The barbecue restaurant next door was bustling with noise and excitement.
Every inch of the place was packed to the brim, with even the aisles filled with people.
At a glance.
The crowd consisted entirely of muscular men dressed in metallic punk fashion, tearing into sizzling grilled meat with their teeth and chugging beer, their shouts and toasts rising and falling in waves.
At first glance, it seemed quite heroic.
But there was one condition...
You had to ignore the headbands these muscle men wore, embroidered with words like some underground idol fan club—
"Lord Xiano's Loyal Dog Club · Loguetown Branch"
"Justice resides in the heart, not in appearances!"
"Sworn to follow Lord Xiano, the Master Swordsman's spirit shall never fade!"
"Curtain Closer's Subordinate · Self-Proclaimed Apprentice Combatant, Making a Grand Entrance!"
...
The messages were varied, but without exception, they all carried a fanatical worship for that Sea Emperor.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew even more heated. A mohawked executive suddenly jumped onto a table, raised his glass, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Hey! Underlings, answer me loud and clear—who is the greatest man from the East Blue?!"
"Boss Xiano—!!!"
"And who's second?!"
"Boss Barto—!!!"
"Ooooh!!!"
The entire restaurant erupted in deafening cheers.
In the corner.
Bartolomeo let out a drunken hiccup, his face red as he laughed:
"Come on, didn't I tell you guys? Whenever Boss Xiano's name comes up, don't immediately follow it with mine! It makes it seem like we're not showing him enough respect!"
The mohawked executive nodded solemnly and raised his right arm:
"Then let's change the title! Underlings, answer me again—who is the second greatest man from the East Blue under Boss Xiano?!"
"Barto the Second—!!!"
"Hey! 'The Second' is going too far!" Barto roared, baring his fangs.
BOOM!
At that moment, an explosion suddenly rang out from the tavern next door, followed by the pained cries of two young men.
"If you're gonna fight, take it outside!"
A cold, irritated woman's voice followed. "The loser goes to the hospital, and the winner pays the bill!"
Oh?
Something interesting?
Bartolomeo and his crew immediately perked up, turning their heads in unison to look.
Outside in the open space.
A freckled boy in a cowboy hat and a green-haired swordsman were kicked out of the tavern, grimacing in pain as they rubbed their backsides.
They then turned to glare at each other, let out simultaneous shouts, and immediately charged at each other, fists and kicks flying.
Bartolomeo and his men crowded at the entrance, watching with great interest, occasionally pointing and commenting.
"Haha, this is great! Mosshead!"
Ace dodged a slash and laughed loudly. "I never thought there'd be a swordsman like you in the East Blue besides Xiano! You're strong! But... I think my fists are still better!"
WHOOSH!
He suddenly clenched his right fist, and in an instant, his entire arm turned pitch black.
Zoro's pupils shrank slightly.
He'd seen this before—on Xiano. If he remembered correctly, this was the power known as Armament Haki.
Kuina had mentioned that this kind of power was usually only mastered by Pirates who had entered the New World. It was rare to see it in Paradise.
For this guy to use it so casually... As expected of the Supernova with the highest bounty this year.
But...
"Don't get cocky just because you've got Haki! A swordsman's will can cut through anything!"
Zoro snorted coldly, narrowing his eyes. "And show some respect when you talk about Xiano! Once I cut you down, I can use your bounty to pay off my bar tab—and even get enough to repair my ship!"
This time, I'll get a bigger ship. When I reunite with that damn curly-browed cook, I'll make him green with envy!
SWISH!
He tightened his grip on his two swords and slashed at blinding speed.
"Two-Sword Style: Seventy-Two Pound Phoenix!"
...
Not far away, on a rooftop, two figures stood coldly, looking down at the fight.
"Another one of Xiano's fanboys."
Kid sneered, tapping his temple with a finger. "These guys from the East Blue... every single one of them seems a little messed up in the head."
Pirates set sail to find One Piece! To conquer the seas and become the next Pirate King! Right?
But these guys... are they treating this like some kind of idol chase?
Captain Kid didn't worship anyone. He believed only in himself—his fists were the only truth!
"It's natural to admire a senior from your hometown."
