Ruler of the East Blue!

Several days later, a new bounty poster was released.

In the past, this would have been a trivial matter, a common sight in the Great Pirate Era. At most, people might have commented, "Even Momonga is in the East Blue and still dares to show off? What a fearless guy."

But when people saw the bounty poster clearly, they spat out a mouthful of blood.

Bounty: FRANCISLOVETT!

Codename: Black Count!

Bounty Requirement: DEAD OR ALIVE!

Crimes: Night raid on Branch 153, killing 227 officers and soldiers; true culprit of the Ghost Ship Incident, causing widespread panic; attacking a Navy warship from Branch 16, killing 109 officers and soldiers; cooperating with the Arlong Pirates to dominate Cocoyasi Village and exploit the populace; hijacking a Navy warship... etc.!

Bounty Amount: 55,000,000!

Validity: Permanently valid!

Instantly, the East Blue erupted!!!

Previously, there had been debates in the East Blue about who the strongest pirate was. Some said the Arlong Pirates, the strength of Fishmen undeniable, and their bounty the highest. Others said the Krieg Pirates, for while Fishmen were strong, they were few in number, and the Krieg Pirates were so formidable that even regular Navy branches dared not provoke them. Still others nominated "Hundred Plans" Kuro, whose combat record was the most dazzling, having broken through enemy lines dozens of times with just one ship.

But now, all debate ceased abruptly.

The staggering bounty of 55 million Belly rendered all previous "evidence" pale and powerless.

The Navy only set bounties based on the level of threat. However, bounties largely represented the threat posed by someone's strength, unless, like "Devil Child" Nico Robin, they possessed forbidden ancient knowledge, in which case the bounty might be exaggerated.

55 million Belly!

This was a number that could silence the entire East Blue!

And it wasn't just that.

When Bounty Hunters went to the nearest Navy branch to purchase information on this Black Count, they were stunned to discover that, in addition to the crimes, there were three other achievements listed.

First, the annihilation of the Black Cat Pirates. Except for the new captain, Zango, who was suspected to have survived, all others were slaughtered.

Second, the annihilation of the Arlong Pirates. The Navy suspected a dispute over spoils. Including the great pirate Arlong, with a bounty of 20 million Belly, less than ten of the surviving Fishmen remained.

And finally...

Vice Admiral Momonga led a large force in pursuit. Using the bizarre tactic of controlling villagers to commit suicide, forcing the Navy to abandon the pursuit to save them, his strength was enough to block a sword from Momonga and escape unscathed!

Danger Level: Five Stars!

It is strongly recommended that Bounty Hunters targeting this bounty form a group, otherwise, certain death awaits.

The Navy and Bounty Hunters have a complementary relationship. Although the former's upper echelons often scoffed at the latter, thinking it a waste of talent for those with strength not to join the Navy.

But at the lower levels, the Navy and Bounty Hunters were like a fence and a morning glory, each with their own boundaries. Simple contributions of information benefited both sides.

The last point was added at Momonga's strong insistence.

He wasn't afraid of losing face; he simply didn't want anyone to die in vain.

To escape from Momonga unscathed?!

And to annihilate Arlong's group of Fishmen?!

With these three pieces of news released, no one dared to question the strength of [Black Count] Lowett any further.

Number one in the East Blue, truly deserved!

East Blue, an unnamed desolate island.

The Golden War Spear slammed onto the table, its weight of over 2000 pounds instantly smashing the thick wooden table to pieces, sending dust billowing.

"Number one in the East Blue?"

Clad in golden armor, Krieg Pirates' Captain Krieg's eyes were cold as he turned to look at the subordinate who had delivered the message.

"That's what everyone's saying outside?"

"Yes, yes..."

The pirate subordinate glanced fearfully at the mottled cracks on the ground. They couldn't even lift the Golden War Spear, yet their captain could wield it as a weapon.

"Interesting!"

"It seems another troublesome fellow has appeared on my path to dominating the East Blue."

Krieg pulled the war spear back, holding it beside him.

"Gin, what do you think?"

Beside him was Krieg's most trusted subordinate, the Krieg Pirates' Battle Captain, "Demon" Agin.

He wasn't tall, even considered short, only 1.6 meters. His appearance was unkempt, with dark circles under his eyes.

Yet, this unassuming individual possessed combat strength second only to Krieg within the entire Krieg Pirates.

It could even be said that excluding equipment differences, it was uncertain who would win in a one-on-one fight.

However, such a situation was impossible. Agin's loyalty to Krieg was the real reason he was the Captain.

Hearing this, Agin lowered his head and pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Very tricky!"

"We made a hypothesis that to deal with Arlong's crew by leveraging the sea area advantage, we'd need a large force of at least a thousand men."

"And yet, he managed to kill Arlong by himself..."

