Click.
As the den-den mushi in his hand went silent, Ace withdrew his field and smirked slightly.
"Well, a den-den mushi under the influence of my ability is quite handy," he thought.
Having overheard the entire exchange, Bellamy's eyes were filled with disbelief and fear. There was no way this guy was only worth 85 million Berries! Even Doflamingo, the man Bellamy admired most, hadn't dared to say a word in front of him!
And what did this guy say?! Was there a meeting on the other end of the line?
The Marine Headquarters Marshal Sengoku? Shichibukai, Dracule Mihawk, the "Hawk-Eye"? And Shichibukai, Bartholomew Kuma?!
This guy had actually dared to provoke all these people... and even directly challenged one of the Four Emperors, Kaido!
"Oh, God, what kind of person have I offended?" he thought, terrified.
Meanwhile, Sarquiss, the vice-captain of the Hyena Pirates, had fainted just hearing those names.
"Ace, you..." Robin stared at Ace, who had just ended the call, her beautiful eyes wide with shock. She couldn't believe he had just called out Kaido.
Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, who ruled over the second half of the Grand Line like an emperor. And he had spoken to Shichibukai Doflamingo, and the Marine Headquarters Marshal, the supreme commander of the Marines, in such a manner.
This man... Robin's eyes lingered on Ace as she bit her lip.
"Ace, who is Kaido?" Nami asked, moving closer, a sense of unease building in her chest. "And who was on the other end? The Marine Marshal? And all those Shichibukai?"
Robin, still stunned, replied, "There are four great pirates who dominate the second half of the Grand Line, the New World. They are called the Four Emperors. Each of them is powerful enough to challenge the Marine Headquarters on their own.
The Marines, the Shichibukai, and the Four Emperors create a balance of power, which keeps the sea in its current state of equilibrium.
Kaido is one of these Four Emperors."
"Isn't that really bad? Aren't they all incredibly powerful?" Nami exclaimed.
"He's just one of the Four Emperors," Ace said casually, a small smile on his face.
Ace could feel his Conqueror's Haki growing stronger, and he couldn't help but grin. If he was to become the king of the world, he would start by dealing with not just one of the Four Emperors, as he had told Nami.
Meeting Bellamy here had made Ace decide on his first target: Kaido.
Was it too early to challenge Kaido directly? Ace wasn't worried. After visiting Sky Island, the Entei Pirates would grow much stronger. Plus, there was still a long journey ahead before reaching the New World.
And Doflamingo? Would he really dare to pass on his message to Kaido?
Ace smiled. If Doflamingo did, his own Haki would never improve. A true warrior would not simply serve another's interests after such an affront.
But would the Marines really let him clash with Kaido, given their desire to maintain the status quo?
A glint appeared in Ace's eyes. He decided not to dwell on it. Whatever Doflamingo or the Marines did, he didn't care.
He had even stated outright through the den-den mushi: "I want Kaido's head!"
Just one of the Four Emperors... Vivi's eyes sparkled as she repeated Ace's words in her mind.
To her, even facing a single Shichibukai like Crocodile had seemed impossible. The Four Emperors were on an entirely different level. But Ace had dismissed them so lightly.
"What courage," she thought, her eyes bright with admiration.
Meanwhile, Robin was at a loss for words. Just one of the Four Emperors? she thought. What confidence!
"By the way, Nami," Ace said with a smile, "when I get Kaido's head, I'll give it to you. That's a head worth 4.611 billion Berries."
"4.611 billion?!" Nami's eyes widened at the number, her head spinning.
Bellamy, who was still at Ace's feet, fainted again upon hearing the number.
Nojiko sighed, "We're pirates. Marine won't pay us a bounty, you know."
"Is that really the issue here?!" Nami exclaimed, close to tears.
"We just entered the Grand Line and immediately faced a Shichibukai. Now, we're going up against a Four Emperors with a 4.6 billion bounty!"
"Don't worry," Ace said encouragingly. "Once we obtain the Devil Fruit worth over 3 billion Berries from Sky Island, your bounty might approach that number too."
