Soba Island

Two days later, over the sea, News Bird descended from the sky. Nelson took out Beli and handed it to the bird, which took out a newspaper, and of course, the latest bounty poster.

Nelson pulled out the bounty poster and his eyes lit up. "Teach, we've got a bounty on our heads."

Nelson shouted excitedly, his voice echoing throughout the entire pirate ship. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and those who were training curiously came out of the training room.

Nelson bought several copies of the bounty poster and distributed them to everyone.

It's full of bounties for the Night Pirates.

"Captain of the Night Pirates, 'Claw' Marshall D. Teach, bounty 99 million."

"Gari, a member of the Night Pirates, Mink Tribe, known as 'The Hunter,' with a bounty of 67 million."

"Catwoman, a member of the Night Pirates, with Pito bounty of 58 million, is Zoan -Cat Devil Fruit User."

"Wallace 'Iron', a member of the Night Pirates, with a bounty of 63 million, is a Paramecia Devil Fruit User the Steel-Steel Fruit."

"Nelson, a member of the Night Pirates, has a bounty of 51 million and is suspected to Devil Fruit User."

"Kaguya, a member of the Night Pirates, known as the 'White-Haired Devil,' has a bounty of 18 million."

"Night Pirates executive, gunslinger 'Instant Cry' Kos, bounty 59 million."

"Baccarat, the 'Lucky Girl' and a member of the Night Pirates, has a bounty of 23 million."

Other crew members on the ship were also targeted, with bounties reaching hundreds of thousands or even millions. Although these bounties were not as high as those for the ship's officers, they still made the crew very happy.

Most of them were being targeted with bounties for the first time; some of the officers, like Teach, had been targeted with bounties before, and now the bounties had been increased.

Excluding ordinary crew members, the total bounty of the Night Pirates is as high as 400 million, with Teach alone accounting for nearly 100 million, which is an astonishing bounty in the East Blue.

Teach had to admire the Navy's intelligence capabilities; they had managed to find so much information. However, they were currently unaware that he had once been part of the Whitebeard Pirates. Further investigation could uncover more information about him.

Currently, most of the Navy's intelligence personnel are focused on the New World and don't have the resources to pay attention to him. Otherwise, his bounty wouldn't be less than 100 million Berries. 100 million Berries is a watershed moment; only pirates who reach 100 million Beli are considered a threat by the Navy.

Now, Teach knows that in addition to fighting pirates in the New World, the Navy has a portion of its forces and intelligence gathered in the South Blue to search for information about Roger's offspring, namely the unborn Ace.

The involvement of the World Government's Cipher Pol, all for the sake of an unborn child, makes Teach seem somewhat ridiculous, even disgusting.

"Not even a hundred million, just adding fuel to the fire for the Navy." Teach looked at his bounty. The photo was nice, showing Teach sitting on a small mountain of corpses, looking quite handsome. But the bounty was jarring to him. He needed to make the Navy truly realize his power and the threat he posed.

Concealing some of his strength is necessary; he doesn't want to face Marine Admiral too early. However, if he doesn't fight for a long time, his progress will slow down. Therefore, he needs the Marines to hone his skills, and the crew members under his protection need to improve themselves through combat.

Teach tossed the bounty poster aside and quietly took a sip of his wine.

He was naturally aware of the Navy's actions; intelligence organizations were everywhere in this ocean, Teach could buy them for a few Beli.

Even Teach had to admit it was a big move, but he still didn't recognize his own capabilities.

However, such an operation is not so simple and requires a lot of preparation, so Teach is not in a hurry. The number of crew members in the pirate crew has increased, but the current number is still too small.

The Lucky Goddess was considered a relatively large pirate ship, with two decks on the main deck and two more below.

Teach envisioned a maximum capacity of 250 people, but that would be too crowded, so 200 people would suffice.

Besides officers and ordinary crew members, there were also a few cooks and a doctor on board, but these were all ordinary people.

