"Is all of this true?"
Cyrus asked Old Man Croc, holding up the bounty poster and pointing to the record on it.
"Of course, it's true. This is all from the survivors. A village of over a hundred people, and only a few survived in the end."
Hearing the doubt in Cyrus's voice, Old Man Croc's voice grew louder, as if to prove his records were genuine.
"So a pirate who killed hundreds of people only has a bounty this low?"
"Don't ask me. This bounty poster was issued by the Marines."
Old Man Croc shook his head directly.
It was commonplace for these pirates to kill, burn, and plunder merchant ships. Sometimes, entire crews of merchant ships would be wiped out when they encountered pirates. Such things were all too normal.
"I can explain!"
Outside the tavern door, Captain Nezumi walked in, followed by Marines.
The tavern immediately fell silent, all eyes turning to the incoming Marines.
"Because he's very weak."
"So bounties are determined by strength?"
Cyrus wasn't surprised by Captain Nezumi's arrival; his Observation Haki had already sensed his approach.
"That's part of the reason!"
After speaking, Captain Nezumi took a money pouch from the Marine behind him.
"Four million Belly. This is your bounty."
Cyrus glanced at the money pouch and nodded. "If I capture other pirates, can I also bring them here to exchange for their bounties?"
Hearing this, Captain Nezumi looked at the stack of bounty posters in front of Cyrus, then nodded.
"Of course. If you capture these pirates, you can certainly exchange them for their bounties. However, I have another matter to discuss right now."
With that, Captain Nezumi had the Marines behind him wait outside. He sat down at the counter and ordered a beer.
"The Marines would like to invite you to join. If you agree, you can go directly to Headquarters."
Captain Nezumi said.
As soon as he said this, everyone in the tavern stared with wide eyes.
Marine Headquarters?
To these people, that was a legendary place. It was said to be on the Grand Line, where all the big shots of the Marines, including Vice Admiral Garp, were stationed.
"I refuse!"
Cyrus shook his head.
"Why? Since you're going to capture pirates, wouldn't it be better to join the Marines? That way, you wouldn't have to search for them yourself, and you could even be assigned a warship."
Captain Nezumi was unwilling to accept Cyrus's refusal.
"Garp invited me last time, and I refused him too. As for the reason..."
Cyrus thought for a moment and shook his head.
"I hate the Celestial Dragons."
The moment he said this, you could hear a pin drop in the tavern.
Everyone stared at Cyrus in terror!
What audacity, to mention the Celestial Dragons like that.
Captain Nezumi's eyes also widened abruptly, his mind racing as he looked at Cyrus.
His gaze fell on the sword in front of Cyrus, and he thought again about Cyrus's suspected status as a Devil Fruit user.
He probably couldn't win in a fight.
So what should he do?
Pretend he didn't hear it.
"Haha... hahaha!" Captain Nezumi let out a few dry laughs. "So Vice Admiral Garp has already invited you. In that case, just pretend I never said anything."
With that, Captain Nezumi stood up and left, not lingering for a single moment.
Watching Captain Nezumi's retreating back, Cyrus withdrew his gaze.
But at this moment, the tavern was still very quiet. Everyone was looking at Cyrus in horror.
But to so bluntly say he hated the Celestial Dragons in front of a Marine... if the Celestial Dragons found out...
At this thought, the people in the tavern hurriedly got up and left.
Old Man Croc looked at Cyrus with a bitter expression.
If word got out, every single person here would be in for it.
Cyrus, of course, understood the consequences of his words, but he hated them, and that was that.
If he ever encountered a Celestial Dragon, he might really cut them down.
After all, he had only one stereotype of this world: that all Celestial Dragons were bastards who deserved to die.
"I'm off!"
Cyrus took out the payment for the drink and the bounty posters, tossed it on the counter, and left, grabbing the two bags.
Captain Nezumi returned to the Marine base.
He immediately reported his contact with Cyrus, but of course, he concealed the part where Cyrus said he hated the Celestial Dragons.
After all, Cyrus was right here. If he really reported it, Headquarters would surely order him to make an arrest, and then he would be the one to directly face this Pirate Hunter who was a suspected Devil Fruit user.
...
