Litan Island

Fleet Admiral's office!

Fleet Admiral Hill, Admiral Wenhu, and Admiral Snow Lion stood in the spacious command room. Smoke swirled through the air, and every man wore a deep, furrowed frown.

The atmosphere in the command room was oppressive and tense, as if signaling a massive, impending crisis.

Hill took a deep breath, his gaze fixed firmly on the map before him. Currently, only the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line remained under their control. As for the second half of the Grand Line, it had become a complete paradise for pirates, with only a few scattered Marine branches barely holding their ground.

He knew that the strength of the Rocks Pirates had reached a critical threshold. Their power was growing ever greater, causing immense headaches for both the entire Marine force and the World Government.

Admiral Wenhu frowned, his heart filled with unease.

If left unchecked, the influence of the Rocks Pirates would continue to swell, posing a grave threat to the entire world and severely hindering the Marines' ability to uphold justice.

Snow Lion stood silently to the side, his eyes deep and indifferent.

He understood that at this very moment, they had to take decisive action.

Edward Newgate, the Second Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates, was a powerhouse in his own right.

And if this young man before them could prompt Newgate to welcome him personally, then the probability of him joining the Rocks Pirates was extremely high.

"I need all intelligence on this young man. Arrange for intelligence officers to investigate immediately."

Hill's voice was calm yet firm; he knew there was no time left to waste.

Wenhu nodded, his own heart filled with doubt. Although he did not know why this young man had joined the Rocks Pirates, he understood that if the Rocks Pirates continued to grow unchecked, it would bring an incalculable catastrophe to the entire world.

"We cannot allow the strength of the Rocks Pirates to continue growing so recklessly."

Hill's voice carried a trace of anger and resolve. It was a dereliction of duty for the Marines that justice could not reach the second half of the Grand Line.

Wenhu and Snow Lion exchanged a glance. They both understood that the situation had reached a critical juncture. As the Rocks Pirates grew stronger by the day, a life-or-death battle between them and the Rocks Pirates was inevitable.

They had to take action—on one hand to stop the spread of the Rocks Pirates, and on the other to weaken their forces.

Fleet Admiral Hill, Admiral Wenhu, and Admiral Snow Lion would lead the entire Marine force into a thrilling and harrowing showdown against the Rocks Pirates.

Hachinosu!

During this era, Morgans had not yet established his news agency. Bounty posters were issued by the Marines and then sent to various Marine branches via fax machines.

"Where did Newgate find such a formidable newcomer?"

Golden Lion saw the bounty poster on Hachinosu immediately. He felt a twinge of jealousy, thinking that if he could find someone as capable as Carl, it would be a massive asset.

Consequently, Golden Lion immediately summoned his crew, determined to set sail and find even more powerful members.

Kuro Island, Giant Warrior Pirates!

"The strength of the Rocks Pirates has increased again."

"If this continues, what will become of us?"

Fred, the Vice-Captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates, spoke with deep concern.

He was, after all, the strategist of the Giant Warrior Pirates, but he knew his captain would not listen. Since forming an alliance with the X Pirates, the captain had become incredibly arrogant.

He could only send his own men to investigate everything about Carl.

"We have arrived at Litan Island."

Carl had just sobered up when he heard the shouts of the pirates outside.

He quickly climbed out of bed.

"Carl, you're awake."

As soon as Carl stepped out of his room, he was met by Whitebeard walking toward him.

"This island is on the necessary route to Hachinosu. It's the perfect place to resupply; we're almost out of food and booze."

"Gurararara!"

Newgate laughed heartily.

Because of the banquet held yesterday, their stores of food and drink were depleted, forcing them to stop at this island.

"How about it, Carl? Want to come down and look around?"

Newgate invited him, wanting to show him the prosperity of the Pirate World.

"Let's go, let's take a look," he said, feeling a bit expectant himself.

He hadn't seen a marketplace in so many years, and he was curious to see a pirate city—would anything interesting happen?

"Haha, let's go. I heard there's an auction today; we might as well attend."

Newgate's large hand patted his shoulder, and he led the way.

"An auction? Perfect. Let's go, I'll take a look. I've never been to an auction before."

Curiosity stirred in Carl's heart. He imagined the bustling scene of the auction, wondering what rare treasures might be up for bid.

Carl followed Newgate to the city center, where a bustling scene already unfolded. The streets were lined with an array of goods, with various pirates and merchants trading and haggling; Carl even spotted people selling slaves right out in the open.

Carl could not help but be drawn in by the lively atmosphere, as everything before his eyes was something he had never seen back on Blue Star.

They pushed through the crowded streets until they reached a massive auction house. It was already packed, and a prominent sign hung over the entrance, reading: "Auction Begins Today."

Carl walked into the auction house with a sense of excitement; he had never attended an auction before. Upon entering, the venue was filled with a cacophony of noise. The auctioneer's voice was high-pitched and impassioned, and as each precious item was held high, it triggered waves of clamor and bidding.

He carefully observed the various treasures and curiosities in the auction house—shimmering gemstones, magnificent noble garments, legendary ancient weapons, and rare animals. Carl couldn't help but marvel that he was now standing in the middle of this auction, filled with temptation and mystery.

"Lord Newgate, please, this way!"

Newgate's reputation in the second half of the New World was quite significant, after all, he was the Second Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates. As soon as the auction house staff saw him approaching, they immediately ushered him inside.

Upon entering the auction house, he suddenly noticed a striking poster. The person on the poster was none other than himself, and it read: "Carl, Bounty: 500,000,000 Berries!"

He stared at his own wanted poster in surprise.

I never expected that one day I would have a bounty on my head.

"Carl, did you know? You've become a wanted pirate with a bounty as high as 500,000,000 Berries!"

Newgate felt happy for Carl, as the size of a bounty was, after all, a reflection of one's strength.

"I see it, Newgate!"

Carl said excitedly.

He knew he would be wanted eventually, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

He never imagined his first bounty would be 500 million Berries; that was far higher than the 30 million Berries Luffy had when he first set sail.

One had to realize that this wasn't the same era as Luffy's.

A 500 million Berry bounty in this era was far more formidable than a 500 million Berry bounty at the very start of the story.

"Lord Newgate, this way please. This is your private box. If you have any needs, you can press this button."

The guide soon led them into a private room, briefly explained the facilities, left a maid behind, and departed.

"The view is quite expansive!"

Carl stood before the window, looking down at the people in the main hall.

Newgate simply sat on the sofa, picked up a bottle of foreign liquor, and opened it to take a drink.

"See if there's anything you fancy; your big brother has money."

Newgate was indifferent. Over the years with the Rocks Pirates, he had amassed wealth totaling several billion Berries.

Buying a few items was nothing to worry about; after all, he hadn't yet returned the money he had plundered to his hometown.

It was only after leaving the Rocks Pirates and returning to his hometown once, seeing its poverty, that he began pouring the majority of his subsequent loot into his home.

However, what he didn't know was that this would cause the people of his hometown to lose the desire to work.

After all, the people back home knew someone was sending them money without requiring them to work, and they only became increasingly lazy. This situation did not change until the day he died; in fact, those people even complained about why he had stopped sending money to their hometown.