As the Straw Hat crew's bounty posters spread rapidly across the pirate world, the already chaotic seas were like a raging fire being fed fresh fuel—igniting once more, boiling over with unrest.
"A Marine Admiral… defeated by someone!?"
Those who had previously doubted the reports from the World Economy News Paper were forced to accept this worldview-shattering truth the moment they saw the official Marine bounties.
What followed was yet another severe blow to the authority of the Marines.
From a long-term perspective, the decline of the World Government could be considered a good thing for the world as a whole.
But the harsh reality was undeniable…
Once the Marines no longer held absolute control over the seas, once their authority crumbled, the ones who suffered first were still the ordinary people.
Just as the saying went:In prosperity, the people suffer; in ruin, the people suffer.
Thankfully, those matters were for the selfless revolutionary soldiers to worry about.
Pirates who sought nothing but freedom and joy were not bound by so many rules and restraints.
…
…
"I really didn't expect it, Luffy—your bounty jumped straight to this level!?"
"Looks like what we did on Sky Island was still discovered."
On the deck of the Going Merry, brilliant beams of light shone down from the tops of the four massive masts. Even in the dim fog-choked waters, the Straw Hat crew could move around without any hindrance.
Of course, that also made the Going Merry stand out like a firefly in the night—far too conspicuous.
"1.5 billion Beli!?"
"Luffy, you've really become a big-shot pirate now!"
Zoro rubbed his chin as he stared at Luffy's bounty poster, clicking his tongue in admiration.
Immediately after, he began flipping through the stack of posters in Red's hands, searching for his own.
Before he could find it, however, a photo suddenly caught his eye—a curly-browed man engulfed in flames.
Zoro's pupils shrank violently.
"What!?""That curly-brow's bounty is actually 990 million Beli?!"
"Then what about mine!?"
A deep sense of unease rippled through Zoro's chest.
His fingers moved faster.
Very soon, he found it.
A photo of a green-haired swordsman, a massive dragon's silhouette coiling around his body as he swung his blade forward like a ferocious beast.
Zoro's face froze solid.
"H-Hey~! Zoro! Zoro! What's wrong with you?!"
Chopper, who had been eagerly waiting to see his own bounty, was the first to notice something was off and shouted in alarm.
His cry drew everyone's attention.
Sanji's eyes flashed the instant he saw the situation.
As if struck by sudden inspiration, he quickly set down the tray of drinks in his hands and rushed over in a few long strides.
"No… this can't be happening!"
At that moment, scorching flames burst up from Zoro's hand, about to incinerate the bounty poster.
But Sanji, having already sensed something was wrong, wasn't about to let that happen.
With a burst of speed even faster than when he fought Kizaru, Sanji vanished like a bolt of lightning—snatching the poster right out of Zoro's hand.
"Huh? What's this…?"
"So the moss-head's bounty is only 880 million Beli!?"
"That's a full 110 million less than mine?!"
"Suddenly feels like the Marines actually have pretty good taste!?"
"Tch tch tch…"
Sanji held the poster high, waving it smugly in the air while flashing Zoro a mocking grin.
"Bastard!!!"
A flush of red spread across Zoro's face.
Yet instead of erupting into their usual explosive argument, Zoro cursed under his breath, lifted his swords, and walked straight toward the cabin without even looking up.
Because this time…
Sanji wasn't wrong.
Although eating a Devil Fruit had given Sanji the weakness of seawater and Seastone, there was no denying it—
The Speed-Speed Fruit was a perfect match for Sanji's close-combat fighting style!
And on top of that, a Paramecia-type like the Speed-Speed Fruit greatly reduced the usual drawbacks of Devil Fruit abilities.
As a result, once Sanji activated his powers, his actual combat strength soared at least two tiers above his base stats.
That created a clear gap between him and Zoro, whose base strength had previously been nearly identical.
"Hey!? Moss-head, you don't want your freshly squeezed pineapple juice anymore?!"
Sanji called after him when he noticed Zoro's low spirits.
Zoro simply waved his hand without stopping.
"Let Luffy drink it for me."
"Tch…"
"This guy really never gives anyone a moment's peace."
Sanji clicked his tongue, lowering his arm as his muscles subconsciously tensed.
Even though he had now surpassed Zoro in combat strength, Sanji never let his guard down for even a second.
He knew exactly why things had turned out this way.
If Zoro ever found a Devil Fruit perfectly suited to him…
That green-haired bastard would overtake him again in no time, just like before.
Sanji had already made up his mind—after finishing lunch for everyone, he would continue developing the scientific power hidden within his body.
Under Red's constant guidance, he had finally come to accept the Germa technology embedded inside him.
Watching the two rivals clash and spur each other on, Red broke into a wide grin.
Compete! Compete harder!
If you don't push yourselves, how are you supposed to defeat the Elite Four and help me clear this game world?
Compared to the rest of the crew, the rivalry between Zoro and Sanji was the least worrying to Red.
They had both already found their paths—whether in the pirate world or the Pokémon world.
They knew exactly what they needed to do, and how to do it. Red didn't need to interfere.
With that thought, a mysterious smile crept onto Red's face.
He then continued handing out the bounty posters in his hands.
These weren't official originals.
They were freshly printed via Fax Den Den Mushi just moments ago.
Not long after leaving Enies Lobby, the Straw Hat crew had split up with the Buggy Pirates.
