Benevolent King of Waves elaborated, "It shoots up naturally once every three months! It'll shoot up again in two days!"
"Two days?" Chopper questioned, "I don't have time for that…"
"Gah! So impatient, but still so cute!" The Benevolent King of Waves then passed out from Chopper's cuteness, this time sure to stay asleep.
Chopper thought for a moment before coming to a sudden realization.
"That's it!"
A few minutes later, the two Marines from earlier were scouting out around the Sabaody Archipelago, searching for the Benevolent King of the Waves.
"You think that the captain has defeated that raccoon dog already?"
"Of course! Our captain- CAPTAIN!"
The pair of Marines, in shock, rushed towards their captain, who was completely knocked out.
"Captain! Captain! Are you alright?!"
The captain stayed completely silent; his unconscious body didn't make so much as a sound.
"The captain's knocked out cold! The raccoon dog must have done this!"
"Isn't he just the pet for the Straw Hat Pirates though?! How could he be strong enough to beat the captain?!"
"His bounty must have been misplaced… send in a call to headquarters! Inform them of that guy's true strength… wait, is that-"
Looking upwards towards the sky, the two Marine officers saw something shocking. Riding on a bubble, a brown smudge in the distance was heading upwards, seemingly beginning to take the same path as the Sabaody geyser.
"He's escaping! Go to headquarters, I'll try and shoot at him!"
The partner of the Marine officer followed his order, as the Marine officer pulled out his rifle and began to shoot the bubble that Chopper was riding on from a far away distance. It was no use however, as Chopper was too far away for the marine to land an accurate shot.
"Damn… it's no use." the Marine said with a drop of sweat falling from his face.
"Worry… not…" the captain weakly said, "You did a fine job."
"This hole had to have the correct atmosphere in order to sustain the Sabaody geyser's solid properties while still being liquid… therefore, the bubbles from the Archipelago are also able to sustain themselves in this hole as well!"
Slowly ascending upwards, the bubble Chopper rode on upwards through the hole which the geyser traditionally sprouted up from. It didn't ascend very quickly, but it was the best that Chopper could have hoped for… and after twenty-seven minutes of waiting, the bubble began to shake.
"Huh?"
Chopper looked down at the bubble. Staring at it for a moment, he afterwards looked upwards, as the sunlight was clearer than ever. While the bubble lasted him a long time, it seemed that it had reached the end of its rope.
"Damn! I was so close too!" the tiny Chopper shouted, looking around at his surroundings, "The rock formations around here are remarkably smooth as well… I'll have to make it up with a single leap, otherwise I'm done! Jump Point!"
Transforming into another form, Chopper pressed his legs against the bubble he stood on with intensity. Rocketing off of it a moment later, the bubble popped as Chopper launched into the air.
"Come on… I can do this!" Chopper thought.
However, despite his desire to make it to the top, Chopper began to fall far before he reached it. Stretching out his right hoof, Chopper grimaced.
"No! What can I… wait, I got it! Horn Point!"
Transforming into his Horn Point form, Chopper stuck his horns into the ground around him, breaking the wall as he began digging his way up to the surface. After about six minutes, Chopper successfully arrived, and left for UA Academy to inform Izuku of his newfound bounty.
Passing through the streets of Japan in his Walk Point form, Chopper saw that more people than usual were holding up newspapers… and muttering something about a bounty.
"It's already spread all the way to Japan?!" Chopper questioned, "Then… I have to hurry before something bad happens!"
Chopper's ears twitched, as they were set off by something which he heard.
"A World-Government issued bounty? But… even Japan's worst criminals don't have those on their heads!"
"He must be incredibly dangerous! The World Government must've seen something we didn't!"
"How upsetting that a youth like this could be turned to darkness so easily…"
"I saw him at the Sports Festival! He's insanely strong, but he must've made some twisted deal to get his strength!"
"This is what they were aiming for!" Chopper thought through clenched teeth, "Everyone... they've turned against Izuku!"
