From a bounty of 100 million to 360 million.
Such a leap in bounty is rare within the Navy's bounty system.
But in the end, it was finalized.
The reasons for this decision were numerous.
Sengoku's brief, instinctive glance at the scar on Garp's cheek hinted at the fact that Maude had once injured Garp—a factor contributing to the increase in the bounty.
However, the most critical reason was still the Maude Pirates' repeated attacks on nations allied with the World Government.
Such crimes were the primary justification for the significant bounty.
Of course, the exaggerated "facts" in the newspapers also played a major role in inflating the bounty.
For instance, reports claimed that Maude single-handedly slaughtered thousands of pirates and soldiers or that he effortlessly defeated Donquixote officers.
Whether exaggerated or not, as long as they were connected to "facts," these elements became part of the Navy's considerations.
Garp set down Maude's wanted poster with its 360-million bounty and picked up Gaya's.
"Thirty million."
Though she had no notable criminal record, being part of the Maude Pirates and possessing undeniable strength earned her a 30-million bounty right out of the gate.
Sengoku glanced at the photo of Gaya that Garp had brought with him.
The same photo served as Gaya's bounty image.
It wasn't hard for Sengoku to guess why Garp had brought the photo to his office.
"What's your take on this?" Sengoku asked before Garp could broach the topic.
These two old Marines, who had walked side by side since the previous era, shared an exceptional understanding of each other.
Garp naturally took the cue and offered his conclusion. "It's related to Gaban."
"That possibility is quite high," Sengoku replied, though less definitively than Garp. Resting his clasped hands against his chin, he stared down at Gaya's photo on the desk.
"But regardless, in this fledgling pirate crew, I see something… troubling. Every year, more problematic individuals emerge."
"Hahaha."
Garp's laugh boomed, devoid of any malicious intent, though it might have seemed that way to an outsider.
Sengoku, knowing Garp well, paid no heed to the inopportune laughter.
"It seems Maude… is this year's 'dark horse,'" Garp said, rubbing his chin and once again focusing on Maude's wanted poster.
The so-called "dark horse" was nothing more than the annual tradition of naming a super rookie.
Looking at this year's crop of rising pirates, only two names stood out: the "Pirate Prince" Cavendish, with a bounty of 150 million, and Maude, who stole the spotlight entirely.
As Fleet Admiral, Sengoku wasn't particularly fond of the super rookie phenomenon.
This was a phenomenon perpetuated by the pirate circles themselves to inflate reputations. Unfortunately, the media, ever eager to sow chaos, eagerly played into this trend.
In the end, the Navy had no choice but to go along, treating the super rookie label as an identity marker for pirates.
"Garp."
Sengoku laid out the wanted posters in a line, speaking gravely. "A new pirate crew with only four members, yet their total bounty has already reached 560,010,000. You know what this implies."
"For rookies, it's unprecedented," Garp replied, glancing at the lined-up posters.
Maude, 360 million.
Lafitte, 120 million.
Jim, 50 million.
Gaya, 30 million.
And… well, let's skip the last one.
Sengoku looked up at Garp and said, "To be precise… it's a harbinger of future troubles."
Garp nodded, though his attitude toward the matter was far less serious than Sengoku's.
After all, their positions differed, as did the pressures they faced.
While Sengoku focused on potential risks, Garp saw the Maude Pirates' actions as part of the natural infighting among pirates—not entirely a bad thing.
For instance, in the two incidents involving the Maude Pirates shortly after entering the Grand Line, the casualties included not only allied nations but also countless pirates.
Setting aside the issue of the "Phantom Gun," this formed the basis of Garp's view of Maude.
That said, his reason for visiting Sengoku was to confirm Gaya's identity.
"Sengoku."
Garp placed Gaya's wanted poster in front of Sengoku and said seriously, "Get the intelligence department to look into Gaya's background."
"…"
Sengoku considered for a moment before finally nodding.
If Gaya was truly connected to Gaban, coupled with Maude's connection to the Phantom Gun, the question became whether the Maude Pirates would use the Pirate King's legacy to further their goals.
If that were the case, they'd be a massive headache.
The papers glorifying Maude flew to all corners of the world.
Many pirates, after reading the article—practically a hymn of praise—cried foul.
Some even outright declared that Maude must have paid for such glowing coverage.
After all, they'd never seen such sycophantic reporting.
Still, they couldn't ignore Maude's achievements—the very reason they subscribed to newspapers in the first place.
And Maude's feats were enough to shock them.
"Bacardi Maude… who is this guy?"
"A rookie with this kind of strength?!"
"He doesn't even care about the Donquixote officers. His actions are truly arrogant."
The buzz surrounding Maude showed no signs of dying down.
Just then, the Navy's latest wanted posters were distributed worldwide.
When pirates got their hands on Maude's updated wanted poster, their reactions were explosive.
"From 100 million straight to 360 million? This is…"
The pirate circles were in an uproar.
...
On an island somewhere in the Grand Line, a man with shoulder-length golden curls, a cowboy hat adorned with fur trim, and a rapier at his waist held Maude's latest wanted poster.
This strikingly handsome man was Cavendish, captain of the Beautiful Pirates, with a bounty of 150 million.
A rising star this year, Cavendish had made waves with his exploits, gaining numerous titles and attracting widespread attention due to his combination of strength and beauty.
However, according to him, he only liked one title—White Knight Cavendish.
Before Maude entered the Grand Line, journalists had focused almost entirely on Cavendish.
Enjoying the spotlight, Cavendish was an anomaly among pirates, readily granting interviews and sharing information about himself.
His strength and willingness to engage with the media drew more and more attention, leading many to consider him this year's dark horse.
Cavendish himself had prepared for a grand entrance that would shake the world.
But all of that was shattered when Maude entered the Grand Line.
"Damn it!!!"
Cavendish nearly tore Maude's wanted poster to shreds.
"This has to be a conspiracy!"
Overcome with envy and frustration, his voice rang across the island.
"Yes, definitely a conspiracy!"
His crew echoed his sentiments.
One crew member, holding a newspaper riddled with pinholes, shouted angrily, "Look at these paragraphs filled with praise! It's disgusting!"
"Huh?"
Cavendish cast a cold glance, still full of charm. "Didn't I tell you to burn all the newspapers?"
"Uh, Captain, I… I…"
The trembling crew member couldn't finish his sentence.
"Burn it!"
Cavendish's glare intensified, though it never lost its allure.
The crew member hurriedly set the newspaper alight, reducing it to ash.
Cavendish crumpled Maude's wanted poster and threw it into the flames.
Then, mounting his horse, he drew his rapier.
"Do you see that town up ahead?"
"Yes, Captain!"
"Attack the town, gather every single newspaper, and burn them all to ashes!"
"Aye, Captain!"
A band of pirates, brimming with morale, charged toward the town ahead.
At this very moment, the newspapers within the town remained blissfully unaware of the calamity about to befall them.
...
Sabaody Archipelago.
Inside a certain tavern.
"Hmm…"
An old man with a beard and hair as white as snow sat at the bar, holding two wanted posters in his hand, murmuring softly to himself.
Behind the bar stood a young woman, her figure graceful and her expression playful. A cigarette dangled elegantly between her fingers as she smiled at the old man seated before her.
[TL/N: Yeah. You know who these two are.]
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule?
Join here: patreon.com / emperorgarus
There are more than 200 advance chapters available for you!