"It's incredible! We just entered the Grand Line, and our total bounty is already over 1.1 billion!"
Usopp was ecstatic, puffing out his chest. "Haha! I've officially become the Tengu Sniper King! A 50 million berry bounty—I'm a famous big-time pirate now!"
Jango grinned as well. He never imagined he'd have a bounty of 30 million berries.
Following the Straw Hats had definitely been the right choice!
If nothing unexpected happened, just as the newspaper predicted, once the Straw Hats entered the New World, a new emperor would rise.
Captain Luffy would become the Fifth Emperor, and Jango—one of the emperor's original subordinates! Just thinking about it was exhilarating.
Meanwhile, Nami couldn't bring herself to celebrate. Her fear of high bounties still hadn't changed.
Sanji, on the other hand, was as frustrated as ever.
He and that moss-headed swordsman had fought Ghost Spider together, yet Zoro's bounty was 20 million higher than his. It was infuriating!
"Damn it, you stupid moss head! Why the hell is your bounty 20 million higher than mine? I don't accept this!"
"Hahaha! Looks like the Marines actually have good judgment. They can see that I'm stronger than this perverted cook," Zoro sneered. "Though honestly, they underestimated me. I'm obviously way stronger!"
"Nani?! Chlorella head, don't get cocky!"
"I have Haki."
"So what?! I've already learned Shave and Moonwalk! Once I master all of the Rokushiki techniques, I'll beat you to a pulp!"
"I have Haki."
"Damn it! Take this—Demon Wind Kick!"
"I have Haki."
Sanji was fuming. That one repeated phrase—I have Haki—made his teeth grind in frustration.
Ever since Carl had said, "Devil Fruits change fate, but Haki determines strength," the Straw Hats had come to believe that Haki was the ultimate mark of power.
And without it, you were considered weak.
This left Sanji completely speechless against Zoro.
But deep inside, he swore—he would awaken his Haki soon and shut that damn moss head up for good!
Luffy glanced at Carl with his usual goofy grin.
Carl understood Luffy's unspoken message—it meant that now that everyone had a bounty, there was no need for him to stay hidden anymore.
Just as he had planned before, the Marines had sent an admiral to stop them. But because Carl had kept a low profile, the Marine's operation had ended in failure.
Now that his strength had been revealed, there was no point in hiding it any longer.
Carl smiled, a bit surprised by Luffy's subtle concern. Despite his carefree nature, Luffy sometimes showed a thoughtful side that made people feel warm inside.
Tashigi, meanwhile, looked at the bounty posters scattered across the deck, her expression conflicted.
This was the first time she had witnessed pirates reacting to their increased bounties. She had always imagined they would be filled with fear or worry. Instead, they were celebrating—proud and excited.
It was as if Marine's wanted posters weren't warnings, but badges of honor.
After thinking it over, Tashigi started to understand.
The purpose of bounties was to encourage powerful individuals to hunt down pirates while also serving as a warning to the people of the sea.
But who were the real powerhouses on the seas? Marines, pirates, and the Revolutionary Army.
How many of them would actually work as bounty hunters?
Very few, if any.
The Four Emperors had bounties in the billions, yet they had remained untouchable for years.
In the end, high bounties didn't deter pirates—it only fueled their ambition.
Of course, the system did cause disputes among pirates. Ever since piracy began, rivalries had existed. Some couldn't accept that others had a higher bounty than them, leading to infighting.
Letting pirates destroy each other while the Marines reaped the benefits—on the surface, it was a good strategy.
But it only worked for those with lower bounties.
Pirates with massive bounties weren't stupid. They didn't fight over bounty rankings—they fought for treasure, power, and territory.
The stronger they were, the less likely they were to be manipulated by Marine tactics.
In the end, issuing bounties was almost useless.
With that realization, Tashigi let out a deep sigh, feeling uneasy about the future of the sea.
Mr. 9 and Vivi, on the other hand, were completely stunned. They had been speechless for a long time, too afraid to say anything, worried that they might offend these high-profile pirates.
At the same time, newspapers and bounty posters spread across the sea, once again stirring up massive waves and shocking the world.
In Totto Land, Big Mom read the newspaper once again. This time, she wasn't in the mood for sweets. Instead, she told Katakuri once more to make sure the Straw Hat Pirates received an invitation to her tea party.
Seeing how highly his mother valued Luffy, Katakuri didn't dare to be negligent. He immediately ordered a more thorough investigation into the Straw Hats, ensuring that every detail of their movements was monitored. At the same time, he remained vigilant about how the other three emperors might react to the idea of recruiting them.
In Wano, Kaido simply scoffed at the news and continued drinking, uninterested.
Meanwhile, aboard the Moby Dick, the atmosphere was much livelier.
"Father, it's Ace's little brother in the news again! He keeps getting more and more shocking. Not only did he defeat the Golden Lion before, but now he's gone toe-to-toe with Kizaru. At this rate, when he enters the New World, he might really go toe-to-toe with an emperor!"
Marco grinned as he unfolded the new bounty posters of the Straw Hats.
The other division commanders gathered around, expressions of surprise appearing one after another.
"Just after entering the Grand Line, and the total bounty is already over 1.1 billion? He really has the makings of a future Emperor. Ace's little brother might become our rival someday," Jozu joked.
"I'm a bit interested in this Roronoa," Vista said as he studied Zoro's bounty. "He's wielding three Great Grade swords. Maybe he'll be a fun opponent one day. But just because he has more swords doesn't mean he's stronger than me!"
"Yeah, more swords don't always mean more strength—just like how your dual swords can't match Mihawk's single blade."
"Marco, do you want a beating?" Vista glared.
"Hey, hey, there's no shame in admitting you're not as strong as the World's Greatest Swordsman, right? Or are you saying you can beat Mihawk now?"
"I..." Vista was left speechless.
If he could beat Mihawk, he'd already have taken the title of the world's strongest swordsman! Did Marco really have to rub salt in the wound? That was low.
Whitebeard let out a booming laugh.
"Gurararara! My sons, a high bounty doesn't necessarily mean true strength, but Ace's little brother is no joke.
If you all slack off, you'll be left behind.
Starting today, anyone who dares to be lazy in front of me will taste the full force of my Gura Gura no Mi!"
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