Headquarters, Office of the Fleet Admiral.
The office door was kicked open from the outside, and Garp strode in with an audacious swagger.
"Can't you knock, you bastard?"
Sengoku, who was already looking to pick a fight with Garp, saw this, and his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"I just ran out of my rice crackers."
Garp, completely unfazed by Sengoku's anger, walked over to the desk with practiced ease, pulled open a drawer, and found the rice crackers Sengoku had hidden.
He grabbed two bags, walked back to his seat on the side, tore open a bag, and began eating with loud crunches.
This scene made Sengoku's eyelids twitch violently, the veins on his forehead bulging. He looked like he was about to explode.
"You bastard, didn't you say you couldn't find that kid in the East Blue?"
Sengoku glared at Garp, taking several deep breaths before speaking, his tone accusatory.
"What kid in the East Blue?"
Garp, munching on his rice crackers, paused and mumbled, spraying crumbs as he spoke.
"That Pirate Hunter, the kid who's a suspected Devil Fruit user."
Sengoku snorted coldly.
Normally, a matter like this wouldn't reach him. In the grand scheme of the Marines' vast and complex affairs, this wasn't a major issue.
But since it involved Garp, it was sent over.
He saw that Garp had found Cyrus and been rejected, but Garp's report stated that he hadn't found the person.
One of them was lying, so who was it?
It wasn't hard to guess.
"Ahahaha, Sengoku, you're talking about that kid."
Garp, however, looked completely unconcerned and laughed heartily.
"Didn't you say you couldn't find him?"
Sengoku asked with a grim face, looking at the laughing Garp.
"It's all the same. The kid refused anyway."
Garp waved his hand dismissively.
"If he refuses, you can just invite him again, you bastard." Sengoku was exasperated.
"I could tell that kid has no interest in the Marines."
Garp also thought of the young man who had spoken about the Celestial Dragons and waved his hand, looking unconcerned.
"So, how strong is that kid?"
Sengoku took a few deep breaths to suppress his temper before asking.
"Couldn't tell, but he's probably very strong."
Garp thought for a moment and shook his head.
They hadn't fought, but the kid had arrived just as he did, which meant he must have sensed him in advance, probably with Observation Haki.
In a place like the East Blue, anyone who could use Haki was no weakling, let alone a kid who wasn't very old.
"Forget it. You're going to the East Blue again. The kid is at the 16th Branch now. Go and bring him back."
Sengoku ordered directly.
"He doesn't want to join the Marines."
"But we can't let a Devil Fruit user run wild on the seas, especially one so young. If he becomes a pirate in the future, he'll be another problem."
"There are plenty of Devil Fruit users on the sea." Garp stubbornly met Sengoku's gaze.
"The ideals of the Marines will change him." Sengoku's tone softened slightly.
Garp was taken aback by this, a speechless expression on his face.
That kid hated the Celestial Dragons, just like him!
Join the Marines?
That kid would definitely not agree.
Although they had only met once, Garp could feel it clearly.
"I understand!" Garp thought for a moment and stood up.
"If you can't find him, you don't have to come back."
Seeing Garp get up, Sengoku said subconsciously.
"Really?"
Garp, who had been walking away, stopped in his tracks and turned around abruptly, his face full of joy.
Sengoku slapped his forehead.
"No, it's not! Now get going and bring him back."
Garp looked disappointed, waved his hand, and left.
Sengoku had a look of helplessness.
That guy!
...
"Charge, my boys!"
A pirate ship came rushing down Reverse Mountain at an incredible speed.
The Fish-man Arlong stood at the bow, a wild look on his face.
And on his ship were Fish-men, all with excited expressions.
Arlong had painted a grand vision for these Fish-men of conquering the East Blue and then fighting their way back to the Grand Line, which had them all incredibly excited.
Reverse Mountain was the only way for ordinary people to enter the Grand Line.
For pirates, it was either cross the terrifying Calm Belt or take Reverse Mountain.
There weren't many ways to return to the Four Blues from the Grand Line either.
But the only method pirates could use was to wait for the rare reversal of the ocean currents.
At that time, the direction of the currents would change.
Only then could they take a ship from the Grand Line back to the Four Blues.