Everyone could grasp that the bounties for Zoro and the rest remained unchanged. It had been clarified right at the onset of the live broadcast.
The Straw Hat Pirates had split into two factions this time around, with only Luffy, Nami, Chopper, Brook, Sanji, and the others venturing into the territories of Big Mom.
Zoro and the rest seemed to have veered off to address other matters. Their exclusion from this incident explained why their bounties hadn't escalated.
But... the alterations in Luffy and the others' bounties bordered on the absurd, didn't they?
While the bounties for Brook, Chopper, Nami, and the rest had only seen marginal increases, if any at all, the spikes in Luffy and Sanji's bounties were rather exaggerated. Sanji's bounty now eclipsed Zoro's! And Luffy had skyrocketed to a staggering 1.5 billion!
This figure exceeded Katakuri's, renowned as the mightiest Sweet commander among the Big Mom Pirates, by nearly 500 million. It was positively spine-chilling. At that moment, all eyes widened, gazing incredulously at the heavens!
He truly merited the moniker of the future Fifth Emperor of the Sea!
Could Luffy's bounty even be equated to numerous martial arts tournaments combined?
It placed him just shy of the Yonko tier. Even after Jinbe's official induction into the crew, his bounty had surged to a whopping 438 million!
This undeniably bolstered the Straw Hat Pirates' formidable prowess once more!
As for Jinbe's prowess, it was common knowledge...
Throughout the years, he had rightfully earned his standing as a Warlord of the Sea. With his inclusion, he promptly outstripped Zoro and Sanji in terms of might. Following Luffy, he held the second highest bounty among the Straw Hat Pirates!
Yet, amid the collective astonishment, a more ludicrous revelation surfaced upon retrospection!
None other than Chopper!
His bounty remained unaltered at a mere hundred Baileys.
Wasn't this absurdly low?
After all, during the live broadcast's climax, everyone had witnessed Chopper morphing into a monstrous form to thwart Big Mom's fearsome blade!
Such strength, while perhaps not on par with the Warlord tier, certainly outclassed many pirates boasting hundreds of millions in bounties!
In that instant, numerous viewers were torn between laughter and a desire to champion Chopper's cause. His bounty grossly misaligned with his prowess!
There isn't a single soul left untouched by the news of Luffy's staggering bounty—a hundred-hundred-dollar sum, billions of dollars' worth of work, gone in the blink of an eye!
It's a spectacle that the world may never witness again. Viewers gasped in disbelief, while forces and titans of the sea were left reeling in astonishment.
The increase in Luffy's bounty this time around was truly unprecedented, soaring to an astonishing 1.5 billion!
At the Revolutionary Army Headquarters:
The five commanders, including Sabo and Dragon, gazed skyward, their expressions a mix of bewilderment and awe.
"Sweet mother of dragons, a 1.5 billion bounty?"
"Luffy's bounty has shot through the roof, hasn't it?"
"With a bounty that terrifying, there can't be many contenders left on the seas outside the Four Emperors!"
"The Chief's son is something else altogether."
It's common knowledge that bounties are set by the World Government. The higher the bounty, the greater the perceived threat. Luffy's bounty, a staggering 1.5 billion, undoubtedly struck fear into the hearts of the government, a fear directly proportional to its amount.
The government's belief that he's surpassed many formidable figures at sea, with a risk factor nearing that of the Four Emperors, only added to the shockwave rippling through everyone's hearts. They stood speechless, unable to shake off the reverberations of this revelation. After a prolonged silence, Sabo gazed at the sky live screen with a smile.
"Luffy, it seems you've carved out quite the reputation for yourself!"
"Indeed, quite the feat..."
Even Dragon, transfixed by the bounty displayed in the sky, couldn't fathom the implications.
At the Navy Headquarters:
Even Garp and Sengoku were taken aback by Luffy's bounty.
Who would have thought that Luffy would pose such a grave threat to the World Government in the future?
A bounty of 1.5 billion—such a staggering sum was beyond comprehension!
"Garp... your grandson is something else!"
Sengoku muttered, stunned, while Garp remained speechless. "Truly remarkable. The lad has made quite a name for himself..."
"If I were to catch him, the bounty alone could sustain me with senbei for a lifetime!"
Sengoku: "..."
Could such a colossal sum truly make a difference?
With a bounty of 1.5 billion, is mere senbei really all you desire?
Then don't pour any wine!?
Compared to the astonishment etched on Garp and Sengoku's faces, the three Admirals standing behind them didn't fare much better. Kizaru and Aokiji also stood there, their expressions blank, caught in the grip of this immense shock.
As admirals, they were acutely aware of the dread inspired by the Four Emperors!
They understood all too well the monumental threat that Yonko-level individuals posed to the Navy and even the World Government.
But they never anticipated that Garp's grandson would grow to such proportions?
There was no denying that Luffy, in the future, could pose a threat to the entire world!
Such a presence was akin to an enormous menace. However, amidst Aokiji and Kizaru, the one who reacted most intensely was Akainu!
In that moment, he stood frozen, his countenance exceptionally grim. In his eyes, the most abhorrent thing was the existence of wickedness!
According to Akainu, pirates epitomized evil!
Thus, as pirates, Luffy and his crew were also deemed evil!
All pirates ought to be eradicated!
Luffy was also the embodiment of that which he had always sought to annihilate.
In the future... he actually attains this level?
This degree of peril far surpassed his expectations!
A bounty of 1.5 billion berries was sufficient to imperil the safety of the entire world!
If he were to launch an assault, one could only imagine the countless civilians who would be ensnared. The entire maritime order would be thrown into disarray!
It seemed that unless the admirals acted personally, this could not be resolved!
Straw Hat Luffy... has truly come of age!!!
No! No!
I must intervene before this becomes irreversible!
And so, in that moment, when Akainu regained his composure, his expression suddenly turned exceedingly malevolent!
As if he had resolved himself to a course of action, he cast his gaze upon Luffy and his companions in the sky, and uttered with venom: "I must act now, to exterminate the boy with the Straw Hat before he matures!"
"The entire Straw Hat Pirates must be purged!"
"They cannot be allowed to continue their ascent."
"This time, no one shall impede me!"
"This time... I shall end him with my own hand."
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