On this day, those shocked by Luffy's bounty were not limited to the three brothers of the Saruyama Alliance…
The entire world was shaken!!!
The New World.
Within a tavern on the territory of Whitebeard.
A group of pirates were locked in heated discussion over the news they had just heard.
"Hey, hey—what the hell is going on here?!"
"Why would a Shichibukai suddenly get such an outrageous bounty?!"
"That's insane, isn't it? Even if he is a Shichibukai, the Marines can't just slap a bounty that high on him!"
"Heh."
"Have you idiots still not figured out where the real problem is?!"
As the crowd argued endlessly over the Marines' shocking decision, a man known as Wise One Ding suddenly appeared beside them.
Holding the three bounty posters of the Starry Sky Pirates, he spoke with an air of calm confidence, as though everything were unfolding according to his calculations.
"Did you only look at the bounties… and not read today's newspaper?"
"What do you mean?" one man scoffed. "I never read newspapers."
"Especially newspapers published by the World Government."
"Exactly!" another chimed in.
"Ever since I taught myself economics, media studies, and political theory—"
"—and became a thug, I stopped reading World Government papers entirely."
"Sigh…"
"All they ever say is how prosperous the member nations are—"
"—and how every country not affiliated with the World Government lives in utter misery."
"If even a single thing the Government promised ever came true, I wouldn't be here drinking as a pirate today!"
"Brother… my condolences."
"My condolences!"
"Come on—let's drink!"
"Drink!"
"Same fate under the heavens—why bother asking where we came from!"
"Where there are people, there is the chivalry. Born in chaos, raised in turmoil—who among us can truly live as ourselves?"
"Well said!"
"Brother, hearing that—I feel like we're kindred spirits!"
"Gentlemen, I propose that today, right here, we swear brotherhood!"
"Excellent!"
"I know a chrysanthemum garden nearby—let's go there and seal it!"
"With such fine scenery, wouldn't that be perfect?!"
"Alright—finish this jug, and we're off!"
"Big Brother! Second Brother! Cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
......
Wise One Ding stared blankly as the three drank themselves into a frenzy.
Before long, they were completely drunk—and had utterly forgotten about him.
For someone who was usually treated like the center of attention wherever he went, this was unacceptable.
His brows furrowed sharply.
BAM!
A newspaper slammed heavily onto the table.
The three men jolted in shock and immediately turned toward him.
Wise One Ding stood there with a dark expression, his eyes gleaming with deep, calculating light.
"You really should read today's paper…"
"Because once you do, I doubt you'll still feel like drinking."
The three froze for a moment.
With puzzled expressions, they slowly picked up the newspaper.
Wise One Ding somehow produced a feather fan from nowhere, gently fanning his chest as he spoke.
"The paper states that Monkey D. Luffy intends to revive an Ancient Weapon. You've all seen that part, yes?"
"Mm-hmm…"
All three nodded immediately.
The corners of Wise One Ding's mouth lifted slightly. He clearly enjoyed having everything unfold at his own pace. Just as he was about to continue, one of the pirates suddenly spoke up.
"Big Brother! Second Brother!"
"Look here—it says Roronoa Zoro possesses combat power on par with a Shichibukai!"
"Doesn't that mean Monkey D. Luffy's strength surpasses that of the Shichibukai—"
"—maybe even reaching Yonko-level?!"
In the world of pirates, it was universally accepted that a captain was stronger than his vice-captain.
"Hmm…"
"You're right."
"And look here!"
"'Devil Child' Nico Robin."
"Her bounty is far higher than Vice-Captain Roronoa Zoro's."
"If my memory serves me right—"
"She's the sole survivor who escaped from Ohara twenty years ago, the island that was erased from history!"
"My hometown was very close to Ohara, so I know a bit about that incident."
"They say that legendary island of scholars was annihilated for researching the Ancient Script—"
"—and for violating the World Government's ultimate taboo!"
"Wait!!!"
"Are you saying—"
"That Monkey D. Luffy has already obtained an Ancient Weapon?!"
"Or at least a crucial clue to one?!"
