RNP 31. Emerging talent
31. Emerging talent
Brannew, who was in charge of intelligence in the East China Sea, stood up and began his report.
"...In summary, the target 'Norton' and his crew have left the 'Sambas' waters, and the latest intelligence indicates they are moving towards Loguetown. Accompanying vessels have been confirmed to include the former Black Cat Pirates' ships, and—"
He paused, then turned to a page of the report.
"--Barratier, a floating restaurant. According to eyewitness testimonies, Barratier's head chef 'Redfoot' Zeff and his entire crew have announced that they have joined Norton's team."
A few low gasps were heard in the conference room.
"Red-Leg Zeff..." an admiral in charge of East Blue security slowly began, "that guy who sailed the Grand Line for a year and came back unscathed. Even he..."
Zhan Guo slowly took off his glasses and wiped them with a velvet cloth.
"Gentlemen," Sengoku's voice was not loud, but it drowned out all the noise in the conference room, "we must reassess 'Norton'."
"Logically speaking, a mere newcomer from Donghai is not worth us going to such lengths to hold a meeting."
"But this person is unusual."
Zhan Guo stood up, walked to the curtain, and tapped his finger on the 100 million bounty poster.
"This is no longer in the category of 'rookie pirates'."
"Not to mention the incident in the Kingdom of Sagar, which killed the king and hundreds of guards... including CP0 agents!"
"Just this time," he said, his finger moving to a photo of the warship wreckage, "three warships, three branch colonels, plus Smoker—a colonel from the Natural Sciences Department."
"With this kind of force, they should be able to wipe out any pirate crew in the East Blue!"
"But what was the result? Total annihilation! The enemy didn't even suffer any injuries!"
Sengoku turned to face everyone and said, slowly and deliberately, "This record is enough to demonstrate how dangerous this person is! Even on the Grand Line, he would be a figure to be reckoned with!"
"While this man is still in the East China Sea, we must eliminate him as soon as possible! We cannot allow his power to continue to expand!"
"This is definitely a more dangerous 'super rookie' than 'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace!"
A brief silence fell over the meeting room.
Akainu was the first to speak, his voice deep and resonant like the roar of a volcano.
"The East China Sea branch has too many useless members. We should directly dispatch a lieutenant general to lead a team to encircle and wipe them out."
Is it really worth holding a special meeting to discuss a mere newcomer from the East China Sea, no matter how dangerous he may be?
Let the lieutenant generals discuss it; a man of this caliber doesn't deserve to be considered by generals or marshals.
If it weren't for the fact that a war council targeting the Four Emperors had just ended, Akainu wouldn't have had the patience to listen to the exploits of a rookie pirate.
Aokiji yawned: "Ugh...that sounds like a lot of trouble. But we really can't just leave it unattended."
Kizaru tilted his head: "A bounty of 100 million is indeed too high in the East Blue~ But according to Sengoku, it doesn't seem quite enough~"
Zhan Guo sat back in the main seat and crossed his arms again.
Only he knew that this man named Norton had killed not only the king in the Kingdom of Sagar, but also the world's nobles!
If it weren't for the higher-ups not wanting this matter to spread...
"The bounty must be adjusted! One hundred million Berries is no longer enough to demonstrate his threat, nor is it enough to motivate the navy and bounty hunters in the East Blue," Sengoku said seriously.
He looked at the officer in charge of issuing the bounty.
"Draft a new reward order. The amount..."
"Two hundred million Berries!"
The conference room fell silent, the officers' eyes filled with undisguised astonishment.
Two hundred million.
In the East China Sea, this number is legendary.
It has never happened before!
Even Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, only saw his bounty surpass 100 million after entering the Grand Line!
"Furthermore," Sengoku added, "notify all East Blue branches and nearby Grand Line entrance bases that the Norton crew must be treated with the same rigors as the great pirates deep within the Grand Line—without the slightest disrespect!"
"Once their whereabouts are discovered, do not act rashly; notify headquarters immediately!"
...
...
The orders were quickly recorded and communicated. The new bounty posters were printed and distributed at top speed.
When the reward notice was sent to various parts of the world via seagulls, the first person to sense something unusual was Morgans, the president of the World Economic News Agency.
Two hundred million?! In the East China Sea?!
He flapped his wings in his sky office, his bird-like eyes gleaming with excitement.
"In less than a month! The bounty has increased from the initial 100 million to 200 million! And it's in the East China Sea!"
