As the person in question, Brian was genuinely delighted by the bounty posters.
This was his first bounty, and the unprecedented amount greatly satisfied his vanity.
Ah, without even realizing it, he had pulled off an epic flex in front of the entire world.
The feeling was absolutely exhilarating.
Brian never hid his preferences.
He loved showing off, especially on a grand scale.
This hit his sweet spot perfectly, sending him straight to euphoria.
Of course, after the high, life went on as usual.
He ordered his Beast Girl Legion to expedite their preparations.
In a week, once they obtained the new Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Beast Girl Legion would be replenished.
...
Time passed like Charlotte Linlin's love—gone in the blink of an eye.
Before they knew it, a week had flown by.
During this week, Hachinosu remained tranquil, with the chaos of the New World barely affecting the pirates on the island.
In contrast, the first half of the Grand Line and the four seas underwent earth-shattering changes.
The Navy, led by the three Vice Admirals Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, mobilized in full force.
They split into several teams to conduct large-scale purges in these regions.
Wherever they encountered pirates, regardless of identity, they executed them on the spot.
Not a single survivor was left.
These scenes were captured by news agencies, updated daily, and broadcast worldwide.
Throughout the week, the world watched in awe as news reports showed mountains of pirate corpses and seas stained red with blood.
In just five days, the previously chaotic situation in the first half of the Grand Line and the four seas was completely reversed.
The numbers of pirates and dark forces plummeted abruptly.
These regions suddenly experienced their most peaceful period in decades.
It must be said that the Navy's operation significantly curbed the world's disorder.
By suppressing countless pirates, they restored the Navy's prestige across the globe.
The negative impact of their earlier major defeat in the New World seemed to vanish overnight.
However, this regained prestige was soon to be shattered once more.
Because the time to redeem the Celestial Dragon had arrived.
...
This was a deserted island in the New World, near the Red Line and the Calm Belt.
In the past, it was sparsely populated.
Sometimes, not a single ship would arrive for an entire year.
Even when one did come, it would only pass by briefly before departing.
But today, the island welcomed a flood of guests.
Ten Navy warships arrived first, positioning themselves across multiple directions to firmly control the entire sea to the left of the island.
On the deck of the central warship, Garp gazed at the eerily quiet island and remarked, "Looks like the Rocks Pirates haven't arrived yet."
"Indeed, we've checked—we're just early."
"I wonder how Saint Naya is doing. His condition a week ago wasn't promising."
"Well, it's certainly not optimistic. Those maniacs in the Rocks Pirates are capable of anything."
"The only silver lining is that Saint Naya's safety can still be guaranteed, since the exchange still needs to happen."
"Hahahaha! Zephyr, Sengoku, when did you two become such busybodies?"
"They're just Celestial Dragons—what's it to us? This is just another mission. Stay calm, stay calm."
Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr—the Navy's three young powerhouses—were all present, along with Tsuru.
True to his reputation as a conversation-ender, Garp laughed heartily and uttered what could be considered treasonous words.
"Garp, shut up."
"When will you ever learn to control that damn mouth of yours?"
Sengoku and Zephyr were utterly exasperated—this troublemaker had no filter.
Rescuing the Celestial Dragon was the Navy's top priority, a directive even the Fleet Admiral had to obey.
This was the highest decree from the World Government—since when does a mere Vice Admiral get to question it?
Normally, it wouldn't matter—Garp could say whatever he wanted, since no one would know.
But today, a team from CP0 had accompanied them.
If they overheard, not only Garp but the entire Navy would face serious repercussions.
"Tch, how boring."
"Fine, fine, I'll shut up, alright?"
Gulp gulp gulp~
Garp, feeling thoroughly bored but aware of the gravity of the situation, fell silent.
He noisily devoured the rice crackers he'd brought along, content to enjoy them by himself.
"Tsuru, is the deployment complete?"
Sengoku ignored Garp and moved closer to Tsuru, quietly inquiring.
"The deployment is finished, but I have a bad feeling about this."
"The Rocks Pirates may all be madmen, but they're also cunning. With the Float-Float Fruit, our setup is unlikely to work as intended."
The "deployment" they referred to was the ten additional Navy warships hidden in the Calm Belt near the uninhabited island.
They were equipped with the World Government's latest laser weapons, incredibly powerful.
The initial plan was to proceed with the exchange with the Rocks Pirates as normal.
But once the Celestial Dragon was retrieved, they would quickly retreat and unleash the laser weapons on the Rocks Pirates' representatives.
If they could severely injure or even kill them, they would at least eliminate one of the Rocks Pirates' key officers.
This would deal a heavy blow to the Rocks Pirates' reputation in the New World and across the globe.
It would also reduce enemy strength ahead of the full-scale assault on the Rocks Pirates planned for a year later.
To achieve this goal, two aging Admirals had also been brought along.
They were the backup plan.
If it was confirmed that high-ranking officers of the Rocks Pirates were present and the laser weapons failed to achieve full effect,
they would burn their remaining life force to take down the enemy's top brass.
They would offer their final sacrifice, igniting their lives one last time for the Navy.
Legacy—even as figureheads, they could still contribute one last burst of usefulness.
It could only be said that the Navy had prepared thoroughly this time.
From Admirals to high-end weaponry, everything was in place.
"Sigh, let's hope everything goes smoothly."
Sengoku gazed at the calm sea and sighed quietly.
He wasn't very confident either.
After all, they were up against the Rocks Pirates.
Time passed slowly.
Nearly half an hour had gone by since the Navy arrived at the island.
Yet, not a single shadow of the Rocks Pirates had been seen.
Many on the Navy's side were growing impatient from the wait.
Especially Garp, who had finished his rice crackers and had nothing to do, was utterly bored.
He could only idly fish for Sea Kings on the deck, looking completely uninterested.
Sengoku, meanwhile, sat with his eyes closed on a chair, adjusting his state.
Suddenly, Sengoku opened his eyes, his right hand clutching his chest.
He inexplicably felt a faint pain in the spot where the scar from his previous great battle with Brian remained.
This strange signal made Sengoku realize—it was coming.
"All hands, prepare. It's here."
All Navy personnel instantly adjusted their stance, their eyes fixed ahead.
Sure enough, figures appeared in the sea on the other side of the island!