Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro—50 million Berries!
Sniper Usopp—30 million Berries!
Cat Burglar Nami—15 million Berries!
Hypnotist Jango—20 million Berries!
Black Leg Sanji—10 million Berries!
Lion King Shiki—1 million Berries!
With Luffy's 100 million Berries bounty, the Straw Hat Pirates now had a combined bounty of 226 million Berries—a staggering total, even for the first half of the Grand Line, let alone for a crew still in the East Blue.
And, of course, the main reason for these high bounties was none other than Carl.
Sanji, for example, had defeated Kuroobi, a Fish-Man with a bounty of 9 million Berries. So, awarding him 10 million Berries was only logical.
Zoro didn't have as many battles under his belt, but he had faced Dracule Mihawk and was even acknowledged by him—more than enough reason for the Marines to take him seriously.
As for Luffy, the photos Carl had provided were real, and if the Marines believed he had fought Mihawk evenly, they had no choice but to offer a significant bounty.
That being said, it wasn't too high—probably because the Marines didn't want to completely lose face.
"Huh? Wait a minute… why isn't there a bounty for Mr. Carl?"
The crew quickly noticed the missing name.
"Oh, I had myself left out on purpose," Carl said, shrugging.
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? Think about it—Luffy's bounty is already sky-high. If we draw too much attention, a Marine Admiral might start hunting us. But imagine this… when an Admiral finally comes after us, only to realize there's someone else on board who can fight them on equal footing—how do you think they'll feel?"
"Ohhh, I get it now!"
Everyone's expressions turned mischievous.
Luffy's accomplishments alone were enough to put them on the Marines' radar. But Carl staying under the radar? That was downright devious. When the inevitable clash with an Admiral happened, that poor soul would probably be left speechless.
"Whaaat! Mr. Carl, you're so sneaky!" Luffy laughed while digging into his nose.
"Alright, Luffy, it's not like I plan to hide forever. This is just to help us enter the Grand Line smoothly. Once we take on an Admiral, my bounty will naturally skyrocket."
"Ohhh, got it! Well, as long as you've thought it through, Mr. Carl!"
Carl chuckled as he watched Luffy's carefree reaction.
Carl hadn't expected the second-rate idiot Luffy to be so considerate. After all, everyone in the crew had a bounty—except for Carl. Normally, that would create some imbalance, but Luffy was probably worried about that.
Of course, instead of expressing his concern directly, he just called Carl "insidious."
But Carl understood what he really meant.
After all these years of mentoring Luffy, he could still read him like an open book.
With the Straw Hat Pirates' first bounties making headlines, the entire sea was in an uproar.
Windmill Village
"Village Chief! Look, it's Luffy!" Makino said excitedly, holding up the newspaper. "I didn't expect his first bounty to be 100 million Berries! Luffy is really incredible! And his crew members all have high bounties, too. It's just a shame Carl isn't listed."
"Hmph! Having a big pirate come from this village is terrible for our reputation," the village chief grumbled.
Even so, he quietly tucked Luffy's bounty poster away.
Shimotsuki Village
Shimotsuki Koshiro gazed at the newspaper and Zoro's wanted poster, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"Zoro… I didn't expect you to grow so strong so quickly. If Kuina were here, she would be proud."
However, when his eyes landed on the part about challenging Mihawk, he sighed.
"It's too soon to face Hawkeye… I hope this doesn't crush your spirit."
Syrup Village
Kaya and the three little troublemakers were huddled around the newspaper.
"It's Usopp! I can't believe it—he even helped defeat Krieg, the Overlord of East Blue! And now he has a bounty of 30 million Berries!" Kaya's eyes sparkled with surprise and admiration.
"Of course! Our captain is the best!" the three kids boasted proudly.
Somewhere in the Grand Line
Mihawk forced his way into a bar, finding the drunken red-haired pirate lounging inside.
Shanks furrowed his brows. "Hey, Hawkeye… what do you want? If you're here for a fight, it's not a good time."
Mihawk silently handed him the newspaper and a wanted poster.
"I met a man in East Blue. He asked me to tell you… he set sail wearing a straw hat, along with his crew."
Shanks' expression changed.
"Luffy?!"
Grabbing the newspaper, he scanned the page. His eyes widened.
"Is this real? Luffy fought you to a standstill?! And he already has a 100 million Berry bounty in the East Blue?!"
The commotion immediately drew the attention of the entire crew.
"Hey! Yasopp! Isn't this your kid?!" one of the pirates laughed, pointing at the bounty for Usopp.
"He's sailing with Luffy now! And he's got a bounty of 30 million Berries!"
Yasopp's eyes lit up with pride.
"Hahaha! That's my boy!"
Somewhere on the Grand Line
The Red-Haired Pirates threw a massive banquet, forcing Mihawk to join in on the drinking.
Of course, between rounds of booze, they still pressed him for details.
When Shanks and Benn Beckman finally understood what had happened, they were completely stunned.
Luffy… you're only seventeen, right?
Shanks took a deep breath, then grinned.
"Luffy! You're finally coming! I'll be waiting for you here, in the New World!"
Marine Headquarters – Marineford
BAM!
The newspaper slammed down onto the table as Fleet Admiral Sengoku glared furiously at an old man casually munching on cookies.
"GARP! YOU B*****D!" Sengoku roared.
"Your grandson became a pirate! And not just any pirate—his first bounty is 100 million Berries! If he's that good, why the hell didn't you make him a Marine?!"
Garp dug his pinky into his ear, completely unfazed.
"Oi, Sengoku, don't blame me for this. Every time I wanted to visit my grandson, you wouldn't let me go. Now it's my fault?"
Sengoku's eye twitched.
Had he known Luffy was this talented, he would've locked Garp in a room with him until he agreed to become a Marine.
But Sengoku also knew what was really going on.
Luffy joining the Marines was never an option—not with that father. If he became a Marine, the World Government would use him as a pawn against his own blood. Garp was stubborn, but he wasn't an idiot.
So… he's just playing dumb?
Garp suddenly spoke up.
"Besides, shouldn't the real focus be that rat, Captain Nezumi?"
His tone darkened.
"Taking bribes from pirates, letting twenty villages suffer under brutal rule for eight years… That's on Marine.
And now that my grandson finally cleaned up the mess, you people have the nerve to put a high bounty on his head?"
Sengoku opened his mouth—but had no retort.
This whole incident was a stain on Marine's reputation. Worse, that damn Morgans had published the truth without warning, putting them in a tight spot.
Sengoku had already been chewed out by Kong earlier.
After taking a verbal beating from his superior, there was no way he could be in a good mood.
Seeing Garp's relaxed, carefree expression made him even angrier.
In frustration, he snatched Garp's biscuits and shoved them into his own mouth.
After calming down slightly, he barked orders:
"Notify the defenders of Loguetown—if they see the Straw Hat Pirates, they are to report it immediately!
Tell Smoker to block them. Delay them as long as possible.
We'll send two Vice Admirals to try and capture them in one strike!"
Then Sengoku turned back to Garp, eyes sharp.
"And when your grandson gets arrested, don't you dare interfere out of sentimentality!"
Garp simply shrugged.
Silly Sengoku.
With Carl by Luffy's side, even if an Admiral came knocking, it would be Marine suffering the real headache.
Why would he feel distressed?
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse