On the Grand Line, a coffin-shaped small boat cut through the waves.
"Bountied?"
Mihawk held a bounty poster in each hand, "It seems the marines have also realized the danger they pose."
"I wonder what kind of chaos they'll stir up in this world once they grow stronger. I'm really looking forward to it~"
"I think that man is probably looking forward to it too, the connection between that straw hat and him... New World, let's go."
The coffin-shaped small boat continued to ride the wind and waves, its speed not slow, disappearing from the sea in a blink of an eye.
The New World, the most dangerous sea area in the entire world.
Extremely perilous weather can be seen everywhere here, and even the world's strongest pirates could die in a massive shipwreck.
If one's luck is even slightly bad, they could be impaled in the forehead by a flying ship's rudder.
And then their entire Pirate Crew and ambitions would be buried at sea~~~
And at this moment, in a treacherous sea area, a huge Pirate Crew ship was slowly sailing.
Its bow was made of a white whale, and the entire hull was enormous, capable of accommodating an unknown number of people.
"Pops, Pops!!"
A hurried shout rang out on the deck.
A man of eighteen or nineteen, with freckles, wearing a cowboy hat with a crying and laughing face, and bare-chested, ran to a huge seat.
"Look!!"
He dramatically unfurled the bounty poster in his hand, grinning excitedly at the figure on the huge seat:
"This is my brother, he's finally set sail too!!"
"Gurarararara!
A hearty laugh dispersed the clouds in the sky.
The world's strongest man, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, with his crescent-shaped mustache, massive physique, and overflowing charisma, laughed heartily, looking at his son in front of him.
"He's a good lad, quite spirited."
Whitebeard put down the liquor bottle in his hand, the IV drip attached to him tugging repeatedly, causing the surrounding nurses to playfully scold him.
"If he could be my son, that would be even better."
"Yes, Ace, contact your brother and tell him to join us too!!"
"Then we'll all be family!!"
"Exactly, exactly!!"
The surrounding Whitebeard Pirates cheered along.
"Luffy, he's not the kind of person who'd be willing to join other Pirate Crews."
Ever since he saw Luffy's bounty poster and received news of him, his smile hadn't faded.
"He's always talking about becoming the Pirate King, but..."
Ace's eyes sparkled, "With Pops here, it'll be very tough for that guy to achieve his dream!!"
"Just like Ace back then, ha ha ha!!"
"Yes, who knows, if he comes to the New World to challenge Pops, it might be exactly like Ace back then!!"
"What are you saying?!"
Ace, reminded of an embarrassing memory, immediately became angry and started playfully brawling with those idiots, forming a pile.
Whitebeard watched his silly sons, his eyes full of doting affection.
"Ace's brother, he hasn't even entered the Grand Line yet, and he already has such a high bounty in the East Blue. He's quite a formidable character."
Next to him, the loyal pineapple-headed Marco, no, Marco, the commander of the First Division, held the bounty poster.
"It's just that his bounty amount seems to be less than his first mate's?"
"Having your bounty amount surpassed by your subordinate isn't very cool, is it?"
Marco stroked his pineapple-shaped chin, chuckling softly.
Somewhere on the Grand Line.
Baltigo, the White Earth Island, known for its desolation, was covered in yellow sand and rocks, making it unsuitable for human habitation.
But amidst this swirling sand, the Revolutionary Army headquarters stood.
Inside the building, many staff members in simple uniforms were busy, constantly recording and sending messages via telegraph.
A figure in a green cloak, obscuring his body, moved among these busy staff members.
Everyone who saw the man in the green coat looked at him with the highest respect.
Because this was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, leading them toward a world of peace, justice, and happiness!!
"This is?!"
The man in the green coat suddenly stopped by a telegraph machine and picked up two wanted posters that had just come in.
"These are the two newest pirates with bounties from the East Blue. It's said they have great dangerous potential. The Marines' priority level for them is extremely high, which is why they were given such high bounty amounts," a nearby staff member immediately introduced.