Throughout the East Blue, undercurrents are surging. Centered around the current overlords of the East Blue, the Night Pirates, some naval spies are secretly observing their movements.

Other forces are also keeping an eye on the Night Pirates.

The East China Sea appeared relatively calm, but they all knew that this was the calm before the storm, and soon, even larger waves would rise.

And they had no idea what the outcome would be.

Soon, half a month passed, and the Night Pirates had been sailing on the sea for half a month, encountering many islands along the way. They were not far from their final destination Boka Boka Kingdom.

Meanwhile, another hundred ordinary crew members were recruited. Given the current reputation of the Night Pirates, countless pirates wanted to join Night Pirates.

Teach and his crew selected only the best of the best, choosing those with strong abilities and high potential, since the number of people they could accommodate was limited.

Now, these crew members are divided into two tiers based on their abilities: elite crew members and ordinary crew members.

The elite crew members were basically those who had followed Teach from the beginning, and after several months of training and numerous battles, they had become elite members.

Most of the ordinary crew members are newly recruited and lack strength and combat experience, so they need to be trained.

Soba Island is an ordinary small island in the East China Sea. There used to be some residents living there, but now they have all disappeared, as if they have all moved away.

Warships were moored along the shore, totaling twenty-three warships.

"Will that guy come?" a colonel asked doubtfully.

"Absolutely. These guys who disregard naval authority have destroyed three more warships in just half a month," another colonel said angrily through gritted teeth.

"Yes, our people have located the Night Pirates and are heading towards Soba Island."

"However, there is a high possibility that our operation will be exposed."

"So what? As long as they're in this sea area, how could they possibly outrun our warships? For pirates, being buried at sea is a pretty way to die."

Just as they suspected, Teach already knew about their actions, but the Night Pirates remained unchanged in their objective.

"Give these naval personnel a lesson." Teach, a cruel smile spreading across his face as he watched the island draw closer.

"Yes, Captain!" the pirates behind him replied excitedly.

They already knew about the navy's encirclement and suppression operation; the number of over ten thousand was terrifying. However, they were the Night Pirates, and they weren't afraid of three thousand men, which was only three times their number.

"Another exciting hunt." Gari gripped his weapons tightly—a double-edged dagger and steel claws—his blood boiling.

"No, this is a massacre." Wallace shook his head, his body brimming with fighting spirit.

"Anyone who dares to provoke Teach deserves to die," Kaguya said coldly, her eyes flashing with a chilling light.

Although the navy was numerous and outnumbered, they were not afraid at all. Most of the strongmen were dealt with by the ship's officers; they only had to deal with a small portion of them.

If he could, Teach could take care of all these Marines with a single use of Conqueror's Haki, and the remaining stronger ones would be a piece of cake for him, but he didn't want to reveal himself so soon.

Moreover, only those who survive are considered elite; those who die are no longer needed by Teach.

"They're here! They're here! The Night Pirates are really here!" A Marine, holding binoculars, exclaimed nervously.

Upon hearing this, the nearby naval personnel immediately relayed the message to the captains of the Combined Fleet, who were also the twenty-three Marine Branch commanders, the twenty-three colonels.

The main leaders of this operation were the most powerful officers, including Colonel Williams, the commander of the 36th Squadron, who served as the overall captain.

"The Night Pirates have appeared on the opposite side of the island; they'll probably stop on the other side."

"Looks like they're going to confront us head-on. They've got guts." A Marine Captain chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes. "When the battle begins, send a few warships to cut off their retreat and sink their pirate ship."

"Yes, they must be wiped out. We've already lost nearly three thousand of our comrades to the Night Pirates."

"However, their strength should not be underestimated."

The naval personnel were discussing something on the other side, unaware that their conversation was being overheard.

Teach smiled, his Observation Haki already covering the entire sea area. He looked at the members surrounding him and said, "Leave twenty people on the ship, plus Baccarat. The Navy will launch a surprise attack on our pirate ship."

"The rest of you, go fight. Gari and Pito, go deeper and take care of the marines on the warships first. Don't let those sailors escape."

