Chapter 80

Dawn was breaking, and the horizon was just beginning to turn white.

The editors of the World Economic News Agency worked overtime all night and finally finished the draft.

The News Coos shook their wings and, carrying the extra editions printed overnight, flew happily to various places.

They swept over towns, ports, and ship decks, scattering newspapers in all directions like snowflakes.

The headline on the front page was so eye-catching that—

The Four Seas, the first half of the Grand Line, the New World...

Almost everywhere, as soon as the newspapers arrived, they were instantly snapped up.

This series of news, as public opinion fermented rapidly, also swept across the entire sea like a hurricane, setting off huge waves!

————

New World, on the *Moby Dick*.

"Gurarara—"

The heroic laughter made the deck tremble slightly. Whitebeard looked up and drank a large mouthful of wine, tossing the newspaper to Marco. "Look, Marco, those guys in the Marines have lost a lot of face this time!"

"Rakumu Pirates, Siano..."

Marco took the newspaper and glanced at it, his eyebrows raised slightly: "Akainu, that guy... actually got injured?"

"Eh?"

"There's such a thing?"

"Let me see too, Pops!"

Several other commanders were shocked and hurriedly gathered around.

"Ho?!!" Diamond Jozu was the first to widen his eyes. "540 million berries... to have such a bounty just after entering the Grand Line, the growth rate is even more exaggerated than that guy Shanks."

A bounty of this level could even rank among them, the commanders!

"He's also a Swordmaster!"

Izo turned his head with great interest. "A Swordmaster who couldn't be caught even when Akainu went out personally... Hey, Vista, this guy's swordsmanship is probably even better than yours, right?"

"What kind of joke is that, bastard Izo~!"

Flower Sword Vista was furious. "How could such a thing happen? Don't compare me to such a brat who just stepped into Paradise!"

Although he said that, Vista's gaze kept scanning back and forth between that delicate face and the long katana behind the opponent.

A pure Swordmaster who didn't eat a fruit?

Relying solely on swordsmanship to reach such a height.

Indeed... it's been a long time since I've met such a guy!

Vista narrowed his eyes, his fingers rubbing the hilt of his sword unconsciously.

Enter the New World early, kid! When we meet, let's have a good sparring session of swordsmanship and let me see how much you're worth!

"Pops."

Marco closed the newspaper, thoughtful: "Should we make contact? Such a super-strong newcomer can't let the other families snatch him away first."

"No rush, wait until he enters the New World!"

Whitebeard grinned and waved his big hand.

"This kind of thing depends on fate, stupid son, Gurarara... Anyway, let the Marines have a headache first! This sea is finally going to be lively again!"

————

Onigashima, Skull Castle.

"Wahahaha, Page One! Why are you running, I won't eat you!"

"..."

Two figures were running back and forth between the pillars.

And at the top of the hall, the candlelight stretched a huge shadow very long.

"Worororo! Queen, what are you looking at again?"

Kaido lay drunk on the main seat, holding a wine pot, his eyes squinting at Queen, who was holding a newspaper with a face full of surprise.

"Boss, it's over in Paradise, there's some incredible big news."

Queen bit his cigar, smiling, and handed over the newspaper.

"Take a look, a brat of only eighteen has almost turned Marine Headquarters upside down, giving them a headache."

"Oh?"

Kaido took the newspaper lazily, squinted his eyes to finish reading the report, and then stopped his gaze on the bounty poster.

"Eighteen, a few years younger than Yamato? Humph, a bit interesting..."

Kaido's gaze stayed on Siano's face for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Able to hold on for so long in Akainu's hands... is he a Zoan ability user?"

"Uh?"

Queen was stunned and scratched his head. "According to intelligence, it seems not... This kid is a pure Swordmaster and hasn't even eaten a Devil Fruit."

"...?"

Kaido suddenly became interested and turned over to sit up. "Really didn't eat one?"

"No, didn't you see what was written in the newspaper? He jumped into the sea to escape..."

"Worororo! Who would read that kind of thing carefully!"

Kaido's drunken eyes flashed with excitement. "At this age, just relying on physical physique to be so strong, this is a rare good seedling!"