"Hahaha! Big news! Absolutely big news!"
He immediately summoned his subordinates: "Toutiao! Toutiao will be redesigned tomorrow!"
"President, should we verify this...?"
"Verify what?! This is a message directly released by Naval Headquarters!"
...
The news spread at an astonishing speed.
As this newspaper flew with the newsbirds to every corner of the Grand Line, certain eyes were drawn to it.
Dressrosa, VIP box at the bullring.
In the deafeningly noisy arena, Doflamingo reclines on a luxurious sofa, his gaze behind sunglasses coldly surveying the fierce battle below.
The gladiatorial combat reached its climax when a gladiator was pierced by a spear!
"Fufufu!!" Doflamingo grinned and chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the thrill of controlling life and death.
A figure quietly appeared behind Doflamingo.
"D-Dover! Look at this!" Trebol handed a newly arrived newspaper to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo casually picked up the newspaper, glanced at the headline, and paused slightly in his laughter.
"Fufufufu... East Sea?"
Doflamingo's smile suddenly widened.
"Can spiky, poisonous fish really grow in such lukewarm water?"
Without turning his head, Doflamingo said to Trebol, "Let's make the North Blue a bit more exciting, don't let some newcomer from the East Blue outshine us! Fufufu!"
His attention returned to the arena, but the newspaper in his hand was quietly cut into pieces.
...
In the eerie hall, Moria's enormous body sat in the main seat, playing cards with several zombie generals. Perona floated to the side, idly playing with dolls.
Suddenly, a voice came from the air: "Lord Moria, the latest newspaper has an interesting newcomer~"
Moria, already annoyed by the Zombie General's slow card play, waved impatiently, "Hehehe, a newbie? Bring it here! Let me see!"
Absalom appeared and handed over the newspaper.
Moria glanced at the bounty poster and narrowed his eyes when he saw "two hundred million".
He tossed aside the playing cards, snatched the newspaper, and examined Norton's photograph closely, especially the blurry description of the battle accompanying the newspaper.
"Hehehehe... Shadow! This shadow must be very strong!" Moria exclaimed excitedly.
...
The luxurious baths, perched on the cliff edge, are shrouded in mist and offer panoramic views of the calm sea.
Hancock stretched out her perfect body and closed her eyes to rest.
Marie-Grude, the younger sister, knelt respectfully by the pool, holding a waterproof tray with fruit and a newspaper printed with special waterproof ink.
"Big sister, this is today's world news..."
Hancock said languidly, "I have no interest in the filthy affairs of this world!"
Marigold quickly added, "A man with a bounty of 200 million has appeared in the East China Sea! The Navy seems to be taking it very seriously..."
Hancock suddenly stood up, her breathtaking body exposed to the air.
She tilted her head back and arrogantly pointed at Marigold with her hands on her hips.
"I have no interest in such matters! No man can resist my charm!"
"Because I am simply...too beautiful!"
"Big Sister!!"
...
The room was a windowless, enclosed space. On the table were spread-out rainfall records from various towns in Alabasta, supply dispatch sheets, and King Kobra's itinerary.
Crocodile, with a cigar dangling from his lips and a furrowed brow, tapped the location of "Yuba" on the map with his golden hook.
A woman wearing a cowboy hat emerged from the shadows and placed a newspaper on the corner of the table: "You might be interested in today's headlines."
...
A magnificent underwater palace, through which one can see strange fish swimming and the radiance of the Sun Tree Eve through huge glass windows.
Jinbe and King Neptune were having tea when a guard from the Dragon Palace respectfully presented them with the latest newspaper.
Neptune waved his hand: "Another conflict in the human world, isn't it? Let's put that aside for now."
Jinbe, however, said, "Wait, Your Majesty. External information, especially the movements of the navy, concerns the safety of Fishman Island and must be carefully monitored."
He took the newspaper, apologized to Neptune, and began to read. When he saw the news about Norton, his broad brows furrowed slightly.
...
The drizzle had just stopped at dusk, and the air was damp and chilly.
Mihawk stood alone on the stone balcony, a glass of slightly chilled red wine on a small round table in front of him.
A seagull carrying a newspaper fluttered down and landed on the stone railing, dropping a newspaper behind it.
Mihawk turned his gaze from the distance to the newspaper.
A moment later, he picked up his wine glass, looked towards the eastern horizon shrouded in the sunset and rain clouds, and drank the remaining wine in the glass in one gulp.