Killer, his face hidden behind a mask, spoke calmly. "What I find more interesting is how the East Blue is supposed to be the weakest sea, yet out of the eleven Supernovas this year, five are from there. That's nearly half."
"Numbers mean nothing."
Kid scoffed, baring his teeth in a grin. "Most of them are just trash with bounties lower than yours, right? But this freckled bastard... Hah! He's got some nerve, having a higher bounty than me. I'll crush him in front of everyone!"
"And reclaim the title of the strongest Supernova—for me!"
...
"Those two ugly guys have been standing on that rooftop posing for ages. What the hell are they staring at so intently?"
On the balcony of a high-end restaurant's second floor, a stunningly handsome blond man sipped his tea elegantly while frowning in displeasure at the rooftop across the way.
What an eyesore.
For someone as peerlessly graceful as him to be grouped with these people as Supernovas—and worse, to have the spotlight stolen by the highest bounties—was nothing short of humiliating.
But it didn't matter.
Sabaody was too close to Marine Headquarters. Starting a conflict here would be unwise. Once they entered the New World and crossed paths again, he'd prove his superiority with strength.
As for the other ten Supernovas...
He'd just kill them all. Hehehe.
...
Several dozen kilometers away, a small boat was speeding toward the island.
"We're almost at Sabaody. We'll be there in half an hour at most."
Chopper wiped his sweat and turned to look worriedly at the human-shaped lump on the deck. "Once we reach the island, I can restock on medicine and treat you. How are you holding up, Sanji?"
The reason he called it a "lump" was because Sanji had curled himself into a tight ball—even tighter than his eyebrows—with his arms wrapped around his head, as if trying to seal himself off from the outside world.
"Sanji? Hey, Sanji?"
"Just... leave me alone, Chopper..."
Sanji finally lifted his head weakly, tears streaming as he waved a hand. "Please... let me suffer in peace... Just hearing my name makes me want to cry, ugh..."
What in the world happened?
Chopper blinked in confusion, then noticed something—a stack of newspapers lying beside Sanji. He must have read these before turning into this state.
"Supernovas who have recently arrived or are about to arrive at Sabaody—eleven in total..."
Chopper scratched his head. Huh, it had been a while since he paid attention to this stuff. Come to think of it, what were his and Sanji's bounties now?
His eyes scanned downward. The newspaper's front page listed photos of the eleven, each accompanied by an introduction:
["Black Fist" Portgas D. Ace — Bounty: 330,000,000 Berries]
["Massacre Captain" Eustass Kid — Bounty: 300,000,000 Berries]
["Surgeon of Death" Trafalgar D. Law — Bounty: 200,000,000 Berries]
["Massacre Soldier" Killer — Bounty: 165,000,000 Berries]
["Pirate Prince" Cavendish — Bounty: 159,999,000 Berries]
["Fallen Rear Admiral" X Drake — Bounty: 150,000,000 Berries]
["Two-Sword Master" Roronoa Zoro — Captain of the Two-Sword Style Pirates — Bounty: 121,000,000 Berries]
["Green Turtle" Bartolomeo — Captain of the Barto Club — Bounty: 111,000,000 Berries]
["Cross-Eyed Swordmaster" Tashigi — Bounty: 107,000,000 Berries]
["Hyena" Bellamy — Captain of the Bellamy Pirates — Bounty: 100,000,000 Berries]
That made ten.
The last one had to be Sanji, right?
After all, just last month, he and Sanji had pulled off something incredible!
—Not only had they beaten up a tyrannical king from a World Government-affiliated country, but they'd also fought off an attacking Marine fleet after a grueling battle.
And the leader of that fleet? A Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters!
With achievements like that, Sanji's bounty had to be over 100 million, right?
But the result...
"Wha—WHAT?!"
Chopper's jaw dropped, his hooves trembling as he pointed at the newspaper. "Why... why is it like this?!"
At the very bottom of the wanted posters was... his own photo.
The accompanying text read:
["Poison Doctor" Tony Tony Chopper — Doctor of the Cook Pirates — Bounty: 166,000,000 Berries]
Wait, the eleventh Supernova... is ME?!
How is this possible?! Why is my bounty so high?!
During that battle, I was just providing support! That Vice Admiral was taken down by Sanji after an exhausting fight!
This is bad... This is really bad!
