Crocodile, new bounty: 900 million Berries.
Next came Daz Bones, with a new bounty of 265 million.
Nico Robin: 120 million.
Mr. 5: 110 million.
Valentine: 93 million.
Miggs, first bounty: 60 million.
Sea Cow, first bounty: 100 Berries.
It seemed the World Government judged animal threats based on obedience to their masters. Though they knew it wasn't ordinary, they still treated it as a pet.
With fewer than 20 members, the Dawn Pirates had already shocked the world with such a concentration of high bounties.
Originally, the crew consisted of 23 people and one sea cow. With Hathaway and two others joining, plus Enel, they reached 27 and one sea cow. But five died in this recent operation.
Now only 22 people and one sea cow remain.
Together, their total bounty exceeds 2.8 billion Berries. Even in the New World, pirate crews of such caliber were rare outside the Four Emperors. In the first half of the Grand Line, they were terrifying.
In some countries, the Dawn's Jolly Roger had already become a symbol used to frighten children.
On the Grand Line, under a clear sky, a mid-sized merchant ship sailed slowly.
Two smaller ships accompanied it for protection—essential in these pirate-infested waters.
"L-Lady Xiah… the man we saved yesterday… wasn't he Crocodile? The one with a 900 million Berries bounty? Shouldn't we report him to Marine Headquarters?"
A middle-aged man with a curled mustache, looking like a butler, held up a wanted poster, trembling all over.
He'd never seen a pirate with such a high bounty in his life. They came from Fort AKS in the Andea Kingdom, where information was tightly controlled by the Four Major Trade Guilds.
He hadn't recognized the nearly lifeless man lying on the small boat they picked up.
Out of kindness and pity, their young mistress had saved him. But after cleaning his wounds and reading the paper, the butler panicked.
If it were just an ordinary pirate, they could let him go. But if this monster woke up, no one knew what might happen.
"Don't worry. We saved him, but we took precautions. He's cuffed with Seastone. We still don't know why those who first approached him fainted. And there's no need to report this to the Marines. If he escapes and comes after us, can our guards handle it?" said a calm, confident woman with short hair as she tasted her meal.
At a round table, several types of steak, a glass of red wine, and a team of seven musicians playing soft music accompanied her.
The butler, Alex, fell silent. He regretted not stopping the young lady from saving this man. But now it was too late.
Their staff had just reported that the man was awake.
Elexia put down her knife and fork, expression calm. She knew she was playing with fire, but if that fire could also hurt her enemies, then so be it.
"Right now, only we know about this. I don't want word spreading. You all know why those escort ships are really here. My father may be gone, but as long as I live, the guild will stand. Let's go meet our guest." She wiped her hands and headed toward the guest room.
"Are we still attending the party tonight?" Alex asked in a low voice. The ship had entered the lawless waters near Andea, where an island ship permanently anchored.
That ship was a hotspot for high-society members—casinos, balls, banquets, and all sorts of legal and illegal dealings took place there.
"We're going. He expects us not to, so we must. We need to make him think we still have the upper hand. If we can gain support from just one or two trade guilds, we'll have the power to dismiss the AKS Guild's acting chairman. We must still play by the rules," said Xiah after careful thought.
"But Aberdeen is waiting for us to walk into his trap. Those escort ships are more like prison guards, watching our every move in case we try to escape. What he wants is the contract rights," Alex said anxiously.
"He can't force that. He only gets it if I give it. If I refuse, he'll forever remain an acting chairman. I will never hand the guild to my father's killer." Xiah's voice turned cold.
Their conversation ended as they arrived at a guarded room.
Opening the door, they saw the man sitting up in bed. The gruesome wounds that had once covered him were now faded to scars—clearly a monster.
Such injuries would have killed any normal person many times over. Yet here he was, awake on the second day. He wasn't fully recovered, but his vitality was far beyond their comprehension.
Light particles even shimmered around his body. It was surreal.
Rosen awoke in a daze, weak and disoriented. He looked down to see his wrists bound with Seastone cuffs, connected by chains embedded into the wall.
"Captured? But this doesn't look like a prison… so I was rescued?" Scanning the room, he spotted two attendants nearby and quickly pieced things together.
"Thanks for saving me," Rosen said calmly to the newcomer, without much gratitude. It wasn't coldness—he simply believed they had recognized him, or they wouldn't have restrained him with Seastone.
Xiah stared at Rosen for a while. He looked younger than on the bounty poster, and had no facial scars. "Aren't you afraid I'll turn you over to the Marines?"
Normally, someone waking up in shackles would at least ask some questions.
She had entered with seven or eight guards—clearly worried that the rescued man might be too dangerous.
"You won't. I don't know what your goal is, but if you were going to hand me over, you would've done it while I was unconscious. It would've been safer—and more convenient. Also, these Seastone cuffs may suppress my powers and weaken me, but…"
As Rosen spoke, he gave a slight tug. The chains embedded in the wall snapped free, breaking apart. Though the Seastone cuffs were still on, he could now move freely.
"Don't point guns at me. Thanks."
With that, he released his Conqueror's Haki. All the guards collapsed to the floor with a synchronized thud—leaving only the two of them standing.
(End of Chapter)