"Hey, Queen!"

He grinned. "Keep those few fruits we talked about before and don't use them. Keep a close eye on this kid. As soon as he enters the New World, report to me immediately! I'm going to take the fruit and go find him personally!"

"This..."

Queen wiped his sweat. Kaido-boss is good in every way, but... isn't he a bit too fond of recruiting talent?

A little guy who just entered the Grand Line, and he's already going to give this kind of treatment... Devil Fruits are all left for the opponent to choose?

Although he also had to admit that Siano indeed had the qualifications.

Not yet in the New World, and he already had a bounty of 540 million berries, which was really exaggerated.

King had already broken through 1 billion long ago, and he now only had a bounty of 700 million berries, which was only 100 million more than the opponent!

If he really had the heart to defect to the Beasts, I'm afraid that as soon as he came in, his status would be second only to their two All-Stars...

Tsk, what should the new title be called then? Drought Siano?

Just at this moment—

Two figures finally rushed into the banquet hall.

"Damn it, Page One! Why are you hiding from me!"

Ulti chased her younger brother around the hall in a flurry.

"Sister, calm down!" Page One held his head and fled. "Kaido-sama is talking about business!"

"Hey." Queen's forehead veins bulged, and his cigar was bitten *crunch, crunch*: "You two..."

For the first time, he held back.

The second time, his fat face began to twitch.

When Ulti whistled past him for the third time, *clatter*, knocking over his treasured fine wine—

"So noisy!!!"

Queen was furious, his fat body showing amazing flexibility. He grabbed the two siblings and roared:

"You two stupid brats, if you want to make trouble, get out! Kaido-boss's eardrums are about to be deafened by you!!!"

"...Woo, woo..." Ulti was sprayed with saliva. She stared at Queen blankly, and tears of grievance immediately welled up in her big eyes.

"The one who deafened Boss is clearly you, idiot!!!"

*Thud!* Kaido smashed his club onto Queen's head, and the latter fell backward, his hands holding the siblings hanging limply.

"Take your brother and go out." Kaido looked at Ulti again. "The place here is small, it's really not suitable."

"Okay! Little girl thanks Kaido-sama!"

Ulti bowed to Kaido with a grin, made a face at Queen, and dragged her brother out by the ear all the way.

Kaido watched the two siblings leave quietly.

Queen then sat up rubbing his head: "Hiss... it hurts, is it necessary, Boss? Aren't you a bit too indulgent with these two brats..."

"They haven't reached adulthood yet, let them be in the future, don't be like this! I promised Hanuda that I would raise them well!"

Kaido snorted coldly, then suddenly remembered something and frowned:

"By the way, you go contact Hanuda personally and ask him why the Devil Fruits for this quarter haven't been sent over yet."

Friendship is friendship, business is business.

That guy, it was agreed to send three Zoan Devil Fruits every time, and it's been several days past the deadline, why is there still no movement?!

"Yes, Boss!" Queen scrambled to his feet. "It must be that he was delayed by something... Don't worry, I'll go urge him right away!"

[Hanafuda Map]

————

Totto Land.

The sea breeze blew, and Katakuri sat alone on the top of the mast, staring at the newspaper in his hand.

The bounty was high, the strength was strong, it had been a long time since such a monster-level newcomer appeared on the sea.

However, what he cared about most was indeed...

Does this guy also have two younger sisters?

Can he ignore everything, take his sisters with him, free and easy, unrestrained, and roam the sea everywhere?

"Heh..."

Katakuri had envy in his eyes, thinking of the annoying matter of Mom forcing his sister to marry recently... He pulled his scarf and leaned back against the mast with some fatigue.

What an enviable kid.

————

On a pitifully small sailboat.

*Creak—!*

Tashigi pushed open the cabin door violently, clutching the newly arrived newspaper in her hand, her cheeks flushed with excitement:

"Mihawk-san!"

She rushed to Hawkeye in two or three steps, shaking the newspaper open: "Chang, chang, chang! Look! There's news about Siano-sama again!"

Hawkeye's action of wiping the Black Blade Yoru paused slightly.