From that point on, Buggy and Bartolomeo each chose different island routes, embarking on their own adventures.
Thanks to their presence, even while deep within the Florian Triangle, Red was still able to receive timely updates from the outside world.
Although the strange magnetic fields in the Florian Triangle rendered ordinary Den Den Mushi useless…
The Straw Hats were no longer ordinary pirates.
Red had long since purchased a batch of specialized Den Den Mushi from Morgans himself.
Even in the sea feared by the world, they could still stay informed.
As the bounty posters were distributed one by one, different expressions appeared across the crew.
The happiest, of course, was Luffy with his massive bounty.
He immediately threw an arm around Chopper—who had now become a pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million—and the two of them started dancing wildly.
In contrast to their celebration, the rest of the crew was far calmer.
Usopp stared at his bounty poster, cold sweat covering his forehead as he counted the digits again and again.
"Ones… tens… hundreds… thousands… ten-thousands…"
"1… 1.08 billion Beli?!"
"W-Why is my bounty this high!?"
"I tried so hard not to show myself!"
Completely unaware of Red's behind-the-scenes scheming, Usopp's face went deathly pale.
He looked like he'd just stepped out of a bathtub, drenched from head to toe.
"Not bad, Usopp!"
"Your bounty's even ten million higher than mine!?"
"Looks like the Marines think you're an even bigger threat!"
Suddenly, an arm landed on Usopp's shoulder, making him jolt in terror.
His neck turned stiffly, and when he saw who it was, he forced an awkward laugh.
"H-Hahaha… of course!"
"My brilliance can't be hidden, after all!!!"
"Hahahaha!"
Usopp laughed with his hands on his hips.
Red leaned in close with a mischievous grin.
"Well, in that case, you're officially a major criminal in the Marines' eyes now."
"The ones who come after you next won't be Enies Lobby-level fodder."
"They might even send out Admiral-level forces."
"You'd better be careful from now on."
"W-What!?"
Usopp's grin froze instantly, his entire body stiffening.
Meanwhile—
Robin, Nami, and Franky, who had also received their bounty posters, showed little reaction.
Their bounties matched their current strength well enough.
Neither too high, nor too low.
Aside from Franky—who felt irritated about being labeled the weakest of the crew—Robin and Nami quickly returned to their work.
After all, they hadn't entered the Florian Triangle for sightseeing.
Beyond evading the Marines and the World Government, they also needed to help Laboon find the missing former member of the Rumbar Pirates—
Brook.
…
…
BOOM!!!
Scorching flames erupted violently, turning an underground cavern into a sea of fire.
The blazing red light reflected off Red's face, making his smile even brighter.
"As expected of the only one of its kind in the entire Pokémon world—a Legendary Pokémon!"
"Even though I've felt this pressure before, it's still breathtaking every time!"
"But unfortunately…"
"You're no longer our opponent!!!"
"Nami—use Rain Dance!!!"
"Roger~"
Floating in midair atop the Clima-Tact, Nami flashed a playful smile.
At the same time, she twisted gracefully, easily dodging a roaring spiral of flames that shot toward her.
"What an unlovable jerk."
Feeling the intense heat scorch her face, Nami lifted her head and cast a sly gaze at her opponent.
A bird Pokémon with blazing red feathers.A sharp beak, brownish skin, and a streamlined crest like rising flames atop its head.
Its wings and tail burned with magnificent fire.
One of the Legendary Birds alongside Zapdos and Articuno—
The embodiment of fire: Moltres.
It had been a full half month since the Straw Hat crew entered the Florian Triangle.
Unlike the original events—where they immediately fell into Gecko Moria's trap and encountered Brook, who had drifted here for fifty years—
This time, they seemed to have entered the true Florian Triangle.
Though the crew no longer feared the dangers of these waters…
Searching for a single target in such a vast sea was still a monumental task.
Fortunately, they weren't pressed for time.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were still digesting the insights gained from their battle with Kizaru. Even without grinding in the Pokémon world, their experience continued to grow rapidly.
That gave Red plenty of time to train the lower-level members of the crew.
After nearly half a month, every Straw Hat had finally reached Level 40 or above.
Usopp, who received special attention, had even reached Level 44.
Today, it was originally Red's turn to bring Nami to Champion Road for training.
Unexpectedly, they reached the very end—and encountered the Legendary Pokémon Moltres hidden within.
With nothing to lose, Red decisively led Nami into battle.
Although Nami, at Level 42, was still significantly weaker than Moltres…
With the power of the Clima-Tact, victory wasn't impossible!
Splash—!
A refreshing wave of energy spread outward from Nami's body.
Dark thunderclouds crackling with electricity formed within the cavern, and rain soon followed.
Before Red could issue his next command, Nami—already familiar with the combo—leapt from the Clima-Tact, hovering in midair as if standing on solid ground.
The Clima-Tact split into three segments.
In an instant—
Countless lightning-filled bubbles burst from its circular ports, floating rapidly toward the storm clouds above.
Nami looked up.
Watching Moltres reignite its flames, preparing to use Flame Charge, she curled her lips into a grin.
"I heard that lightning works even better on Flying-types when it's raining~"
"So…"
"Lightning Spear Tempo!!!"
BOOM!!!
With a completely shameless shout, Nami unleashed the attack!
In an instant, endless lightning tore through the clouds, forming a terrifying onslaught that crashed down upon Moltres below!
(End of Chapter)