Dividing the Spoils! The Heavenly Tribute Worth a Nation's Wealth!

The Rocks Pirates fleet was currently on its return voyage.

On that transport ship loaded to the brim with Heavenly Tribute.

The cabin doors were wide open, and the gold and silver treasures piled inside were practically spilling out onto the deck.

Rare treasures from countries all over the world, unique local specialties, century-old fine wines... the sheer variety was dazzling and overwhelming.

Deeper inside, there were specially designed display racks showcasing the most precious spoils of this trip—

Devil Fruits and famous blades.

Luo Tian leaned casually against the ship's railing, sipping the fine wine intended for the Celestial Dragons.

It was said that this was fermented for a hundred years using a hundred types of rare flowers and fruits, and a single jar could buy an entire small town.

"Ding! Mission accomplished: Intercept Garp!"

"Reward issued: Congratulations, you have obtained advanced Observation Haki and Ryuo Haki techniques!"

Luo Tian's eyes flickered slightly.

Advanced Observation Haki... Ryuo...

These two rewards had come at the perfect time.

The battle against Garp had made him deeply realize the gap between himself and the top-tier powerhouses.

It wasn't about Devil Fruit abilities or swordsmanship attainments, but the deep application of Haki.

After all, in this world, Haki reigned supreme over everything!

Garp's Armament Haki had already been cultivated to the level of Ryuo, even reaching the realm of internal destruction; every punch contained terrifying power that could penetrate defenses and strike directly at vital points.

If he hadn't used Void Manifestation in time, he likely would have been injured in that fight.

Just look at Shiki; he took a sneak punch from Garp, and his face was still hurting even now.

The difference between Ryuo Haki and Conqueror's Haki Infusion was that the former enhanced penetration, while the latter boosted critical damage.

"Gahahahaha! Kid Luo Tian, you really stole the spotlight this time!"

Shiki hugged a jar of fine wine, took a hearty swig, and walked over to slap a newspaper into Luo Tian's hand:

"Take a look! Those trash in the Navy are actually pretty quick on their feet!"

Luo Tian looked down.

On the bounty poster, his own young and handsome face was clearly printed.

The photo seemed to have been captured by a Visual Den Den Mushi during the battle; in the image, he was holding his blade to meet Garp's Fist.

Below it were the striking words:

[Rocks Pirates Executive · Luo Tian]

[Bounty: 2,500,000,000 Beli]

[Dead or Alive]

2.5 billion!

Even though he had been mentally prepared, a trace of surprise still flashed in Luo Tian's eyes when he saw the number.

A 2.5 billion bounty on his first reveal... This was an unprecedented feat.

It seemed the Navy was truly pushed to their limits this time.

"Gurararara!"

Heavy footsteps approached, and Whitebeard walked over carrying a wine jar even larger than Shiki's, laughing boisterously:

"The Navy is still the same old story; they've kept the news of their failed operation tightly under wraps, only announcing to the public that the Heavenly Tribute was stolen by us."

"Setting a 2.5 billion bounty on a first-timer... the Navy has really gone all out this time."

Whitebeard tilted his head back to take a large gulp of wine, then continued:

"However, this can also be considered 'killing with kindness'."

Luo Tian looked up: "Killing with kindness?"

"That's right."

Whitebeard speculated:

"They are lifting you up to a high pedestal, making you the target of everyone's arrows.

With a 2.5 billion bounty on a newcomer, who knows how many ambitious people on this sea will be eyeing you.

Pirates who want to step on your head to make a name for themselves, Navy soldiers who want to trade your head for a promotion, and those killers in the underworld who do anything for money..."

"But on the other hand, the Navy is indeed under pressure from the situation.

The hijacking of the Heavenly Tribute is a world-shaking event; it couldn't be hidden, so they had to make it public.

And while making it public, they had to give the public an explanation."

"Why was the Heavenly Tribute hijacked? Because the Rocks Pirates are too strong, and because they produced a monster of a newcomer."

"In this way, the Navy's failure becomes 'understandable'."

"It's not that they are incompetent; it's that the enemy is too strong."

Whitebeard's analysis hit the nail on the head.

Luo Tian smiled faintly:

"So, my name... has already spread across this sea? That's fine by me!"

Now, the entire sea knows that there is a newcomer executive in the Rocks Pirates as strong as a monster.

This means that from today on, he has officially joined the ranks of the "big shots" of this sea.

No matter where he goes, this face and this name will bring awe, fear, covetousness, and murderous intent...

But they also bring power and status.

"A first bounty of 2.5 billion... as expected of a disciple brought up by me, Golden Lion Shiki!"

Shiki showed no shame, patting his chest triumphantly as if Luo Tian's achievements were entirely his own doing:

"It seems the Navy has completely set its sights on you! But it doesn't matter. With me around, if anyone dares to touch you, I'll tear their nest apart!"

Luo Tian rolled his eyes: "Hey, hey, hey, Shiki, who is your disciple? We were just sparring, alright?"

Just then, a figure slowly walked out of the cabin.

Rocks walked up to Luo Tian, Shiki, and Whitebeard, his gaze sweeping over the bounty poster in Luo Tian's hand, a meaningful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"The three of you, follow me."

The three followed Rocks deep into the cabin.

The space inside the cabin was much larger than it appeared from the outside. In a massive room over fifty meters long and wide, it was piled high with...

Treasure.

A true "mountain of gold."

All kinds of gold, silver, and jewelry were stacked into peaks.

"Is this the Heavenly Tribute?"

Luo Tian couldn't help but sigh.

These treasures were likely equivalent to the national treasury of a major country.

He made a rough estimate; the gold and silver jewelry before his eyes alone had a total value exceeding 100 billion Beli.

And this was just the ordinary treasure.

"No need to be surprised."

Rocks, walking in front, did not turn his head: "The real treasures are in the inner chamber."

Shiki placed a hand on Luo Tian's shoulder, lowering his voice:

"That's right, these are just trinkets to keep the crew occupied."

"Let them grab some gold coins and jewelry so they're satisfied and don't cause trouble."

"What we executives want..."

"Is something that can truly enhance our strength—"

The four continued deeper, passing through the valley of piled treasure, and arrived before that door.

The moment he stepped into the room, Luo Tian's pupils constricted.

On the display shelves in the room, seven exquisitely carved brocade boxes were neatly arranged.

On both sides were two weapon racks made of ebony, displaying precious swords with flowing blade light.

And on other display shelves, priceless treasures were exhibited one by one.

"Gahahahaha! These are what we want!" Shiki laughed loudly.

These Devil Fruits and famous swords were crucial to Shiki, who harbored ambitions of starting his own fleet.

He had long since calculated: if he let his subordinates with potential consume the fruits, their strength would surely soar, giving him a stronger foundation for when he eventually left the Rocks Pirates to strike out on his own.

Luo Tian and Whitebeard exchanged a glance and walked toward the treasures, though their reactions were quite indifferent.

Both of them already possessed top-tier Devil Fruit abilities.

Luo Tian's Space-Space Fruit had infinite potential, and Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit was known as the "strongest Paramecia"—though, of course, that excluded the Space-Space Fruit.

Besides, one person could only consume one Devil Fruit, so they had little interest in these fruits.

As for famous swords, Luo Tian had Black Dragon, and Whitebeard had Murakumogiri in his hand; both were Supreme Grade swords.

Although the items before them were precious, they were not yet enough to catch their eyes.