The man in the green coat looked at the wanted posters in silence for three seconds, then put them down and walked outside.
[Just the East Blue isn't enough, Luffy. You have an even broader space and stage!!]
He looked at the sandstorm filling the sky, muttering in his heart.
[Before you head to the Grand Line, let's see how you are now~]
At the same time, a green whirlwind rose from beneath his feet, and his figure vanished in the blink of an eye.
East Blue, Foosha Village.
Inside Makino's bar.
"Cheers!!"
A group of villagers were cheering there.
"A toast to that kid Luffy!!"
"Hey, hey, hey, a Great Pirate criminal has come out of our village. Is this something to be happy about?!"
The village chief glared nearby, but his scolding had no effect; instead, it only prompted another toast.
"These guys..."
"Please don't mind them."
As the village chief looked on with a headache, the proprietress Makino gave a gentle smile and handed him a cup of tea.
"Everyone is happy for Luffy."
"First Ace, and now Luffy—both have set out on the journey to chase their dreams, and both are satisfied. Look, Chief, see how happily Luffy is smiling."
Makino picked up Luffy's bounty poster. The grinning face in the photo seemed to remind her of when Luffy was little, and a smile couldn't help but play on her lips.
"Besides Luffy, it seems he's found some other good companions too."
Makino's gaze turned to the other wanted poster. "And he's so handsome and dashing; I'm sure he must be very reliable!!"
"I wonder if Luffy's personality will cause trouble for others..."
"What companions? I see a bunch of criminal accomplices~"
The village chief was still grumbling angrily.
"Cheers!!"
"Hey! You guys!!"
In Foosha Village, Luffy's hometown was celebrating for him.
In Syrup Village, Kaya and Merry saw the bounty posters and were looking forward to when Usopp's bounty would be released.
In Shells Town, Koby, who was doing chores, looked at the wanted posters of Luffy and Link pasted on the wall and secretly strengthened his resolve.
Meanwhile, at the jail, a Marine held two wanted posters and looked mockingly into the cell at the trembling Axe-Hand Man.
In Cocoyasi Village, Nami's sister Nojiko was considering whether to hang Link's photo in the most prominent place in her room.
On a deserted island, a red-nosed midget with only a head, hands, and feet was panting heavily while frantically dodging giant birds.
He took out the two bounty posters kept in his hat and gnashed his teeth fiercely, as if he had suddenly found a new source of motivation.
In the East Blue, on the deck of a dog-headed warship.
Draped in a Marine coat and wearing a gray hat, the adjutant Borsalino held the wanted posters, considering whether to disturb the commanding officer inside who was currently breaking donut-eating records.
However, looking at the names on the bounty list, particularly the prominent 'Monkey and D', he hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.
Then he heard what sounded like a collapsing tower of donuts from inside.
Borsalino: "..."
In short, after the Marines made their decision and these two wanted posters flew to every corner of the world, ripples gradually began to stir across the globe.
But under these circumstances?
On the other side, completely unaware that they were being targeted by the famous White Hunter of the Marines and were viewed as high-level threats with active bounties, the Straw Hat crew was sailing leisurely across the sea.
"Nami, can't I just have one orange?"
Luffy held his head and complained to Nami on the deck.
His eyes were fixed on the oranges behind Sanji, which had been brought from Cocoyasi Village and loaded onto the ship.
"No, if I let you eat them as you please, you'll finish them all off in less than two days!!"
On the deck, Nami sat in a sun lounger, protecting the oranges while rolling her eyes and refusing him bluntly.
Sanji also spread his arms, looking like a simp determined to protect the orange trees to the end.
"Hmph?"
Luffy puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Zoro was resting nearby, and Usopp was busy preparing his Pepper Stars.
Link was inspecting and adjusting his items.
During this time, the group hadn't always been sailing so leisurely.
