Marco's exclamation immediately drew the attention of the other Pirates around him.
"One billion Berries?"
"What one billion? Who? Captain Marco?"
"Idiot! Captain Marco's current bounty is 1.3 billion Berries! This must be about Captain Jozu. After all, Captain Jozu made a great contribution in this war!"
"Indeed, Captain Jozu's bounty has increased a lot! Treat us, Jozu!"
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you all guessing about?"
Marco helplessly turned around and waved the newspaper in his hand, "It has nothing to do with us. Probably the news of the war's end hasn't reached the World Economic Journal yet."
As he made this gesture, the bounty posters inside the newspaper fell out, scattering in the wind. The surrounding Pirates hurriedly reached out to catch them.
[DEAD OR ALIVE]
[Blade Swordsman·Xiano]
[$ 1,000,000,000]
This was the first bounty poster that fell out from the newspaper's inner pages, and it was also the most eye-catching one.
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes and with a wave of his large hand, he firmly grasped Xiano's bounty poster. Marco immediately handed the newspaper over.
Soon, Whitebeard finished reading the newspaper, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard casually tossed the newspaper aside, his hearty laughter echoing across the deck, "No wonder he's been given a bounty of one billion. This kid has really done something extraordinary!"
"Old man?" Marco leaned in, puzzled, "Are you interested in this guy?"
He clearly remembered.
The last time this guy's bounty was published in the newspaper, the old man didn't seem very interested in recruiting him, merely seeing him as a newcomer who had made some name for himself.
But this time, it seemed completely different...
"Gurararara! Of course!"
Whitebeard unfolded the bounty poster for everyone to see, his thick finger pointing at the confident smile of the black-haired youth in the photo: "Look at this smile, Marco. What an arrogant brat! He killed two Warlords of the Sea and outright rejected the World Government's invitation to become a Warlord! Even Garp himself couldn't bring him down!"
"This kind of courage, this kind of spirit, this unruly demeanor, reminds me of Oden back in the day!"
Whitebeard grinned, "If this kid is willing to become my son after entering the New World, what do you say about making him the captain of the Second Division? Gurararara!"
The captain of the Second Division? The old man thinks so highly of this kid? Including Marco, several of the division captains exchanged glances, all somewhat surprised.
After all, within their Whitebeard Pirates, the position of the Second Division captain was a very special one.
Ever since Oden left, this position had been left vacant, and it had been many years now.
Although many powerful comrades had joined later, the old man had never mentioned filling this vacant position.
But now, the old man actually wanted to make an exception?
"Gurararara! It seems no one objects, so I've decided!"
Whitebeard slapped the armrest of his chair, causing the entire ship to shake slightly, "When this kid enters the New World, I'm going to meet him personally!"
"If he is willing to become my son, then the position of the Second Division Commander is his!"
"If he refuses..."
Whitebeard grinned, firmly gripping Ten Clouds in his hand, "Then I'll show him just how dangerous and cruel the New World can be. That guy Garp can't represent the remnants of our old era anymore!"
The deck erupted in excitement once more, as the crew members buzzed with animated discussions.
"Hey! The Old Man is serious about this!"
"Hahaha, this is going to be good!"
"But will that kid really agree? I heard he even turned down the offer to become a Warlord of the Sea..."
"Hmph, what's a Warlord of the Sea compared to this? This is Commander Oden's position, a thousand times more valuable than that!"
Amidst the lively and noisy atmosphere.
No one noticed.
In the shadows at the edge of the crowd, Teach had quietly picked up the newspaper that had fallen to the ground and was silently crouched nearby, unfolding it.
His eyes gleamed with a sinister light in the firelight, fixed on the confident young man on the front page.
"Zehahaha..."
Teach let out a low laugh, his voice filled with unmistakable envy and longing.
Eighteen years old?
Just an eighteen-year-old brat, yet already so renowned that even the Old Man holds him in high regard! And what about me?