"I don't want a bounty!" Nami cried, clearly unhappy. "And definitely not such a high one!"
Just then, Tashigi tugged on Nami's sleeve.
"What is it, Tashigi?" Nami asked, confused.
"The news bird just delivered these," Tashigi replied, handing Nami a stack of bounty posters.
Nami took them and began leafing through the pages.
"!!!"
Her face went pale when she saw the contents.
"Oh? Let me see," Ace said, taking the bounty posters and spreading them across the bar counter.
"Haha, our bounties have gone up quite a bit!" he laughed.
Bounties for the Entei Pirates:
- Captain, "Flame Emperor," Portgas D. Ace: 150 million Berries.
- Historian, "Devil's Child," Nico Robin: 79 million Berries.
- Navigator, "Cat Burglar," Nami: 13 million Berries.
- Sniper, "Sharp Shooter," Nojiko: 15 million Berries.
- Ship Doctor, Kaya: 16 million Berries.
"W-why? Why do we have bounties?" Nami exclaimed, her hands covering her face.
"I sent a video of your battles to the Marines. Surprise?" Ace grinned.
In the original story, Nami only got a bounty after Enies Lobby. But as a crew member of the future King of the World, her bounty should rise quickly, he thought.
"Surprise?!" Nami jumped onto Ace's back, angry and flustered. "So that video den-den mushi you gave us didn't just show your battle with Crocodile—it recorded us too! It was your
'field' that did it, Ace!"
"Yes, and doesn't it feel good to be on a bounty list with your captain?" Ace chuckled, holding her up to keep her from falling.
"Amazing my ass! I'll fight you!" Nami yelled, playfully biting Ace's neck. It tingled, but Ace just laughed, stroking her head gently.
"Okay, how about I make it up to you with that 4.6 billion bounty later?" Ace suggested with a smile.
"Tch, even if you do beat Kaido, they won't pay us anyway," Nami muttered, her face flushed. She released her playful bite, leaving just a faint mark on Ace's neck. She hadn't wanted to hurt him.
Ace just continued to look at her with a warm smile.
"Hmph, fine," Nami huffed. "It's bound to happen eventually. But don't let my bounty get too high. A lady like me should stay under the radar."
Ace smiled, watching Nami, who turned redder by the second. She quickly jumped off his back and muttered, "Keeping a low profile is the way to go."
At the bar, Kaya placed her bounty poster next to Ace's.
As she looked at the two bounties side by side, a sweet smile appeared on her angelic face. Like Ace, she now had a bounty on her head.
Vivi gazed at Kaya's and Ace's bounty posters with a touch of envy. She too wished to have her poster placed alongside Ace's.
"Work hard, Vivi!" she silently encouraged herself, clenching her fists.
Tashigi, on the other hand, had a slightly conflicted expression. Although she had fully joined the Entei Pirates, was she truly ready to be wanted by the Marines?
At the same time, a wave of emotion surged within her. She remembered how, during the fight with Mr. 1, Ace had chosen not to hand over the footage of her battle to the Marines. He had left the decision in her hands.
Tashigi recalled Ace's words to her at that moment: "If after one year you still don't want to join us, I won't force you. Just see with your own eyes and feel with your heart."
He had said that with a gentle, confident smile.
Tashigi now fiddled with the lucky charm Ace had given her, hanging around her neck, and her gaze grew determined.
"I have seen, and I have felt," she thought to herself. "I am Tashigi, the swordsman of the Entei Pirates."
"Your supplies are ready," the tavern owner stammered, bringing out a load of food, drinks, and fresh water.
"Thank you very much. How much do we owe you?" Nojiko asked, glancing at the provisions, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Even if they encountered trouble on Sky Island, they wouldn't run out of supplies now.
"No, no need to pay!" The owner quickly waved his hands. After witnessing them easily defeat Bellamy's gang, he didn't dare charge a pirate crew with a bounty of 150 million.