…but that wasn't all the World Government had sought.
Amidst the chaos, the pair of Izuku and Aizawa lay in their beds silently. Both of them had a lot to think about, as Aizawa tried to piece together the mystery of why the Pacifista attacked All Might, as Izuku was worried as to just what happened to his hero.
"Izuku!" a voice yelled, bursting into the hospital door.
"Chopper! You're back!" Izuku noted excitedly.
"Take a look at this!" Chopper stated, as he pulled Izuku's bounty out of his backpack and showed it to both Izuku and Aizawa… causing both of their hearts to sink.
"No way… is that…"
"It's a bounty. I can guarantee its authenticity." Aizawa stated.
Izuku's body froze. With only that single paper, his entire future was shattered… he was now a criminal. Tears began to well up in Izuku's eyes.
"Why… why is this happening?!" Izuku thought, "All Might saw potential in you… and you're just going to waste it like this?!"
"Midoriya!" Aizawa shouted, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder and snapping him back to reality. Izuku looked at Aizawa, who held a stern and steady expression… but it was also one that looked as if it would break at any moment.
"Did you hear what Chopper just said? Everyone in Japan has access to your bounty!" Aizawa said, repeating Chopper's words, "You have to leave. Now."
"B-but…" Izuku muttered, unable to find the words he wanted to say.
"Heroes, villains, even civilians… the price on your head will make you their target!" Aizawa shouted, "Many will still recognize you from the Sports Festival and camp outside of UA! Find a safe place to go somewhere in Japan and just… just…"
Aizawa had no words. While he wanted to comfort and reassure Izuku with something, he knew that there would be no undoing this. The World Government had issued a bounty on Izuku for a reason, and he was powerless to do anything to get his student out of trouble… What kind of teacher was he?!
"Try to find somewhere safe to hide. We'll try to figure out a course of action in the meantime." Chopper stated, saying what Aizawa couldn't.
Izuku breathed heavily and sporadically. This was too much for the boy, as he felt he couldn't even breathe.
"I know this is stressful… but try and calm down." Chopper stated, "This isn't the end."
"How can it not be…" Izuku muttered, dejected. He then began to shout, "How can it not be?! I'm a criminal now… and the entire world is going to come after me! My family… my friends… they're all going to be targets too! And now you're telling me I have to abandon all of them in order to survive?! I won't accept that!"
At that last line, Izuku smashed his fist into his bed, prompting an attack so powerful that it tore a hole right through his bed and the floors below him. Chopper and Aizawa both looked sympathetically at Izuku… as he then put his hands up to his eyes, as tears began to fall down his face in streams.
"How can I accept… that my dream is going to end like this?" Izuku managed to let out through his tears.
"Izuku…" Chopper muttered.
"Midoriya." Aizawa began, as Izuku continued to cry. Aizawa got up out of his bed, and walked over to Izuku's own. Once he reached it, he placed his two hands on Izuku's shoulders. Izuku's tears paused for a moment, as he looked up at his teacher… who looked at Izuku with a firm expression.
"I'm sorry that this has to happen to you… and I'm sorry that I ever questioned you about the Grand Line. If I didn't… none of this would have ever happened."
Izuku sniffled, his tears faintly continuing, but slowing their pace. He flinched.
"I'm being selfish again." Izuku thought, "Why do I always…"
"But Midoriya!" Aizawa shouted, "Trust me, no matter what happens… as your teacher, I will make sure that you become a hero!"
Tears yet again began to fall from Izuku's eyes, as Aizawa's belief in him moved him.
"You're talented, you're kind, you're a beacon of light to my entire class!" Aizawa shouted, "Your potential is infinite so long as you believe it… so don't waste it! Run far away from here, Midoriya! You will return here one day… because I still have more to teach you!"
Izuku began to bite his bottom lip, his determination rising up inside of him, overtaking his misery.
Beginning to rise up, Aizawa backed up to leave room for Izuku. The future hero got off of his bed, and spoke.