I'm still unknown, wasting my days on this ship... That fruit I've been waiting for, there's still no news of it.
Am I really going to waste the rest of my life on this ship that doesn't belong to me? This damn fate...
It's just not fair!
...
New World, Dressrosa.
In the grand theater, the velvet curtains slowly parted.
On stage, an ancient Dressrosa court drama was being performed. The actors wore elaborate masks and sang in exaggerated tones, glorifying the glory of the royal family from nine hundred years ago.
"Great King Don Quixote!"
The lead actor raised his arms high, his voice rising and falling beneath the mask, "Your radiance shines upon Dressrosa like the sun~"
Meanwhile, in the VIP box on the second floor.
Doflamingo lounged on the sofa, not paying attention to the play. His focus was entirely on the newspaper in his hands.
"Fufufufufu... One billion Berries? That's quite the exaggeration!"
He couldn't help but push his sunglasses up with his index finger, raising an eyebrow as his lips curled into an exaggerated grin. "Should I say the old men at Marine Headquarters are scared out of their wits by this brat, or just plain furious?"
"To give such a high bounty to a kid who hasn't even set foot in the New World!"
But...
Doflamingo's gaze shifted to the face of the black-haired young man laughing boldly on the page.
This brat's strength is indeed formidable.
Even if he were to encounter him, it would be hard to come out unscathed.
And.
After killing two Warlords of the Sea, he turned down the olive branch offered by the World Government? Fufufufufu, this arrogant, overbearing personality... it seems he and I might be cut from the same cloth...
"Hey, Doffy."
Trebol, dragging his sticky snot, leaned closer. "Hey! What are you looking at? Let me see too, hey! Hey! Hey!"
"Take it yourself."
Doflamingo tossed the newspaper over, subtly shifting to the side, and casually asked, "Where's Kuma? Hasn't he returned yet?"
"What a coincidence you asked, Doffy. He just arrived."
Trebol chuckled as he picked up the newspaper, calling out without turning his head, "Hey, Kuma, you can come in now!"
The door to the private room swung open, and Kuma, holding a Bible, bent down to pass through the doorway and entered.
"Fufufufufu, you haven't forgotten our deal, have you, Kuma?"
Doflamingo grinned, "How's the second task I assigned you going?"
"It went smoothly. The Axe Emperor Pirate Crew and the Rampo Pirate Crew, who were sabotaging your family's dealings, have been wiped out. These are their pirate flags."
Kuma placed two tattered pirate flags on the table and spoke in a deep voice, "Our deal is complete. Now, shouldn't you fulfill your promise and let Princess Mansherry come out to meet me?"
"No rush, no rush."
Doflamingo crossed his legs and leisurely raised a finger, "There's still a third matter. Let's get this one done first before we talk."
"A third matter?"
Kuma frowned, "Are you going back on your word?"
"Fufufufufu, what are you talking about, big guy? I'm a businessman with a reputation. How could I do such a thing?"
Doflamingo chuckled softly, "I only promised you a meeting with Mansherry, right? But now, because I feel a bit of sympathy for your situation, I'm willing to help you a little more."
"Once this task is completed, I'll allow Mansherry to leave this country with you, treat your daughter, and then return. How's that? Isn't this much better than the original condition? Don't mistake my kindness, Kuma!"
Kuma's eyes flickered as he scrutinized Doflamingo for a moment before finally asking, "What's the task?"
"Fufufufufu, it's simple! Very simple for you! It's just a bit far, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Otherwise, I would've gone myself!"
Doflamingo tossed over a sea chart, "Agatha Island. The islanders there have betrayed me. Kill them all, find the so-called sacred fruit of their tribe, and bring it back to report! Once it's all done, Mansherry is yours!"
"Agatha Island…"
Kuma's brow furrowed, "So, the people you want me to deal with this time are mostly civilians?"
"Fufufufufu, what's the difference?"
