Time passed day by day. The aggressive attacks by Hero Garp and Admiral Akainu not only failed to deter the Pirates of the New World but instead provoked even fiercer invasions.
The reason was simple.
The first wave of Pirates who invaded the North Blue returned laden with riches. Even small Pirate Crews had gained profits ranging from tens of millions to over a hundred million Berries , which thoroughly excited the Pirates' nerves.
In the North Blue, Pirates with bounties of 30 to 40 million were enough to dominate a region. Yet Pirates of that level were as common as weeds in the New World.
It was like high-level players returning to the beginner village.
The money came too easily.
Though they feared the Marines, the North Blue was vast—getting caught wasn't that simple. If they were caught, they could only blame their bad luck.
At this moment, a bounty issued by the Beasts caused quite a stir.
"Marshall D. Teach?"
"Who is this guy?"
"He's worth 10 billion Berries ?!"
The Beasts' bounty piqued the interest of many Pirates, but when it came to Teach, they were completely clueless.
No one had ever heard of this guy before!
"He actually dared to kill someone in Fortuna Community? That guy has a death wish?!"
"Everyone knows how much that Calamity values his properties. Anyone who causes damage faces worse consequences than directly provoking the Beasts!"
"Even just providing a lead can earn you a huge reward!"
Ever since Calamity Gurd established the first Fortuna Community on Hachinosu Island, one thing became clear to all Pirates in the New World:
Never cause trouble in Fortuna Community!
You could curse Kaido, and the Beasts might not even care. But if you damaged Fortuna Community—even stealing a trash can—you'd face the Beasts' relentless pursuit!
They didn't understand it, but they feared it.
New World, Champion Island.
"Zehahaha! How terrifying!"
In a dark alley, Blackbeard grinned at the Underworld's bounty notice, unsurprised.
If he had a choice, he wouldn't have provoked the Beasts Pirates.
But after Doma found the Dark-Dark Fruit, he immediately returned to Fortuna Community, planning to gift it to Marco as a present for his soon-to-be-born child.
He had no choice but to act within Fortuna Community!
But he didn't regret it. Even if it meant angering two Emperor Crews at once, he would fulfill the grand ambition he had hidden for years.
Besides, he had gained the strongest power!
"Darkness!"
Blackbeard raised his hand, thick black mist swirling over his palm—this was the ultimate power he had obtained.
"Zehahaha! Next, I need to leave the New World as soon as possible and head to waters where Whitebeard and the Beasts can't operate on a large scale!"
"And find some allies!"
"From now on, I'll be called Blackbeard!"
As a veteran Pirate who had roamed the New World for decades, he knew exactly how to evade the Emperors' pursuit—and had already devised a detailed plan.
"Zehahaha~~"
Hoenn Fortress.
In the wide river channel, numerous Pirate Ships sailed toward the New World or the North Blue, aided by Tugboats or Sea Beasts.
The port was piled high with supplies.
Inside the fortress office.
Gurd sat on the windowsill, gazing down at the river below. Beside him rested a Den Den Mushi that looked oddly like a pineapple.
The Den Den Mushi was fuming.
"Gurd, this is a private matter for our Whitebeard Pirates. We'll handle it ourselves—the Beasts don't need to interfere!"
"I can't agree to that."
Gurd's expression remained impassive. "Doma died in his home at Fortuna Community, not on the Moby Dick. If we don't take that guy out, where does that leave my reputation?!"
"Gurd, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't interfere in other people's family matters!"
"Then let's see who finds Teach first!"
Gurd hung up the phone.
After the Beasts issued the bounty, Marco had contacted him immediately, demanding he withdraw the bounty and let them handle it themselves.
Blackbeard had committed the most unforgivable crime among Pirates—killing a crewmate. Naturally, the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't leave the task of eliminating Blackbeard to outsiders.
This wasn't just about honoring Doma's death, but also defending Whitebeard's prestige.
But Gurd wouldn't back down.
Fortuna Community's reputation was built on safety. If that was compromised, both property values and their standing would take a hit.
The problem was, finding Blackbeard wouldn't be easy. That guy was a sneaky bastard, far more cunning than your average Pirate.
And Blackbeard was strong. Sending officers after him would likely be useless, and Gurd couldn't exactly chase him around the world himself.
The best option was to wait for Blackbeard to show himself.
"What a pain."
Gurd shook his head, then suddenly turned his gaze to the office door.
A girl in a pink mask had arrived.
Ulti!
"Gu Jiang!"
Ulti rushed into the office, her face lit up with joy as she ran toward Gurd. But the moment she got close, her expression twisted into fury.
"Ulti Rocket Kick!"
The girl leaped into the air, her long legs snapping together as her high heels, infused with Armament Haki, slammed straight into Gurd's face.
"Wha—?!"
Before Gurd could react, he was sent flying out the window, streaking through the air like a comet before crashing into the Fortress square.
"BOOM!!!"
A cloud of dust erupted.
"What the hell?!"
The soldiers in the square jumped in shock.
Gurd lay on the ground, rubbing his stinging face.
High heels to the face—that hurt!
"That crazy girl!"
The next moment, Ulti descended from above, landing squarely on Gurd's torso. She balled her hands into tiny fists and began pounding his chest.
"Baka! Baka! Baka!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Each punch carried tremendous force, shaking the ground beneath them.
After hammering him for a while, Ulti suddenly burst into tears, collapsing onto Gurd's chest with pitiful sniffles.
"Gu Jiang, I almost died, wahhh!"
"Oh."
Gurd responded flatly.
(╬▔皿▔)!
His dismissive attitude instantly turned Ulti's eyes into upside-down triangles as she grabbed his neck in a death grip.
"You bastard! Is that how you treat your girlfriend who almost died multiple times?! Comfort me right now, wahhh!!!"
"..."
Gurd chuckled and raised a hand, patting Ulti's head gently.
"Welcome back, Little Ulti."
"Hmph! That's more like it!"
The girl's anger dissipated almost immediately.
Page One approached, the boyishness in his features now gone, replaced by a few fresh scars and an air of quiet maturity.
The young man crossed his arms, his gaze cool and composed.
"Brother-in-law."
"Yeah, Little Page."
Gurd grinned as he got to his feet, clapping Page One on the shoulder with approval.
Good. The kid had grown.
The biggest difference between Pirates and Marines was that Pirates constantly faced life-and-death situations, forcing them to mature at an accelerated rate.
At seventeen or eighteen, a Marine would still be a green recruit, but for a Pirate, that was old enough to stand on their own.
"You came back just in time. Let's set sail!"
After staying in the Fortress for over half a year, it was time for him to st
retch his legs and draw some fire away from the Pirates in the New World.
The current sea area where Germa 66 was operating had also been located. Lacking contact information, the only option was to visit in person.
"Set sail!"
(End of Chapter)