Chapter 151"Is this a joke? Fifty Berries?! Are the eyes of those Marine and World Government idiots growing out of their asses?! I'm... trash! It's all trash!"She was so angry she was jumping up and down on the table.Besides Zoro and Nami, two others had broken the hundred-million mark.Devil Child Nico RobinBounty: 140,000,000 BerriesRobin calmly picked up her new bounty poster; 140 million was nearly double her previous 79 million.She gave a slight smile."It's so high, Robin! Waaaah, the World Government is definitely just handing out these bounties at random."Nami took out Vivi's bounty poster; the three women combined were worth nearly a billion Berries.Alabasta Princess Nefertari ViviBounty: 500,000,000 Berries (Unchanged)Note: The condition 'Must be captured alive' has been changed to'Subject to circumstances'; if resistance is met or safe capture is impossible, necessary measures may be taken.Vivi's bounty hadn't changed, remaining at a staggering 500 million Berries, but the change in that small line of text caused her expression to shift slightly. She pursed her lips, her eyes filled with a complex emotion.Finally, everyone's eyes converged on the last and most heavyweight bounty poster.Luffy picked it up and slowly unfurled it.Straw Hat Monkey D. LuffyBounty: 660,000,000 Berries*Hiss!!* x NThe entire hall fell silent instantly, leaving only the sound of collective gasps.Everyone, including Iceburg, Franky, Bally, and the other shipwrights, was stunned by this astronomical bounty figure.660,000,000 Berries!One must know that after a pirate's bounty exceeds 100 million, every increase becomes extremely difficult and requires causing a massive impact.Luffy was previously at 200 million, and this time it soared by 460 million. This was practically unheard of in the seas outside the New World.This already surpassed the vast majority of pirates active in the first half of the Grand Line, approaching the level of the great pirates who dominate the New World!Chapter 221: Merry's Mischief is No Small Matter"660 million?!"Usopp's voice was trembling."Luffy is so amazing!" Chopper's eyes were full of little stars."Not bad, hahaha."The corners of Luffy's mouth curled up slightly. "This is the kind of bounty a Captain should have.""This idiot Captain's bounty is actually so high."Sanji and Zoro also temporarily stopped their bickering."660 million Berries! Luffy, let me sell you!"Seeing that number, Nami tackled Luffy directly, grabbing his neck and shaking him up and down repeatedly.Think of how many oranges and clothes that could buy!No, no, now is not the time to think about that.Luffy was used to Nami making a fuss over him. Looking at his new bounty poster, the photo seemed to be a snapshot of a moment when he activated Gear Second; the angle was a bit tricky and didn't fully reveal his unique appearance, looking more like an afterimage from high-speed movement."It's pretty good."But he preferred the Gear 5 form; he didn't know why the World Government hadn't captured a photo of it.Unknowingly, their Straw Hat Pirates now had five members with bounties over 100 million, and the total bounty amount easily exceeded 1.5 billion Berries!A crew of this scale was quite formidable, even in the New World where powerhouses were as common as clouds.Luffy and the others were quite happy; the rise in bounty meant they were being taken more seriously by the world, and they seemed one step closer to the goal of Pirate King.However, while some were happy, others were distressed.Franky rummaged through the stack of bounty posters and suddenly let out a scream:"Why? Why have I also become a wanted criminal?!"In his hand was a brand-new bounty poster:Cyborg FrankyBounty: 44,000,000 BerriesNote: Accomplice of the Straw Hat Crew, extremely dangerous!An accomplice of the Straw Hat Crew, and extremely dangerous?Where did they even get that from?Looking at his iconic pompadour and sunglasses on the bounty poster, Franky was completely petrified."Big Bro!!""Big Bro, you've been given a bounty too! What are we going to do now?!""The World Government is too cruel!"Seeing this, the underlings of the Franky Familyimmediately surrounded him, hugging Franky as they wailed together."So just come with us, hahaha."Luffy invited him again, and only then did the Franky Family realize their boss might be going off to be a pirate!But after being given a bounty, it seemed this was the only path left for Franky.The bounty posters were just a small interlude for the banquet.For Luffy, nighttime was mostly 'overtime' for developing his Devil Fruit abilities. This kind of thing could be done through imagination and perception; he was used to squeezing out time for cultivation. Maintaining inner focus amidst the noise of a banquet—so-called multitasking—was something he was already very skilled at.Otherwise, he'd only be able to watch from the sidelines during the banquet.As the party was nearly breaking up, his brow twitched imperceptibly.Vivi wasn't