Chapter 86: The Bounty Increases
After arriving on the island, Luo Han and Cole lay back on the grass, eyes closed, letting the breeze filled with the earthy scent of grass and soil wash over them. They didn't want to move—they just wanted to enjoy the peace for a moment.
"Boss Luo Han! Look, look—your bounty has gone up!" Tucker rushed over with a newspaper and a new bounty poster in hand.
Already? Luo Han was surprised.
"Let me see!" He took the bounty poster from Tucker and sat up to examine it.
This time, the photo showed Luo Han in his Mind Force Armament mode—his body wrapped in a misty, pale blue energy that gave him an ethereal, almost otherworldly look.
"Doesn't really go with this buzzcut, though," he muttered, running his fingers over his prickly short hair.
He looked further down and saw his new name, bounty, and profile.
"Hm, 600 million berries—not bad. That's double what it was before."
"But this nickname—'Blue Demon'? Seriously? Just because my Mind Force Armament is light blue?"
"And what's with this profile? When did I ever slaughter civilians? What the hell is this?!" Luo Han scowled, his face full of question marks. The World Government had clearly fabricated parts of the description.
"Boss… aren't you happy?" Tucker asked cautiously.
Luo Han narrowed his eyes and looked at him, suddenly curious.
"What's your bounty nickname, Tucker?"
Though a little confused why Luo Han was asking, Tucker answered honestly.
"My bounty poster calls me 'Green Cross Captain – George Tucker.' It comes from the two green blades I form with my Devil Fruit when I cross them. Cool, right, Boss?"
"Yeah, not bad. Definitely... Green Cross," Luo Han thought to himself, but he didn't say it aloud—he just nodded.
With Luo Han's affirmation, Tucker walked away happily and started helping the crew grill flatbread.
Luo Han turned his attention to the newspaper detailing the events of yesterday's battle, reading it intently.
…
At the same time, the Five Elders were also reading the worldwide morning edition of the same paper.
Bam! One of the elders, leaning on a cane, slapped the paper onto the table. The headline read:
"This battle that lasted an entire day ended due to the unexpected arrival of a civilian merchant ship, which forced the navy to intervene. After an hour-long clash, all three factions withdrew."
"What's going on with the navy? Didn't we clearly order them not to interfere in the war between Roger's crew and the Rocks Pirates?"
"That merchant ship showed up far too conveniently. It was clearly Rocks' doing—a setup to justify the navy's intervention."
"Maybe also a way to help Roger's crew escape—or to give himself a reason to back off."
"Either way, it's now certain that Rocks isn't ready to fully dominate the New World yet."
"Then it's time to initiate the plan."
"Not yet. Wait until we find that kid's island of origin and resolve Lord Im's doubts."
"Agreed. And we've basically confirmed that Luo Han didn't eat the Infinite Fruit. Once we find that island, we'll know everything."
"Good. Approved."
The Five Elders unanimously agreed to prioritize resolving the issue of Ring Tree Island.
…
Elsewhere, Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—and the others, who hadn't seen Luo Han since the events at Bot Island, were also reading the latest headlines and bounty posters.
"Ma ma ma! So the brat has become this strong already? Just a bit small in size—otherwise, he'd be perfect," Big Mom said while holding Luo Han's bounty poster, visibly impressed. Kaido stood nearby, nodding in agreement.
But while the world's attention was focused on Luo Han, Kaido was more interested in Cole. Seeing Cole's beast-like aura in half-transformation, his body covered in wounds yet still unyielding, sparked something new in Kaido's mind—a different path to becoming stronger.
"But all of this will have to wait until I witness Rocks' Haki up close," Kaido thought silently.
All over the world, people now knew about Luo Han's 600 million bounty—the eighteen-year-old newcomer to the Rocks Pirates who had knocked out Roger's right-hand man, crippled two of Roger's elite fighters, and faced down both Rayleigh and Jabber alone.
And with that, Luo Han's name spread across the seas. He had risen to fame on the back of the Roger Pirates' reputation.
Meanwhile, aboard the Roger Pirates' ship, a dark mood hung in the air. Roger looked at his injured comrades, his expression grim. He had thought they could hold their own against both Whitebeard and Golden Lion—but hadn't accounted for the appearance of that ridiculously fast brat, Luo Han, and his seemingly invisible attacks. It was infuriating.
"This was my arrogance… but I'm not letting that brat go next time," Roger said to his crew.
"No, Roger. This was our fault too. Jabber and I underestimated him. And that invisibility-like ability—there's no way it's that simple."
"Exactly. Thinking back on it, several people clearly saw Luo Han appear in front of his targets—but the targets themselves didn't react, and were immediately injured."
"There were others too. They said there was clearly nothing in front of them, and yet they were attacked—and never saw who hit them."
Rayleigh and Jabber's analysis only made Luo Han's powers more mysterious. No one could even define what kind of ability it was.
"That armor-like outfit—is that part of his power too?" Roger asked thoughtfully, turning to Rayleigh, who was in charge of intelligence.
"Yes. According to black market info, it's described as an invisible force field-based attack. What we saw this time seems like an advanced version of that ability," Rayleigh explained, pulling out older intel.
"But the ability to go completely undetected—that's new. No record of it on the black market."
"Undetectable, huh? You might be onto something, Rayleigh. That brat's power might suppress all sensory perception too," Roger muttered.
"That… actually makes sense!" The crew began to realize that what Roger described aligned with their own experiences. They'd sensed danger with Observation Haki but couldn't physically detect anything—that was why they'd been caught off guard.
"Alright, everyone! We're all injured, but we'll get our payback. Let the enemies enjoy their moment—our path lies ahead! The world still waits for us to shake it up! Now, let's have a party!" Roger's booming voice snapped the crew out of their gloom.
Everyone facepalmed at once. That was just how Roger was—even when comrades were injured, he insisted on living joyfully. But no one doubted his love for them. Their enemies would eventually bear the pain inflicted upon the Roger Pirates.
Meanwhile, Luo Han, unaware that a storm awaited him the next time they crossed paths with Roger's crew, was already feasting.
On a quiet island, Luo Han and the others were enjoying their first post-battle banquet.
The smell of roasted meat drifted from the island's northern side, drawing the attention of many residents—especially the children.
Among them was a frail little girl in a hand-me-down dress, her small mouth cracked with dryness, eyes gleaming as she stared in Luo Han's direction. Her tiny hand tugged at her father's rough palm.
"I want to eat that, Papa…"
(END CHAPTER)
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