Get Rich Together

The East Blue.

Somewhere in the waters near Syrup Village.

Aboard a ship flying a flag with a cat skull pattern.

"East Blue's new overlord? Fifty million? That's a terrifying bounty!"

"You're really not going? Kuro~" The man in a jazz hat and suit, dressed like a wandering dancer, pushed up his heart-shaped glasses and yawned, then smiled at the other man—who had slicked-back hair, glasses, and a suit—and said, "This is a carnival for East Blue pirates, you know."

"I don't want to be a pirate anymore. You know that, Jango. I paid a heavy price to kill every Marine hunting me, even killed myself." Kuro adjusted his glasses with his wrist and said flatly, "I just don't want to be a pirate anymore."

"Are you really going to keep playing butler forever?" Hearing Kuro's words, Jango pressed down his hat with his left hand, rubbed his belly with his right, and tapped out a fancy dance step with his feet. Then he suddenly turned his head and smiled at Kuro. "Playing house can wait anytime. Let's enjoy this rare carnival first—consider it a celebration of your retirement. Besides, weren't you planning to take out that couple? We can handle it on the way."

With that.

Hearing Jango's words, Kuro's face showed a flicker of hesitation, his ambition not yet dead.

He wasn't playing butler purely for the role; he was planning to seize the wealth of Syrup Village's richest family and live happily ever after.

To that end, even in retirement, he had never abandoned the Black Cat Pirates.

He'd thought the East Blue was just a bunch of boring pirates playing boring games, to the point it annoyed him.

But now, right as he was about to retire, he ran into something this interesting?

If he didn't join in, wouldn't his pirate career end in the dullest way possible?

With that thought, Kuro's eyes flickered, and a cold smile curled at his lips. "Fine. Becoming the East Blue Overlord isn't that easy. I hope it's not like that Krieg Pirates guy, who dared call himself the East Blue Overlord with a mere 17 million Beri."

He pushed up his glasses again.

"In that case, before I leave, let me take part in this pirate carnival first! When I get back, I'll play the butler game then."

With that, he raised his head. Kuro, dressed in a sharp suit, stared at the calm sea.

"Moke Pirates, let me see what right you have to a fifty-million Beri bounty!"

Bounty: 16 million Beri. The Black Cat Pirates join!

Still the East Blue.

Somewhere at sea.

A ship with a swan figurehead, hearts everywhere, and even a heart in the skull on its pirate flag.

"Koby! Who is the most beautiful woman on this sea?"

"Hehe, hehe... heh, that's, that's..." The man called Koby, with pink hair, a gourd-shaped face, and round glasses, faced the huge, freckled woman holding a spiked club. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he still grinned cheerfully, scratching his head with an awkward smile. "It's Miss Alvida, of course!"

Thinking of his situation, Koby sighed helplessly inside.

Not long ago, while fishing, he'd boarded the wrong ship and been captured by the Alvida Pirates. Now he was stuck as a handyman.

Every day, Alvida herself came to ask him this question several times. Luckily... as long as he praised how beautiful she was, nothing bad happened.

"I really am the most beautiful woman on this sea." Hearing Koby's answer, Alvida, hefting her spiked club, showed a satisfied smile on her freckled face. Then she turned to her underlings and bared a vicious grin. "Hurry up and clean this ship spotless—not a speck of dust! Only the most beautiful ship is worthy of the most beautiful me!"

"Yes, yes, yes! We'll clean it right away."

Threatened by their boss, the underlings dared not complain and quickly nodded.

Just then.

Suddenly.

One underling timidly raised a hand and stammered, "Miss Alvida, the new East Blue Overlord has issued a summons. Should we go? I hear a lot of pirate crews are heading there."

"East Blue Overlord? The Krieg Pirates?"

"Not the Krieg Pirates—the new overlord, Captain of the Moke Pirates." Hearing his boss's confusion, the underling showed a hint of admiration. "He's a man with a fifty-million Beri bounty!"

At that.

"Fifty million?" Even the vain Alvida was shocked, her eyes widening in disbelief. "The Moke Pirates?"

Then she glared at the still-admiring underling and snarled, "Spit it out!"

"The Moke Pirates—I heard about them at the market. Their captain seems to have some grudge against Marine Branch 16." The underling flinched, snapped back to reality, and quickly continued. "So after getting this fifty-million Beri bounty, he suddenly issued a summons to the whole sea. He wants to wash Marine Branch 16 in blood in front of all pirates and declare himself the East Blue Overlord. Even if you just show up and don't fight, he guarantees all the wealth inside Marine Branch 16 is ours for the taking."

As he spoke, he handed over a wanted poster of the Moke Pirates' captain, obtained that morning.

"Wash Marine Branch 16 in blood?" Hearing this, Alvida paused again, then burst into wild laughter. "How interesting!"

Looking at the bald, burly man on the wanted poster.

Alvida narrowed her eyes slightly, then raised her spiked club again. "Boys, let's join this East Blue carnival too! Let more people see my beauty!"

