Since Renji was still relying on those two as labor to get to Alabasta, he naturally had no intention of harming them.
Just then, Douglas Bullet walked in, holding a newspaper in his hand.
"You made the headlines again—and the World Government has officially issued a bounty on you. You're now a wanted criminal!"
Renji had already expected to become an enemy of the World Government, so he wasn't too fazed by the bounty itself.
But the moment he took the newspaper and glanced at the contents, his expression changed drastically.
"This guy Morgans is terrifying…"
In just a single day, that bird-brained journalist had managed to uncover an alarming amount of detail.
First, there was the update from the World Government.
Three days after Renji and Douglas Bullet escaped, the World Government officially released a bounty poster for both of them.
Under Renji Kai's photo, the printed bounty was one billion Berries, while Douglas Bullet's bounty was an eye-watering 1.8 billion Berries.
The vast difference between the two bounties was mainly due to Douglas Bullet's prior notoriety, while Renji was still an emerging figure.
After all, other than escaping from Impel Down, Renji hadn't committed any large-scale acts that threatened society, so his bounty hadn't spiked too dramatically—yet.
Additionally, Marine Headquarters had also issued a global arrest order for the Renji Kai Pirates. Under the command of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki (Akainu), the so-called "Justice Fleet" had departed Marineford and was now en route to the East Blue.
Clearly, the luxurious fleet led by an Admiral had one obvious goal: Renji Kai.
On the next page of the paper, the story shifted to the Red-Haired Pirates.
The article reported that Renji and Douglas Bullet's warship had encountered Shanks and his crew somewhere in the East Blue.
An intense battle had erupted on the deck of the Red Force, the Red-Haired Pirates' flagship. The fight was described as earth-shattering, shaking heaven and sea alike.
And shockingly, the result of this clash was a complete defeat for the Red-Haired Pirates. Forced into retreat, Shanks and his crew were seen abandoning the Red Force and fleeing the battlefield.
Following their retreat, the Red-Haired Pirates allegedly came across another large pirate vessel, seized it for themselves, and by nightfall, landed on an island in the East Blue to recover.
Even more explosively, the newspaper claimed—based on reliable sources—that Renji Kai had defeated Red-Haired Shanks single-handedly!
Clearly, once the Red-Haired Pirates landed on that island, the news must've leaked immediately.
And the moment this news broke, it sent shockwaves across the world.
The World Government had just issued a global wanted poster for Renji, and not long after, he defeated one of the New World's most powerful pirates—Shanks!
Although Shanks hadn't been officially crowned one of the Four Emperors yet, his power was already widely acknowledged by major factions.
Now, out of nowhere, a complete unknown had burst onto the scene—first escaping from Impel Down, then defeating one of the strongest pirate crews in the world head-on.
With this, all the global powers were forced to take Renji Kai seriously.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters in Marineford, inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku sat grimly at his desk.
Today's newspaper lay open before him.
"It's that guy again... Escapes prison, then goes on a rampage like this—doesn't even respect the Navy anymore!"
Borsalino (Kizaru) was lounging lazily on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other.
"This is getting interesting," said Garp, arms folded, his tone half amused, half serious. "The guy didn't just beat up the guards at Impel Down—he even wiped the floor with one of the most famous pirates in the world. Saves us a lot of work."
"Maybe if he keeps going, and takes down a few more New World pirates, we'll finally catch a break."
Sengoku glanced over at Garp with a puzzled look. "You almost sound like you admire him."
"And what if I do?" Garp replied without hesitation. "If we could recruit him into the Seven Warlords of the Sea, it'd be the perfect solution."
"Wait, what? You want to make him a Warlord?" Sengoku's brows furrowed deeply at the suggestion.
The World Government and the Navy had only just released a global bounty on Renji, and now Garp was suggesting they recruit him?
It was essentially a slap in the face to both the Government and the Navy.
As the Supreme Commander of the Marines, Sengoku clearly wasn't keen on the idea.
"The Warlord system was flawed from the very beginning. I still don't know which idiot in the upper ranks thought it was a good idea. Look at the people they brought in—how many of them actually follow the rules?"
"These so-called Warlords run around the seas doing whatever they please, protected by the World Government. Meanwhile, we—supposedly the defenders of justice—have to stand by and let them break the law. It's absurd."
"But now we've got someone who can actually take down New World pirates. Why shouldn't we offer him an official title and use him to our advantage?" Garp said seriously.
"You're not wrong," Borsalino chimed in, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "The Warlords are meant to be powerful pirates with considerable influence."
"Renji certainly has the strength—but he's got no fleet, no crew, just a ship and two people. Making him a Warlord might be stretching the rules a bit."
"And besides, the Warlord seats are already full. If he wants in, he'll need to defeat one of the current Warlords and take their territory. Only then would he qualify."
"Hmph... It's far too soon to talk about making him a Warlord," Sengoku said coldly, narrowing his eyes. "For all we know, Sakazuki might already be on his way to eliminate him completely."
At that very moment, on the lead ship of the Justice Fleet, cutting across the vast seas...
Fleet Admiral Sakazuki stood on the main deck, reading the same newspaper.
After scanning the article, he crushed it in one hand and tossed it into the sea.
"Relay my orders: Have the entire fleet spread out in a straight line and expand the search zone."
"Not a single boat is getting through."