"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa… but I know that's impossible." Izuku stated, a smile appearing on his face which was ready to burst into tears, "I can never return here. The World Government doesn't rescind bounties so easily."
"...Midoriya…" Aizawa muttered, as Izuku turned around.
"So… get my hero costume, will you?" Izuku smirked, as a look of shock appeared on Aizawa's face upon realizing just what Izuku was doing… but a moment later, a smirk replaced it. Even in his darkest moment… it seemed Izuku still had the spirit of a true hero.
"It's already here. We didn't move it after your fight against the Pacifista." Chopper stated, pulling the case for Izuku's hero costume off of a stool.
Clicking open the case, Izuku saw a broken costume. The fight against the Pacifista really had done a number on it… but he had to wear it. The jumpsuit in that suitcase after all… would probably be the last gift his mother would ever give him.
Changing into his hero costume, Izuku repositioned his gloves.
"The support course did a great job upgrading these gloves while I was recovering…" Izuku noted, "Utilizing air pressure blasts should be a lot easier now."
Interrupting Izuku was a bag of food which was shoved directly in front of him.
"Here… take the food that Ida gave to us earlier." Aizawa ordered.
"Oh, no I-"
"Don't be ridiculous." Aizawa scowled, "This food should only be enough for a couple of days if you ration it properly… and you'll need that supply to set yourself up a lot more than I will."
Despite his body not wanting to, Izuku hesitantly accepted the gift that Aizawa offered him.
"Shoot yourself out from that window, and get as far away from here or anywhere else you know as possible." Aizawa ordered, "People will search for you anywhere they think they can find you."
"Okay… got it." Izuku replied, moving his way to the window. He opened it, and then looked behind himself one final time, "And Mr. Aizawa… thank you for being my teacher."
Aizawa cast a somber smile.
"It was my pleasure, kid."
Grabbing hold of the window, Izuku stretched his tendrils of Blackwhip out like a slingshot.
"Now Gum Gum… ROCKET!"
His tendrils pulling him towards the window, Izuku eventually released them and shot out into the U.A. courtyard… leaving the academy behind. Izuku wore an emotionless expression as he fled… and before it could change, a jolt of pain radiated throughout his head.
Using his Float quirk to stabilize his midair position, Izuku flipped in midair and dodged an energy blast which was previously aimed at him.
"Woah, lousy aim there, Blasty!"
"Shut up! That was a warning shot."
Looking down at the ground below, Izuku noted that the person who fired at him… was a hero.
"I can't counterattack them… but what can I-"
"Then what are you waiting for? Fire back!"
There was a brief pause, as the hero known as 'Blasty' attempted to do something with his palm, but nothing came out.
"Nothing's coming out!"
"Huh?! What do you mean nothing's coming out?!"
Izuku looked behind himself, as he saw that Aizawa's eyes were currently red… he was using his quirk in order to disable Blasty's own, which would allow him to escape.
Izuku's face remained neutral despite his gratefulness, and he turned his attention back to what was ahead of him. Stretching his tendrils to a nearby building, he rocketed towards it.
The first day that Deku had a bounty on his head was a long one. Continuously chased by hero and villain alike, he didn't have a moment of rest until the very end of the day when everything was quiet.
Deku is currently in the countryside of Japan. While he didn't consciously choose to come here, Deku remembered where he was clearly.
"This is the last place me, Dad, and Mom all went on a family vacation…" Deku noted, "I should probably find a place to get to bed for now."
Turning around, Deku decided that a nearby tree would be the best choice for a place to take a nap. Jumping on top of it, Deku lay down on a branch… and for the first time since earlier, let himself cry.
He had held it back earlier, but he had never gotten over what had happened to him… he just believed himself to be too selfish, and made sure not to cry up until now. He couldn't let anyone be worried about him now… not when so many people would surely be affected by his bounty; he could only imagine how his mother felt, how his classmates, Ida, and Ochaco would feel... and just... why did he have to make everyone suffer?
