Translator: PapaSmurf0700
In the East Blue, a sea known as the "weakest of the four," a rather bizarre gang had taken root.
At first, they were like any other crew of thugs: they started fights, bullied vendors, and shook people down for protection money. But one day, everything changed. They still engaged in fights and collected protection fees, but their targets were drastically different.
They began to exclusively target pirates who dared to enter their territory, handing over every defeated foe to the local Marine branch. At the same time, the gang started managing their town with surprising efficiency, claiming they were establishing an environment of "freedom, equality, and justice."
Over time, the fear the townspeople and vendors once felt toward them faded. Their reputation grew. When conflicts arose, people no longer went to the Marines; they went to the gang to seek justice.
If there was one strange thing about this crew, it was that every last member was a borderline-maniacal super-fan.
Especially their boss: a man with a green cockscomb hairstyle named Bartolomeo.
Inside the gang's headquarters, Bartolomeo stared at the wall, a look of pure, intoxicated bliss on his face. It was a shrine, covered with every bounty poster the Straw Hat Pirates had ever earned, alongside newspaper clippings and photos of their most legendary exploits.
"Luffy-senpai at 1.8 billion... Priest-senpai at 1.688 billion..." he sighed reverently. "To get bounties this high in less than a year at sea... It's just too thrilling! Bwahahaha!"
Bartolomeo let out a loud, cackling laugh as he recalled the day that changed his life in Loguetown. The moment he saw Luffy unconsciously unleash his Conqueror's Haki, he became a devoted follower. He returned to his crew and fanatically consumed every report, every scrap of news about the Straw Hat Pirates, and his admiration eventually grew to encompass the entire crew.
His entire way of doing things began to subconsciously mimic the ideals he saw in them. He gradually converted his own subordinates into die-hard fans and even started recruiting new members based on their shared love for the Straw Hats.
Standing behind him now were dozens of his top officers, each one as fervent a supporter as he was.
"If they'd been at sea longer, Luffy-senpai and the others would have even higher bounties!" one of them declared.
"Don't just look at the bounty!" another shouted. "The Spark Alliance already gave the Straw Hat Grand Fleet an official rating! They're the only fleet with a Honorary rank!"
"They're so worthy of being our idols! To earn the respect of two major world powers at once!"
"Damn right! And what Luffy-senpai said at Sabaody... 'On behalf of the Straw Hat Pirates, I declare war on the World Government.' It was so cool!"
"Nah, what Priest-senpai said at Marineford was way cooler: 'Justice delayed is an insult to the very idea of justice!"
"Huh? What are you talking about? Luffy-senpai is the Priest's captain!"
"Of course I know that! But the Straw Hats aren't like other crews! As the captain, Luffy-senpai often listens to the Priest's advice!"
Just like that, Bartolomeo's simple moment of appreciation devolved into a full-blown fan squabble. The debate quickly escalated as dozens of men started arguing. Soon, supporters of Zoro and Sanji were locked in a fierce debate over who truly held the number three spot in the crew.
Others argued over who was more beautiful, Robin or Nami, or who played a more vital role, Chopper or Merry. The room grew louder and more heated until it seemed a brawl was about to break out. That's when Bartolomeo finally snapped.
"SHUT UP!" he bellowed.
The room fell silent. Though they were fanatical, they weren't completely oblivious. They knew when their boss was genuinely angry.
"The Straw Hat-senpais," Bartolomeo said, his voice trembling with passion, "for the sake of Luffy-senpai's brother, they charged headfirst at one hundred thousand elite Marines!"
"Before that, they stormed Enies Lobby for Franky-senpai!"
"And for Nami-senpai! For Chopper-senpai! For Usopp-senpai! They've risked it all, time and time again!"
"How dare you try to measure their bonds so cheaply?!"
Bartolomeo was furious. He couldn't believe his men's understanding was so shallow. He made a silent vow: before they set sail to follow their idols into the New World, he would have to re-educate every last one of them. He would teach them what it truly meant to be a worthy follower of the Straw Hat Pirates. As for the curriculum, he'd need to consult his grandmother.
-----
If people like Bartolomeo represented the adoring fans of the Straw Hat Pirates, there were plenty of others on the sea who viewed them with pure hostility. Namely, the other Supernovas who had just entered the New World.
"A three-billion-plus combined bounty... those bastards!" Eustass Kid crumpled the Straw Hats' new wanted posters in his hand, his face a mask of pure rage.
If the Straw Hats' previous title of "The Fifth Emperor's Fleet" was a blow to their pride, these new, astronomical bounties were a public humiliation. Now, the whole world was talking about Straw Hat Luffy. No one cared about a bunch of rookies whose bounties had just scraped past 100 million.
"If they say Straw Hat is ready to challenge the Four Emperors," Kid growled through gritted teeth, "then I'll just have to challenge him first and prove them wrong!"
Unlike the hot-tempered Kid, other Supernovas like Capone Bege, Urouge, and Basil Hawkins were equally shocked and frustrated, but they didn't lose their heads. They chose to stick to their own plans and continue their voyages.
Of course, among all the Supernovas, X. Drake was in the worst position. His undercover mission as a pirate was proceeding smoothly, but he never imagined the entire Marine power structure would be upended right as he was preparing for the second phase of his plan.
Sengoku's resignation was already a bad sign, but when he read in the paper that his Marine contacts had defected to the Spark Alliance, a cold dread washed over him.
"Those guys," he muttered to himself, staring out at the unforgiving sea. "They're not actually going to forget about me, are they?"