Red-Haired Pirates

No one dared let their guard down against this Great Swordsman, who possessed the world's greatest swordsmanship!

"Hawkeye? Did you come looking to duel me? I'm not feeling too well right now."

Red-Haired glanced at Hawkeye and said through bleary, drunken eyes.

"I had no intention of fighting a man who lost an arm. I merely recalled some things you once told me, and happened to meet someone like this. I only brought you an interesting gift."

Hawkeye spoke calmly and tossed over Luffy's wanted poster.

"This is... Luffy!"

"He's finally here?"

Red-Haired's pupils contracted, then a flash of anticipation crossed his face.

It was as though something—or someone—he had awaited for a long time had finally appeared.

"That's... Luffy!"

Yasopp's pupils also shrank as he looked at Luffy's brilliant smile on the wanted poster.

"This brat has finally come!"

Lucky Roux said with a grin, taking huge bites out of a chicken leg.

"I wonder how the kid has been after all this time."

A trace of reminiscence flashed through Benn Beckman's eyes, as though he had recalled the past.

"Is that Luffy?"

"Captain, is Luffy coming? It's been quite some time since we last saw the kid. I've missed him!"

"Hahahaha!"

Upon hearing news of Luffy, the other crew members all grew excited.

They had spent some time with Luffy and held a great fondness for that hot-blooded boy!

Loyal, courageous, and even willing to stand up for them. Though young, he was a real man!

"Besides that, I also met someone. In the future, this person will surpass both you and me."

At that moment, another wanted poster appeared in Hawkeye's hand!

It bore none other than Moonlight's portrait!

Swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates, suspected Vice-Captain, bounty: 50 million Beli!

"Hm? Who is he? One of Luffy's companions? For even you to rate him so highly?"

Red-Haired's gaze shifted as he looked at Moonlight and asked.

"He should be a companion. His name is Moonlight. When I arrived in the East Blue, I crossed blades with him. Despite his young age, his Haki had already been honed to an extraordinary degree. His swordsmanship was also unique and fierce. Even I grew excited and exchanged several hard blows with him. I felt he still had strength he had yet to reveal. Someone happened to launch a sneak attack and interrupted our decisive battle, so we agreed to meet again next time."

Hawkeye said gravely.

"Luffy's ship has someone that formidable? Luffy, you truly are lucky!"

Red-Haired murmured, his gaze returning to Luffy. Although Moonlight had surprised him, his attention still rested on Luffy.

"A swordsman praised even by Hawkeye must be no ordinary person!"

Yasopp took Moonlight's wanted poster and began examining it.

"He truly is no ordinary person. Even from the wanted poster alone, one can feel Sword Aura soaring into the heavens."

Lucky Roux said.

"Since even Hawkeye says so, this man must be extraordinary. It seems Luffy will be coming to find us very soon."

A sharp gleam flashed in Benn Beckman's eyes!

"A swordsman who even Hawkeye found astonishing? That really is huge news!"

"Just who is this Moonlight? I really want to see what he's capable of!"

"He's definitely not ordinary. His bounty is 50 million Beli, even higher than Luffy's!"

The people around them all cried out in shock.

Who was Hawkeye? The world's greatest swordsman, an expert standing at the pinnacle of the world. A man whose eyes held no one but himself—what kind of person could earn his praise?

"Alright. Since you came all the way here and brought such important news, Hawkeye, don't even think about leaving so easily."

At that moment, Red-Haired looked at Hawkeye and smiled maliciously.

"Hehehehe!"

The people around them immediately understood and began laughing as well.

Seeing the expression on Red-Haired's face, even Hawkeye broke out in a cold sweat, wondering what this man intended to do.

"Come on. To celebrate Luffy, let's drink our fill once more."

Just then, the others suddenly carried over a large crate of fine liquor, and Red-Haired filled Hawkeye's cup to the brim.

"Hey, hey, hey. You aren't planning to make me drink until I pass out, are you?"

Seeing the look on Red-Haired's face, Hawkeye suddenly had a bad feeling!

"It's fine, it's fine. We're celebrating."

Red-Haired chuckled.

Hawkeye immediately felt as though he had boarded a pirate ship.

"Luffy, Luffy, something incredible has happened!"

At Cocoyasi Village, after a night of wild celebration, everyone had fallen asleep where they were, using the ground as their bed and the sky as their blanket. The group was sleeping soundly.

Suddenly, Nojiko came jogging over, panting heavily and looking extremely anxious, several newspapers clutched in her hands.

"What is it, Nojiko?"

"Hm?"

"Did something happen?"

Nami was the first to wake up. She looked at Nojiko and asked.

Then Usopp and Sanji also got up. Moonlight merely opened his eyes, took one look, and went back to sleep.

What could possibly be more important than sleeping right now?

"You... you've been wanted! And the new wanted posters are already out!"

Nojiko panted as she handed over the papers in her hands.

They were the bounties for every member of the Straw Hat Pirates!

"Ah! We've got bounties?"

Nami froze.

"Wonderful! Have I finally become an official pirate? Kaya, did you see?"

Usopp looked at his wanted poster, tears streaming down his face.

"There's none for me?"

Sanji curled his lip, since he did not have a wanted poster.

"A bounty of 30 million? Great."

Luffy looked at his bounty, feeling a surge of excitement.

This meant he was now a famous great pirate of the world!

"I'm worth 15 million?"

Zoro also woke up. He looked at his wanted poster and grinned.

With this, he had taken another step closer to his goal!

"Hey, hey, hey, Moonlight, why is your bounty higher than all of ours put together?"

At that moment, Usopp noticed Moonlight's wanted poster and could not help crying out in shock.

It displayed a bounty of 50 million Beli.

It was even higher than Luffy's and Zoro's combined!

"Of course it's high. As long as the Marines aren't idiots, they'll recognize Moonlight's strength. Bounties are based on strength. But suspected Vice-Captain? I don't accept that."

Zoro said calmly. He was not surprised by it.

But he refused to accept Moonlight being considered the Vice-Captain. It had nothing to do with who was stronger.

"Mm-hm. Moonlight really is terrifyingly strong. He even managed to trade a few moves head-on with that Hawkeye guy. He's worth that much."

Luffy nodded calmly, acknowledging Moonlight's strength.

"He's worth more than that. If someone witnessed his fight with Hawkeye and spread the news, it could double!"

Light gleamed in Nami's eyes as she looked at Moonlight.

She knew this man was unimaginably terrifying.

"That's not what I'm talking about! You've been wanted! The Marines know you're here. If you don't leave now, you might run into the Marines!"

Nojiko looked at them, utterly speechless.

Weren't they worried?

Weren't they afraid?

Those were wanted posters!

Being wanted meant that not only would the Marines hunt them down, but Pirates and even Pirate Hunters would have their eyes on their heads!

What was there to be happy about?

Ordinary people should be crying and terrified when they saw this, shouldn't they?