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"Bring the bounty and let me see it, Edward." Ayr smiled slightly.
"You? I thought you weren't interested?" Whitebeard smirked.
"You've already put it in front of me, so I might as well take a look."
Although Ayr didn't care about his own bounty, since Whitebeard had gone out of his way to show it to him, he figured he might as well glance through it.
Whitebeard chuckled and handed him the bounty posters. Ayr took them and flipped through them casually.
Due to the recent battle on Hive Island, only a few members of the Rocks Pirates were still alive. The latest bounty updates were for the survivors:
Whitebeard (Edward Newgate): 3.3 billion berries
Golden Lion (Shiki): 3 billion berries
Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom): 2.9 billion berries
Kaido: 150 million berries
Byrnndi Wald: 2.111 billion berries
Ayr: 2.5 billion berries
After the Hive Island incident, everyone's bounty had increased slightly—most by around 100 to 300 million berries. However, Ayr's bounty had skyrocketed from 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion berries—a massive increase of 1 billion berries.
That made sense. Ayr had fought exceptionally well during the Hive Island battle and had even killed a Marine Admiral. It was only natural for his bounty to reflect his growing threat.
After a quick glance, Ayr casually tossed the bounty poster into the sea. There was no reason to keep it.
"You gained a billion berries in bounty from the Hive Island battle. Right now, in the entire Rocks Pirates, your bounty is one of the highest." Whitebeard grinned, congratulating him.
"The bounty increase just means the Marines and World Government see me as a greater threat. That's nothing to be happy about." Ayr shook his head with a faint smile.
Just as he finished speaking, a familiar voice came from behind.
"No matter how much the Marines take you seriously, as long as you're part of the Rocks Pirates, what can they really do to you? The Rocks Pirates will always be your strongest shield, Ayr."
Ayr turned to see Rocks D. Xebec approaching.
"Rocks…?"
Both Ayr and Whitebeard were momentarily surprised. It was rare for Rocks to seek them out directly.
Though they were key members of the crew and interacted with him occasionally, Rocks wasn't the type to waste time on small talk. His sudden arrival made both of them curious.
As Rocks got closer, Ayr forced a polite smile and responded, "Captain Rocks, your words are quite reassuring."
But deep down, Ayr remained skeptical.
He remembered what the future held.
According to the original timeline, Kaido hadn't even joined the crew yet, meaning the infamous God Valley Incident—the battle that would bring the Rocks Pirates to ruin—was still a few years away.
Rocks calling himself a "strong shield" now? That wouldn't last long.
"Of course," Rocks said, clapping Ayr on the shoulder. "You're an important figure on this ship."
There was no doubt that Ayr's strength and potential were valuable to Rocks. But Ayr knew better.
Rocks wasn't the type to consider anyone his friend or comrade.
Everyone under his command was a pawn, a tool to further his ambition of world domination. The moment someone outlived their usefulness—or worse, became a threat—Rocks wouldn't hesitate to eliminate them.
Right now, Ayr was strong, but not enough to truly challenge Rocks. That was why he was still safe… for now.
"But Captain Rocks, did you come here just to tell me that?" Ayr asked.
Though the Rocks Pirates were currently enjoying a rare period of peace, Rocks wasn't the type to sit idle. There had to be another reason for his visit.
"Of course not," Rocks smirked. "I'm calling for a cadre meeting. You two need to attend."
This was unusual. Normally, Rocks would send someone else to summon the crew to a meeting.
But this time, he had personally sought out Ayr and Whitebeard.
That alone showed just how valuable the two had become in Rocks' eyes. Or rather… how useful.
Ayr and Whitebeard exchanged glances before following Rocks toward the conference room.
---
The Conference Room
"KAKAKA!!!"
As the heavy wooden doors creaked open, Ayr could see that the other top officers of the crew were already inside.
Seated around the large table were Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin, Captain John, Silver Axe, Ochoku, and other senior members.
The moment Ayr and Whitebeard stepped inside, Golden Lion leaned back in his chair with a wide grin.
"Ayr, Edward, you guys must be really special, huh? Captain Rocks had to personally drag you here."
Even for someone like Shiki, meeting notifications were usually handled by crew members.
Yet, Ayr and Whitebeard got a personal invitation from Rocks himself.
"Gu la la la… I'm guessing Captain Rocks really came to get Ayr, and I just happened to be there," Whitebeard joked.
In the Rocks Pirates, strength determined status.
Ayr had risen through the ranks quickly, proving himself through sheer power. He had fought off two Marine Admirals on Hive Island, even killing one outright.
With such a record, it was only natural for Rocks to treat him differently.
"Mamamama… Ayr, you're really making Captain Rocks take notice of you." Charlotte Linlin chuckled, her eyes gleaming with interest.
The meeting was about to begin…
And Ayr had a feeling something big was about to happen.
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