A week after Roy and the others returned to Hachinosu.
As the morning sun shines on the newly built port on Hachinosu,
The sea breeze, carrying a faint salty scent, caressed the island that had just regained its tranquility.
On the surface, everything seemed the same as usual; workers were busy loading and unloading cargo at the dock.
Merchants greeted customers in their shops, while children chased and played in the streets.
But every islander knows that an invisible pressure is quietly gathering on the island from all corners of the world.
In the conference room on the top floor of the palace, the core members of the Roy Pirates gathered together.
On the long conference table, a stack of the latest bounty posters were spread out.
The top image features Roy in profile—wearing a black trench coat, his hand on a knife hilt, his eyes as cold as a knife.
Below, in bold, is a breathtaking number:
" The Heavenly Dao " Roy - Bounty 2,500,000,000 Beli (2.5 billion) (His crimes are heinous, his life or death is not on the table)
The following are in order:
" Devil's Descendant " Douglas Bullet - Bounty 2,000,000,000 Beli (1.8 billion)
" Hawk Eyes " Jora Mihawk - Bounty 1,850,000,000 Beli (1.6 billion)
Gild Tesoro, the " Thunder God " – Bounty: 1,600,000,000 Beli (1.5 billion)
Desert Crocodile Crocodile - Bounty: 900,000,000 Beli (900 million)
" Tyrant " Bartholomew Kuma - Bounty: 800,000,000 Beli (800 million)
" Gladiator " Kyros - Bounty 550,000,000 Beli (550 million)
And, another bounty poster appeared alongside the Roy Pirates:
Fisher Tiger, the " Fish-Man Hero " - Bounty: 800,000,000 Beli (800 million)
There are also bounties on the main officers of the Sun Pirates, ranging from tens of millions to over one hundred million.
The total bounty on the entire Roy Pirates and their affiliated groups has exceeded 10 billion Beli.
It reached a terrifying number that would make any veteran pirate crew take notice.
The meeting room was silent for a full ten seconds.
"2.5 billion..."
Tesoro picked up Roy's bounty poster, his fingers trembling slightly, whether from excitement or lingering fear, it was hard to tell.
"Boss, this number... aside from Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido, shouldn't yours be the highest?"
"Almost."
Crocodile exhaled a smoke ring, a complex glint in his eyes.
"This time, the Navy truly considers us their number one enemy."
Bullet, holding his $2 billion bounty poster, grinned broadly, looking at it over and over.
"2 billion... Heh heh, those navy guys finally have some sense!"
Hawk Eyes glanced at his bounty, his expression calm.
His fingers lightly traced the words " Hawk Eyes " on the bounty poster, a barely perceptible glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes.
Xiong Wen looked at his bounty gently and said softly, "800 million... It seems the World Government still remembers the 'sins' of the Buccaneer Tribe."
Kyros, Savi, Enel, and others also received bounties of varying amounts.
While not nearly as famous as the previous few, it was enough for them to make a name for themselves in the New World.
Even non-combatants like Stella, Scarlet, Ginny received "encouragement bounties" ranging from several million to tens of millions.
The atmosphere in the conference room was subtle.
Excitement, pride, pressure, vigilance... a mix of emotions.
Don't be too happy yet.
Roy suppressed the restlessness of the crowd.
He put down the wanted poster and scanned every face in the room.
"2.5 billion is not an honor, it's a death sentence. The Navy's goal is to keep the whole world watching us."
"Next, countless fools eager for overnight fame will flock to Hachinosu like moths to a flame."
Roy stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the bustling harbor below.
"More importantly— the World Government has lost such a huge face, it can't be as simple as just raising the bounty."
No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a knock on the conference room door.
One of Crocodile's intelligence agents strode in, whispered a few words in his ear, and handed him an encrypted document.
Crocodile unfolded the document, his expression changed slightly, and then he sneered.
"Captain, your hunch was right."
Crocodile stood up and projected the documents onto the holographic screen in the center of the conference room.
It was a dynamic situation map of the New World seas, densely marked with various red dots, blue lines, and movement trajectories.
" G-1 Branch, the Navy's forward headquarters in the New World."
Crocodile pointed to a flashing red dot on the map,
"Breaking intelligence: Over sixty naval warships have gathered here in the past week."
This includes five Vice Admiral- class flagships and a large number of elite troops.
He switched the view, and a blurry photo taken at a distance appeared.
Warships were gathered in the port, supplies were piled up like mountains, and soldiers were conducting intensive boarding drills.
"The Commander-in-Chief is the naval hero, Monkey D. Garp, and the Vice Commander-in-Chief is ' Akainu ' Sakazuki."
Crocodile's voice carried a hint of solemnity.
"They claim it's a 'routine exercise,' but even a fool can see it's aimed at us."
A low gasp filled the conference room.
The combination of Garp and Akainu is just as intimidating as any Buster Call.
"That's not all."
Crocodile continued to gather more intelligence.
"The number of unusual vessels has more than tripled in the past week across the major seas of the New World."
There were bounty hunters, hotheads eager to make a name for themselves, and...
He paused, his gaze sharpening further.
"CP0 agents. We've identified at least seven suspicious presences attempting to infiltrate the surrounding waters."
Stella added,
"The island's business network also reports that there has been a significant increase in unfamiliar businesspeople coming to discuss cooperation recently."
Many of them were clearly unfamiliar with the market and seemed more like they were there to scout things out.
The situation is more serious than expected.
With a large naval force pressing in from the front, CP0 infiltrating from the shadows, and countless ambitious individuals eyeing the outside world covetously.
The Roy Pirates became the target of the entire world overnight.
All eyes were on Roy, awaiting his decision.
Roy stood by the window, his back to everyone, and remained silent for a few seconds.
Turning around, he looked at his companion, his eyes showing no fear, no tension, only an almost indifferent calm.
"Then let them come."
Roy's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"The Navy wants to apply pressure head-on, distract us, and create an opportunity for CP0 to infiltrate?"
"Then let them pressure us."
"Those fools who want fame and fortune are perfect for training; let the new recruits see blood."
As for CP0...
Roy's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Make sure Crocodile's intelligence network is running at full capacity and find all the suspicious 'eyes'."
What we need to do is not passive defense, but... lure them into a trap.