I'll Pay You Ten Times the Salary

"We must put a stop to this trend that has emerged in recent years. It must be severely punished!"

"Do I need to teach you that there are always greater people beyond greater people, and greater mountains beyond greater mountains?"

"I hope you remember today's defeat. Never let pride blind your eyes!"

Under Whitebeard's rebuke, the Moby Dick fell completely silent.

Like children being punished, the crew lowered their heads and endured the scolding.

Whitebeard kept a stern face. Once the atmosphere had built up enough, he turned to Lin Yan with a grave expression. "Lin, tell them. How high is your bounty?"

In his mind, Lin Yan was this strong.

How could he possibly have no bounty?

After all, this was the New World, where powerful fighters were everywhere.

If he had no bounty, it would be hard to justify.

"Captain, I don't have a bounty!"

Lin Yan answered honestly.

He had only been at sea for a few days.

What bounty could he possibly have?

Whitebeard's confident expression suddenly froze. His original intention had been to use Lin Yan's bounty to further suppress these crewmen who did not know their place!

But he had never expected it.

Lin Yan did not even have a bounty!

"Cough, cough..."

After coughing awkwardly twice, Whitebeard regained his dignified and solemn demeanor. "Take a good look at yourselves. Someone without a bounty beat you so badly you could not tell east from west. How can you still sleep? What right do you have not to work hard?"

Whitebeard's voice was impassioned.

Beyond the reprimand, there was also a sense of responsibility in it.

On top of that, he already held the position of a father figure in the crew's hearts!

At once, the blood of the many crewmen present began to boil.

Pops was right.

In recent years, ever since Roger had turned himself in and Golden Lion had been imprisoned—

Of the three great pirates of the old era, only the Whitebeard Pirates remained.

Looking across the four seas, the Whitebeard Pirates had no rivals.

As a result, everyone had gradually neglected their training.

The crew could no longer find that feeling from back then, when they had founded the pirate crew with Pops and sailed the seas together.

They needed to work hard.

They needed to rise again.

If they only indulged in the pleasures before them—

Who would carve out the road ahead?

"I'm sorry!"

Suddenly, one crewman stepped before Lin Yan and apologized directly.

Whether it was because of Lin Yan's overwhelming strength or their previous arrogance—

In the end, the fault lay with them.

"I'm sorry!"

"Please forgive our earlier rudeness!"

Everything was difficult at the beginning.

With one person taking the lead, all sixteen hundred crewmen present began apologizing to Lin Yan as well.

Seeing the crew below abandon their former pride and complacency, a smile gradually appeared on Whitebeard's steady face.

This was what the Whitebeard Pirates were supposed to be like.

He did not want the massive Whitebeard Pirates he had built over forty or fifty years—

To become a scattered mess because of pride and arrogance.

Speaking of which—

The reason today's matter had been resolved so quickly was entirely thanks to Lin Yan's overwhelming strength.

And Whitebeard had also seen Lin Yan's boundless potential.

For such a powerful neutral figure—

If he let him slip away, then he would not be Whitebeard!

With a wave of one hand, he said to Lin Yan, "Lin, thank you for helping me straighten out the Whitebeard Pirates, which were about to become a scattered mess!"

"However, your earlier answer was not very satisfying. Now, as the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, I'll ask you again: are you willing to join the Whitebeard Pirates?"

This was the second time Whitebeard had invited Lin Yan.

Hearing Whitebeard's words, it would have been impossible for Lin Yan to feel no stirrings in his heart.

After all—

As a One Piece fan, who would not be interested in the Whitebeard Pirates?

Lin Yan was somewhat tempted.

But at that moment, he remembered the Whitebeard Pirates' future predicament.

From their peak to decline, from the heights of glory to the depths of ruin.

He had recently heard that the commander of the Fourth Division had been assassinated by Teach, while Ace, the commander of the Second Division, was already on his way to capture Teach.

What did that mean?

Before long, an unprecedented Marineford War would erupt in the Pirate World!

The Marineford War.

It was a major event in pirate history, the greatest battle since the opening of the Great Pirate Era, and the turning point where the Whitebeard Pirates went from prosperity to decline.

The final outcome was—

Whitebeard would die, Ace would die, and the Whitebeard Pirates would head toward destruction.

The Whitebeard Pirates, built over forty or fifty years, would fall apart overnight.

From then on, they would never recover, falling from the throne of an Emperor of the Sea.

He himself—

Could actually stay out of it entirely. There was no need for him to wade into this mess.

Besides, after a year of living like a drifting cloud and wild crane, Lin Yan had no need to force himself into any pirate crew.

After pondering for a while, Lin Yan refused. "I'd better decline!"

Whitebeard stood stunned for a long while.

He had been rejected again!

Looking at Lin Yan—

For a moment, he did not know what to do.

If he missed out on such talent—

Even Whitebeard felt a little regretful.

But Lin Yan had already refused twice.

Inviting him again—

Would clearly be inappropriate.

Just as the situation reached a stalemate—

Izo, the commander of the Sixteenth Division, immediately saw an opening. He stepped forward from behind. "Lin, you've already boarded our ship, and things have reached this point. Just accept Pops's invitation!"

"Even if you still have some grievances toward the Whitebeard Pirates' crew, they already apologized earlier!"

Hearing Izo's words—

The crew also chimed in. "That's right! We admit that we were wrong before. If you're still not satisfied, then beat us up! As long as it helps you vent your anger, we'll let you do whatever you want!"

Beat them up?

Lin Yan could not help but laugh.

Seeing Lin Yan hesitate, Izo knew there was hope.

As the saying went—

One had to use the right tool for the job. Ordinary things might not be enough to attract Lin Yan.

By sheer coincidence—

Izo happened to know what Lin Yan liked.

So he quickly added fuel to the fire. "Lin, as long as you stay, I'll ask Pops to give you four times the salary!"

Four times!!!

Hearing that, Lin Yan's ears twitched. He immediately caught the key information. "Well..."

"Four times isn't enough?"

"Fine, then I'll offer ten times! I'll ask Pops to give you ten times the salary!"

Izo was truly pulling out all the stops.

Four times was already beyond expectations.

Not to mention ten times.

Lin Yan was tempted.

"Lin, the benefits on our pirate crew are exceptionally generous. As long as you're willing, the amount of salary you can earn will be beyond your imagination."

Izo came to Lin Yan's side and threw an arm around his shoulders as he spoke.

Ten times the salary was right in front of him.

Who could refuse that?

Lin Yan turned to look at Izo before him and said only two words: "Deal."

"Hahahaha! Lin, welcome to the Whitebeard Pirates!"