Ulti's First Battle on the Grand Line

The enormous cacti stood like silent giants, casting jagged shadows that shrouded the entire area in an eerie stillness.

Jete, who had just left the tavern, was gathered beneath the shadows with a group of bounty hunters of all kinds, discussing matters in hushed voices.

The grit beneath their feet rustled as they shifted, while the occasional shriek of some unknown nocturnal animal drifted in from afar, adding to the tense atmosphere.

"Mr. Jete, I really don't understand."

A burly man with a scar slashed across his face could not help speaking up. Clear dissatisfaction filled his voice as he jabbed a stubby finger hard at the ground.

"Why did we have to wait until now? It would've been better to strike at the port! That ship was a bit big and looked pretty sturdy, but we've got those big guns. A few more blasts, and I refuse to believe we couldn't blow it apart!"

Jete silently cursed him for an idiot, though his expression remained unchanged. He slowly pulled a wanted poster from his clothes. By the faint starlight occasionally spilling through gaps in the clouds, the face in the photograph was clearly visible.

"I investigated them thoroughly long ago. That man leading them really is the current most wanted criminal in the world."

At the words "most wanted criminal in the world," the bounty hunters around him collectively sucked in a breath, fear flashing through their eyes.

Seeing that, Jete hurriedly added:

"But there's no need to panic. As far as I know, his greatest achievement was only killing an elderly pirate with a bounty just over five hundred million. I'd say the rest of that bounty must have come from recklessly attacking the Celestial Dragons and World Government institutions.

When I go back later, I'll find a