"...Mom… Dad…" Deku cried.
As he cried, Deku's placement in the tree began to slip, and he slowly rolled out of it, beginning to fall… but Blackwhip activated before Deku could react, and protected him from falling. Deku was shocked, as he questioned what had just occurred.
"You aren't alone."
Izuku could've sworn he heard a voice tell him that… as he remembered that inside of him, he still had One for All… the power gifted to him by All Might.
He had to keep going.
"All Might…" Deku muttered, as he shut his eyes, "I hope… you're alright…"
The next day was a seemingly normal one… birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and classes at U.A. Academy assembled like always… only this time in Class 1-A, they were two members short.
"You all got the news, right?" Momo Yaoyorozu, who just entered the classroom, asked her classmates.
"Yeah… it seems Midoriya has a bounty on his head now, kero." Tsuyu responded.
"What the hell happened? We just saw him a few days ago…" Kirishima stated.
"I mean… he got a bounty from the World Government, you all don't think he actually did something really bad, do you?" Kaminari questioned.
"That's ridiculous! Deku would never!" Ochako cried.
"While I would like to agree with you Uraraka, I'm afraid I can't in good conscious…" Ida interjected, surprising Ochako, "While Midoriya was an exceptionally bright fellow, we can't say we know everything about him just because we were friends for a few months… for someone like him, maybe he was coaxed into doing something he believed was right when it was anything but."
"That's not too far-fetched…" Ojiro responded.
"While it's tough to admit… it's entirely possible." Tokoyami added.
"But, Deku-" Ochaco tried to interject.
"You're all kidding, right?" Shoto, who had stayed silent up until now, interjected, "You really think that Midoriya would do something like that? Even when he fought against that villain with All Might, he asked permission instead of just going by his lonesome… he's always been cautious about being on the right side of the law."
"Yeah, but then you gotta ask the question of why he felt the need to go to that fight in the first place." Sero interjected, "No matter what, it seems like he's hiding something."
"My god, would you all just shut up?!" Ryuko shouted, "You all can't go five seconds without gossiping about people?! We don't even have a single scrap of information on his story and you're already judging him?!"
Ida paused for a minute, considering the truth behind Ryuko's words.
"...You're right Ryuko, I-" Ida tried to let out, but he was cut off.
"Yeah, but why shouldn't we? I mean, if he's a criminal-" Kaminari tried to let out, but then, the door opened once more.
The entire class ceased their conversation, as from the door came in none other than Katsuki Bakugo.
"So, what fucking criminal are you guys talking about?" Katsuki questioned with a scowl on his face.
Kaminari flinched but then decided to press Katsuki, "You know… Midoriya. He's just been assigned a bounty of over 100 million yen… there's no way he's not hiding something, right Bakugo?"
Katsuki turned to Kaminari, flashing him a death stare which sent a shiver down his spine.
"If you know what's good for you, you're gonna stop talking about Deku." Katsuki stated plainly, "I don't think for a second he did a damn thing wrong… and I know that if any of us were in his situation, he'd believe we were innocent all the same."
In just a single moment, Katsuki had shut up the entirety of Class 1-A.
Angered by his doubt over his friend, Ida clenched his fist.
Suddenly, none other than the teacher of Class 1-A, Mr. Aizawa, walked into the classroom. He instantly addressed the subject that was on everyone's mind.
"You're all quiet. I thought you'd all be gossiping about Midoriya right about now."
"They were, until I shut them up." Katsuki noted with a smirk.
Aizawa returned a smirk of his own, "Is that so…"
"Mr. Aizawa, sir, do you know what he did to get a bounty on his head?" Mina asked, raising her hand and practically jumping out of her desk to ask.
Aizawa let out a sigh. Usually, he'd tell his students to shut up since it was time for class to start, but this time, things were different.
