Target Acquired: Charlotte Cracker!

Other pirates with bounties over 100 million were scattered here and there.

The Four Emperors were different. Each probably had more pirates with bounties over 100 million under their command than he could count on both hands.

As emperors of the New World, they controlled vast territories and naturally needed powerful subordinates to guard them.

So.

He only needed to find one of the Four Emperors' territories, and he was sure to encounter pirates with bounties over 100 million.

"Which Emperor's crew should I choose, though?"

Feng Lei stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

"Forget it. I won't choose. I'll find an inhabited island and ask around, then pick whichever Emperor's territory is closest!"

"But..."

"Before that, I'll finish grinding out my learning progress for Dust Release!"

This was a deserted island, perfect for his training.

As he repeatedly ground out his learning progress, Feng Lei had also noticed something.

Ninjutsu with an evolution path of their own, like the Sharingan and the Eight Gates, were especially slow to train.

By contrast, Ninjutsu without an evolution path, like Earth Release: Earth Spear, were much faster.

That meant.

He only needed to repeat Dust Release a few hundred times to complete his learning progress.

In the blink of an eye, a day passed.

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"

As his shout rang out, Feng Lei raised both hands level with his chest, palms facing each other to form a triangle.

The next instant.

A blinding white light shone from the center of the triangle, then turned into a cylindrical beam of white light that shot toward the mountain ahead.

Whoosh!

Everything in the white beam's path was disintegrated, turning into tiny particles of light that vanished.

When the white beam disappeared, an enormous hole had appeared in the middle of the massive mountain, piercing straight through it.

Feng Lei swept his gaze over it and could see the sea on the other side of the mountain.

[Dust Release: (learned)].

A system notification sounded. Feng Lei's gaze sharpened, a trace of amazement appearing in his eyes.

"As expected of a Ninjutsu that could disintegrate even Madara's Susanoo. Its destructive power isn't any weaker than the Glint-Glint Fruit's!"

"Time to leave!"

Feng Lei pushed off with his foot and flew into the sky, one step at a time.

Using Geppo, he stepped through the air until he was a hundred meters up.

However.

He scanned the surrounding sea and couldn't see a single island.

"Kizaru must have done this on purpose."

As the Admiral who hated work the most, he had evidently thought bringing Feng Lei to the New World was a bother and simply dropped him off on a remote island.

"Too bad, Kizaru. You miscalculated!"

Feng Lei shook his head, a smile appearing on his face.

"Anyone else would die of exhaustion, even if they knew Geppo, but I'm different!"

After he began training the Eight Gates, the system strengthened his body each time he opened a gate.

After six consecutive strengthenings, even Feng Lei didn't know how strong his body was.

But since the first strengthening alone had made him comparable to Luffy during the Enies Lobby arc, six strengthenings had probably brought his physique close to a Four Emperor's!

Still, without actual combat, it was hard to say.

But relying on Geppo, he could fly for days and nights without any problem.

Whoosh!

Feng Lei stepped on the air and shot off in one direction like a bullet.

Half a day later.

Feng Lei finally spotted an island. It had buildings towering into the clouds and looked very prosperous.

"I'll find someone and ask around first!"

Feng Lei concealed his presence and quietly landed on a street.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and people came and went, making for a lively scene.

With a casual glance, he could see quite a few pirates.

"As expected of the New World. Pirates are everywhere in a place ruled by the Four Emperors!"

Watching those pirates drink and enjoy themselves without restraint, completely unconcerned about being arrested, Feng Lei couldn't help smacking his lips.

This really was a paradise for pirates!

"Fuck that Ang Duo! Sooner or later, I'll kill him myself!"

Just then, inside a tavern nearby, a tall, square-faced pirate slammed his mug down on the table, making a loud noise.

A group of pirates around the table were also indignant.

"Ang Duo's been getting more and more arrogant lately. He even dared to come after us, and he took over every shop I managed!"

"Who gave him the guts?"

"You don't know? Ang Duo recently got in with a big shot. That's why he dares to take over our territory so brazenly."

"Who?"

All the pirates looked over.

The pirate who knew the details sighed. "An officer of the Big Mom Pirates, one of the Sweetheart Four Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Cracker!"

"What!?"

At once, the entire tavern fell deathly silent.

After a long while.

The pirates gritted their teeth, their faces showing unwillingness to accept it.

"What kind of dogshit luck did that guy have to get in with a big shot like that?!"

"Doesn't that mean Ang Duo's joined one of the Four Emperors? Now we'll have to go out of our way to avoid him!"

"Yeah! They're one of the Four Emperors, after all. How could we afford to provoke them?"

"Alas..."

Amid all the sighing.

Suddenly.

A calm voice came from the tavern entrance, reaching their ears.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where this Ang Duo you're talking about is?"

Hearing this, the pirates turned and focused their gazes on the figure in the doorway.

He was a handsome youth with black hair and black eyes.

It was Feng Lei.

"A marine?"

Seeing Feng Lei's marine uniform, the pirates looked suspicious.

The New World was ruled by the Four Emperors. In this paradise for pirates, they naturally had no fear of the marines.

Besides.

In their eyes, Feng Lei was nothing but a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old brat. What threat could he pose, even if he was a marine?

"Hahahaha, that's killing me! You're a marine, and you're actually asking us pirates for information about another pirate?"

"Hey, hey, hey, marine brat, what makes you think we'd tell you?"

The pirates immediately looked mocking and stared at Feng Lei with teasing expressions.

Feng Lei paid them no mind and said calmly, "From what I heard, that Ang Duo seems to be your enemy, doesn't he?"

"How about this?"

"You tell me where Ang Duo is, and I'll take care of him for you. While I'm at it, I'll deal with the big shot backing him too!"

When Feng Lei finished speaking, the pirates froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha!"

"Did you hear what he said? He said he'd deal with Charlotte Cracker, one of the Sweetheart Four Sweet Commanders!"

"Pfft! Little marine, did you come here just to make us laugh?"

To these pirates, Feng Lei was a joke.

In the New World, the Four Emperors stood far above everyone else. Which of their capable commanders wasn't a powerful figure who dominated a region?

Even they felt powerless, let alone a little marine.

Feng Lei shrugged and said dismissively, "So what? What's the harm in telling me? What do you have to lose?"

Hearing that.

The pirate who had slammed down his mug looked briefly taken aback, then said, "That's true! I'll tell you, then!"

"Ang Duo's at the Giant Casino in the east. But a word of warning: the thugs there aren't as easygoing as we are. They love killing marines!"

"Especially torturing them to death!"

With that.

He looked at Feng Lei with a smile.

Unfortunately for him.

He didn't see a trace of fear on Feng Lei's face.

Having obtained a lead, Feng Lei's heart stirred, and he turned toward the Giant Casino in the east.

Charlotte Cracker!

A bounty of 860 million Beli!

Thinking of Cracker's bounty, Feng Lei's lips curved upward. It looked like he wouldn't have to waste any time.

"If you want to blame anyone, blame your bad luck!"