"Hmph! You believe the Navy's lies too?"

Suddenly, Krieg snorted coldly.

"The destruction of the Arlong Pirates and his escape from Momonga happened on the same day. If you tell me there's nothing fishy going on, I won't believe you."

"Don't forget, he's also the culprit behind the Ghost Ship Incident. Where those vanished pirates went remains an unsolved mystery to this day."

Agin remained silent.

He knew how confident and arrogant Krieg was. Krieg had his sights set on the Fishmen of the Arlong Pirates five years ago but had always been unable to defeat them.

Now, they had been wiped out by an unknown newcomer, which made Krieg furious.

A man who aspired to be the overlord of the East Blue, how could he lose to someone else?

He was the true number one in the East Blue!

But... that being said, What if the truth was really as the Navy said?

Agin rationally refrained from voicing his speculation.

"How's the matter I asked you to investigate last time?"

Krieg continued to ask.

"Yes, we've investigated it. There are thirteen armories, tens of thousands of weapons, and a bank established by an affiliated nation,"

Second Division Captain Baru said with a fawning smile as he approached. "We should thank this Lowett. If he hadn't destroyed the Arlong Pirates and the Black Cat Pirates, it would have been difficult for our men to gather information in the sea areas they roamed."

East Blue pirates rarely occupied a single area, but they had customary ranges of activity.

The areas roamed by the Black Cat Pirates and the Arlong Pirates contained many good things that made people's eyes turn red.

However, Baru was foolish and said something Krieg didn't want to hear, his flattery falling flat.

BANG!!

With a look of astonishment on his face, a fist the size of a sandbag smashed directly into his face. The immense force spread through the muscles of his face, sending him flying.

Calmly retracting his fist, Krieg patted the dust off himself.

"Notify everyone, prepare to depart!"

"This time, we can't make the same mistake again."

Agin's face stiffened, and he nodded upon hearing this.

"Understood!"

Last time, they had recruited heavily and expanded their pirate crew, only to find they didn't have enough weapons or ships, and had to dismiss the excess personnel, which was extremely embarrassing.

The Krieg Pirates didn't lack money; they lacked supplies!

New ships were already under construction, but weapons were hard to find.

Thinking of the mountains of weapons piled up in those thirteen armories, Krieg's eyes turned red.

Once they succeeded this time, it would be enough for him to raise a pirate army of tens of thousands!

At that time, what kind of Black Count would dare to stand against their powerful ships and cannons!

"I'll see who the true overlord of the East Blue is!"

Meanwhile, what was "East Blue Overlord" Lowett, who had appeared out of nowhere, doing?

"Hemostat."

A pair of forceps was placed in his hand. Lowett thrust it in with force.

Squish...

Blood sprayed over a meter high.

If you drain the blood, it stops bleeding, right?

Such a simple principle.

"Bone drill."

Whirr...

"Hammer."

Clang...

"Steel nail."

Clank...

"Wrench."

Creak...

"Crowbar."

Snap...

"Sandwich."

Chomp chomp...

While eating dinner, Lowett carefully examined the biological modification in front of him, giving himself a mental pat on the back.

"Not bad, at least it looks human now."

"Ketchup."

Squelch!

"Next is the nurturing period..."

Poof poof!

With a wave of his arm, Skull Soul Lanterns were lit, illuminating the dim ship's cabin.

At this moment, it could be seen that in the center of the cabin, a low-profile pool built from wooden planks was filled with blood. Through the churning blood waves, a bone powder magic circle inscribed with spells on its base emitted a faint silvery-white glow.

Different magic circles had different effects and required different materials to draw.

Lowett wasn't planning to take the repeated agility route with Arlong's corpse. Although the differences were minor as they leveled up, the distinctions between specializations were quite obvious in the early stages.

Plop!

The Black Knight silently lifted the five-meter-tall corpse piece and threw it into the blood pool. The blood immediately seemed to come alive, defying gravity as it climbed onto the corpse and flowed in through its mouth, ears, and nose.

After doing this, the Black Knight tore off his kitchen apron and roared in a low voice.

"Roar!"

"What is he here for?"

"Roar roar!"

"Oh? The Navy is this fast?"

Lowett turned back in surprise.

He had spent many days at home modifying the Black Knight. While the entire East Blue was shaken by his sudden appearance, Lowett, as the protagonist, knew nothing about it.

Thanks to the readers ~Wen He, Luan Wu~ for the 10,000 reward! Thank you for your support!

Speaking of which, ten thousand means an extra update. I only have two chapters saved, let me see if I can finish the third chapter... I was lazy for seven days during the National Day holiday, and now I have to start paying my dues.

Da Shu sincerely thanks you!

This book has been truly fraught with difficulties, making me weary.

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author. Perhaps the name has just been changed!

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