"This is a place with excellent feng shui, so let's bury all these navy personnel here," Teach with a faint smile.

"Captain, are you sure this is a place with excellent feng shui?" Nelson's eyes widened. The island was small, mostly wasteland with some sparse jungle, and you could see the end of it at a glance. However, there was a slope in the middle that blocked the warships hidden on the other side.

However, this could not stop people like Teach Pito possessed wide-range Observation Haki.

It even looks somewhat desolate, hardly like a place with auspicious feng shui. It is precisely because of this that there are very few residents on this island, which allowed them to relocate ahead of time.

Around the island, on the distant sea, some small boats were still moored, carrying spies from various major powers in the East China Sea. This scene was being broadcast live from most corners of the East China Sea; it was the first time in recent years that the East China Sea had seen such a large-scale battle between the navy and pirates.

Even more shocking than the banquet held at the Marine Branch, the combined forces of twenty-three Marine Branch were targeting the current overlord of the East Blue, the Night Pirates. The Night Pirates, with only two hundred or so members, did not flee but instead wanted to fight the Navy.

Ignoring the scouts and reporters around him, Teach watched as the Lucky Goddess docked at the shore, and followed Teach off the ship.

Compared to half a month ago, the Night Pirates are much stronger now, with the crew remaining on the ship, in addition to the crew members who stayed behind.

The number of over ten thousand was impossible to hide; even through the live stream, one could see that a large number of marines rapidly approaching the Night Pirates.

Reporter Bird were already prepared in the sky, and the live broadcast even extended to the Grand Line, reaching as far as the Sabaody Archipelago. After all, a battle between pirates and the Navy with tens of thousands of people like this is truly rare.

Even those from the Grand Line were curious; within half a month, the rumors had already spread.

"Let's go, we can't let these navy men underestimate us." Teach smiled and walked forward, his companions following behind him.

Near the center of the island, a group of marines gathered, armed with weapons and guns. Although the Night Pirates were few in number, they were still the current overlords of the East Blue, and some of the marines were still somewhat nervous. Despite taking deep breaths and trying to calm themselves down, they still found it difficult to remain composed.

Such a war is something few naval personnel in the entire East China Sea have experienced, so tension is to be expected.

"The Night Pirates should have already landed. Did our scouts find any trace of Night Pirates?" a colonel asked.

"Colonel, I'm sorry, we can't get through to those Marines' Den Den Mushi right now." The adjutant beside him looked rather grim. "It's possible the Night Pirates have already arrived."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gasp of surprise rang out from all around, and everyone turned their gaze to the top of the slope, where figures appeared one after another.

"Look, it's the Night Pirates! They're here!" a marine shouted.

Ordinary people, bounty hunters, pirates, and nobles watching the live stream were all paying close attention, their eyes wide as they stared at the pirates of the Night Pirates.

The one in the lead was naturally Teach, his black pirate coat and slightly long hair fluttering in the wind.

Wallace crossed his arms and held his head high.

Gari seemed eager to try, and his gaze sent chills down the spines of the sailors, as if they were being watched by a wild beast.

Nelson was wearing a black face mask that covered his neck and even his eyes.

Kos held his spear, his merciless eyes indifferent to life. Being stared at by him felt like your heart was being pierced through.

Pito remained unfazed; she had experienced far greater events, and her small body contained immense strength.

"Baboon! Baboon! Stay tuned, it's going to be so interesting!" In Beihai, a man with short blond hair wearing a pink coat and a fur coat couldn't help but laugh in front of the screen.

"Young Master, do you know him?" Diamante asked Doflamingo with some surprise.

"Hmm, an interesting person," Doflamingo said with a hopeful smile.

"It's him!" In the Sabaody Archipelago, standing in front of the large screen, a swordsman carrying a large sword on his back narrowed his eyes upon seeing Teach's face.

This is Mihawk, who came to the Grand Line in order to challenge more swordsmen.

I never expected something like this to happen in the East China Sea.