Redeeming Bounties, Shock Across All Sides

Before heading to Alabasta, the Windrider first arrived at the nearest Marine Base.

Luo Wen wanted to redeem the bounties on the more than one hundred people aboard the prisoner transport.

The moment the two ships docked at the Marine Base, they saw a squad of soldiers standing guard.

"It's that Bounty Hunter from the East Blue!"

A sharp-eyed soldier recognized Luo Wen's ship.

"Didn't he just enter the Grand Line? What is he doing here?"

One soldier was puzzled.

"Doesn't he have some Hunter License? Maybe he's here to ask us for help."

A chief petty officer sneered disdainfully.

"Shut up. His rank is equivalent to mine, so show some respect."

Although the colonel base commander rebuked him, he clearly did not think highly of Luo Wen.

He simply could not understand why the higher-ups had created something like a Hunter License and even awarded one to a Bounty Hunter from the East Blue.

A newcomer from the East Blue who came to the Grand Line was nothing more than easy prey.

"I'm here to redeem bounties."

Luo Wen spoke calmly.

He had only brought Nami and the others with him. Everyone else remained aboard the prisoner transport.

"No problem. Where are the pirates you captured?"

The colonel base commander frowned.

He looked around, but aside from Luo Wen's group, he did not spot any notable pirates.

Heh, he had caught a couple of small fry and come here to show off.

Just as expected from someone from the East Blue. Far too small-minded.

"They're all on that ship. More than a hundred of them, I suppose."

Luo Wen casually pointed at the prisoner transport.

What? An entire shipful of people?

The colonel base commander's eyes widened in shock. He hurriedly led a squad of soldiers aboard to inspect it.

"There really are more than a hundred of them?"

"Gasp, they're the people from Whiskey Peak!"

The soldiers who boarded the ship were all terrified. They had long heard of Whiskey Peak, but had never dared to attack it.

Yet a newcomer who had just entered the Grand Line had wiped them out. It truly made them ashamed.

"Those are Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine?"

The colonel base commander sucked in a breath. This was insane.

"He directly wiped out a whole outpost, and there are even two senior officers!"

"That's Baroque Works, Sand Crocodile's people. How did he dare?"

The colonel base commander's pupils shook.

Luo Wen had only just entered the Grand Line, yet he dared to lay hands on a Shichibukai's people. His nerve was far too great!

And all these people together could wipe out this base of his eighty times over.

The colonel base commander did not dare neglect the matter. He quickly calculated all the bounties and respectfully approached Luo Wen.

"This is your bounty payment. It comes to a total of 28 million Beli. Please accept it!"

The colonel base commander was utterly deferential, completely placing himself beneath Luo Wen.

"Only 28 million?"

Luo Wen frowned. More than a hundred people combined were worth less than Don Krieg and Gin alone.

"They're subordinates of a Shichibukai."

The colonel base commander carefully answered as he watched Luo Wen's expression.

Baroque Works was Crocodile's agent organization, and its members generally had low bounties.

Luo Wen understood and left with the money.

Watching the Windrider depart, the colonel base commander let out a sigh of relief.

"A fierce figure has arrived on the Grand Line!"

The colonel base commander was completely convinced.

He greatly admired the decision made by the East Blue's commanding officer. Awarding a Hunter License to someone like this was a stroke of genius.

"Report the situation here to our superiors and take custody of these people."

The colonel base commander looked toward Alabasta and let out a long breath.

"Sir, Crocodile has dealings with our Marines. Should we help him?"

The chief petty officer hesitated. He truly did not want to help pirates.

"Idiot! No matter how much we cooperate, he's still a pirate. Look at the mess he's made of this place!"

The colonel base commander cursed loudly.

"Then what should we do?"

The chief petty officer asked carefully.

"Help neither side. Just maintain order."

The colonel base commander rolled his eyes and replied irritably.

Perhaps Luo Wen was no match for that Shichibukai, but he had a feeling that Sand Crocodile had landed himself in serious trouble.

Crocodile had run rampant in Alabasta for four or five years. At last, someone had come to deal with him.

Alabasta, Rebel Army.

"Someone destroyed a Baroque Works outpost and redeemed bounties for every one of them?!"

Koza, the leader of the Rebel Army, was stunned.

Over the past two years, the Rebel Army's unrest had grown increasingly intense. Upon closer investigation, Baroque Works was behind it, with Crocodile's shadow faintly visible in the background.

"Haha, they even lost two senior officers. This is truly worth celebrating!"

Joy appeared on Koza's face.

Baroque Works had always given him a terrible headache, yet he had no way to deal with them.

Now that Luo Wen had appeared, he had dealt Baroque Works a resounding slap in the face.

"Luo Wen, will you be the turning point for Alabasta?"

A sliver of hope rose in Koza's heart.

With Crocodile's overwhelming strength and Baroque Works' vast influence, even the Rebel Army and Royal Army combined were no match for them.

The suddenly appearing Luo Wen had taken down two senior officers and destroyed a Baroque Works outpost in one stroke.

This gave Koza a powerful boost of confidence.

"Only someone this strong has any hope of defeating Crocodile!"

Koza murmured to himself.

Alabasta, royal palace.

Upon receiving the intelligence brought back by the Karoo Duck, Cobra and the two Kingdom Guardian Deities wore grave expressions, their faces filled with worry.

"Crocodile truly is behind Baroque Works. The kingdom is in danger."

"He is one of the Shichibukai, a great pirate even the World Government takes seriously."

Cobra went limp all over, feeling as if he had lost all hope.

"Your Majesty, hasn't Princess Vivi found help? We still have hope."

Bell comforted Cobra.

"That's right. That Luo Wen is the strongest Bounty Hunter in the East Blue, and the Marines even awarded him a Hunter License."

"He captured two senior officers and destroyed an entire outpost as soon as he reached the Grand Line."

Gaka recounted Luo Wen's achievements, hoping to give Cobra a little hope.

"Your Majesty, just prepare 300 million Beli and wait for good news from Princess Vivi!"

Gaka and Bell spoke together.

Naturally, they did not have that much confidence. How could a newcomer who had just entered the Grand Line compare to a Shichibukai?

They were merely trying to lift Cobra's spirits.

"I hope so. There is no other way now."

Cobra let out a long sigh, finally finding a little something to hold on to.

"If he can truly save Alabasta, then never mind 300 million Beli. Even if I have to give him the throne, so what?"

Cobra made up his mind. If there truly was hope, he was willing to give everything.

Bell and Gaka looked ashamed and fell silent.

As the guardian deities of Alabasta, they had no way at all to deal with Crocodile.

Yet King Cobra had to offer a huge sum and hire an outsider to save the country. The two of them were utterly ashamed.