...
Five days had passed since the news broke that Allen had replaced Crocodile as one of the Warlords of the Sea.
Through the newspapers of the [World Economy News Paper], this news quickly spread across the globe.
————
East Blue, the sea-going restaurant Baratie.
"Hey! What's the deal with Sanji? He's been out at sea all this time and still doesn't have a bounty at all!"
"Even the Nyaban Brothers' bounty has gone up to sixty million Berries! That idiot is bringing shame to our restaurant!"
"That doesn't matter at all, you idiot. Once you become a Warlord of the Sea, your original bounty is revoked."
In the kitchen, a group of chefs wearing white aprons and tall toques formed a semicircle, their eyes fixed on the newspaper in the center as they engaged in a heated discussion.
In the middle of the crowd, Owner Zeff held the newspaper with both hands. His eyes looked thoughtful as he spoke.
"To think he would become a Warlord of the Sea. That guy doesn't seem like the type to be recruited by the World Government. Just what is he plotting?"
...
Cocoyasi Village.
"Genzo! Look at the newspaper quickly! The captain has become a Warlord of the Sea!"
"What did you say?!"
"Hurry! Let me see it too."
Cries of astonishment shattered the village's tranquility. Outside a dilapidated security booth at the end of the street, Genzo gripped the newspaper with a look of sheer disbelief.
The surrounding residents hurried over and gathered around him, every pair of eyes locked onto the paper.
"A Warlord of the Sea, huh? I heard Arlong was bailed out of prison by a Warlord back in the day."
"Really? That sounds incredibly impressive."
"What does 'legal pirate' mean? Does this mean Nami and the others are part of the World Government's forces now?"
The villagers gossiped endlessly over the newspaper. Meanwhile, on the coast at the edge of the village...
A burly, purple-haired man clad in golden armor sat by the shore, holding a newspaper in his hand.
"A bounty of seventy-two million Berries. Tch. He's actually made something of himself after leaving me."
Don Krieg scoffed at the newspaper in dissatisfaction, his gaze fixed on the azure sea.
"Just wait for me in the Grand Line, you bastard."
...
————
A certain Winter Island in the Grand Line.
Fierce winds whipped up a blizzard that danced through the air. In the snowy forest, a giant, white-furred ape nearly ten meters tall lay limply in the snow.
"X Drake's bounty has gone up again. Two hundred and twenty-two million Berries."
"That high? Doesn't that mean the captain has been surpassed by another pirate from the same generation?"
"Eustass Kid, Basil Hawkins the Magician, Demon Lion Allen, and now Drake. The captain has been pushed down to fifth place among the pirates of our generation."
In the snowy forest, several figures wearing thick padded coats stood beneath the white-furred giant ape, discussing the latest updates to the bounties.
"Huh?"
Suddenly noticing something in the newspaper, Bepo's round, pitch-black eyes widened in surprise. He looked up at the man sitting on top of the giant ape and spoke in a muffled voice.
"Captain, the candidate for the new Warlord of the Sea has been announced."
"Is that so? The World Government sure moves fast. Let me see."
Trafalgar Law rested his long sword against his shoulder, the corners of his mouth curling up with interest. He raised a hand to catch the newspaper tossed up from below and glanced down at it.
"So it's him. I didn't expect it to be a pirate from our generation."
Seeing Allen's picture in the newspaper, Law's eyes showed a mix of surprise and understanding. With a playful expression, he said, "Makes sense. After all, he's the one who defeated a former Warlord. To the World Government, there's probably no one more suitable."
"Let's go. Prepare to set sail."
With that, he jumped down from the giant ape and called out to his crew. The group walked toward the coast, braving the fierce winds and heavy snow.
"The rookies this year have a lot of momentum. I just wonder how many of them will successfully make it into the New World. We'll find out once we reach the Sabaody Archipelago."
Law's lips curled into a cold smirk, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
...
The pleasantly climatic Spring Island—the City of the Spring Queen.
