Hearing Marco's words, Jinbe understood that refusal would be ungrateful. He bowed deeply. "Thank you for your trust, Captain Marco. I will not let you down."
The crew erupted with excitement. "Oh!!!!" "Welcome Jinbe as the Fourth Division Commander of the Phoenix Pirates!" "Let's have a feast, let's have a feast!"
"Wait, Marco just recovered, and we haven't even resolved the crises with Vista and Jozu yet!" some voices cautioned, and the initial enthusiasm gradually cooled. The crew agreed to postpone the celebration until all threats were properly dealt with.
At that moment, a news bird landed on the deck, carrying the latest newspaper. A crew member quickly grabbed it and shouted excitedly, "Captain Marco, there's news about you—your bounty has increased!"
Marco's eyes lit up. The newspaper read:
"Emperor Phoenix Marco fought Emperor Big Mom for ten days and ten nights on the Kohn Islands, ultimately winning and forcing the Big Mom Pirates to surrender. Captain Marco's new bounty: 3,225,800,000 Berries."
"Not only that, but Captain Ace, Captain Fossa, Captain Curiel, and everyone who participated in the Big Mom Pirates mission have seen their bounties rise as well."
"Captain Marco defeated Big Mom, yet his bounty is still lower than hers!" "Those Marines are so unfair!" The crew voiced their frustration at the discrepancy, but Marco remained calm. For him, surpassing 3,000,000,000 Berries was already sufficient.
A system voice echoed in his mind:
Mission complete. Bounty exceeded 3,000,000,000 Berries. Became an Emperor. Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Marco smiled faintly, thinking, Finally. My attribute points have reached 20,000. Time to upgrade my Devil Fruit to its (Awakening) state.
Before he could act, the system announced a new mission:
Mission: Surpass the Old Era, Become the Strongest of the New Era. Among the powerhouses of the Old Era, Whitebeard and Roger were the strongest. Achieve a bounty of 5,564,800,000 Berries or more, surpassing Roger and Whitebeard, to become the strongest of the New Era and inherit Whitebeard's title as 'the strongest man in the world.' Reward: 10,000 attribute points.
Marco laughed inwardly, thinking, These missions never stop. Whitebeard's bounty was 5,046,000,000 Berries, and Roger's 5,564,800,000 Berries. Surpassing Roger will not be easy, but that's the goal.
The crew eagerly held up their new bounty posters. Ace laughed, "Hahaha, a billion Berries for me! Still behind Vista, but I'm getting closer!"
Izo teased, "Fossa, Namur, looks like your bounties increased a lot this time!"
Fossa chuckled, "Facing Sweet Commanders probably explains it, but it's fine."
Namur approached Jinbe. "By the way, Jinbe, your bounty increased too, though the Marines don't know you're already our Fourth Division Commander, so it's limited."
"Thank you," Jinbe replied, taking his bounty poster—468,000,000 Berries.
Curious, Marco asked, "How much did everyone else get?"
Sak eagerly displayed the bounties:
"First Division Commander: Me, 430,000,000 Berries."
"Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace: 1,034,000,000 Berries."
"Eighth Division Commander, Fishman Namur: 770,000,000 Berries."
"Tenth Division Commander, Curiel: 702,000,000 Berries."
"Fifteenth Division Commander, Fossa: 864,000,000 Berries."
"Sixteenth Division Commander, Izo: 634,000,000 Berries."
Everyone who participated in the Big Mom Pirates battle had their bounties increased, and some who hadn't were newly bountied.
Seeing the crew's joy, Marco smiled broadly. "Brothers, since everyone's so happy, let's have a feast!"
"Oh!!!!" "Feast!" The excitement returned immediately.
Fossa, however, spoke with concern. "Marco, our crises aren't resolved yet. Is it really okay to celebrate?"
Marco laughed warmly. "It's fine. With this news, the Beasts Pirates and the Wang Zhi Pirates will have seen it too. As long as they're not foolish, they'll retreat."
Fossa's face brightened. "I see!"
Marco continued, "However, the crisis is not completely over. Tonight's feast will be alcohol-free. We'll celebrate properly once Jozu, Vista, and the others are back."
"Oh!!!!" the crew chorused, accepting the rule with good humor. After all, pirates always love alcohol, but caution came first.
As the crew began preparing for the feast, Marco quietly slipped into his cabin to rest, a sense of calm finally settling over him.
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