In the interim, they had passed a small shop that made exceptionally delicious Oden, and the food prices were incredibly cheap.
From there, they heard news of the Great Pirate Woonan, who was rumored to have collected one-third of the world's gold.
As it turned out, once they reached the destination, the gold was nowhere to be found; there were only some 'chicken soup for the soul' quotes left behind by Woonan.
During that time, a Shoujou pirate who had eaten the Sound-Sound Fruit jumped out to cause trouble. He was quickly defeated by Link and the others, and his bounty was used to pay for the Oden.
They also stopped at Clockwork Island for supplies, where they encountered the Trump Pirates, a group with two Devil Fruit users.
Among them was Bear King, a user of the Steel-Steel Fruit, with a bounty of 11.6 million Berries.
Honey Queen, a user of the Liquid-Liquid Fruit, had a bounty of 7.8 million Berries.
The fruit abilities were undoubtedly quite powerful, but unfortunately, they were obtained by these two losers who only used them to act like tyrants on a small island; their actual strength was garbage.
One was sent flying by Luffy, and the other was trapped in a small bottle by Nami after turning her body into liquid.
Other pirate groups were also dealt with by Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp, without Link even needing to lift a finger.
After finishing off these two groups, the crew felt there was nowhere else worth staying in the East Blue and began to set their sights on the Grand Line.
To reach the Grand Line, one place was unavoidable: Loguetown.
Also known as The Town of the Beginning and the End, because it was the place where the Pirate King Gol D. Roger was born and died.
As soon as he heard it was related to the Pirate King, Luffy insisted on going to see it no matter what.
Thus, their final destination in the East Blue was established.
The going merry was sailing toward Loguetown.
"The world really hasn't been peaceful lately, has it?"
Nami sat there, complaining as she flipped through the newspaper.
"And isn't inflation a bit too extreme? Even the price of newspapers has gone up."
"If I buy more beautiful jewelry and clothes, won't I be losing out a lot?"
As she was muttering, two wanted posters suddenly slipped out from between the pages of the newspaper.
"Hmm?"
Nami instinctively looked over.
Luffy, who was nearby, also had his attention drawn, and Usopp looked up just as he finished a Pepper Star.
Sanji saw it from above, and Zoro let out a yawn, his gaze landing right on the bounty posters.
"This is... Eh?!"
A chorus of exclamations suddenly erupted on the deck, causing Link, who was organizing his items, to look up immediately.
"What's wrong?"
He asked aloud, and then, seeing the surprised faces of his friends, he followed their gaze to the two sheets of paper lying on the deck.
"These are... wanted posters?!"
Link's eyes widened slightly. "And they're ours?!"
The first wanted poster that had fallen to the deck was none other than Luffy's photo.
It showed a very happy smile with a row of big white teeth.
Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, [Straw Hat] Monkey D. Luffy, bounty: 44 million Berries!!
It was 14 million more than the original, possibly because the incidents with Morgan and Kuro's fake death were included, which perfectly matched his current worth.
The second photo showed Link looking down at Arlong. That downward-looking smile had a touch more elegance compared to Luffy's sunshine, making him look exceptionally handsome!
first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates, [Item Master] Link, bounty: 55 million Berries!!
Below the photo were the name and introduction. Luffy's surname was naturally 'Monkey', while Link's name was written as 'Link'.
Directly translated into Chinese, it means 'Connection'.
Boom!!
The entire Straw Hat crew stared at these two wanted posters, dumbfounded.
"We finally... have bounties on our heads?!"
Usopp stared at the photos and couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Hahahaha, my wanted poster! This is my wanted poster!!"
Luffy picked up his bounty poster and started doing somersaults on the ship, jumping for joy!
"Yeah, although I've seen plenty of wanted posters, this time is different..."
As Zoro spoke, he stood up and walked toward the stern of the ship.
"Zoro, where are you going?!"
"To train!!"
Zoro replied without looking back, "Previously, the highest bounty in the East Blue was only 20 million Berries, but now there are ones for 40 million and over 60 million."