Doflamingo sneered, "A great pirate known as the 'Tyrant,' do you really care about such things? Think about your daughter. Are you really going to let her go untreated for the sake of a bunch of unrelated outsiders?"
Kuma stared at the sea chart in front of him, remaining silent for a long time.
...
On the top floor of Skull Castle on Onigashima, Kaido, drunk and sprawled on his throne, clutched the latest newspaper in his hand, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Hanafuda… is dead?"
His low voice echoed through the empty hall, and the air seemed to freeze.
"Y-yes, Lord Kaido…"
The Beast Pirates' officers kneeling at the foot of the steps were drenched in cold sweat, none daring to look up.
Queen, puffing on a cigar, shrank to the side, not daring to make a sound, while King stood quietly to Kaido's right, eyes closed, the flames behind him flickering slightly.
"Killed by that brat I wanted to recruit…?"
Kaido's voice grew softer, yet it caused the temperature in the entire hall to plummet.
Queen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke hesitantly, "Uh, well... Big Brother Kaido, Hanafuda was indeed strong, but that guy is a monstrous rookie who managed to escape from Akainu. It's understandable that he lost and was killed—"
Wham! Before Queen could finish, Kaido had already pulled out his Spiked Club and swung it with full force!
Boom—!!! Queen let out a blood-curdling scream as his obese body was instantly smashed into the wall. The entire castle shook violently, and debris rained down from the ceiling.
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Kaido wailed like a child, tears streaming down his face, "Hanafuda is dead! My good brother, my former loyal subordinate, died in a place like Paradise!"
"Urororororo!"
Suddenly, he clapped his hands and burst into laughter, "Well done, well done, Xiano! As expected of the rookie I had my eyes on. To think he's this powerful!"
"But, but…"
In the next moment.
Kaido abruptly stood up, his eyes bloodshot, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted like a tsunami. The sky above Onigashima instantly darkened, thunder rumbling and lightning flashing! "In the end, he's just a brat wandering around Paradise… a mere brat from Paradise! How dare he kill my man!"
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck outside the window, illuminating Kaido's ferocious face.
"—This kind of behavior is absolutely, absolutely unforgivable!!!"
Some of the newly recruited officers trembled in fear, completely unable to gauge Kaido-sama's true feelings toward that Xiano.
Meanwhile, beside the main seat.
King remained expressionless. Having followed Kaido for many years, he was already accustomed to his boss's drunken antics and unpredictable mood swings.
As long as it wasn't "drunken coquettishness" that polluted everyone's eyes, any other reaction was fine.
"Big Brother Kaido."
King slowly raised his head and spoke in a deep voice, "Shall I take some men to Paradise and deal with that brat named Xiano?"
"No."
Kaido's voice suddenly calmed down, but the suppressed killing intent became even more terrifying.
"I'll go myself."
He grabbed his gourd of sake, tilted his head back, and took a long swig. The liquor spilled down the corners of his mouth, soaking the dragon-scale tattoo on his arm.
"Hanafuda was my brother. His vengeance must be settled by my own hands!"
"But, Kaido-sama…" Queen swallowed hard and couldn't help but speak up, "Our war with Whitebeard just ended, and the situation hasn't stabilized yet—"
"Shut up!"
Kaido smashed the sake gourd to the ground, shards flying everywhere.
"I am Kaido! I do whatever I want! Who dares to stop me?! Not even that old man can!"
He strode toward the window, overlooking the turbulent sea in the distance, his eyes burning with violent rage.
Boom!!! Before his words even faded, Kaido leaped into the air, transforming into a massive azure dragon that roared as it soared into the sky!
"Xiano… Xiano! I'll make you understand the consequences of killing someone from the Beast Pirates!!!"
The dragon's roar shook the heavens, and Onigashima trembled.
The figure of the azure dragon rapidly disappeared into the distance, soon becoming a faint black dot in the horizon.
King sighed, while the other officers of the Beast Pirates in the hall exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes filled with shock and fear.
