Snap...
A large, rough hand slammed onto the table, causing it to shake violently. The stack of documents on the table scattered and lay scattered haphazardly on it.
"You idiot! Do you think you can get away with this excuse?! Do you think I'll believe your baseless reason?! With your strength and Devil Fruit ability, you think they'd escape so easily?!"
Inside the Fleet Admiral's Office, Akainu, smoking a cigarette, slammed his hand on the table in anger and Fujitora, who was speaking to him through the Den Den Mushi.
"Whether you believe it or not, it is true. Even if I did my best to intercept them, I couldn't stop them from leaving. Considering the safety of the soldiers, I did not order them to continue the pursuit. But in any case, their strength has already exceeded our expectations. I alone cannot capture them. We need another person to cooperate!" Fujitora explained calmly, without arguing with Akainu, despite hearing his angry roar.
"Hmph, even so, at least..."
"I will not Sacrifice these hot-blooded soldiers, who wholeheartedly serve the people, to wipe out the enemy. To defeat those pirates at the cost of their lives is not only irresponsible of me as a commander, but also something I cannot tolerate according to my moral principles!!" Akainu interrupted Fujitora before he could finish speaking. Clearly, he understood what Akainu meant: to nip evil in the bud at all costs. This was Akainu's Absolute Justice, which he could not agree with, as Fujitora had his own measured sense of justice.
Therefore, Fujitora firmly refused, clearly expressing his attitude.
"Hmph, since that's the case, then don't bother coming back. Take your soldiers and go out to sea to hunt them down. Don't come back until you've caught or destroyed them!" Akainu snorted coldly after hearing this, and said coldly again.
"This is exactly what I've been looking for!!" Fujitora replied, clearly now facing off against Akainu, neither willing to concede.
"You said it yourself. I will later order all naval bases to expel you the moment you set foot there..."
"Also, I've already contacted Vice Admiral Gion. She'll be joining you soon, and the two of you will attack together. If you still have that lame excuse from before, then you should resign!" Although Akainu's words were very harsh, he was also understanding of Fujitora's failure. He even mentioned Momousagi's past before hanging up the phone.
Click...
" Vice Admiral Momousagi?! That's perfect, with her around, I can relax a bit!!" After hanging up the phone, Fujitora was still immersed in the previous conversation, gazing at the sea and talking to himself.
Back on the Isel, after sailing at sea for most of the day and confirming that they had shaken off the navy's pursuit, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Their pace was no longer as frantic as before, and they began their leisure time. However, just then...
Is this the latest newspaper?!
"Quack!!"
"Okay, I understand. Here you go!"
Lulith negotiated with the News Coo to buy a newspaper, and after it flew away, she unfolded it and was shocked by the information inside.
"Captain, everyone, come quick... There's Big News Morgans!!" After quickly glancing over the information a few times, Lulith hurriedly informed the others.
"Huh?! What's wrong?! Why are you reacting so strongly, Lulith!?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gazes towards him, looking at him with surprise and asking questions.
"This is news about what happened to us before..." Lulith raised her hand, held up the newspaper, and said.
"News about us?! So what? It's all the same!!" The others didn't react as strongly as she had expected. They casually remarked and then went back to their own business, some reading, some cultivating, without coming forward to inquire further about the news.
"Hey, what's wrong with you guys?!" Lulith was a little confused. She had already said all that, so why were they still acting the same way? Weren't they worried about how the government would report their affairs?
"Alright, Lulith, let me take a look at it. They don't really pay attention to these things!"
"Hmm!!" At this moment, Catherine, Violet, and Nayako came over and asked her for the newspaper so they could read it first and then make other plans.
"Here you go..." Upon hearing this, Lulith's initial excitement vanished, and she lowered her head to hand over the newspaper.
"Hmm... this matter!!" Catherine took the newspaper from Lulith and read it carefully. The more she read, the more shocked she became by its contents. Violet and Nayako, who were standing next to her, also read it and were equally shocked by its contents.
"This... wreaking havoc in Mary Geoise, disrupting the Celestial Dragons ' wedding, liberating all the slaves in the Holy Land, and escaping unscathed from the Navy, the government, and the Celestial Dragons... arguably the most evil pirate crew in history... The Luo Chen Pirates!!"
"This is our news! What on earth did the captain and his crew do there to infuriate the World Government to this extent?!" Since the others had only briefly recounted the rescue operation upon returning to the ship without explaining the details, Violet Lulith, Nayako, and Monbuma were unaware of the reasons behind it. Only when the newspaper listed their crimes did they realize the danger of the incident, and they gasped in surprise, asking...
"There were many dangers involved, but it's all in the past now, so there's no need to bring it up again. The important thing is this..." Catherine didn't want to talk about it too much. As far as she was concerned, Luo Chen and the others, as well as she herself, had paid a huge price and made many Sacrifice for this. Talking about it would make them feel heartbroken, so she changed the subject and took out the bounty posters.
The bounty is as follows:
Shura Pirates
Captain Luo Chen has a bounty of 1 billion Beli.
Combatant Phil has a bounty of 400 million Beli.
Swordswoman Catherine has a bounty of 360 million Beli.
Navigator George has a bounty of 200 million Beli.
Crewman Singh has a bounty of 170 million Beli.
Chef Monbuma has a bounty of 70 million Beli.
Crew member Lulith has a bounty of 50 million Beli.
Crew member Violet has a bounty of 36 million Beli.
Ship's Doctor Nayako has a bounty of 33 million Beli.
Nine bounty posters were issued, with rewards placed on all of them, including five criminals with bounties exceeding 100 million. Apart from super pirate crews like the Four Emperors, few pirate crews receive such high bounties from the government. However, this also demonstrates the government's intention to hunt them down. In the end, the government also offered generous conditions to lure some people, including powerful bounty hunters, to capture them, making it impossible for them to live peacefully at sea and making the government and navy's encirclement and suppression easier.
Finally, there was also news about the Straw Hat Pirates' comeback, ranked second or third, and Four Emperors 'Charlotte latest tea party, but they weren't in the mood to read it anymore. They quickly took the document and informed Luo Chen and the others.