While Aizawa knew quite well that telling his students the truth about the World Government would put them in danger, two of his students had already suffered the consequences of defying the World Government, one of which without even meaning to. In the situation they were in… there'd be even greater danger if he didn't tell them; he had to prepare his students for the foe they'd be facing.
"For the most part, yes."
The class was surprised.
"Can you tell us why he has one then?!" Mina questioned energetically.
"In short, the reason that Midoriya has a bounty on his head is because he found a way to go to an island directly below Japan, which is a part of the Grand Line."
"There's an island beneath Japan?!" Toru shouted.
"That seems far-fetched." Momo noted, "Even if an island underneath Japan does exist, how did he even learn to get there in the first place?"
"Quiet down, I'll explain everything in time." Aizawa noted, "In elementary school, Midoriya befriended a pirate-to-be, Monkey D. Luffy."
"A pirate?!" Ochaco questioned, "Aren't those guys super bad, though?"
"That Monkey kid… he's the one who kicked my ass back in elementary school." Katsuki noted, as he turned to Ochaco, "He wasn't that bad of a kid when I met him."
"Continuing on, Monkey made a full circle journey of the Grand Line, and wanted Midoriya to come with him to their next destination. Midoriya accepted, so both he and All Might went with Monkey's crew to the aforementioned island below Japan."
"All Might was with him?" Kirishima questioned.
"Yes… now let me continue." Aizawa stated, beginning to get irritated by the constant interruptions, "There, Midoriya and All Might witnessed some of the world's worst crimes being committed, sanctioned as legal by the World Government for their own profit."
"What kind of crimes?" Shoji questioned.
"Slavery and murder to name a few."
"That's... terrible..." Jiro interjected, shivering in the process; the rest of the class had a similarly negative reaction.
"So that's why Midoriya was given a bounty?" Shoto questioned.
"Yeah… due to differences in ethics, among other reasons, the World Government wants to keep their own crimes hidden from the Seven Continents… or people outside the Grand Line. Hence, anyone who goes to the Grand Line is immediately subject to execution… even the punishment for hearing this is harsh, so you students shouldn't tell anyone about this."
"How do you know about all this, sir?" Tsuyu questioned.
"Before I became a pro-hero, I was a Marine officer in the West Blue. I offered to come there after being recruited by a Navy Vice-Admiral to deal with the strong underworld presence due to my alleged unique quirk." Aizawa stated, "In hindsight, the Marines undoubtedly hid a lot about even the West Blue to me. I would suddenly be cut off at random times from following an investigation, likely due to the involvement of government officials in the crime. I was never able to talk to other Marine officers, likely due to the corrupt nature of most. I don't even recall ever getting a singular newspaper about the Grand Line."
"Why didn't you catch on back then?!" Katsuki shouted.
"Everything I just mentioned is with the benefit of hindsight. The Four Blues are considerably more peaceful than the Grand Line, even despite the aforementioned tyranny that's still present within them." Aizawa explained, "Plus, even if I did notice… I would have had no means to fight back against the World Government. Each and every Marine I worked with was quirkless, and even then, some were even stronger than me."
"Every one?" Sato exclaimed.
"Back on topic… Midoriya illustrated several signs of being to the Grand Line, from using the Navy technique, 'Shave', to mimicking the moves of Straw Hat Luffy during the Sports Festival. I was able to put together by myself that he had been to the Grand Line, and confronted him about his involvement." Aizawa noted, "There, I told Midoriya to take me to the island underneath Japan… but after he did, as Bakugo found, Midoriya had an electronic tracker on him, so the World Government was able to find out that Midoriya had gone to the island."
The entire class remained silent.
"That's what that was?" Katsuki questioned internally.
Aizawa continued.
"I don't know why the Government acted the way they did, but they decided not to immediately terminate Midoriya. Instead, they sent a 'Pacifista', that villain that All Might fought right before he went missing, to terminate the Number One hero. Then, they put a bounty on Midoriya… and that leads us to today."