I don't know what Marine Headquarters is thinking, but this bounty is way too high! They'll send even stronger Marines after me!
There's no way I can handle that level of pursuit!
"Hey, Sanji..." Chopper wiped his cold sweat and turned to the lump. "What's your bounty again?"
Sanji curled up even tighter, letting out a pained whimper. "Just... look at the back. It mentions me there..."
Huh? It does?
Chopper flipped through the pages, searching carefully, until he finally found a single line tucked away in the corner of the article about him:
["Curly Brow Prince" Sanji — Captain of the Cook Pirates — Bounty: 50 Berries (Capture Only)]
Chopper's jaw hit the floor.
Fifty Berries?!
No way! This has to be a joke, Marines!
How could anyone's bounty be this low?! There must be some mistake!
"Did... did someone behind the scenes mix up our achievements?"
Chopper stammered. "But even then, my bounty shouldn't be just fifty! Maybe the newspaper misprinted your—"
"Stop! Just stop, Chopper!"
Sanji suddenly sprang up, snatched the newspaper, and tore it to shreds. "You don't get it! I don't care if my bounty's low, but we're about to reach Sabaody! I'm gonna run into that moss-headed idiot! When he sees my bounty, he'll never let me live it down!"
Just imagining that smug, green-haired bastard's face made him want to die.
Kill me now!
How am I supposed to go on living like this?!
"Oh... so that's what you're worried about?"
Chopper sighed in relief, standing on tiptoe to pat Sanji's back reassuringly. "Then I don't think you need to worry. Didn't you say that Zoro guy has no sense of direction? We haven't even reached Sabaody yet—how could he possibly have gotten there before us?"
...Huh?
Oh.
Sanji froze, then burst into laughter, hands on his hips.
"Ahahaha! You're right! I got tricked by that newspaper headline about all the Supernovas gathering at Sabaody! That idiot's probably still lost at Reverse Mountain—no way he's here already!"
As long as they didn't meet anytime soon, he could endure the humiliation, rush into the New World ahead of Zoro, and make a name for himself there.
Once his bounty was properly adjusted, it'd be his turn to rub it in that mosshead's face!
With this realization, Sanji's mood instantly brightened. He flicked open his lighter and lit a cigarette with a satisfied grin.
"We're almost there, Sanji."
Chopper glanced ahead. "39th Grove—let's dock at this pier."
"Yeah, whatever."
Sanji waved a hand, happily fantasizing about his future reunion with Zoro.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a black-haired female swordsman with a high ponytail standing on the adjacent pier, arms crossed as she stared coldly at him...
"GYAAAAAH!"
Sanji turned pale, his soul nearly leaving his body. Instinctively, he threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it, raising his hands in surrender.
"Big Sis Kuina! It's not what it looks like! I-I wasn't smoking! I don't even have a lighter—wait, no—"
"Huh?"
The ponytailed swordswoman blinked as if waking from a daze, then turned hurriedly toward the empty sea behind her, bowing awkwardly and politely.
"Ah, sorry! I wasn't paying attention! Could you repeat that?"
Staring at this airheaded girl's back...
Chopper and Sanji exchanged blank looks, then suddenly remembered something. Their eyes darted to the shredded newspaper on the ground, and their jaws dropped.
No way.
They look... exactly alike?
...
"The last three Supernovas have finally arrived on this island, huh?"
In a clearing beneath a Red Tree, a muscular man in a blue captain's hat sat with his legs spread on a bench, his voice low.
"Yes, Captain Drake."
The executive in front of him smiled. "As you instructed, we've been keeping a close eye on those followers of Xiano. Do you wish to meet with them?"
"Naturally. And we'll bring a gift."
Drake looked up, his expression cold.
"A loyal dog's nose is sharper than most. If we befriend them and move together, our chances of successfully joining the Curtain Closer will increase. Isn't that right?"
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements immediately. So you've decided to pledge yourself to the Curtain Closer after all."
The executive sighed. "I thought you were more interested in joining the Beast Pirates once we reached the New World..."
"People change."
Drake shook his head, his fingers lightly brushing the Den Den Mushi in his pocket as his gaze darkened.
"Lord Xiano's reputation grows by the day. It's only natural that more and more would be drawn to him. As for me... since last month, I've already become one of his most devoted followers."
(End of Chapter)