Even without a detailed explanation from Carl, Sanji understood the situation perfectly. He knew his father's character all too well to doubt the hidden motives behind the new bounty.
Zoro crossed his arms and looked at the poster. "So, this Germa 66 group changed the cook's bounty?" he asked. "They are just a country in the North Blue. Do they really have enough power to make the Marines change a reward?"
Law, ever the patient tactician, stepped forward to explain. "Zoro, you might not realize how much influence the Germa Kingdom has," Law said. "The Vinsmoke family rules the North Blue with an iron fist. They have a massive network of contacts and enough high-level connections to pressure the Marines into modifying a bounty. It is well within their capability".
"If they have that much power, why not just cancel the bounty entirely?" Zoro pressed.
"Black Leg Sanji is too famous now," Law replied, glancing at the chef. "Revoking it completely would be impossible for the government to justify. They likely changed it to 'Only Alive' to ensure his safety for whatever they have planned".
Sanji let out a cold, mocking laugh at Law's suggestion. He knew that family wasn't acting out of kindness. They were clearly plotting something and simply didn't want him killed before he could serve his purpose. He had already seen through their game.
"Mr. Carl, how do you think they plan to use me?" Sanji asked, his eyes shadowed.
"If I had to guess, they want to use you for a political marriage with the Big Mom Pirates," Carl replied seriously. "The Germa Kingdom wants to align themselves with two Emperors of the Sea to expand their own power".
"A marriage?" Sanji scoffed. "Do they really think I would ever say yes to that?"
"They think you will," Carl said, watching him closely. "Because they have influence in the East Blue, and the Baratie restaurant is your greatest weakness".
Sanji froze, his rebuttal dying in his throat as he looked at Carl in shock. He knew his father, Vinsmoke Judge, was a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. To the Vinsmokes, the people at the Baratie were like ants that could be crushed at any moment. Using them to threaten a son they considered worthless was exactly the kind of deal they would make.
The rest of the crew—Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Jango—were equally horrified. The sea restaurant Baratie was a place they all remembered fondly. It was where Sanji had joined them, and they knew that Zeff, the head chef, was like a father to him. If Germa used the restaurant as leverage, Sanji would be forced to give in.
Luffy pulled his straw hat lower, hiding his eyes. "Sanji, Mr. Carl... are you saying Germa is going to attack the restaurant?" he asked. His voice was low and heavy with a rare, deep anger. "Are they tired of living?"
The crew could feel the intensity of Luffy's fury. Carl and Sanji remained silent, watching their captain. Luffy looked up at Carl. "Mr. Carl, are you sure about this?"
"It is a strong possibility," Carl answered solemnly. "If I am right, they will come looking for him very soon".
"I see," Luffy said firmly. "Then, how long will it take us to get to the North Blue?"
The crew stared at Luffy in disbelief, especially Sanji. However, the shock quickly turned into supportive smiles. They were all behind their captain's decision.
Carl smiled as well. "If we fly directly across the Calm Belt, it won't take us very long at all".
Luffy turned back to Sanji. "Sanji, if Carl is right, we are going straight to the North Blue. We will kick down Germa's door and teach them that they cannot threaten our friends!"
Sanji was moved beyond words and could only nod heavily in response. Knowing he had the full support of such a powerful crew made his burden feel much lighter. Unlike the difficult choices he might have faced alone, the Straw Hats were ready to fight Germa head-on. If the Vinsmoke family refused to listen, the crew was prepared to take them down.
For the moment, the tension eased. The crew went back to their usual activities while they waited for the enemy to make a move. Chopper, feeling proud of his new status, ran over to the submarine to show his $80,000,000$ Berry bounty to Bepo. He was thrilled to no longer be seen as just a "harmless pet" and felt like a true big-time pirate.
Bepo looked at the poster with a heartbroken expression, feeling like Chopper had betrayed their "pet team" by becoming so famous. Chopper tried to explain that it wasn't a betrayal—his own strength just wouldn't let him stay low-profile anymore. He predicted his bounty would soon reach hundreds of millions, just like the others. After that, no one would dare call him a pet again.
"Hey! Everyone! There is an island ahead!"
Usopp's shout from the lookout tower sent a surge of excitement through the ship. They hadn't been in the New World for long and had only encountered Dressrosa and Punk Hazard so far. This new discovery would be the third island they encountered in these dangerous waters.
"An island! I can smell the adventure already!" Luffy shouted excitedly. "Sanji, get the lunch boxes ready!"
Luffy used the Moonwalk technique to kick through the air up to the lookout to stand beside Usopp. He spotted a large dark shape on the horizon. The Thousand Sunny continued to sail toward the mysterious land. Soon, the other crew members who could use Moonwalk joined them in the air, eager to see what was ahead.
Nami shouted from the deck below, "If you guys don't come down here right now, I'm going to speed up the ship and leave you behind!"
Luffy and the others quickly dropped back to the deck and scrambled to the bow of the ship to get a better look. As the Thousand Sunny drew closer, the outline of the island became clear.
"Nami, can we go any faster?" Luffy asked impatiently.
"Franky, increase our speed," Nami ordered with a sigh.
Franky jumped into action. He opened the sails to their full extent and used the ship's Coup de Burst engines to propel them forward at an amazing speed. It didn't take long for the ship and the submarine to reach the island's coast, where they found a calm bay to anchor. The island was covered in thick, lush forests. There were no signs of people, but they spotted two wooden signs standing near the shore.
"No Name, Spring Island?" Usopp read aloud.
"Humans are not allowed to trespass on the Pig God's territory?" Nami added, reading the second sign.
The crew looked at the signs in confusion. They understood that a "Spring Island" meant it stayed warm like springtime all year round, but it apparently had no official name. More importantly, it seemed to be the home of something called a "Pig God" that didn't want visitors. Of course, a warning like that wouldn't stop Luffy; he was already determined to explore.
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