He looked up and scanned the report content—Akainu injured, Crocodile killed in battle, Marine fleet returning without success... each one made the pupils of those falcon-like eyes flash with brilliance.

Did I still underestimate him?

It turns out that guy's swordsmanship is actually so powerful?

"Interesting."

He murmured in a low voice, and a long-lost fighting spirit ignited in his pupils.

Since the duel with Shanks that ended in a draw, no one on this sea had made him so eager to draw his sword.

Black Blade Yoru trembled slightly in its sheath, as if sensing the owner's mood. Hawkeye suddenly looked up toward the depths of the Grand Line and said:

"After tonight, let's part ways."

"Eh?!!"

Tashigi was still happily holding the newspaper, and when she heard this, she widened her eyes, "Why, Mihawk-san, aren't our goals both to find Siano-sama?"

"Your ship is ultimately too slow."

Hawkeye shook his head slightly, "If this continues, you will never catch up to that guy."

"Your ship is fast, but it sinks fast too." Tashigi muttered aggrievedly, "It's not that the ship is slow, it's clearly that you find me noisy!"

"..." Hawkeye rubbed his eyebrows with a headache. "You know it."

In these days, Tashigi had been pestering him every day, wanting to apprentice to learn swordsmanship, which really annoyed him.

As for why he was on a ship with Tashigi...

That started from the day he left Loguetown.

At that time, he set off for Reverse Mountain to continue chasing Siano's ship.

As a result, when he was sprinting down the mountain, because that whale Laboon disappeared for no reason, he was distracted to pay attention to this matter, and accidentally capsized the ship.

He fell into the sea and became a drowned rat, and the ship hit the coast of Twin Capes and shattered.

Just at this time, Tashigi, who had set off one step ahead of him, was sunbathing and resting on the grass of Twin Capes, so this embarrassing scene was seen by this sword-obsessed girl in a daze.

His first reaction at the time was to knock the girl unconscious and then leave directly on her ship.

But remembering the words the little girl had said at the Loguetown port before...

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

So, things turned out like this.

He became a temporary passenger on a ride.

And that confused girl Tashigi, after recognizing his identity, was overjoyed, pestering him every day to ask for advice on swordsmanship, and even squatting outside the cabin door holding her sword in the middle of the night.

As a result, she couldn't hold on and fell asleep, muttering in a daze:

"Mihawk-san... please take me as your apprentice... only by becoming stronger can I be qualified... to catch up with Siano-sama's footsteps..."

—It was simply annoying to death.

He was used to being alone, always hated being disturbed, let alone troublesome things like taking apprentices.

But strangely, he never really chose to leave.

He didn't know why either.

Perhaps... it was because this sword-obsessed girl's pure persistence in the way of the sword was so much like himself back then?

"..."

Hawkeye was silent for a moment, then suddenly said:

"How about this."

Tashigi looked up suddenly, her eyes round, and even her breathing stopped.

"Before catching up to Siano." He said lightly, "Every day I will teach you a few moves, and then check your progress the next day."

Tashigi's pupils lit up instantly.

"If I'm satisfied, it's not impossible to take you as an apprentice in the future."

"But..." Hawkeye looked down at her calmly, "If you progress too slowly, making me feel that you have no talent, and you are wasting my time—"

"I promise I won't!" Tashigi stood up *swish*, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "I will definitely practice desperately! I will never let you down! I, I'll go get my sword now!!"

She dropped the newspaper, turned around and rushed out, but tripped over the cabin door threshold and fell down.

"..."

Hawkeye looked at this careless guy, looking for her glasses in a flurry, and couldn't help but close his eyes, doubting whether he had made an extremely wrong decision.

Siano, oh Siano.

Where exactly are you, or just stop, let me catch up as soon as possible...

————

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

"What did you say?!!! Garp!!"

Sengoku slammed the newspaper onto the table heavily, his roar of disbelief almost overturning the roof of the entire Fleet Admiral's office.

"Did I say something wrong again?"

Garp was stunned, then continued to pick his nose indifferently, "But that is indeed the truth. I have indeed known this kid for a long time. I even taught him Armament Haki."

"That's exactly what I care about!"

