Luffy picked up the Bounty Poster, looked it over from side to side, then excitedly raised it over his head and laughed wildly at the Great Sea:
"Hahahaha! Did you see that?! I have a bounty now! Fifty million Belly! I'm a great pirate!"
"Fifty million..."
Zoro looked at the number, a wild smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"For a first bounty, that's an incredible number. Looks like Navy Headquarters has already noticed us."
Ronan stood nearby, looking at the Bounty Poster with a slight lift of his brow as he pondered in silence.
Something was wrong.
According to the original plot, Luffy's first bounty after defeating Arlong should have been thirty million Belly. Why had it become fifty million?
Ronan's mind raced, and he quickly found the reason.
Of course... the Butterfly Effect.
In the original plot, although Luffy defeated Arlong, he had not completely crippled Rat Captain. He had merely beaten him up.
But this time, on my advice, we not only destroyed Arlong's base, but also left that Marine branch captain permanently disabled.
Attacking a Marine captain and severely crippling him was, in the eyes of Navy Headquarters, an open provocation against Justice. It was far worse than an ordinary pirate brawl.
Those extra twenty million were probably payment for the Navy's pride.
Thinking that, Ronan could not help but laugh.
The storm stirred by his butterfly wings seemed to have arrived faster than he had imagined.
"You guys..."
Watching Luffy beam smugly while Zoro looked completely unconcerned, Nami felt a deep sense of helplessness.
She raised a hand to her forehead and warned them sternly, "You still don't understand how serious this is, do you? This isn't some certificate of merit!"
"A fifty-million-Belly bounty means we'll become targets for countless Bounty Hunters and Naval Elites!"
"It means they're after your lives! It looks like we can't keep taking it easy in the East Blue. We have to enter the Grand Line as soon as possible!"
"It's fine, it's fine!" Luffy said with a grin. "We were going to the Grand Line anyway! Besides, we're all strong!"
Just as everyone was discussing the bounty,
Zoro, who had been leaning against the railing, suddenly froze.
His sharp senses caught an unusual disturbance coming from the distant sky.
He lifted his head and squinted toward the point where sea and sky met, his voice puzzled.
"Hey, Luffy, Ronan... what's that?"
Everyone followed Zoro's gaze.
Far off in the eastern sky, the once-white clouds seemed to have been churned by something.
Then, a flock of enormous green figures broke through the clouds and slowly flew toward the Merry.
As they drew closer, the figures gradually became clearer.
They were massive, with wingspans over a dozen meters wide. They resembled prehistoric pterosaurs, their bodies covered in thick green feathers.
But the strangest part was their heads—each one was clearly a majestic, ancient Dragon head with long whiskers!
They flew in groups, letting out long, desolate cries like calls from antiquity that shook the entire sea area.
"Those are... Dragons?!"
Usopp collapsed to the deck in terror, even the finger he pointed at the sky trembling. "There really are Dragons! So many Dragons! We're going to get eaten!"
Luffy's eyes lit up, and drool instantly ran from his mouth. "They look delicious! Is that meat? Flying meat!"
Nami rapidly searched through her knowledge of navigation. "Th-this... could they be legendary creatures? I've only seen something similar in ancient illustrated guides..."
As Ronan watched the Dragons fill the sky, a flash of insight struck him, and a nearly forgotten memory suddenly resurfaced.
"Thousand-Year Dragons."
Ronan slowly spoke the three words, unprecedented brilliance bursting from his eyes.
These were creatures from the Warship Island arc, an anime-original storyline! He had not expected them to truly exist in this world!
"They're Thousand-Year Dragons that migrate once every thousand years, returning to the Dragon's Nest to lay eggs!"
Ronan's voice rose slightly with excitement.
He suddenly turned toward Luffy and Zoro, his tone carrying an irresistible temptation.
"Luffy, Zoro. Haven't you both been complaining that the Second Stage of your Horizontal Training Kung Fu has been progressing too slowly?"
"I think... our opportunity has arrived."
"An opportunity?" Zoro paused, then looked toward the flock of Dragons in the sky. "You mean..."
Ronan drew a deep breath and explained quickly.
"In traditional Chinese medicine... no, in ancient Eastern medicine, tiger bones are already top-grade medicinal materials for strengthening tendons and bones."
"For those who practice Horizontal Training Kung Fu, tiger bones are rare treasures that strengthen the tendons and bones. But... if Dragon bones could be used to prepare a medicinal bath..."
Ronan took another deep breath.
"The Thousand-Year Dragon bones of creatures with thousand-year lifespans and abundant vitality contain essence that is absolutely a hundred times stronger than tiger bones! They're genuine heavenly treasures!"
"They're naturally the finest, most top-tier 'medicinal catalyst'!"
"If we can obtain Dragon bones and combine them with my secret formula, I'm confident that before we enter the Grand Line, we can cultivate Bronze Skin Iron Bones to Great Accomplishment! We might even... touch the threshold of the Third Stage!"
"By then, forget blades and bullets—even cannonballs might not be able to hurt you in the slightest!"
"Dragon bones... medicinal baths..."
Those words drilled into Zoro and Luffy's ears like a spell.
The Fighting Spirit in Zoro's eyes instantly surged to its peak. Looking at the Dragons in the sky, he no longer saw living creatures, but piles of flying Divine Weapons.
His desire for power overwhelmed everything else.
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji, staring murderously at the sky. "Should we knock them down?"
"No. They're migrating."
Ronan analyzed the situation calmly. "Follow them! They'll definitely go to their nest, and then we'll make our move!"
"Nami! Change course!"
Luffy swept out an arm and stood at the ship's bow, pointing in the direction the Thousand-Year Dragons were flying as he shouted an order.
"Merry—full speed ahead!!"
"Follow those Dragons! We're going to eat... ah, no, we're going on an adventure!!"
"Honestly... every one of you has gone crazy."
Though Nami complained, her hands did not slow as she swiftly adjusted the sails. "Hold on tight! We're speeding up!"
The Merry rode the wind and waves, chasing the Dragons through the sky as it sped toward the unknown Warship Island.
Standing at the ship's bow, Ronan stroked his cold iron spear and watched the Dragon silhouettes grow clearer, silently reciting to himself:
"Minor Accomplishment in Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Refinement... Bronze Skin Iron Bones... Indestructible Diamond."
"I'm borrowing this favorable wind, no matter what."
Before you continue