With that.

"Alvida is the most beautiful woman on this sea!"

All the underlings cheered excitedly, including the errand boy Koby.

But.

Even as he raised his hand and cheered, a trace of conflict and reluctance flickered in his eyes.

Bloodbath at Marine Branch 16?

How many people would die from that?

[Maybe I should find a chance to tip off the Marines?]

Amid the cheers, Alvida's Pirate Ship slowly set sail in one direction.

The Alvida Pirates, with a bounty of 5 million, join in!

Elsewhere in the East Blue.

A certain island.

This was territory belonging to the former overlord of the East Blue—the Krieg Pirates.

At that moment.

"A pirate gathering call? A new East Blue overlord?" After receiving the news, the captain of the Krieg Pirates, Commodore Krieg, sneered coldly. "Boys, we're going too! Let this old man see who dares to steal my title as East Blue Overlord."

"Commodore, we're joining? That's declaring war on the Marines!" Seeming to catch his captain's displeasure, the Krieg Pirates fleet's combat chief, Arlong, showed a worried expression as he tried to reason. "And that guy has a bounty of 50 million. To get such a high bounty, he must be a truly vicious bastard. We don't need to provoke him, Commodore. Isn't our dream to enter the Grand Line?"

But.

"Shut up! Bounties don't represent strength!" Facing his subordinate's advice, Krieg glared at him in dissatisfaction, speaking coldly. "I am the East Blue Overlord! No one can take my title!"

"But Commodore..."

"Go prepare the fleet!"

"Fine!" Seeing the Commodore's growing displeasure, Arlong could only sigh helplessly and give in. "I understand, but... how many ships and men should we bring?"

"Get my Fearless Battleship Saber ready, and have everyone set out!" Krieg's eyes flickered. "Plus the new ships I just bought recently, bring all 50 pirate ships!"

"Huh? Everyone's going? That's 5,000 men and 50 ships—isn't that too much?"

"Shut up, bring them all!" Krieg again snapped at Arlong for questioning him, then smirked coldly as he gazed at the sea before him. "Let's see how this bastard who stole my East Blue Overlord title handles my invincible fleet!"

A new East Blue Overlord?

He hasn't asked me yet!

Waving his hand grandly at the men, "Get ready quickly, and set out immediately."

The Krieg Pirates, with a bounty of 17 million Berries, join in!

Elsewhere.

The sea near Orange Town.

"Boss, are we joining? A new East Blue Overlord, bloodbathing a Marine branch—sounds pretty interesting."

"Shut up!" The man with a red nose, dressed in a jester's outfit and drinking wine, flatly refused his subordinate's invitation. "Just some East Blue Overlord, and he thinks he can summon us? What does he take us for? I am the King of Jesters, Buggy!"

As he spoke.

"Right! What's an East Blue Overlord? Captain Buggy hasn't acknowledged him yet!"

"Just an East Blue Overlord, only a bit higher bounty, so what?"

"If you ask me, our boss is the real East Blue Overlord—he just keeps a low profile."

Hearing their captain's domineering reply, all the crew members cheered, raising their glasses to toast their captain.

But they didn't notice.

At that moment.

Watching his cheering underlings, Buggy the Jester discreetly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, lowering his head to sneak a glance at the bounty poster on the table.

50 million Berries.

And this was the East Blue!

His eyes flickered briefly as he muttered to himself, "Is the East Blue about to produce another big shot?"

Better not provoke him. He just wanted to find treasure anyway.

Raising his wine glass toward his still-cheering men, he shouted with a grin, "Let's toast to this foolish East Blue Overlord!"

"Yeah!"

At that moment.

Countless pirate crews received the East Blue Overlord's summons.

Some pirate crews admired it, some sneered, some dismissed it.

But more and more pirate crews set sail toward the waters the Moke Pirates had named, either to join the excitement or to watch the show.

Without a doubt.

The entire East Blue had erupted into chaos because of Moke's declaration.

Meanwhile, on a certain sea in the East Blue, aboard the Moke Pirates' ship.

Xia Che looked seriously at Moke before him. "Do you know what to do tomorrow?"

"Of course~." Hearing his boss's words, Moke thumped his chest. "I'll tell them the Moke Pirates charge in first, and trick as many pirate crews as possible into joining!"

However.

"Trick? What trick? How are you talking?" Facing Moke's words, Xia Che ignored Nami, who was staring at him with contempt from the side, and seemed somewhat dissatisfied as he glared at Moke. He shook his head in disappointment, then looked at Moke seriously. "We're all brothers here—how can you call it a trick? It should be inviting everyone to get rich together, understand? Tell them you have a path, just a little risky, that's all. Remember, show them the aura of the East Blue Overlord!"

With that.

Moke looked at Xia Che with admiration.

He quickly puffed out his chest and shouted loudly, "I get it, I'm not tricking them, just inviting everyone to get rich together."

Truly worthy of being the boss~

Even when it's all a scam, the way he says it is just classy.