Chapter 45: The Second Sea Emperor

How to set a new bounty?

Under normal circumstances, if it were another pirate, everyone would eagerly speak up.

But this concerns Barzab Seven; the senior officers, mainly those who clashed with Barzab Seven—such as Admiral Sakazuki—suddenly found themselves at a loss.

If the bounty is set too high, it will spark internal Marine debates.

The pirates out at sea will think the Marines are weak—that even a rookie just out of port can have such a high bounty, so why not challenge them too?

At that point… it would be quite amusing.

We wouldn’t even need to chase pirates anymore.

If it’s set too low, won’t it implicitly admit that Admiral Sakazuki and Admiral Kuzan couldn’t even capture a pirate worth this little?

It’s said Sakazuki and Kuzan are about to be promoted to Admirals; their promotion reports have already been submitted, awaiting only their return from the Shichibukai Execution to be confirmed.

So if Barzab Seven’s bounty is set too low, won’t that directly offend two future Admirals?

The officers fell silent, all glancing at Admiral Kizaru: Admiral, you handle the job of offending future Admirals.

Sensing all eyes on him, Kizaru stared at his nose, eyes down, and emptied his mind completely.

This is such a hassle—just set it at three billion.

Admiral He was torn; as Chief of Staff, she had to weigh every possible consequence—on one hand, the World Government demanded a bounty adjustment; on the other, the Marines’ deterrent power might suffer.

Seeing this, Marshal Sakazuki asked sternly.

“Sakazuki, Kuzan, do you two have any suggestions?”

The parties involved have the most authority on this matter; no Marine officer understands better than Sakazuki and Kuzan about this bounty.

The Den Den Mushi spoke: “Set it at three billion for now.”

Sakazuki frowned: “Barzab Seven at three billion, and the other two at two billion each?”

Kuzan’s voice came through the Den Den Mushi: “I have no objection to Tenghu’s bounty being two billion.”

Then Mole and others chimed in: “Joraul Mihawk—let’s make him two billion too. We weren’t his opponents, but we held out for a long time.”

“Good.” Sakazuki slammed his fist on the table.

“Issue the bounty warrants under this standard, and send them quickly to every Marine base. Any sighting of the Morning Star Pirates must be reported to headquarters.”

“Nicole Robin, rescued by Barzab Seven, is provisionally set at one hundred million bounty.”

“Yes.” Branew saluted.

When the news of the Marines issuing the bounty warrants reached Morgens, the News King, he was still fretting over photos that could explode sales.

Morgens had assumed—just like last time when the Celestial Dragons were kidnapped—the World Government and Marines would suppress the news. He never imagined they wouldn’t.

Morgens froze in place, then clasped his waist, threw his head back, and roared with laughter.

“This is big news! This is truly monumental news!”

“Shichibukai Execution, Ohara reduced to ruins, Barzab Seven leading the Morning Star Pirates defeated the Marine Shichibukai Execution squad and rescued the Devil Child, Nicole Robin.”

“Sales! Sales will double!”

“Print more! Must print more!”

Morgens personally wrote the news article, but as he stared at the final draft again and again, he felt something was missing—until his peripheral vision caught a newspaper clipping of Whitebeard, the Sea Emperor. Morgens leapt to his feet.

“Sea Emperor! The second Sea Emperor!”

After the Pirate King Roger’s execution, Morgens had assumed Charlotte Linlin was most likely to become the second Sea Emperor after Whitebeard.

Who could have expected Barzab Seven to rise above them all?

Though the Morning Star Pirates had only three crew members, their captain Barzab Seven had a bounty of three billion, their vice-captain Mihawk two billion, and Tenghu one life two billion—totaling seven billion in bounty.

“My god, this is the Sea Emperor!”

Morgens screamed with excitement.

“Barzab Seven, don’t let me down—I’ve bet all my newspaper sales for the next twenty years on you today!”

After revising the draft, Morgens kissed the news article twice: “I too shall become famous across the seas.”

There are six Underworld Kings—but only I, the News King, reign supreme!

Morgens personally went to the printing factory and slammed the news draft onto the factory manager’s face.

“Follow this exactly—don’t change a single word. Print ten times the usual amount—no, twenty times!”

The manager read the final draft and his expression turned utterly bewildered: Boss, are you insane?

“A pirate crew of three people? Sea Emperor? Even jokes have limits, Boss?!”

Morgens glared sideways: “So what if there are only three? Don’t they have the right to recruit new members? Stop wasting my time—do it my way, or someone else will!”

The factory manager smiled on the outside, but inside he cursed: Boss, I’ll start printing right away!

At least it’s not my money on the line—go bankrupt, you bastard! When you’re broke, I’ll ride on your head and piss on your face, right into your mouth!

The next morning.

As fresh ink-smelling newspapers were sent across the world by countless news birds, the entire world erupted.

“Extra! Extra! Ohara Shichibukai Execution!”

“Second Sea Emperor? What nonsense! How can a pirate crew of only three be a Sea Emperor? The News Society has gone mad!”

“Three billion? Two billion? Two billion?”

“Have the Marines gone mad too?!”

Not only millions of civilians were baffled—even nobles of World Government member states, petty pirates of the Four Seas, and great pirates of the Grand Line were stunned.

All agreed: The Marines have clearly lost their minds.

…

Grand Line, New World.

On the Moby Dick, shaped like a white whale.

Marco, with his pineapple hairstyle, did not shout excitedly as he had last time. Instead, he stared at the newspaper in his hand, lost in deep thought and gloom.

Wait—only two years at sea and already three billion?

Seven, you’ve made this old man who’s been at sea for sixteen years feel like a total failure.

When the Battle of God Valley ended, Marco joined his father and Whitebeard to form the Whitebeard Pirates—exactly sixteen years ago.

But Seven has only been at sea for two years. Even counting his five years with Roger’s crew, it’s only seven.

Damn talented freak, so infuriating!

Marco’s odd behavior immediately drew attention from his brothers. Bista called out.

“Marco, what’s written in the paper?”

Marco shook his head, hurried to his father’s side, said nothing, silently handed the newspaper into his hands, then stood still, silent.

Whitebeard looked closely.

When he saw the bounty amounts for the three Morning Star Pirates and the description of Barzab Seven as the second Sea Emperor, he burst into roaring laughter.

“Guraguraguragura!”

“He drove back the magma brat, five Marine Admirals, and ten thousand soldiers—excellent!”

“Marco, throw a feast!”

The bounty amounts for the Morning Star Pirates gave Whitebeard yet another reason to throw a feast.

“Papa, what’s so funny?”

All his sons gathered around.

Whitebeard laughed and handed the paper to Bista: “Read it out loud—no need to pass it around and waste time. We’ve got a feast to prepare.”

Bista took the paper, glanced once, and his pupils shrank in shock: “This… this… is too absurd!”

How can someone become a Sea Emperor at seventeen?

A personal bounty of three billion?

A pirate crew of three totaling seven billion in bounty?

“Read it, Bista!”