"What kind of joke is this? What's the meaning of this bounty poster?"
Akainu slammed the bounty poster onto his desk and glared at the World Government agent before him. "Fleet Admiral Akainu, this bounty was approved unanimously by the Five Elders, and the order came from that person himself. The World Government had no authority to refuse."
The Cipher Pol Secret Agent wore a mask. His voice was perfectly calm, as though he weren't standing before the highest-ranking officer in the Marines.
"Who gave the order? This bounty is absurd. That amount is an entire year's expenditure for the Marines. We won't pay it."
Akainu picked up the poster. It was Blackbeard's bounty notice, and the figure printed beneath his name was staggering.
Marshall D. Teach. Bounty: thirty billion Beli.
The moment Akainu saw it, his heart nearly gave out. The sum was unprecedented. Not even the Pirate King had carried a bounty that high.
He even felt a faint twinge of sympathy for Blackbeard.
Generally speaking, bounties over five hundred million Beli were symbolic. No bounty hunter could kill a pirate that powerful; the figure was essentially the Marines' assessment of the pirate's danger.
But Blackbeard's poster was different. This was a reward meant to be claimed. Akainu could well imagine how miserable Blackbeard's life would become once the notice spread.
How many major powers would try to assassinate him for thirty billion Beli?
"The Marines won't have to pay. If someone really does kill Blackbeard, that person will provide the money."
With that, the Cipher Pol Secret Agent turned to leave, showing no concern for the Fleet Admiral standing in front of him.
They belonged to separate organizations, after all. He was under no obligation to take orders from the Marines.
"Who put up such an absurd