Soon, bounty notices were printed and distributed from headquarters to the world.
On a Skull Island, a burly man, estimated to be about ten meters tall with two horns on his head, lay drunkenly asleep on the ground.
" Kaido... Kaido..."
Just then, shouts from his men came from outside, making the burly man's ears twitch, and he immediately sat up.
What happened?
The burly man, Kaido, was still unaware of what had happened. He looked towards the cave entrance and saw two pirate subordinates rushing in, one holding a newspaper in one hand and the other holding several bounty posters in the other.
" Kaido, you're awake! I have something important to report to you. Please see..."
The subordinate holding the newspaper saw that his boss had woken up and was looking at the two of them, so he quickly ran to his side, unfolded the newspaper, and presented it to him.
"Yeah, whatever's important, just say it. I don't have time to read your newspaper, I need to keep drinking..."
Kaido glanced at the newspaper, ignoring it completely, and had his subordinates read it aloud while he took out a gourd of sake from his side and gulped it down.
cluck cluck...
"Ah!! I'm finally a bit more awake. Time to find some fun to kill some time... Hey, why aren't you reading this already? I don't have time to wait any longer..."
After saying that, he remembered that his two subordinates hadn't reported the news to him yet, so he widened his bull-like eyes and stared straight at the two men.
"Yes, yes, the newspaper says that Carlos, the dark tycoon who sold us weapons, was defeated by a pirate Supernovas Luo Chen, and the World Government is even planning to increase his bounty and grant him the title of Shichibukai."
Seeing that their boss was starting to get impatient, the two subordinates dared not hide anything and read the news from the newspaper to him. After they finished speaking, they looked back at him fearfully, afraid that Kaido would take his anger out on them again.
"What? You mean that Carlos the Griffin was defeated? Does that mean our arms deal is off?"
cluck cluck...
After hearing this, Kaido seemed to still not believe his ears, and asked again to confirm, before opening his mouth wide and gulping down the strong liquor.
"Yes, yes, it's said that the Revolutionary Army has taken over all affairs on Supomachi Island, and they've stopped all transactions related to Carlos. By all accounts, they're no longer trading weapons!"
The subordinate answered, trembling.
"Damn it!! Luo Chen, you just wait and see, daring to interrupt my deal. You'll see in the New World..."
Even Kaido wasn't particularly quick-witted, knew from his subordinates' replies that his previous deals had been ruined. His face darkened, and his aura surged. Then, with a snap, he crushed the gourd he was holding, and his aura Rush into the sky, almost covering the sea area about ten kilometers away from Skull Island. A Heaven Shaker roar of anger echoed through the heavens, and the accompanying aura caused all humans and animals to tremble and prostrate themselves on the ground.
Meanwhile, on another island, in Totto Land Totto Land Island, a dreamlike island founded by Four Emperors Big Mom, Four Emperors Big Mom's reaction to the news of Luo Chen's defeat of Carlos was quite different.
"Mommy, Mommy... This kid's got some skills, Katakuri..."
"Yes, Mom!!"
Upon hearing the Big Mom's call, a tall man wearing a scarf came forward to answer.
"Take a few ministers and invite that Supernovas named Luo Chen to my upcoming tea party. While you're at it, marry your sister to him and bring him into our Totto Land!"
The Big Mom crossed her legs, casually picked up a handful of pastries and stuffed them into her mouth, while mumbling instructions to her most prized son, Katakuri.
"Okay, Mom, but what if he doesn't agree?"
Katakuri, holding his trident in one hand and his other hand hanging respectfully in front of his chest, inquired.
"Um... if he disagrees, then eliminate them. We don't need disobedient allies, understand?"
The Big Mom stared at him wide-eyed as she spoke.
"Yes, I understand. I'll go prepare now..."
Having said that, he bowed his head and took his leave.
"Okay, go ahead!"
The Big Mom waved her hand, signaling that he could go down, and then Katakuri strode down with powerful steps.
In the heart of Dressrosa, inside the palace where Doflamingo resides, Gladius and Monet have finally returned after a day and a half's voyage, and now they stand before Doflamingo.
"Young Master, we're back! We've killed Carlos as you instructed!"
Doflamingo lay sprawled on a sun lounger, his nonchalant expression showing none of the demeanor of a powerful figure. Upon seeing his subordinates return, he quickly rose and walked over to them, smiling.
"Oh, you're back, baboons, baboons. Get up, no need for such formalities. You're all family. Rise, Gladius, Monet. I knew you would perfectly complete the task I assigned you, and you certainly didn't disappoint me. I'm very satisfied with you."
Although Doflamingo's attitude towards others is completely different, he doesn't put on airs with the executives he considers family. He warmly and affectionately pulled the two of them up and smiled warmly.
"Yes, we are willing to sacrifice everything for our young master's ambition. By the way, there were some special circumstances on Supomachi Island that I need to report to you. Actually, strictly speaking, Carlos wasn't defeated by us. He was defeated by a pirate named Luo Chen, and then Monet and I followed up and killed him. I feel extremely ashamed about this!"
As he spoke, he lowered his head again. He considered it a disgrace that he had stolen Luo Chen's credit and that it damaged the prestige of his family. That's why he told Doflamingo the truth and apologized.
"Oh, you mean this? I knew about this a while ago. I initially thought Morgans's information was wrong, or that guy stole your credit, but now it seems it's all true. That kid named Luo Chen is indeed that strong!"
Hearing his subordinate's apologetic words, Doflamingo was not disappointed, because Morgans Newspaper's newspaper had already published the whole story the day before. However, although he was somewhat skeptical at first, after hearing his subordinate's explanation, he became convinced of the matter and even more interested in Luo Chen.
"But..."
"It's alright, Gladius. You've already completed your mission, haven't you? Now go and get some rest and relax. I have something even more important to tell you."
Doflamingo did not criticize his subordinates, but comforted and understood them as usual.
This made his family members even more willing to serve him, and it was precisely because of this that, two years later, during the Punk Hazard incident, he gave the order for Monet to blow up the laboratory and abandon two cadres, which they carried out without complaint.
" Luo Chen? Just like Straw Hat Luffy, he's really a handful. But now I'm actually looking forward to meeting you again. I hope to see you in Marineford in two weeks, baboon baboon baboon..."
After Gladius and Monet took their leave, Doflamingo stood at the palace gate, gazing out at the distant sea. He seemed to be able to see the Isel heading towards the next island from afar. After a long while, he suddenly spoke.
Meanwhile, Luo Chen and the others, who were at the eye of the storm, were completely unaware of what was about to happen; they were simply moving in the direction indicated by the Log Pose.
There was a little incident during this time. Frank D. Phil, who had participated in the auction, quietly left after defeating Fukelike and stayed at a luxurious hotel in Supomachi. The next morning, he woke up leisurely and went to the door to have a big meal, but he never expected...
"Hmm, what's going on? Why is everyone looking at me, intentionally or unintentionally? Is there something strange about my face?"
Phil was puzzled by the constant stares directed at them and asked, "What's going on?"
"Hey, it's him, isn't it...?"
"Hmm, Phil, a member of the Luo Chen Pirates, with a bounty of 100 million Beli. I don't know why he's still here, but capturing him will force the others to reveal themselves..."
A group of men with fierce appearances huddled together and whispered among themselves.