Litan Island

Fleet Admiral's Office!

Fleet Admiral Hill, Admiral Wenhu, and Admiral Snow Lion stood in the spacious command room, surrounded by smoke, their brows furrowed.

The atmosphere in the command room was tense and oppressive, as if hinting at an immense crisis on the horizon.

Hill took a deep breath and stared resolutely at the map before him. At present, they controlled only the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line. The second half of the Grand Line had already become a pirates' paradise, with only a handful of Marine Branches barely holding on.

He knew the Rocks Pirates had reached a critical point. Their strength was growing by the day, giving the entire Navy and the World Government a massive headache.

Admiral Wenhu furrowed his brow, his heart filled with unease.

If they didn't put a stop to them, the Rocks Pirates would continue expanding their influence, posing a tremendous threat to the entire world. It would also make it much harder for the Navy to carry out justice.

Snow Lion stood quietly to one side, his gaze deep and cold.

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

The Rocks Pirates' Second Division Commander, Edward Newgate, was already a formidable man.

And if this young man had managed to get Newgate himself to welcome him, then there was a very good chance he would join the Rocks Pirates.

"I need to know everything about this young man. Send the intelligence agents to investigate at once."

Hill's voice was calm and firm. He knew they had no time to waste.

Wenhu nodded, his own mind full of questions. He didn't know why this young man had joined the Rocks Pirates.

But he understood that if the Rocks Pirates continued growing unchecked, they would bring immeasurable disaster upon the world.

"We can't let the Rocks Pirates keep growing unchecked like this."

Hill's voice carried a trace of anger and resolve. The fact that justice could not reach the second half of the Grand Line was a failure on the Navy's part.

Wenhu and Snow Lion exchanged a glance. They both understood that the situation had reached a critical point. As the Rocks Pirates continued to grow, a battle to the death between them and the Navy was inevitable.

They had to act—to stop the Rocks Pirates' expansion and weaken their forces.

Fleet Admiral Hill, Admiral Wenhu, and Admiral Snow Lion would lead the entire Navy into a thrilling showdown with the Rocks Pirates.

Hachinosu!

At this time, Morgans had not yet established a news agency. The Navy printed the wanted posters and sent them to each Marine Branch by fax.

"Where did Newgate find such a powerful newcomer?"

Golden Lion saw the wanted poster as soon as he arrived on Hachinosu. He felt a little jealous, thinking that if he could find someone as strong as Carl, he would have a tremendous asset.

So Golden Lion immediately gathered his crew and decided to set sail in search of even stronger recruits.

Kuro Island, Giant Warrior Pirates!

"The Rocks Pirates have gotten stronger again."

"What are we supposed to do if this keeps up?"

Fred, the vice-captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates, spoke with deep concern.

After all, he was the crew's strategist, but he knew the captain wouldn't listen. Ever since the captain had allied with the X Pirates, he had become terribly arrogant.

All Fred could do was send his own people to investigate everything about Carl.

"We've reached Litan Island."

Carl had just sobered up when he heard the pirates outside calling out.

He hurried out of bed.

"Carl, you're awake."

As soon as Carl stepped out of his cabin, he saw Whitebeard coming toward him.

"This island is on the way to Hachinosu, so we might as well stop here and restock. We're nearly out of food and drink."

"Gurararara!"

Newgate laughed heartily.

The feast they'd held the day before had depleted their food and drink, so they'd had no choice but to stop at the island.

"How about it, Carl? Want to go ashore and take a look?"

Newgate invited him, wanting to show him the bustling Pirate World.

"Let's go take a look," he said, sounding eager.

He hadn't seen a market in years, and he also wanted to explore a pirate city. I wonder if anything interesting will happen.

"Haha, let's go. I heard there's an auction today. We might as well check it out."

Newgate patted him on the shoulder with his massive hand, then led the way.

"An auction? Perfect. Let's go. I've never been to one before."

Curiosity stirred in Carl. He imagined the bustling scene and wondered what rare treasures would be put up for auction.

He followed Newgate to the city center, where the streets were already bustling. Stalls lined both sides of the road, piled high with all kinds of goods. Pirates and merchants of every sort haggled and struck deals. Carl even spotted quite a few people selling slaves right there in the street.

Carl couldn't help being captivated by the lively scene. Everything before his eyes was unlike anything he had ever seen on Blue Star.

They pushed through the crowded throng and arrived at a huge auction house. It was already packed, and a conspicuous sign hung above the entrance: "Auction Begins Today."

Carl entered the auction house, excited. He had never attended an auction before. Inside, the crowd buzzed with noise as the auctioneer's voice rang out, loud and passionate. One precious item after another was held aloft, drawing waves of commotion and bids.

He carefully studied the auction house's many rare and wondrous treasures: sparkling gems, luxurious noble garments, legendary ancient weapons, and rare animals. Carl couldn't help marveling at the fact that he was now right in the middle of this alluring, mysterious auction.

"Mr. Newgate, right this way!"

Newgate was well known in the second half of the New World, after all, as the Rocks Pirates' Second Division Commander. The auction house staff spotted him and immediately ushered him inside.

Once inside, Carl suddenly noticed a striking poster. It showed him, with the words: "Carl, Bounty: 500,000,000 Beli!"

He stared at his own wanted poster in surprise.

I never thought I'd be wanted one day.

"Carl, did you know? You're now a wanted pirate, with a bounty of 500,000,000 Beli!"

Newgate was happy for Carl. After all, a bounty's size was also a measure of a person's strength.

"Newgate, I saw it!"

Carl said excitedly.

He had known he'd get a bounty, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

I never thought my first bounty would be 500 million Beli. That's way higher than Luffy's 30 million when he first set sail.

And this wasn't the same era as Luffy's.

A 500-million-Beli bounty at this time was worth far more than a 500-million-Beli bounty at the start of the story.

"Mr. Newgate, this way. This is a private room. If you need anything, press this button."

The guide soon led them both into a private room, briefly explaining its amenities before leaving a maid behind and departing.

"The view's pretty good!"

Carl stood by the window, looking down at the crowd in the hall.

Newgate sat straight down on the sofa, picked up a bottle of spirits, and uncorked it.

"See if there's anything you like. Your big brother's got money."

Newgate didn't mind. Over the years, he had amassed tens of billions of Beli with the Rocks Pirates.

Buying a few things was nothing to worry about. After all, he hadn't yet started sending the money he'd stolen back to his hometown.

It was only after leaving the Rocks Pirates and returning home that he saw how poor his hometown was and began putting most of the money he stole afterward toward it.

But he didn't realize that this would make the people back home reluctant to work.

After all, once they knew someone would send them money and they wouldn't have to work, they grew lazier and lazier. This continued even after he died, and some of them even complained that he had stopped sending money home.