"Hahahahaha! 30 million Beli, hahahaha!" Luffy laughed, proudly holding up his wanted poster.
"Look! The whole world will see my heroic image!" Usopp pointed at the poster, beaming with pride. "The whole world will see my glorious appearance!"
"What? You're only on the poster because of your long nose, and I'm not even there!" Sanji ran over after hearing the commotion. He scrutinized the poster but couldn't find Usopp. "Where are you? I don't see you at all."
"Look closely." Usopp pointed to a tiny silhouette in the lower left corner of the poster.
"It's just the back of your head. What are you so proud of?" Sanji muttered, sitting down in disappointment.
"Don't feel bad. Once you become famous, even if you're not the captain, you'll get your own bounty poster, like Clover-kun." Usopp tried to comfort Sanji.
"Really?" Sanji's face lit up, excited by the prospect.
"Well, as long as you work hard." Usopp smiled.
"Ahahaha! Let's head for the Grand Line full throttle!" Luffy cheered.
"Only 28 million? Tch," Clover grumbled, looking at his own wanted poster.
"Your first bounty being 28 million Beli is already really high. I'm sure the Marines see you as Luffy's vice-captain," Nami said, glancing at Clover.
"Yeah... you're probably right," Clover nodded, accepting the explanation. If Nami knew that his secret bounty was worth five billion Beli, she might tie him up and hand him over to the Marines herself!
"You guys don't realize how serious this is. This means people will be after your heads now," Nami warned, her voice filled with concern. But Luffy was too absorbed in his bounty to pay attention.
Zoro, who had just learned of the news, laid back at the stern of the ship, silent but contemplative. His expression grew serious: 30 million and 28 million... the Marine Headquarters will surely take action based on these bounties.
And we'll need to be cautious of powerful bounty hunters too.
The enemies we'll face now are on a different level than the ones we've encountered before. Zoro thought grimly.
He wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that Clover, who had joined the crew after him, had a higher bounty. But he knew things were getting more dangerous.
After examining the wanted posters, Nami immediately took out a map and began explaining the route into the Grand Line. However, before they could enter the treacherous waters, they needed to resupply. Their next stop was a famous town near Reverse Mountain: Loguetown.
---
Meanwhile, on a small island far from the ship, two men crossed paths.
"I encountered an interesting pirate recently," Dracule Mihawk said, pulling a wanted poster from his coat and handing it to the other man.
"Oh?" The other man raised an eyebrow, intrigued. When he saw the poster, a grin spread across his face. "Luffy's finally making his move!"
This man was none other than one of the Four Emperors: Red-Haired Shanks.
"I thought you came here to challenge me again. Hahaha! If that's the case, let's throw a party to celebrate Luffy's journey to the Grand Line!" Shanks shouted to his crewmates behind him.
The crew cheered in agreement.
"It's broad daylight, though," Mihawk grumbled as Shanks dragged him to a nearby tree stump and handed him a cup of wine.
"Who cares? Hahaha!" Shanks laughed, pouring himself a drink and downing it in one go.
Mihawk followed suit, nearly choking as he finished his glass.
Shanks looked at another poster Mihawk handed him. It featured Clover, blood-stained and fierce after defeating Arlong. His appearance was both intimidating and dashing.
"Does this guy remind you of anyone?" Mihawk asked.
"Hmm..." Shanks examined the wanted poster carefully. "Ah, he's the guy who took out the Celestial Dragon, isn't he?"
"That's right," Mihawk confirmed.
"If word spreads about him, Luffy and his crew could be in grave danger," Shanks said, his expression turning serious.
"What are you planning to do?" Mihawk asked.
---
After a week of sailing, Clover and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates finally arrived at Loguetown, the largest town Clover had seen since arriving in this world.
Everyone had their own plans. Zoro was off to buy new swords, Sanji needed to stock up on ingredients, Usopp was headed to the equipment store, Luffy wanted to visit the execution platform, and Nami planned to go clothes shopping. But first, she had to accompany Clover to exchange his diamonds for money.
Once their goals were set, the crew split up.
While the others were excited, Clover looked solemn. He knew what awaited Luffy and the crew in this town: Smoker, the first Logia-type Devil Fruit user they would face. Without Dragon's intervention, Luffy would have been in serious trouble.
Next came the Grand Line, and with it, more people targeting Luffy. There was also a greater chance of Clover's true identity being discovered, which could bring even more disaster to Luffy and his crew.
Though reluctant, Clover knew that he might have to part ways with the Straw Hats in this town.
He had two plans in mind.
One option was to leave Luffy and the others and announce to the world that he had quit the Straw Hat Pirates. This would likely involve getting into a fight with Smoker.
The other plan was to let Smoker capture him, allowing Luffy and the others to escape. But that plan had a flaw: Luffy would never abandon a crewmate. Even if Clover wasn't a match for Smoker, Luffy would undoubtedly rush back to save him.
The only real option was to have a heartfelt conversation with Luffy or engage in a serious fight, forcing a split between them.
But what would happen to Nami if he left?
Clover shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. It wasn't time to dwell on them yet. For now, he would focus on the task at hand.
"What are you thinking about?" Nami's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was looking directly at him, curious.
"Oh, nothing," Clover replied, shaking his head.
"Don't lie to me. I can tell you're thinking about something serious," Nami said, her eyes sharp as she tried to read him.
"I was just remembering something from my childhood. I once visited Loguetown," Clover lied, trying to sound convincing.
"Really? You're not secretly reminiscing about some pretty girl, are you?" Nami teased, her tone playful but suspicious.
"No way, you're the only woman in my life," Clover said quickly.
"Ha! You're a smooth talker!" Nami retorted, her voice loud enough to turn the heads of passersby, causing her to blush slightly in embarrassment.