"Are these enough? Thank you so much," Nami said as she pulled out a stack of Baileys and placed it on the bar, not giving the tavern owner a chance to refuse.
"Robin, grab the supplies. We're heading out," Ace called with a smile.
"Oh!" Robin, who had been lost in thought after Ace's phone call, snapped back to reality. She instinctively used her Flower-Flower Fruit ability to lift all the supplies.
"What a handy ability," Nojiko remarked with admiration.
"Let's go to Sky Island!" Ace laughed as he led the group out of the tavern.
"Three billion Baileys' worth of Devil Fruit," Nami mused, her eyes full of anticipation.
"We're going to Sky Island with Ace!" Kaya's expression lit up in excitement.
"Sky Island?" Vivi and Tashigi echoed, their faces showing eager curiosity as they followed everyone out.
Robin, looking at the supplies in her hands, bit her lip slightly. She couldn't help but feel like she was becoming more and more a part of this pirate crew. It was a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one. Her lips curved into a small smile as she walked out.
"Hmm?" At that moment, she noticed Nojiko lingering at the bar, doing something with her bounty poster.
Nojiko carefully placed her poster next to Ace's, a small grin on her face. But as soon as she turned and saw Robin watching her, she quickly stammered an excuse.
"I'm just… keeping our bounty posters together. They're rewarding us too, after all," she explained awkwardly before darting out of the tavern.
Robin smiled as she watched Nojiko's flustered retreat. Despite usually being so composed and mature for her age, Nojiko had a childish side when it came to Ace.
With a small, amused grin, Robin followed the others out. Though she didn't realize it herself, there was a tiny bit of envy hidden in her smile.
——
Meanwhile, at a rundown house on the coast of Jaya Island, where the missing walls had been patched with wooden boards painted to resemble castles, two men were deep in conversation. One had a diamond-shaped face, a tattoo on his left arm, and a cigarette in hand as he tried to dry his wet clothes.
This was Montblanc Cricket, a descendant of the infamous liar Montblanc Noland.
"Boss! These people are the real deal. They're incredibly strong! Just a look from them made me feel powerless," an ape-like man excitedly explained, gesturing wildly.
"Huh? Are you dreaming? People like that don't exist," another man, who resembled an orangutan, scoffed.
"No way I'm dreaming! Their ship had a sheep's head at the bow," the ape-like man insisted.
"Was there also a pirate flag with flames surrounding it?" Cricket suddenly asked.
"That's right! Boss, how did you know?" The orangutan-man looked shocked.
"They're here," Cricket muttered, pointing to the sea.
At that moment, Nami was waving from the bow of the ship, shouting, "Hey, Ape! We're here! Take us to Sky Island already!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, eager to find the billion-Bailey Devil Fruit.
Cricket, watching from the shore, mumbled, "Are these guys really that crazy?"
After docking, Ace and the others began discussing Sky Island with Cricket. He quickly realized who they were by looking at their bounty posters.
Through their conversation, Cricket explained the legend of his ancestor, Noland, and how he had been ridiculed his entire life for believing in Sky Island. Determined to clear Noland's name, Cricket had become a pirate himself, searching for the Golden Bell. However, despite years of searching, he had found nothing.
He explained that the only way to reach Sky Island was by riding the dangerous Knock Up Stream, a powerful ocean current.
Nami's eyes practically glittered at the thought of the legendary gold rumored to be there.
"It's all just stories," Cricket said with a sigh, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"No, I don't think it's entirely fiction," Robin spoke up, producing an old map. "Look here. This is a map of Jaya Island from the past, but as you can see, a portion of the island is missing now."
Pointing to the map, she continued, "If the Knock Up Stream really exists, it's possible that the missing part of Jaya Island was blasted into the sky."
Cricket's hands trembled. Could his ancestor have been telling the truth all along?
"Take us to the Knock Up Stream, uncle," Ace said, standing up with a confident smile. "We'll ring the Golden Bell and prove Noland right."
Cricket hesitated for a moment before a determined look replaced his doubt. If anyone could do it, it was this powerful pirate crew.