"That would explain why their bounties are so absurdly high!"
"An Ancient Weapon and possibly Yonko-level strength!"
"If that's the case—"
"Wouldn't the Starry Sky Pirates be on the verge of surpassing even the Yonko?!"
"I heard he's already built a superpower in the first half of the Grand Line—completely unrivaled!"
"Could the seas really be heading toward a three-way standoff between the Yonko, the Marines… and the Starry Sky Pirates?!"
As these words fell, all three turned to Wise One Ding with eyes full of reverence.
"Sir, you are truly a genius!!!"
"May we ask—who exactly are you?!"
"Uh…"
Wise One Ding stared at them, momentarily stunned.
Did I… say all that just now?
The feather fan swayed gently as he answered out of habit.
"I am Zhuge Gangtie of Wolong Island in the South Blue."
"To share such insight with us so freely—what noble character!"
"Never leaving the thatched hut, yet deciding the fate of three great powers!!!"
"Ahahahaha…"
"Just… a little knowledge… a little…"
Zhuge Gangtie struck a proud pose, feather fan in hand, chin raised at a forty-five-degree angle toward the sky like a true sage.
Yet inside, his mind was nothing but confusion.
What did I just say?
What are they talking about?
Why don't I understand any of this?
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
At times like this… it's best to just keep smiling.
...
Marine Headquarters.
The Fleet Admiral's office was gripped by an unusual silence.
The Vice Admirals who had been dispatched just yesterday to summon the Shichibukai had been urgently recalled.
Sengoku and Garp both sat in silence.
This situation had truly spiraled out of control!!!
Even Sengoku hadn't expected things to explode so suddenly—like a tornado tearing through everything in its path.
Overnight, the entire balance had shifted.
Who could have imagined that Garp's grandson—quiet and unassuming—would drop a bombshell of this magnitude?
Previously, all information regarding Luffy had been tightly sealed within the World Government.
But once Doflamingo's intelligence reached the Celestial Dragons through special channels, those restrictions were lifted instantly.
The shadow forces they had accumulated over the years were not easy to maintain—
they couldn't afford to expose them for the sake of a single man.
And now, Sengoku was completely overwhelmed.
If Luffy were just an ordinary pirate, everything would be simple!
He could casually send someone like Aokiji or Kizaru to "give him a warning."
Those two knew exactly how far to go.
That way, the rest of the Marines wouldn't raise any objections.
But now that things had escalated this far, it was no longer something a Fleet Admiral could control alone!
A pirate crew whose vice-captain alone possessed Shichibukai-level strength—
That level of threat was already comparable to a Yonko!
And a new Yonko-level force emerging in the first half of the Grand Line—
The World Government would never sit back and allow it to mature.
"Sigh…"
Sengoku let out a long breath, casting a helpless glance toward Garp.
The last time Dragon caused trouble, the atmosphere had been exactly like this.
At least the Starry Sky Pirates had vanished completely from the seas for now.
The Monkey family… surely they won't be defeated by something like this…
...
The New World.
Aboard the Moby Dick.
"Dad! Brothers! Look—look at this!"
"This is my little brother!!! My little brother!!!"
Clutching Luffy's bounty poster, Ace ran wildly across the massive ship.
As the firmly established First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace easily drew everyone's attention.
With a rubbery stretch and leap, he appeared in front of Whitebeard in an instant, waving the bounty poster like an incomparable treasure.
"Dad, see this?!"
"This is my little brother!!!"
"It won't be long before he comes to the New World and takes your head!"
"I'm telling you—my brother kills without blinking!"
"The first time I saw him kill someone, even I was shocked!"
"But don't worry—I'm here!"
"Your life is under my protection!!!"
The unabashed little-brother fanatic didn't care in the slightest whether his words were appropriate—he just blurted out everything on his mind.
"Gurarararara!!!"
Watching Ace's foolish enthusiasm, Whitebeard burst into laughter.
He loved that look.
It was exactly the same as Roger's when he was young.
=============
Completed version available on Patreon P@treon(.)com/Veltoria