Sengoku gritted his teeth, wishing he could punch the old man in front of him:

"You only say it when you see the bounty poster after such a big thing? The good apprentice you taught has now become a big trouble for Headquarters, killing two Vice Admirals and finishing off a Warlord of the Sea!"

"Can this be considered my apprentice? Back then, it was just to pay off a debt, so I taught him some introductory basics."

Garp shrugged, glanced at the close-up of Akainu's injury in the newspaper, and suddenly giggled:

"However... to be able to force Sakazuki to this point, he is indeed a bit powerful, Puhahaha!"

"Garp!!"

Sengoku's roar made the windows buzz: "You're still in the mood to laugh?!"

"Why are you so fierce?"

Garp finished picking his nose and casually stuck it on the goat next to him. "Onigumo's death was asking for it, right? You clearly know the process better than anyone, and that Bumaia is an out-and-out crazy woman, right?"

"They died, and I don't have to be sad. Instead, I feel that the air in Marineford is much fresher to breathe..."

As for that Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile.

Garp *tsk*-ed. He had seen him a few times in recent years, and his intuition told him that the guy had never turned over a new leaf.

He was clearly an ambitious pirate, but after going to Alabasta, he pretended to be upright, catching pirates more actively than the Marines...

Who knows what kind of mischief he was up to behind his back!

As for that Siano.

He had never harassed towns or robbed merchant ships since he set sail, and even the title of pirate crew was a hat that Headquarters forcibly smeared on them.

"Anyway, I don't have any ill feelings toward this guy. Of course, if I run into him on the way, I will still catch him back!"

Garp grinned, "Speaking of which, since you want to solve this trouble so much, I have a plan. Isn't the position of Warlord of the Sea vacant? Why not recruit him as a new Warlord of the Sea!"

Kill two birds with one stone!

It can make Siano-kid no longer make things difficult for the Marines, and among the Warlords, there will be one more guy who won't bully the public everywhere just because he has the right to plunder legally.

It's a good thing no matter how you think about it.

"Warlord of the Sea..."

Sengoku's face darkened.

It had to be said that this was indeed a feasible method.

Actually, he didn't need Garp to come up with the idea. He had considered it long ago, and even regarded it as a pre-selection plan when Crocodile just died.

But it won't work now!

At least not for a short time!

Sengoku stared at the newspaper from the World Economic News Agency on the table, his temples throbbing.

Morgans, that bastard... this time he actually printed an extra edition overnight, and before Headquarters could apply pressure, he distributed the newspapers all over the world!

"Marine Defeated! Two Vice Admirals dead and injured, Admiral Akainu also seriously injured!"

"Warlord of the Sea Crocodile confirmed dead, the mastermind behind the scenes is actually the same person!"

"The highest bounty in the history of the first half of the Grand Line is born! 540 million berries!"

Adding fuel to the fire, inciting trouble.

Every headline was like a slap, hitting Marine Headquarters hard.

Sengoku could even imagine the faces of the pirates in the New World, gloating and laughing wildly after seeing the newspaper.

In this storm of public opinion, if the Marines turned around and offered an olive branch to recruit the opponent as a Warlord of the Sea?

Where would the Marine's face be?

Where would he put his old face!

"Wait and see..."

Sengoku took a deep breath, and his gaze fell back on the bounty poster on the table.

The black-haired boy in the photo stood with his sword on his back, a wanton smile hanging on the corner of his mouth, and those sharp black eyes seemed to pierce through the paper, stabbing straight into the bottom of his eyes—

Mockery.

Naked mockery!

As if ridiculing the Marine's large-scale encirclement and suppression operation this time, but ending in a sorry state with the Admiral injured and the fleet returning without success.

Sengoku's fingers tightened unconsciously, and the edges of the bounty poster were pinched into folds...

————

Grand Line, a certain sea area.

On the deck of the *Rakumu*, everyone had their heads together, reading the newspaper they had just bought, whispering excitedly from time to time.

"Ha, I knew it!"

Nami was the first to finish reading, laughing proudly with her hands on her hips, "What Marine Admiral, nothing more than that, they can't do anything to Brother at all!"

Originally, they couldn't contact the Den Den Mushi, and everyone was quite anxious.