Yet our Captain and first mate's first bounties reached over 30 million.
"Clearly, the Marines' level of attention toward us is quite high, and they are eager to eliminate us as soon as possible."
"We might face a massive crisis very soon, so of course I have to hurry and properly improve my strength!!"
After saying that, leaving Usopp speechless, he departed.
Admittedly, what Zoro said was a very important reason, but there was another undeniable factor driving him to such high-intensity training.
"Luffy and Link both have wanted posters now; I can't fall behind them!!"
A fire flickered in Zoro's eyes—the fire of competitive spirit!!
Since he had become a pirate, what best represented his fame and presence?
Without a doubt, it was the wanted posters issued by the Marines.
While he couldn't speak for all pirates, the vast majority took pride in having a high bounty, and Zoro was no exception.
"The realm of Cutting Steel? I'll ponder it myself first. If I really can't understand it, I'll consult Link..."
Zoro ran off to train, waiting for the next suitable bounty opportunity.
"Damn it, I clearly fought hard too. Why don't I have a wanted poster..."
Sanji was also quite indignant toward the Marines, making a pact with Usopp to make it onto the top of the pirate bounty list together next time.
And you absolutely must strike the coolest pose and take the best-looking photos!
"You guys..."
Only Nami was there, rubbing her forehead, "You completely don't realize the importance of being wanted... especially you, Luffy!"
Hearing Luffy's continuous laughter, Nami instantly snapped:
"Also, your bounty isn't even as much as Link's, the captain's bounty is actually lower than the first mate's, and you can still laugh!"
It has to be said, Nami's question was spot on.
If it were on any other Pirate Crew, and the first mate or other crew members had a higher bounty than the captain, then the captain would definitely be unhappy.
Especially with a difference of over ten million berries.
And the captain's subordinates would subtly disobey him, because he hadn't proven himself with his bounty.
Among pirates, besides profit, the strength represented by the bounty was also an important factor in betrayals.
But that's on other Pirate Crews, what about the Straw Hat Pirates?
"It's fine?"
Luffy just smiled, unconcerned, "This time Link surpassed me, next time it'll be my turn to surpass him!"
He's really incredibly thick-skinned... Nami, feeling exhausted, decided she didn't want to talk to Luffy.
She rubbed her head, then turned to see Link also frowning, staring at his bounty poster.
"Link, you also think being wanted is a terrible and dangerous thing, right?!"
Nami's eyes immediately lit up, as if she saw hope; there was still a normal person on this ship!
"I'm thinking..."
Link frowned and looked up, "Are the Marines really that stingy? Why didn't they add another one million berries for me or Luffy?!"
Nami: "???!!!"
What are you saying?
Link seemed not to notice Nami's bewildered expression and continued to himself:
"Mine is 55 million berries, Luffy's is 44 million berries, together that's 99 million berries."
"Just one million berries short of rounding it up to 100 million berries. That way, when we meet other pirates later, we can declare that we are also a Great Pirate Crew with a total of 100 million berries."
"But now, this amount is neither here nor there, it makes me a bit uncomfortable?"
Link said, quite annoyed, his obsessive-compulsive disorder acting up.
Nami: "..."
Let me leave, there isn't a single normal person left on this ship!
Even the usually reliable first mate, after seeing the bounty poster, turned out like this. What kind of magic does this grey paper have?!
Nami, unable to comprehend, looked defeated.
Hmm, she just couldn't understand men's pursuit and romance of bounty posters.
But no matter what, Link and Luffy's initial bounties were absolutely unprecedented in the entire East Blue.
Especially Link, he could be considered to have broken the historical record of the East Blue's bounty world.
To celebrate this grand event, to celebrate himself and Link being wanted, Luffy even wanted to throw a party.
As luck would have it, the outline of Loguetown slowly appeared in everyone's sight.
Their final destination in the East Blue had arrived.