Robin ultimately decided to leave with Belo Betty.
After bidding farewell to Belo Betty and Robin, Pell informed Ryuuto of the Marines' latest movements. The ones heading for Alubarna were old acquaintances of his: Captain Smoker and his good friend, Captain Hina.
Hearing this news, Ryuuto remained perfectly calm.
Nami also expressed her indifference. It was just a Marine Captain, after all. She figured she could take them on herself.
Crocus just smiled without saying a word, but his meaning was clear. What were two mere captains to them?
Cobra, Vivi, Pell, and Igaram were influenced by the trio's confident aura. And so, everyone relaxed and began sunbathing on the roof.
"Vivi, why don't you come out to sea with us?" Nami asked, taking a sip of orange juice and setting it aside.
Vivi was tempted. She looked toward Cobra, Pell, and Igaram. On one hand were her people; on the other, the adventure of the open sea. Vivi found it hard to choose, especially since she had formed such a deep bond with Ryuuto's crew after the great battle.
Cobra nodded, giving Vivi an encouraging look.
Understanding his sentiment, Vivi finally made up her mind. Mustering her courage, she declared to Ryuuto, "Captain, I want to join you!"
"Ahem..." Ryuuto was surprised. What was going on? Nami had just asked, and Vivi was already agreeing to join? Shouldn't she be prioritizing the greater good and her kingdom at a time like this? Where did things go off track?
Ryuuto didn't understand, but he respected her decision. He had always admired Vivi's resilience and unyielding spirit.
"Welcome aboard, Vivi!" Ryuuto declared in his capacity as captain.
"That's wonderful!" Vivi exclaimed, jumping for joy.
Cobra nodded in approval beside them. After the Baroque Works incident, he had come to understand that true strength lay in one's own power. Vivi would grow much stronger by following Ryuuto. More importantly, she shared a deep bond with him and his crew.
"Captain, Nami, Mr. Crocus, I'll be in your care!" Vivi said earnestly to the three of them.
"Welcome, Vivi!" Nami replied happily. Ryuuto and Crocus also smiled at her.
Caw, caw~ Suddenly, the cry of a bird echoed from the sky. A News Coo was flying in from a distance. Caw! The News Coo's eyes lit up as it recognized Ryuuto and flew straight toward him.
With an elegant glide, it landed gracefully on the railing and began flapping its wings at Ryuuto, gesturing emphatically.
"Huh? It's you again?" Ryuuto recognized the unique bird—the one that always demanded payment from him. The News Coo had a distinct feature: its body was pure white, save for a single black feather on the crown of its head.
"Caw!" the bird squawked in response, as if to say, *That's right, it's me! Now pay up!*
"We must be fated to meet," Ryuuto chuckled, tossing a small pouch of gold coins to it.
Caw! The bird's cry suddenly jumped several octaves, its tone turning excited. It snatched the pouch with its beak, swiftly tucked it into its bag, and then pulled out a newspaper, tossing it to Ryuuto. With a satisfied flutter of its wings, it took off and flew away.
"Captain, isn't that the same News Coo we met at sea?" Nami asked, the memory still fresh in her mind.
"It is! It's certainly got character," Ryuuto said lightly as he unfolded the paper.
"Captain, what's the news? Let me see!" Nami leaned in, craning her neck to get a look.
Vivi, curious as well, shuffled a couple of steps closer so she could see the newspaper's contents.
[A New Pirate Powerhouse Defeats a Warlord!]
Ryuuto
The name was written in huge, black letters. Below it was a picture of Ryuuto holding Yubashiri, his expression cold as he stared forward.
Bounty: 150,000,000 Beri!
"Captain, your bounty went up again!" Nami said, a little surprised as she read the poster.
"What? One hundred and fifty million Beri!" Vivi repeated, her mouth agape.
"As expected of Captain Ryuuto," Cobra, Pell, and Igaram murmured in awe.
"Something feels off," Ryuuto muttered. "Pell, are you sure it's only Captain Smoker and Captain Hina?" he asked, seeking confirmation with a sense of unease.
"I only saw the two of them, and a swordswoman with glasses," Pell reported truthfully.
The one with glasses must be Tashigi. But for some reason, Ryuuto felt a faint sense of dread. He would just have to wait and see what happened.
Flipping to the next page of the paper, he was greeted by a picture of Nami. In the photo, she held her Sorcery Clima-Tact with a thundercloud hovering above her head, her expression grim as she faced forward.
[Navigator Nami]
Wanted: 28,000,000 Beri!
"Huh? I have a bounty too?!" Nami's eyes widened in terror, her jaw dropping in disbelief. With that, she snatched the newspaper from his hands.
Vivi couldn't help but start daydreaming. A bounty was a symbol of strength. She wondered when she might get one herself.
"Hahahahahaha! Our dear navigator is a wanted woman now!" Ryuuto roared with laughter at Nami's reaction.
"Captain, how can you laugh at a time like this!" Nami shot him an annoyed glare and began flipping through the paper. "Why isn't there a bounty for Mr. Crocus?" she soon noticed.
The paper only listed bounties for Ryuuto and herself, with no mention of Crocus at all.
"Perhaps they mistook me for a passing old man," Crocus said nonchalantly. As a former great pirate, he couldn't care less about bounties.
Cobra and the others leaned in to look at Nami's wanted poster.
"What a beautiful picture, Miss Nami!" Cobra, ever the flatterer, was the first to praise her.
"You idiot!" Nami fumed. She was a wanted criminal, and this guy was focused on her picture.
"Don't worry, Nami," Ryuuto said, walking over and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Meanwhile, Ryuuto's crew weren't the only ones to see Nami's new bounty. Back in Cocoyasi Village, Genzo and Nojiko had received the news as well.
"Nojiko, have you seen this? Is this Nami? She has a bounty on her head! That's it! I'm calling the Marines to complain! How could they take such an awful picture of her!" Genzo roared, slamming his fist on the table.
Nojiko simply smiled at Genzo. Seeing Nami's wanted poster put her mind at ease; it seemed Nami was doing well with Ryuuto. Captain Ryuuto was truly a man she could trust.
In the Marine unit currently en route to Ryuuto's location, Smoker and Hina had also seen the new wanted posters.