The news spread across the seas faster than a sea king. To manage what people thought, the World Government and the Marines sent a stern warning to every newspaper office. They forced the journalists to follow a single format and specific content. The story they told was simple: Donquixote Doflamingo had used his title as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea to commit crimes, and justice had finally caught up to him. As for his subordinate Torrebol, the Marines stripped him of his Warlord status as well.
This massive wave of government papers quickly covered up the earlier news released by Morgans. Most people living on the islands chose to believe the World Government and the Marines. They began to praise the government for its sense of justice. People hoped that the past failures of the Marines, like the disaster at the Summit War and the failed siege at the Sabaody Archipelago, would be forgotten over time.
The World Government and the Marines held the power of authority. Because the Marines truly did protect regular citizens from common criminals, their reputation began to recover. However, things were changing. With the rise of the Six Emperors, pirates were becoming more daring than ever. Many young people were heading out to sea to start their own pirate lives, which made the world even more chaotic.
Along with the new stories in the newspaper, the Marines released the updated bounties for the Straw Hat Pirates. The numbers were shocking to everyone who saw them:
Captain Monkey D. Luffy: 3,000,000,000 Berry
Lightning Great Swordsman Carl: 2,800,000,000 Berry
Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro: 800,000,000 Berry
Black Leg Sanji (Only Alive): 799,000,000 Berry
Psycho Painter Marianne: 550,000,000 Berry
Lion King: 440,000,000 Berry
Devil Child Nico Robin: 320,000,000 Berry
Tengu Sniper King Usopp: 150,000,000 Berry
Super Reindeer Tony Tony Chopper: 80,000,000 Berry
Hypnosis Master Jango: 90,000,000 Berry
Mr. 3 Galdino: 90,000,000 Berry
Thief Nami: 85,000,000 Berry
Iron Man Franky: 120,000,000 Berry
Skeleton Musician Brook: 44,000,000 Berry
Marine Traitor Tashigi: 40,000,000 Berry
Sea Beast Moo Moo: 6,000,000 Berry
In addition to the main crew, Trafalgar Law saw his bounty rise to 760,000,000 Berry. The rest of the Heart Pirates kept their previous rewards.
The increase in these bounties was extreme. Luffy jumped to 3,000,000,000 Berry instantly, which put him at the same level as Blackbeard. Carl followed right behind him. This made sense to the world because many people had seen the massive battle between Carl and Kaido. Carl had actually held his own and gained an advantage in that fight, so the Marines had to take him seriously. Even though Luffy was the one who defeated Doflamingo, the Marines viewed him as the greater threat because he was the captain. Since the Straw Hats were also winning their confrontations against Blackbeard, the government saw them as a massive risk to the world order.
Another reason for the high bounties was the age of the crew. Luffy and Carl were very young. Achieving this much power at such an age was terrifying to the World Government. It meant the Straw Hats could potentially rule the seas for many decades to come. This was bad news for the Marines. By giving them such high rewards, the Marines hoped to cause trouble. They wanted the other Emperors of the Sea to fight the Straw Hats so the Marines could step in later and clean up the mess.
The bounties for Zoro and Sanji also went up significantly. During the events at Dressrosa, Zoro fought Shiryu of the Rain, and Sanji defeated Perospero. Their strength and potential scared the Marines, so their rewards had to match their danger level. Other members of the crew received increases based on what the Marines had seen. For example, the Marines used to think Chopper was just a harmless pet. However, after he transformed and defeated Rao G at Dressrosa, his bounty went up and his title changed.
When you added everything together, the total bounty for the Straw Hat Pirates reached a staggering 9,058,000,000 Berry. If you included the Heart Pirates, the total was over 10,000,000,000 Berry. They had reached the very top tier of the pirate world. No other crew could compare to their rapid rise.
"The Marines are really playing games with us," Carl said with a sigh as he looked at the papers.
Luffy looked confused. "What do you mean, Carl? Did they give us these rewards because we did a good job?"
"It is a trap," Law explained. He looked at the bounty posters with a serious expression. "The Marines raised the Straw Hat bounties to an unbelievable level. They put you above the old Four Emperors. Do you think those arrogant pirates will just accept that?"
Luffy blinked as he realized what Law meant. "So, they want us to fight each other?"
"Exactly," Law said. "By using these bounties to start a war between the Emperors, the Marines can just sit back and watch."
Luffy frowned. "The Marines are so sneaky. I am glad I did not listen to my grandpa and join them."
The rest of the crew started to realize how dangerous the situation was. It was a clever move by the Marines. While groups like the Whitebeard Pirates or the Red-Haired Pirates might not care about the numbers, the other Emperors would likely attack the Straw Hats. They would not want to be outdone by a group of young newcomers. However, the Straw Hats were not afraid. Ever since they finished their training during the timeskip, they had become strong enough to sail anywhere in the world.
Zoro picked up Sanji's poster and smirked. "Hey, cook. Why does yours say only alive?"
"That is true," Nami said, looking at the poster. "The rest of us are wanted dead or alive. Why is Sanji different?"
"I don't know," Sanji replied. He looked genuinely confused by the change.
Everyone turned to look at Carl. They knew he often had information that others did not. Carl thought about it for a moment. He knew the Big Mom Pirates might try to make a move soon, so it was better to be honest with the crew.
"It has to do with your family, Sanji," Carl said. He then looked over at Law. "Law, you grew up in the North Blue. You should know about Germa 66."
Law looked surprised. "You mean the Kingdom of Germa? The ones known as the Kings of the North Sea? Are you saying Sanji is part of that family?"
"I am not part of that family!" Sanji shouted, interrupting them. His face was red with anger. "I left them a long time ago. I cut all ties with those heartless people. I never want to see them again!"
The crew was silent. They rarely saw Sanji get this angry. It was clear that Germa 66 was a painful subject for him.
Carl did not stop there. He knew the truth had to come out. "Sanji, I know you want nothing to do with them. But you have to remember how greedy your father is. King Vinsmoke Judge of Germa 66 abandoned you because he thought you were weak. But now you are a famous pirate with the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. There is no way a man like him would let that go."
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