"What in the world is going on?"
"Has that Marine brat Darren gone insane?"
"Or has the World Government lost its mind?"
"But it feels unreal… With that brat's temperament, he wouldn't act recklessly. To defy the World Government so openly—"
Rain roared outside like purgatory's own breath. In the cave, the Roger Pirates traded helpless looks over the ink-wet newspaper.
"Little brat Darren doesn't follow orders blindly," Roger said at last, a drunken grin cutting across his face. "Felsek Island—why would the Gorosei appear in such a frozen backwater? If I'm not mistaken…"
A hard gleam slid through his "tipsy" eyes.
"This is a repeat of what happened back then."
Silence fell. Faces tightened.
God Valley.
They had witnessed the truth: a state-sanctioned hunt—a dehumanizing purge orchestrated by the World Government. After the Celestial Dragons bled for it, there had never been another. And yet twelve years later the same twisted contest had reappeared.
"Hold on!" Gaban lifted his head, disbelieving. "Did the Government stage the Hunting Competition in the North Blue to target Darren?"
Rayleigh exhaled. "Most likely. His growth is too fast."
No one argued. They all remembered their first encounter with that Marine. En route to Headquarters for training after leaving the North Blue, a mere Captain then—using a dirty Devil Fruit trick to force Roger to switch his belt buckle for plastic—he couldn't withstand even a casual tap from the Captain and nearly died. Yet in under three years that same Captain had become someone who could threaten the entire crew, push them to the brink, bend Marine power, and field a terrifying fleet.
Even the World Government would fear a rise like that. Give it any pretext and it would try to crush both will and wings.
Pfft.
Roger doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach. "Hahahaha! The World Government brought this on itself! I'd pay to see those five fossils' faces! They actually drove the brat to rebel!"
The others paused—then grins spread one by one. It was true. The Government had forced a monster out of its own ranks. One of only two real threats within the Marines was gone, and the remaining weight shifted off their backs.
"I wonder how many berries they'll slap on his head," Gaban said, half-amused.
"Whatever it is, it won't be higher than mine," Roger scoffed, puffing his chest until even his two nose hairs quivered with pride. "I'm worth seventy-five million more than Newgate, a whole hundred and forty million more than Shiki!"
The crew covered their faces. Of all the numbers in the world, the captain remembered only bounties to the berry.
Still, the tiers were real. Above two billion stood names weighed by strength, fame, reach, and shock to the world: the leader of the Freedom Fighters at two billion; Beast Kaido at 3.089 billion; "Born Destroyer" Big Mom at 3.36 billion; and even their own "Dark King" Rayleigh and Gaban. Above them, the overlords beyond four billion: the "World's Strongest Man" Whitebeard at 4,515,000,000; the "Flying Admiral" Golden Lion at 4,450,000,000; and at the summit, their captain—Gol D. Roger, 4,590,000,000.
"Cough… don't be so sure," Rayleigh murmured, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Another paper fluttered down and landed at the cave mouth. Three new posters stared back in fresh ink.
Name: Monkey D. Dragon
Crimes: Founding the Freedom Fighters; open defiance of the World Government; overthrowing multiple regimes; sowing turmoil across the seas.
Danger Level: Extremely High
Bounty: 3,059,000,000 berries.
Name: Momonga
Crimes: Former Marine Headquarters Captain; Supreme Commander of the North Blue; now Vice Commander of the North Blue Fleet; "Thunder." Led an assault on the Holy Land Mary Geoise in defiance of orders.
Danger Level: High
Bounty: 2,050,000,000 berries.
But all eyes locked on the final sheet—the largest of the three.
Name: Rogers Darren
Crimes: Former Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral; now Fleet Admiral of the North Blue Fleet; violent defiance of World Government orders; mass slaughter of Celestial Dragons; open attack on Marineford. Heinous crimes.
Danger Level: Extreme
Bounty: 5,000,000,000 berries.
The cave went still enough to hear dripping water count seconds.
Five billion.
"Not particularly high," Rayleigh said lightly, flashing Roger a wink. "Only four hundred and ten million more than yours. About equal to two Byrnndi Worlds."
Roger's face purpled. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
He lunged for the cave mouth. The crew tackled him in a heap.
"Let go, you idiots! I'm marching on Marine Headquarters—no, on Mary Geoise itself!" he roared, eyes bloodshot, white smoke snorting from his nostrils. "How dare that brat have a higher bounty than me?!"
To be continued...