"What is it?"
"A new bounty for the Straw Hat Pirates! This time, several people have been targeted!"
The bounty posters slipped from between them. Nojiko and Kaya also gathered. "We've been targeted too?"
"No, not you guys, but me." Nami had a bitter expression. "I'm actually worth 10 million Belly!"
"Zoro, 60 million, Luffy... 980 million?!" Kaya covered her mouth, her eyes wide.
Luffy walked over to them. '980 million... Isn't that number a little too shabby?'
Nami stared at Luffy's picture, then at the words underneath. 'Capture Alive only?'
"I get it." Luffy frowned. "Maybe they're afraid my grandpa wouldn't be happy if I died?"
The three girls: "..."
"I guess they probably want to capture me and bring me back, so my grandpa can persuade me to join the Marines."
Kaya was stunned. "But if they capture you, won't you have to go to jail?"
Luffy tilted his head and smiled. "My grandpa will find a way to get me out. At most, I'll be jailed for one day!"
The three girls were all dumbfounded. 'A great pirate with a bounty of a billion, only jailed for one day if caught, and then he could become a Marine? That's too weird!'
Nojiko was a bit skeptical. "So, all the things you've done as a pirate can be wiped clean?"
Luffy looked confused. "Why not? It's just a word for my grandpa to help me clear my name."
Kaya swallowed. "Brother, who exactly is your grandfather, this great god?"
"The Fleet Admiral, the one known as Sengoku the Buddha."
The three girls: "(O_O) What?!"
To be honest, Luffy's guess was not unfounded. Given his family background, Garp could save him. And Sengoku valued great talent. If Luffy was willing to join the Marines, Sengoku would definitely give him a semi-official position. But would he really become a Marine? Of course not. With Nika's power, the path of a Marine was one he couldn't take.
Time passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, three more days went by. The new bounty of the Straw Hat Pirates was now famous. But Luffy was like a man who had nothing to worry about. He lived his carefree days with his three female crewmates.
Nami had completely let herself go. She no longer hid it, occasionally snuggling into Luffy's arms to sleep. Luffy suddenly picked her up, and with a whoosh, stood up straight. Nami was startled and angry, hitting Luffy's chest. Luffy lowered his head and kissed her, a trick that was very effective. Nami immediately stopped fussing and snuggled obediently into Luffy's arms, letting him do as he pleased.
"Come on, Nami, let's go inside!" Luffy suddenly threw a battle declaration.
"Oh my~" Perhaps it was his desire to go back home, or perhaps it was his desire to seize someone, but at Luffy's urging, a journey that should have taken seven days was completed in just four.
Upon reaching the south beach of the village, Nojiko asked, "Luffy, why did you suddenly decide to go back to your hometown?"
"Because I'm going to 'snatch someone'." Luffy answered with incredible calmness.
Regardless of whether Shanks was liked by Makino or not, any woman he had his eye on was his. "I watched Makino grow up since I was a child. If I can't snatch her, what's the point of me messing around?"
Luffy went straight for the island, telling Zoro and the others to wait there, and he took the three girls toward the village.
Nami gave him a side glance. "Are you in a hurry? You're her childhood friend, right?"
"No, I'm worried that Shanks will come," Luffy muttered softly. "That guy is very mysterious. If he comes back, I won't be able to snatch her."
Nami looked at him suspiciously. "From now on, on the Merry Go... besides you, will everyone else be a woman?"
"Yes, the combat division is for us to fight, but the main ship must be all women!" Luffy said in a righteous tone.
In his opinion, ruling the world couldn't just rely on women.
"Brother, I think I see the person you want to 'snatch'." Kaya suddenly pointed to the village street. "Is that green-haired woman her?"
Luffy looked in the direction she was pointing. He saw Makino greeting the villagers warmly, her smile as bright as a little sun.
"That's her. All of you wait for me here, I'll be right back." With that, Luffy was shot like an arrow from a bow.
On the street, Makino was greeting the villagers. Her smile hid a hint of reluctance. In fact, she still held Luffy's bounty poster in her pocket. Her heart was filled with worry, and she muttered, "I wonder how Luffy is now. His bounty is almost a billion, it must be so dangerous..."
Before she could finish speaking, Makino unexpectedly bumped into a solid chest. "Oh, sorry!" She took a step back, but the other person stepped forward, blocking the sunlight. She looked up, and it was a man she knew very well. He was looking down at her and smiling.
"Lu... Luffy?!" Makino gasped, completely stunned.
Luffy, with a bounty of almost a billion! Why was he back? He wasn't treated as an outsider by the villagers, but now, wasn't he afraid of the Marines who were chasing him?
The surrounding villagers were stunned. "Hey! You brat, you're too daring! What are you doing back? Hurry up and leave!" "There are Marines guarding here, hurry up and sneak away!"
More and more villagers gathered around, their faces filled with worry. Luffy smiled. With the same bright smile, he waved enthusiastically.
"Everyone, I'm going to snatch Makino to be my bartender. Don't worry, I'll treat her well. It's decided."