"Wood, the Navy traitor, former Navy Headquarters Major, criminal responsible for releasing a large number of prisoners from Impel Down, with a bounty of 50 million Berries!"
The photo on the wanted poster captured Wood's likeness quite handsomely, and he was very satisfied with that.
However, a bounty of 50 million Berries? What was that about? No wonder Russ had made such a fuss. This bounty was far lower than what Wood had originally expected.
According to the initial plan, Sengoku had intended for Wood to go undercover and join the "Whitebeard Pirates." But with only a 50 million Berries bounty, would Whitebeard even consider taking him in as a "foster son"?
Granted, in the first half of the New World, a 50 million Berries bounty would indeed make someone a big deal.
Take for example, Hound Bellamy, a subordinate of Doflamingo, with a bounty of 55 million Berries. Before reaching Sky Island, he was acting all high and mighty.
However, from Wood's perspective, who had seen the big picture, a 50 million Berries bounty was nothing in the New World—not even enough to be considered a high-ranking underling.
"Captain, you think it's strange too, right? Given what you've done—releasing over a hundred prisoners from Impel Down, defeating Vice Admiral Gion, and even repelling the Golden Lion Shiki—such remarkable feats. And yet, the headquarters only set your bounty at 50 million Berries. They're seriously underestimating us!"
Having transitioned from being in the Navy to becoming a pirate, Russ had adjusted his mindset quite quickly. In the Navy, it was all about ranks, but now that they were pirates, it was all about the bounty.
For pirates sailing the seas, the bounty issued by the Navy was essentially their résumé.
The higher the bounty, the more prestigious one appeared. Even if one could no longer survive on their own, they could use their high bounty as a calling card to join other prominent pirate crews.
Given the strength and achievements Wood had displayed in the past few days, it wouldn't have been surprising to see a bounty in the billions. So why was it only 50 million Berries? Was the Navy Headquarters mocking them?
"Alright, 50 million Berries isn't bad. The higher the bounty, the more likely we'll be targeted by both the Navy and bounty hunters. Right now, there are only about ten of us on this ship. Do you really want us to be chased constantly?"
Wood said these words, but inwardly he was cursing Sengoku.
The old man wanted him to quickly make a name for himself on the seas and become a well-known pirate to gather valuable intelligence. Yet now, he had set such a low bounty.
How could he make a name for himself in the New World with just 50 million Berries? Forget about 5 or 10 billion—at least give him the status of an over-100-million-Berries pirate, like one of the Supernovas!
No wonder Sengoku had agreed so readily before, saying that as long as Wood completed this undercover mission, he would be promoted to Navy Captain and allowed to take command of any branch he chose.
Turns out this mission wasn't easy at all. At his current rate of progression, becoming a noteworthy pirate in the New World was almost as difficult as rising from a Major to an Admiral in the Navy!
However, what Wood didn't know was that Sengoku had carefully thought through the issue of Wood's bounty before making his decision.
Firstly, for Wood's first bounty, starting at 50 million Berries was already quite high.
Secondly, Wood's reputation and accomplishments didn't warrant a higher bounty.
Although releasing prisoners from Impel Down seemed like a major feat, Wood had simply taken advantage of the chaos caused by the Golden Lion Shiki and muddled through the situation.
As for defeating the Golden Lion Shiki, there were no witnesses, so the claim couldn't be substantiated.
Defeating Gion was true and witnessed, but revealing that would damage the Navy's reputation, which Sengoku couldn't allow.
After all, Sengoku intended to groom Gion as a future Navy Admiral.
As the highest combat force of the Navy Headquarters, Admirals were the backbone of the Navy. Any defeat they suffered would be concealed as much as possible.
Moreover, Wood's status as a Navy traitor made him too sensitive a figure. If he were to be given a high bounty from the start, making him a major figure on the seas, even the seasoned pirates would be suspicious and reluctant to trust him.
Considering all these factors, Sengoku set Wood's bounty at 50 million Berries, which wasn't too high or too low—just enough to give Wood room to maneuver.
As for why Wood didn't follow the original plan and whether he had truly betrayed the Navy, Sengoku had already made up his mind after receiving Gion's report.
"According to Gion, those prisoners Wood released from Impel Down were slaughtered by him as soon as they escaped.
And when we consider Wood's previous actions in Mary Geoise, where he killed Celestial Dragons, it's clear that he still harbors a sense of justice."
Sengoku's words seemed as much a way to convince himself as they were to seek the opinion of another person in his office.
At this moment, two other people were seated on the sofa in Sengoku's office: Garp and Tsuru.
Sengoku's discussion partner was evidently Vice Admiral Tsuru, while Garp was largely ignored.
Garp's understanding was limited, and he'd only cause trouble in such a high-level discussion.
"If that's the case, why didn't he follow the original plan? This only increases the risk for him—what does he gain from it?" Vice Admiral Tsuru was puzzled by Sengoku's speculation.
"It's not surprising, considering no one expected the Golden Lion Shiki to break out at that time.
Wood probably released so many prisoners to make a name for himself faster. After all, I promised him that once he completed this mission, he could be promoted to Captain and assigned to any branch he wished. So, he wants to complete the mission as quickly as possible."
"This kid isn't even twenty yet, but his personality is already so lazy.
In fact, it seems that in him, I can see traces of Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji all at once.
He can't tolerate the 'evil' he perceives, yet he has his own moral boundaries. He's lazy by nature but always gets things done perfectly.
He dreams of lazing around in a branch somewhere, but he never forgets his responsibilities."
Hearing Sengoku's analysis, both Garp and Tsuru were taken aback, realizing that Wood indeed combined traits of the three Admirals who were considered the rising stars of the Navy.
"Gion didn't lose unjustly to him... Speaking of Gion, should we let her know about Wood?"
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 200+ at patreon.com/Betek.