Fortunately, the World Economic News Agency acted fast enough this time, bringing them the good news that Siano was safe and sound early in the morning.

"Is that so?"

Kuina looked up expressionlessly, "How do I remember, if I hadn't used a hand-blade to knock you out, you would have been unable to set your mind at ease and rushed back?"

I'm afraid she would have been boomed with a big hole in her chest by Akainu the moment she appeared. How would that be any different from just sending herself to die?

"I..."

Nami was speechless for a moment, but soon stiffened her neck and said, "That, that was because I was too worried! You have the nerve to talk about me, who was it last night holding a sword on the deck, standing facing north for a whole night? Your neck was almost stretched and broken, right?"

"..." Kuina's ears turned red instantly.

Damn it, why did you have to say it in front of everyone!

"Hey, hey, you two."

Nojiko intervened helplessly, but was interrupted by the commotion on the other side of the table—

"Woo, woo... Awoo!"

Gin suddenly stood up, his front paws slapping the newspaper excitedly. Everyone followed his gaze, only to see a large stack of bounty posters falling out from the interlayer of the newspaper.

The first one was Gin's, and the bounty number was so astonishing—

"150 million berries?" Kuina turned her head in surprise, "Amazing, Gin, it's increased quite a bit."

"You're not bad either." Nojiko handed over the next bounty with a smile, "140 million."

Kuina raised her eyebrows and compared it with the few behind.

Second only to Siano-sama?

The Marines think highly of me, pulling away from Uncle Zeff and Smoker all at once.

As for being inferior to Gin... she felt it was normal, because her current strength was indeed a bit worse than Gin's, and in the battle at the pier, Gin was the most eye-catching existence.

"What about me, what about me!!!"

Nami raised her hand high, full of expectation, "I also made a great contribution this time. The Marines should also know that I am a Logia ability user, right? How much has the bounty increased?"

If not 100 million, 90 million... no, if it really doesn't work, 80 million berries is fine!

"Let me help you find it... Ho, the Captain has actually risen to over 500 million berries? But with this kind of record, giving this much is a matter of course... Oh, found it, right under the Captain is yours."

The others immediately leaned over to take a look.

Then they turned their heads in unison, casting pitying and sympathetic glances at Nami.

"Hey..."

Nami squinted her eyes, a bad premonition flashing in her heart, "Why, why are you looking at me with this kind of look..."

"80,000 berries!" Nojiko held back her laughter and slapped the bounty poster in front of Nami, "Congratulations, it's increased tenfold from before!"

Nami's expression froze instantly.

One, two, three, four... counting over and over again, confirming that there were really only four zeros on the bounty poster, her eyes went dark, and her whole body was trembling: "Why, why is it like this!!!"

"Are the staff departments of the Marines all a bunch of rice buckets who only know how to hold meetings!!!" She screamed in a breakdown, "Didn't you see the fire wall I released? The fire snake? The fire phoenix? I even defeated a Marine Captain who came to stop me one-on-one!"

"Uh, this, according to the battle situation description in the report, and Gin's new nickname..."

Smoker flipped through the newspaper, "Probably, maybe, should be... the Marines mistook your Mera Mera no Mi ability for something released by Gin."

Gin?

Nami turned her head abruptly, staring fixedly at Gin.

What's wrong?

Gin was lying on the ground stretching a happy stretch, looking at Nami approaching with a dark face... showing a look of confusion...

Two minutes later.

"Gin, Gin, Gin... Gin!!!"

Nami was bruised and swollen, kneeling on the ground, gritting her teeth, tears streaming down as she kept beating her left arm, where the Gin sticker had just been pasted not long ago.

Nojiko stood by and sighed.

This sister is really a complete idiot.

This appearance wasn't caused by Gin.

Gin couldn't bear to do anything to the Captain's sister, so he had been dodging, and as a result, Nami hit several corners during the chase, bruising herself...

"Woo woo..."

Nami suddenly looked up and said pitifully: "Nojiko, help me! Help me beat Gin up to vent my anger!"

"Logically speaking, as a sister, I should touch your head now and shout 'Of course!'."

"But no."