...
...
a few days later.
Zango woke up from his sleep and felt the whole world shaking.
He got up and looked out the window, where he saw large gray waves rippled across the black sea.
The world is not shaking!
It was the Black Cat Pirates' ship, violently churning in the huge waves!
Such sea conditions are extremely rare in the calm East China Sea, but since sailing with the White Pearl, such harsh weather has become commonplace.
Zango's gaze gradually moved forward.
Ahead of the Black Cat Pirates, the massive White Pearl resembled a white whale amidst giant waves, remaining stable despite the howling winds.
Compared to the Black Cat Pirates' ship capsizing violently, this was infinitely better.
Behind the Black Cat Pirates' ship was the Baratie, a floating restaurant. The chefs were probably preparing dinner for everyone at this time.
"The Grand Line..." Zango pondered, gazing out to sea. He had heard of that area, known as the graveyard of pirates, and it was extremely dangerous.
And they are heading towards that sea!
On the Baratie floating restaurant, Norton enjoyed being fed by the chefs while discussing their next plan of action.
It wasn't really a discussion; it was more like the officials having a meal together and chatting casually.
Yes, the Norton Pirates are quite large now, but they only have a handful of officers.
The first to board the ship were Nami and Sanosuke, then Fryn, Zoro, and finally Kuro and Zeff.
Including Norton, there are seven people in total, who are currently the core members of the entire Norton Pirates.
Only these seven people have their own private rooms on the White Pearl and can make requests to the shipwright, Miss Funing, to modify the White Pearl.
Although Zoro kept saying that he was only staying on the ship temporarily, he still did not disembark after finding the fat man who stole the sword.
Norton knew the reason: because of Sanosuke's existence.
Zoro will not consider leaving until he has completely defeated Sanosuke and challenged Norton.
As a swordsman, Zoro's dream is to become the strongest swordsman. The strongest needs to be honed, and the strongest in the East Blue will all be on the White Pearl in the future.
Below the seven core figures are the minor leaders, who hold a higher position than ordinary crew members.
Zango, the Nekoman brothers, Sanji, and Paddy.
The people sitting at the same table with Norton now are Nami, Sanosuke, Fryn, Zoro, Kuro, and Zeff.
"What are you planning to do next?" Zeff asked, placing the pan-fried lamb chops in front of Norton.
"Recruiting! Recruiting! Still recruiting!"
Norton grinned, holding up one finger. "The Buggy Pirates, the Krieg Pirates, and the Spade Pirates are my next targets! Before entering the Grand Line, I need to build a sufficiently large fleet!"
"The Grand Line is heaven for you, but hell for the weak..." Zeff said with emotion. "There's no use in numbers; only the truly elite can survive in that sea."
“That’s right,” Kro adjusted his glasses, “Zep’s words may be harsh, but they are true.”
Although I have never been to the Grand Line, its dangers are known to everyone.
"It doesn't matter! Because I'm here!" Norton gave a loose handshake. "That's what makes it challenging! What no one else in the world has succeeded at, I, Norton, am determined to try!"
Fu Ning covered her mouth and chuckled to herself, Nami shrugged helplessly, and Sasuke stared at Norton with adoration in his eyes.
Zoro let out a long burp and sighed, "Alright! I'm planning to go to the Grand Line anyway! But before that, I'll go to Loguetown and buy a few handy swords to have on hand!"
As a three-sword style user, the worst thing is not having three swords in hand, otherwise Zoro's fighting power will be greatly reduced.
Conversely, the sharper the three swords, the stronger Zoro can be!
"Once I get two better swords, I'll be able to completely defeat that stinky ninja!" Zoro blurted out his true thoughts.
"If you're drunk, go to sleep early and stop daydreaming." Sanosuke glanced at Zoro indifferently.
"Huh?!" Zoro glared back, his face flushed red, partly from the alcohol and partly from anger.
"This stinky ninja may be a bit harsh, but it's the truth, Moss Head." Sanji walked up carrying a plate and a cigarette, agreeing.
"What?! You curly-browed idiot!" Zoro jumped up, grabbed Sanji by the collar, and said that again!
"Let go! You green-haired moss!" Sanji's face darkened as well.
"Hahaha!" Norton ignored the two clowns and turned to Funing and Kuro. "Did you two find any clues about Buggy, Krieg, and the Spade Pirates?"