Lord Kaido is actually going to Paradise in person?! Isn't that a bit too much attention? That brat named Xiano… he's as good as dead!...
Calm Belt, Amazon Lily.
Deep within the palace of Amazon Lily, the Empress reclined lazily on her throne.
The scent of the sea breeze drifted through the window, carrying the unique floral fragrance of Amazon Lily. Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, but her gaze drifted into the distance, as if lost in thought.
"Hey, Hancock, Hancock!"
Granny Nyon's cane struck the marble floor with a heavy thud, echoing through the empty hall.
The former former former Empress of Amazon Lily was now looking up at the current Empress on the throne, her face filled with displeasure.
"What kind of attitude is this, Hancock!"
"I worked so hard to collect these newspapers, and you just threw them all out the window!"
"Keeping an eye on the situation at sea is your responsibility as the Empress! Even though Amazon Lily is isolated in the Calm Belt and doesn't have to worry much about foreign invasions, we still need to pay attention to these major events!"
"You should at least try to remember the names of these newly risen powerhouses, especially someone like the one in today's newspaper—a strong and young individual! They might very well become the ones to dominate the entire sea in the future!"
"Here, take a look at this!"
Finally, Hancock glanced at the wanted poster Granny Nyon was holding.
So this was Xiano, the one with a bounty of one billion, hailed as the strongest rookie in history?
A black-haired brat with a delicate, even somewhat handsome face, but that was about it…
In the face of her beauty, someone of his caliber was no different from an ordinary person.
Not the slightest bit interesting.
"How utterly meaningless."
After just one glance, Hancock lost interest and averted her eyes.
"Don't bring this kind of thing to bother me in the future. I have no interest in boring newspapers, nor do I care about news of people who have nothing to do with me."
"Guards."
She pointed at Granny Nyon, "Throw this annoying old hag out the window!"
"Hancock!!!"
Granny Nyon, now being held by the female warriors, was furious. "If you keep acting so willfully, this country will one day fall into crisis because of you!"
"Fall into crisis?"
Hancock rose gracefully, looking down at Granny Nyon from her throne. "Even if the country were to fall, so what? No matter what I do, everyone will forgive me."
"Because—"
She tilted her delicate chin back, revealing her swan-like neckline, "I am simply too beautiful!"
"Ahhh!"
"Empress Hancock!"
The female warriors guarding the throne immediately screamed, their weapons clattering to the ground, and some even fainted on the spot.
...
New World, Marine G-1 Base.
The ten surveillance ships from the frontlines had just sent back news: the war between the Beast Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had ended.
The atmosphere in the base instantly became much more relaxed.
And Akainu, who had been temporarily stationed here for the past few days to respond to any changes in the war, had now boarded a warship back to Marine Headquarters.
At this moment, he stood alone at the bow of the ship, holding the freshly delivered newspaper in his hand, his gaze fixed on the photo on the front page.
That brat Xiano…
He rejected the invitation to become a Warlord of the Sea?
Akainu's lips curled into a smirk.
This was truly—
Perfect.
It suited him just fine!!!
A few days ago, when he heard that the World Government was pressuring headquarters to send someone to invite Xiano to become a Warlord of the Sea, his face had turned ashen on the spot.
Why? A criminal who had killed two Marine Vice Admirals and openly defied the authority of the Marines—not only had he not been eradicated, but he was now being recruited? It was utterly absurd! Just the thought of potentially running into Xiano at headquarters during future Warlord meetings, yet being unable to take action, filled him with rage that had nowhere to go.
But now, that concern no longer existed!
That arrogant brat truly didn't know his place. He had actually thrown away his own protective shield!
"Heh…"
Akainu closed the newspaper and gazed indifferently at the distant horizon.
He would be returning to headquarters soon. That brat better not give him another chance… When the time comes, he'll make sure Xiano understands—
Rejecting the Warlord of the Sea position will be the most foolish and regrettable decision of your life! (End of Chapter)