[Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea Crocodile's plot to seize Alabasta collapses, apprehended by Marine Captain Smoker.]
As various factions were en route to Hachinosu Island, news of Crocodile's capture by the Marines spread worldwide.
This news had two key points: first, Crocodile's scheme to usurp a kingdom, and second, Marine Captain "White Chase" Smoker's role in exposing and defeating him.
Smoker, already somewhat renowned, saw his fame skyrocket overnight, hailed by the public as a pillar of the Marine's younger generation.
Following these events, the sudden surge in a certain pirate's bounty also drew the attention of many factions.
"Straw Hat" Luffy, bounty: 100 million Berries !
Rookies who rise rapidly and exceed 100 million Berries in bounty within a short time are bestowed the title of "Supernova," becoming idols for countless aspiring pirates.
Gurd himself had once been granted the Supernova title, though it paled in comparison to his other accolades and background.
Aboard the Groudon Ship, at the bar.
"That was fast!"
Gurd set down the bounty poster for Straw Hat.
Across the seven routes of the Grand Line, except for a few islands where magnetic fields accumulate slowly, pirates spend most of their time at sea. Staying three days on any island is considered leisurely.
Given the Straw Hat crew's pace, they likely set sail for the next island the moment their Log Pose filled—remarkably swift.
Yamato arrived at the bar in high spirits.
"Gurd, we've spotted Hachinosu Island!"
"Good."
Gurd nodded with a smile.
Since Hancock often picked fights with Yamato, he'd deliberately brought her along. Moreover, Yamato got along well with the division commanders and wanted to meet Marco's child.
"It's the Groudon Ship!"
As the ship docked, pirates on Hachinosu Island gasped in shock.
A big shot had arrived!
At an outdoor café seating area.
Cavendish sipped coffee with his beloved horse Faruru, his handsome features and elegant demeanor drawing a crowd of adoring women, their eyes sparkling with hearts.
Nearby pirates ground their teeth in envy.
"That guy's the troublesome rookie!"
"Stay away from him!"
"Those dozen murders at night lately—seems like his doing!"
Recently, a "Slashing Demon" had emerged on Hachinosu Island, striking only after midnight, leaving multiple victims.
Many pirates suspected Cavendish, given rumors of a similar alter ego in his past.
The Weasel of Rommel!
But with no evidence—and every witness dead—the truth remained elusive.
Cavendish flashed a mysterious smile, lifting a rose to his lips.
"Waaahhh!"
Women swooned one after another.
"I'm just too popular!!!"
Cavendish clutched his cheeks in exhilaration.
He adored this feeling!
Yet lately, his fame had waned, with newspaper coverage dwindling as another group stole the spotlight.
"Clang!"
Cavendish viciously stabbed a dagger through Straw Hat Luffy's bounty poster, his eyes burning with jealousy.
Another Supernova!
The same treatment befell Kid from the South Blue, and Law, Hawkins, Drake from the North Blue—all Supernovas with bounties exceeding 100 million.
Others like Killer, Capone Bege, Zoro, and Bonney also saw alarming bounty spikes, each posing no small threat.
In previous years, the number of Supernovas rarely exceeded three, but this year they seemed to be popping up everywhere.
The newspapers were filled with their exploits!
"I'm going to kill every last one of them!"
Cavendish's face twisted with jealousy.
These damned rookies had stolen his spotlight, forcing him to come to the smog-filled Hachinosu Island in search of a big story.
"Mr. Gurd has arrived!"
Suddenly, Pirates on the street all rushed toward the harbor. Even the women who had been fawning over him abandoned him to run in that direction.
"What's going on?"
Cavendish froze for a moment before flying into a rage.
Even the little attention he had left was being stolen!
Unforgivable!
"Faruru!"
"Neigh—"
Faruru whinnied, flashing Cavendish a dashing smile, his snow-white teeth gleaming.
Hop on, boss!
As Cavendish's horse, Faruru shared his master's vanity.
Mounting the white steed, Cavendish immediately galloped toward the harbor. Whoever was stealing his limelight would pay!
The harbor was packed with a surging crowd.
"Lord Gurd!"
"Ahhh, so handsome!"
"Don't be ridiculous—that's Haki!"
The Pirates cheered for Gurd, shouting excitedly.
Everyone knew Lord Gurd was both powerful and wealthy. The Fortuna Community he built was now the most famous location on Hachinosu Island, even hailed as [Heaven]!
Living there was like dwelling in paradise.
For the Pirates of Hachinosu, residing in Fortuna Community was one of their dreams—if only the property prices weren't so exorbitant.
And even then, it was a seller's market.
But that wasn't Fortuna Community's problem—it was theirs!
They were simply too poor. They didn't deserve it!
But that wasn't all.
Even landing a job within Fortuna Community, even as a lowly gatekeeper, elevated one's status.
Good pay was one thing, but Hoenn itself represented luxury, existing on a level far above lowly Pirates like them.
Whenever Fortuna Community held recruitment drives, Pirates would fight to the death just for a chance to apply, often leaving a dozen corpses in their wake.
The Golden Route was also Lord Gurd's enterprise. A single trip to the North Blue for one job could fund an entire year of lavish living—the North Blue was several times richer than the New World.
Rumor had it the North Blue had become Lord Gurd's personal garden, where even the World Government and Marines couldn't touch him.
Truly, Lord Gurd had brought wealth, stability, and hope for a better life to the Underworld.
Now, Lord Gurd's influence in the Underworld was unmatched—a figure on par with the Four Emperors!
The savior of villains!
"Huh, I'm this popular?!"
Gurd was surprised.
Having been away from the New World for so long, he hadn't expected such a reception—even the female Pirates were swooning over him, hearts in their eyes.
Keh keh keh~~
He loved this feeling!
The legion commanders following Gurd were also stunned by the scene, struggling to comprehend why their notoriously ruthless supreme commander was so beloved.
This had to be a lie!
They had witnessed firsthand how he had violently invaded their homelands, his cold-blooded blades claiming countless lives.
How could such a monster be welcomed like this?
"The Whitebeard Pirates are here!"
Upon hearing of Gurd's arrival, the division commanders rushed to the harbor to greet him.
As shareholders of Fortuna Community—even with just 30% of the profits—they had genuinely experienced what it meant to be wealthy.
There was more money than they could possibly spend!
Just the annual share of the Property Fee alone was enough to cover their extravagant spending for an entire year, not to mention the additional income from shop rentals.
This money came faster than plundering!
Naturally, they were very attentive upon hearing of Gurd's arrival.
At the edge of the crowd, Cavendish stared at the universally welcomed Gurd, his mind in a daze.
"Such overwhelming popularity—something this young master has never experienced before!"
Even at the peak of his own popularity, he had never been this adored. If only the other man were more handsome than him—but no!
No, there couldn't possibly be a man more handsome than him in this world!
Why was the other man more popular? Why wasn't anyone looking at him?!
This scene defied all logic.
"Move! You're blocking my view!"
Cavendish and his horse were forcibly shoved aside by a Pirate behind him, plunging his mood into utter gloom. His handsome face twisted into a half-white, half-black expression.
Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy, jealousy!
Gahhhh, he was so jealous he could die!
One day of slacking off, updates will resume normally tomorrow, and debt repayment starts the day after!
(End of Chapter)