Nojiko sighed, "Because even if you add me, the two of us together can't beat Gin."

Damn it!!!

Nami sniffed hard, feeling even more aggrieved. The pet stole her battle merit and became the second-highest bounty on the ship, while she was treated as a pet by Marine Headquarters...

Is there any justice left?!

When Brother comes back, she must complain to him fiercely!

"Want to complain to Brother?"

Nojiko saw through her, "We can't contact him now. We discussed it, and we will continue to sail aimlessly like this. When we hit an island, we will stop, while storing magnetism, and waiting for Brother's call."

"As for when this call will come."

Nojiko looked at the distant sea:

"Just wait, it's only the second day now. Based on my understanding of Brother, he is probably exhausted now and is sleeping soundly on some sea..."

————

"Hoo, hoo..."

Siano was indeed sleeping soundly right now.

But he wasn't floating on the sea, but lying on a soft thigh.

Robin rested her chin on one hand, leaning on the sofa, with thick clothes spread on her lap, and Siano was lying horizontally on them.

No way, the space on the turtle's back was only so big. This posture wasn't elegant, but at least it allowed both of them to be comfortable.

As for throwing Siano onto the hard and uncomfortable turtle shell next to him...

Robin shook her head lightly, her lips curling up.

—She couldn't do such a thing.

She tilted her head slightly, looking softly at the delicate and handsome sleeping face in front of her.

I don't know why, the cyan-purple toxin on the boy's body surged up for a while, and then disappeared without a trace.

Is this the resistance inside the body fighting against the deadly poison?

Robin guessed so. Anyway, his breathing state had been quite stable, and they were getting closer and closer to that great medical country, so there was no need to worry too much.

And now, it belonged to a state of normal recovery.

The boy's black hair was scattered messily on his forehead, his eyelashes cast shallow shadows under his eyes, and there was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, as if he were experiencing something interesting in his dream.

"Really..."

Robin couldn't help but reach out, her fingertips gently brushing away the broken hair on his forehead, whispering: "Clearly just experienced a big battle, yet sleeping so peacefully."

—Clearly a "heinous criminal" who gave Marine Headquarters a headache, a terrifying powerhouse who easily killed her old boss Crocodile.

At this moment, in her arms, he was like a defenseless child.

"Heh." Robin chuckled.

Such a contrast, it really makes people inexplicably...

Full of protective desire.

She suddenly remembered what happened last night.

She had just hugged him onto the turtle's back and hadn't sailed far when he suddenly opened his eyes, looked at her appearance in a daze, and said, "So it's you."

As soon as the words fell, he fell down and fell into a deep sleep again.

Too strange.

This is too much trust in her, right?

Could it be that he wasn't afraid that she was a malicious enemy who would turn around and take him to the Marines to collect the bounty?

And what did this sentence mean? Did he know her long ago?

That doesn't make sense...

Conversely, it's fine. She did indeed know him long ago.

As early as after that call with Crocodile, she couldn't help but search for and investigate the information about this black-haired boy.

When Crocodile went to Whiskey Peak to ambush, she, who had already completed the mission, became even more interested and moved to follow him from a distance.

Then immediately after.

She witnessed one after another: him killing Crocodile, practicing punches with giants in Little Garden, and holding the line alone on Thor Island, letting his companions leave first while he stayed behind to clash with Akainu, and finally even achieving the shocking battle record that shook the world...

If it was at the beginning.

She was just curious, and plus Baroque Works had collapsed, she had nowhere to go, so she chose to continue following, wanting to seek the protection of a new boss.

Then now, the point she cared about most was not just the powerful strength shown by this Rakumu Pirate crew, but the atmosphere of partners that made her envious.

Freedom, trust, bonds.

These things she had never truly possessed in over twenty years were so natural on this ship.

If she could be accepted by the other party and become a member of the ship...

The sea breeze blew, she suddenly woke up, laughed at herself, what kind of person am I... why am I fantasizing about this kind of thing again?

But why did he know her?

Robin lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips brushing over Siano's forehead hair unconsciously.

Probably because he was too exhausted, his consciousness was blurred, and he mistook her for some acquaintance with a similar appearance?

She could only guess so.