The class was speechless after hearing Izuku's story. While he wasn't innocent (he did go to Sabaody with a pirate), it would've been unfair to say that he did much of anything wrong.
"So how come you're telling us this? You're clearly putting us in danger by doing so." Katsuki noted.
"...Midoriya's suffering out there, seeing as he's had to leave his entire life behind without warning." Aizawa noted, "But, he's suffering for a purpose… and I figured as this world's future heroes, you all deserve to know just what cause he's given himself up for."
Aizawa paused for a moment for Class 1-A to bring together their reactions, and then continued.
"Of course, I wouldn't blame you if you all chose not to believe me. I understand my story's pretty far-fetched…"
"Are you kidding?!" Ryuko shouted, "Of course we're not gonna doubt that! Those government jackasses have always seemed to be tool bags… and Izuku… it makes complete sense that the only reason he pissed them off is because he found some dirt on them!"
"Your story does seem illogical, but nonetheless quite plausible… but this does bring up another question." Momo noted, "That villain that All Might fought, the Pacifista, he seemed to be stronger than even All Might. On top of that, even our classmate, Chopper, seemed to be stronger than him as well… just how strong are those on the Grand Line?"
Aizawa paused momentarily, breathing in, then answering, "Hundreds of times stronger than any of us. That Luffy fellow I mentioned before? He's Chopper's captain, and was able to beat All Might when they were forced to fight each other… and then he was easily beaten by a higher ranking Marine."
"They're even stronger… than All Might?" Katsuki muttered.
"Wait… Chopper's captain?! Is Chopper a pirate too?!" Toru shouted.
"All Might fought Luffy?! I thought you said that they were friends!" Kirishima shouted.
"Quiet down!" Aizawa shouted, as his class did, "There's big reason I wanted to tell you about this, though. When I went to the island below Japan, I learnt just how the Marines got so strong… through a power known as 'Haki'."
"Haki?" Shoto questioned aloud.
"Yes." Aizawa stated, "In essence, it's the power of belief in oneself."
"Ugh, don't give me that motivational crap…" Katsuki snarkily commented.
"The power it can provide is essential for us to fight on even terms with those on the Grand Line." Aizawa explained, "After your internships end, I'll teach you all about it… though I must admit, I know little about it myself."
"We're still going to our internships after all this?" Ochaco questioned.
"Of course. The information I gave you changes very little… you all are still training to become heroes." Aizawa explained, "Oh yeah… and before classes start, there's one final thing I want to tell you. Due to the bounty on Izuku's head and past issues with the World Government, U.A. is probably going to be shut down by the end of the year."
"WHAT?!" Class 1-A shouted in unison.
After everything that had occurred… nothing would ever be the same for Class 1-A, but nonetheless, they walked forwards, determined to become stronger than ever.
On a different side of the same coin, Deku too held a heroic determination in his heart, but it wasn't entirely well founded, as self-doubt and a belief that he was worthless placated each and every fiber of his being.
Whatever the case, these two groups were sure to become stronger and stronger… and eventually, one day, they'd become strong enough to do something about the foe they were facing; the war between them and the World Government was on!
End of Chapter Notes
Is it a bit out of character for Aizawa to tell his class about the Grand Line? I'd say so. It also robs a lot of narrative opportunities since there's no longer any real potential for drama within Class 1-A... but I feel that Aizawa would straighten out the class either way. Plus, Katsuki, Shoto, Ryuko, Ochaco... all these characters who Deku is closest with have complete faith in him. The only one who's feeling lost is Ida, which, will come to the forefront soon enough.
Whatever the case, the big reason Aizawa told Class 1-A about the Grand Line is because he wants to teach them Haki. Due to Deku's new bounty on his head, Aizawa knows that the World Government is planning something, and so, he wants to prepare his students the best way he can for the war they'll surely be facing... if not when they're pro heroes, then for when they're still students.
Aizawa will also tell the other teachers at UA about the Grand Line, and attempt to help them out with learning Haki.