The bustling town streets were filled with heavy traffic and the cheerful laughter of young men, women, and children. Bright sunlight fell on the awnings of the vendor stalls, and the enticing aroma of delicious food permeated the air.
Just then, a group of pirates suddenly appeared at the end of the street. Wherever they passed, the surrounding pedestrians fell silent out of fear, instantly shattering the cheerful atmosphere of the street.
The leading pirate was tall, with short, spiky red hair and a pair of aviator goggles resting on his forehead. He had a ferocious gaze and wore a dark red, spiked fur coat draped over his shoulders.
Beside him walked a masked warrior with messy, long blonde hair cascading down his back. He wore a pair of mechanical gauntlets on his hands, with sharp scythes retracted inside them.
"Tch. To think we chose such a peaceful place. How boring."
Seeing the fearful glances cast by the surrounding passersby, Kid scoffed with a highly displeased expression.
Behind him, the crew's navigator looked helpless.
"That's so mean. The route is fixed, Kid. It's not like I can change where the Log Pose points."
"Shut up. Let's just stay here long enough and set off for the next island. I can't wait to enter the New World."
Kid grinned wildly.
Beside him, Killer spoke in a flat tone, "We've only just passed the halfway point of the first half of the Grand Line. There are still several islands ahead. We won't reach the New World that quickly."
"Are you an idiot, Killer? Don't be a buzzkill at a time like this!"
Kid bumped his head against Killer's and yelled indignantly.
The group walked noisily into the town. It wasn't until they had left that the nearby pedestrians finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"That scared me to death. Those pirates looked so fierce."
"That's 'Captain' Eustass Kid. According to the latest bounties released a few days ago, that guy's bounty has already reached three hundred and fifteen million Berries."
"How terrifying. Hasn't he only been out at sea for a short while?"
"I heard they're a brutal pirate crew. They murdered a lot of civilians, which is why his bounty is so high."
The passersby whispered among themselves, casting fearful glances at the retreating figures.
Meanwhile, far off on the distant sea, the silhouette of a ship slowly appeared.
Having just escaped a massive blizzard, the Freewill finally welcomed calm waters and boundless sunshine.
On the deck, a layer of snow was slowly melting in the sunlight.
Gin led the crew members with tools to start shoveling the snow, while Buchi and Sham stood dejectedly in front of a melting snowman.
"Looks like it'll be an island with nice weather."
On the third-floor balcony, Nami took off her scarf. Looking at the clear sky and the azure sea, a faint look of joy appeared on her face.
"Have we entered the waters of a Spring Island?"
Allen stepped out of the captain's cabin. After coming to a stop beside Nami, his pupils gradually transformed into golden hawk-like eyes, piercing through the vast sea to lock onto the distant silhouette of an island.
According to Heracles, the Log Pose in the Boin Archipelago area would slowly store the magnetic pull of the City of the Spring Queen.
Allen had a vague impression of this island in his mind; it was one of the islands passed by the Sea Train.
The Sea Train centered around its starting point, Water 7, and branched outward to connect several islands on other routes. The City of the Spring Queen—St. Poplar—was one of them.
In addition, there was the Gourmet City—Pucci, the Carnival City—San Faldo, the Sleepless City—Enies Lobby, and so on.
Driven by the Sea Train, this large surrounding sea area could be considered the most well-developed and prosperous section in the entire first half of the Grand Line.
"Once we get on the island, let's find a currency exchange to trade in our gold. I wonder if they have enough cash reserves."
Allen said after retracting his hawk eyes.
*'If it's not enough, we'll just visit a few other towns. We can get there quickly by taking the Sea Train anyway, and it'll be a good opportunity to look around and have some fun.'*
*'Except for Water 7, the World Government's designated shipyard, which is crawling with CP agents. If we go there, it'll be a huge hassle if even a single CP agent recognizes Robin's identity.'*
*'The day before yesterday, Vegapunk called to say that Nami's Devil Fruit weapon had been completed and was being delivered by Kuma. He's also started preparing the serum. I definitely don't want a transaction worth over ten billion Berries to fall through at this critical juncture.'*