Reid had been so focused on the bounty posters that he hadn't even noticed the numbers at first. Now, staring at that staggering string of golden digits, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million, hundred million… 1.58 billion Berries?!"
His voice trembled as he read it aloud.
"Hahaha! Reid, seems your Devil Fruit power caught the Marines' attention. A debut bounty of 1.58 billion—impressive!"
Jabba grinned, clearly pleased. As a member of the Roger Pirates, the stronger Reid was, the better.
"Makes sense," Rayleigh mused, adjusting his glasses. "The Navy's playing games. They deliberately inflated your bounty and specified 'capture alive'—meaning they're terrified of you dying before they extract your secrets. After all, your power mirrors Sengoku's."
Reid's scalp prickled. "Rayleigh, don't say it like that…"
Suddenly, fame didn't feel so great.
"Relax," Jabba chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "Your poster says 'alive.' Means you're safe for now. Unlike us—'dead or welcome'!"
"Hey! Where's my bounty?!" Shanks suddenly realized his face wasn't on any posters.
"Yeah! What about me, Buggy the Great?! I'm a Devil Fruit user!"
Buggy's body split apart dramatically, his teeth bared in outrage.
"You two didn't fight last time. Want a higher bounty? Get stronger first," Rayleigh said with a smirk.
"Hah! But you did guard Captain's wife well. Tonight, you get extra drinks!" Jabba slung an arm around them. "Oh, and Roger sent me to fetch you all—we're throwing a party!"
"Party?! Did Captain's wife give birth?!" Shanks' eyes sparkled.
"Wait, she did? Boy or girl?!" Buggy clenched his fists in excitement.
"Idiots," Jabba sighed. "Roger said Rouge's due in months. It's only been days."
"Then why the celebration?" Rayleigh grinned. "Don't tell me—the whole crew's back?"
"Yep. Except Oden, Crocus, and… well, let's count Bartolomeo. Everyone else is here."
"The entire Roger Pirates… assembled?"
Reid's curiosity burned. He'd already met Rayleigh, Jabba, and Sunbell—but now, he'd see them all.
"YEAH! I missed those guys!" Shanks jumped up, ecstatic.
"Heh, me too." Buggy rubbed his nose, smiling.
"Hahaha! Training's canceled. Let's celebrate!" Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, eyes gleaming.
"Gurgle gurgle!"
The six Storm Hopper Crabs waved their claws at the oden pot.
"Ah, you little rascals did well. This pot's all yours."
Rayleigh was pleased—they'd helped Shanks awaken a trace of Conqueror's Haki.
"Gurgle gurgle!"
The crabs immediately dove into the oden, fighting over chunks.
"Alright, let's head back."
Rayleigh slung an arm around Jabba, grinning.
"Heh."
Jabba hooked his arms around Rayleigh and Reid, the three walking shoulder-to-shoulder. Shanks and Buggy trailed beside them, buzzing with excitement.
At the Bar:
"Hey, Captain Roger—when you said 'goodbye' last time, were you just sneaking off to see your wife?! And faking a terminal illness?! You bastard! Do you know how heartbroken we were?!"
The speaker was a ponytailed swordsman named Spencer, his glare shifting pointedly toward Rouge.
Blushing under the crew's teasing gazes, Rouge sipped her drink while Elio chuckled beside her.
"Hahaha! Sorry, Spencer. Forgot to mention—we've got a new crewmate. He cured me. I wasn't lying back then; I really was dying."
Roger downed his ale in one gulp.
"True story," Sunbell nodded. "Reid healed my wounds with just a touch. Unreal."
"Wait… Reid? That kind of healing exists?!"
Spencer's jaw dropped. If this guy could cure terminal illnesses…
"Hahaha! Can't wait to meet this new guy. With Reid around, we'll basically be invincible!"
A man puffing on a pipe—Donquino—grinned through the smoke.
"Yeah! Maybe he can even reverse aging! Hahaha!"
The one who spoke was the short, elderly-looking Brumarin, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Hah! Let's test that theory later!" Roger laughed, though everyone knew true age reversal was impossible—the world couldn't handle that kind of power.
The rest of the crew buzzed with excitement.
"Where are they? I'm itching to start this party!"
The booming voice belonged to Max, a barrel-chested giant of a man with arms thicker than tree trunks.
"Relax—Jabba went to fetch Rayleigh and the others. They'll be here soon."
Roger's gaze lingered on the doorway, his eyes alight with the unshakable charisma of a true captain.
Moments later...
The bar door swung open as Rayleigh and the group returned.