there."Merry, where's Vivi?"Luffy asked Merry in a low voice as she sat beside him nibbling on snacks.Merry looked up, blinked her large eyes, and whispered, "Vivi-elder sister seems to have gone back to the going merry."She could sense it, and Vivi seemed to have something on her mind.Back on the going merry?Luffy was indeed very sensitive to his companions' emotions. Earlier, during the height of the banquet, he had vaguely sensed that Vivi didn't seem fully immersed in the celebration; a faint, hard-to-detect gloom was hidden beneath her smile.It likely had to do with her status and the newly released bounty poster.After all, as a dignified princess, she was now not only a pirate, but the change in wording on the bounty poster meant a shift in the World Government's attitude toward her. The pressure must be immense.Luffy didn't know exactly how to comfort her; he had never been good at navigating such complex thoughts.But he felt that as the Captain, he should at least convey his attitude and concern.A companion with things on her mind shouldn't be left alone to overthink.So, having learned the going merry's location from Merry, he headed over.Water 7 at night was much quieter, with only the faint, distant sounds of reconstruction hammering and the crashing of waves.Luffy followed the familiar path to the secluded Scrap Shipyard where the going merry was hidden.The familiar sheep-headed ship was moored quietly under the Moonlight. The hull bore some marks from the fierce battle at Enies Lobby, but it still gave off a sense of security.Luffy leaped lightly onto the deck and walked straight toward the women's quarters.He was thinking about how Merry said Vivi was lost in thought, and perhaps she needed company.*Click.* Without thinking much of it, he pushed open the door to the women's quarters.Then, his movements froze.Moonlight streamed through the porthole, clearly illuminating the scene inside the room.Vivi had her back to the door, seemingly having just finished bathing, with damp mist still clinging to her body.She was getting dressed.And it seemed she had just put on a piece of underwear with delicate lace trim? The curve of her fair, smooth back and the slender waist outlined by the lace edges possessed a heart-stopping beauty under the hazy Moonlight.Luffy's brain stalled for a second.The next second, he reacted violently, slamming the door shut with a *bang*, his movement so fast it practically created a gust of wind.Crap!Merry actually lied to him!Didn't she say Vivi was lost in thought? Why was she changing clothes!Damn it, I have to give Merry a lesson when I get back!But that fleeting glimpse just now... Vivi actually likes lace?Luffy's thoughts drifted uncontrollably for a moment, remembering that back in the Alabastapalace, he seemed to have unintentionally glimpsed similar items in her wardrobe.He quickly shook his head to dispel those images."Ahem, it's me."*Tap tap tap.*Luffy stood outside the door, took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice sound casual as he knocked. He knew she was changing inside, but now he could only pretend he didn't know—deceiving himself!First of all, he really wasn't a pervert; this was just an accident!Secondly, he definitely didn't think the lace looked good!...Probably.A few minutes later, Vivi's somewhat uneasy voice sounded from inside the room, carrying a hint of post-bath languor and slight tension:"Um, I'm ready.""Oh."Luffy responded and pushed the door open again, his face working hard to maintain a calm 'I don't know anything, I just got here' expression.On the contrary, it was Vivi who looked rather restless.The door opening so suddenly earlier had nearly scared her to death.Her Wind-Wind Fruit had already sensed Luffy's presence, but Vivi thought he would at least knock; who knew he'd just walk right in.Fortunately, her back was turned, so he didn't see everything... but was there even a difference?She had originally been sitting on the edge of the bed, but after Luffy entered, she stood up immediately like a startled little rabbit.Her face still held a post-bath flush, her eyes were darting around, not daring to look directly at Luffy, her gaze lowered slightly as her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.Chapter 222: A Second EncounterThis scene felt somewhat familiar.In a daze, Vivi remembered back in the Alabastapalace when the two of them were alone; it seemed to be a similar atmosphere.Only this time, it felt even more subtle.She had just finished her bath, and the azure blue palace dress with ethnic characteristics that she had taken off was folded neatly on the bedside.At the moment, she was wearing a slightly oversized white silk shirt and a pair of simple knee-length pants. Her wet blue hair was draped casually over her shoulders, emitting a faint fragrance."Why are you here?"Vivi took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound natural, but the end of her sentence still carried a trace of an imperceptible tremor.
