Soaring Bounty

"This bounty will be determined directly by Headquarters."

"After all, the threat these two have displayed is on an entirely different level from the other pirates in the East Blue."

"You should know that the East Blue is known as the most peaceful sea in the world. The average pirate bounty is less than five million, and even Arlong, the greatest threat, only has twenty million."

"But it is foreseeable that the bounties of Fire Fist Ace and Knight Gawain will inevitably exceed that figure!"

"This is an insult to the East Blue, and an outright denial of the abilities of everyone present!"

As Brandnew's voice fell, the Branch Officers' expressions darkened.

Brandnew's words were practically a direct slap in their faces, but since something had gone wrong in the waters under their jurisdiction, they lacked the confidence to argue back even if they wanted to.

Still, someone could not swallow that insult.

To Brandnew's left, the 016 Branch Captain, whose face resembled a rat, said in a sarcastic tone:

"As expected of an officer from Headquarters. You certainly speak and act directly."

Rat's words drew frequent sideways glances from those around him. Brandnew glanced at him, his brows knitting slightly, but he could not be bothered to explain.

Brandnew turned back and continued:

"The higher-ups at Headquarters, especially the one from the East Blue, will be watching this matter closely. All of you had better be more careful with your words and actions."

"From the East Blue... Vice Admiral Garp?"

Rat blurted out, his pupils suddenly shrinking.

Everyone present straightened in their seats, their expressions grave as they looked toward Brandnew.

If this information was true, it meant that Hero Garp might be planning to return to the East Blue and suppress the pirates.

And every pirate suppression also meant a purge of the East Blue Marines—top to bottom, inside and out—removing the parasites feeding on the Marines' flesh and blood and replacing them with fresh blood.

It was plain to see that countless people would fall because of this.

"If that's really the case, then we must prepare in advance!"

"The pirates around the bases need to be cleared out, and the parasites within must be thoroughly investigated as well!"

Everyone felt a chill run through them.

Rat was already drenched in cold sweat. By the time the meeting ended, the back of his shirt was soaked through.

East Blue.

At sea.

The wind was gentle, and the waves were calm.

Seabirds skimmed across the surface, drawing sea beasts hidden beneath the water to leap out before plunging back into the depths.

Their bodies stretched dozens of meters long, making everything feel unreal.

It also made Gawain realize that he was no longer in the peaceful world of his previous life, but in the world of pirates.

Plunder, violence, and chaos were the eternal themes of these seas.

One generation of powerful figures after another had risen to the top, but one thing never changed: newcomers were always setting sail. Now, Gawain was one of them.

Honestly, if he had a choice, the ideal starting point in the pirate world would be either a Celestial Dragon or a Marine.

There were stable promotion channels. By advancing step by step, one could unlock the Marines' Six Powers, and the opportunities to obtain Devil Fruits were far greater than they were for pirates.

Having just killed Morgans and with his name now printed on a Wanted Poster, Gawain naturally had no possibility of joining the Marines.

So he could only press onward down the pirate path.

"Only great power is the capital needed to gain a foothold in this world."

Gawain murmured.

Just then, a News Coo wearing a hat flew in from the distance.

After circling the warship several times,

the News Coo flung a newspaper onto the deck and slowly flew away.

A pirate standing guard on the deck picked up the newspaper. Before he could even open it, a stack of Wanted Posters tucked inside scattered across the ground.

The pirate lowered his head to pick them up, only to see Gawain's photograph. Yet the number beneath it was not the Eight Million he remembered.

Realizing what had happened, the pirate's breathing suddenly stopped.

"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands... f-f-f-forty—!"

"You stuttering?!"

The pirate beside him snatched the Wanted Poster away, only to be stunned by Gawain's outrageous bounty as well. That staggering number had directly shattered the bounty ceiling of the East Blue in recent years.

"Knight Gawain, bounty... 48 Million Berries?!"

"How much?"

Everyone was drawn over by his voice. Seeing Gawain's bounty soar sixfold, they were all too shocked to speak.

They stood frozen for more than ten seconds before finally breaking into astonished cries.

"48 Million?!"

"Now we—no, the captain—is probably going to become famous throughout the East Blue!"

"You have to know, before this, the highest bounty in the East Blue was only twenty million!"

"Does this... mean that after defeating Morgans, we'll be facing the East Blue Marines next?"

Others turned pale, feeling as though their future was pitch-black.

After all, the size of a bounty also reflected how seriously the Marines took someone.

Forty-eight million was a sky-high bounty never seen in the East Blue for more than a decade. It was not hard to imagine that Gawain would soon face relentless pursuit by the Marines.

One man became timid for a moment, only to receive his companions' merciless mockery.

"Are you stupid?!"

"We passed the point of no return long ago. The more famous the captain becomes, the safer we are!"

"Besides, who's to say that was the captain's full strength back on the island?"

Gawain naturally noticed the differing opinions among the crew.

He pushed aside the pirates crowding around the edge. The pirate holding the newspaper thoughtfully handed him the Wanted Poster. Looking at the dramatically increased number on it, Gawain's lips curled slightly.

As far as he remembered, there should not have been a higher bounty in the East Blue, and both the bounty and his title would only benefit his future plans.

Gawain looked at his own Wanted Poster, then set it aside and began flipping through the others.

"Hundred Plans Kuro, 16 million Berries..."

"Demon Man Gin, 12 million Berries..."

"Fishman Arlong, 20 million Berries..."

"Hm?"

Gawain's hand paused slightly.

A familiar face had appeared before him.

Although the man in the photograph looked far more youthful than Gawain remembered,

the freckles covering his face and the distinctively shaped hat made him instantly recognizable. The man on the Wanted Poster was the Pirate King Roger's only surviving bloodline.

Portgas D. Ace, known as Fire Fist, bounty: 50 million Berries! Even higher than Gawain's!

The East Blue's original bounty limit had been shattered in quick succession by the two of them.

But Gawain thought of something else. He raised a hand to stroke his chin, his eyes gleaming.

"Ace's talent should far surpass that of these ordinary pirates."

"Otherwise, there was no way he could reach a level worthy of becoming Whitebeard's Second Division Captain in just a few years, or even briefly contend with an Admiral-level powerhouse like Aokiji."

"If I can bring him aboard, my growth rate will undergo a qualitative leap."

"However..."

"A Logia ability won't be easy to deal with without Haki."

"Zoro has no fixed residence and keeps his whereabouts hidden, so he won't be easy to find. That leaves Restaurant Baratie as my remaining choice, doesn't it?"

As Gawain thought this, a plan gradually formed in his mind.

Just then, another system notification sounded in his mind...

"Congratulations, Badge unlocked—Rising Fame!"

"You can now view your subordinates' potential abilities!"