The sun was dipping below the horizon as the Solar Rift Pirates continued toward the island. The closer they drew, the more defined the outlines of the port town were. It seemed from a distance to be a peaceful village, but Solian knew otherwise.
News traveled fast in the waters of the West Blue, pirate-ridden as they were. They had just defeated Dagon, an 80 million berry pirate. That sort of thing couldn't be ignored.
What unsettled him most, however, was not the pirates. It was the Marines.
After all, they had only rewarded him with a Green Summoning Ticket for winning, so something about his behavior must have caught the world's attention to a certain extent. But the surest sign that they were drawing more attention as a result of it was a much more straightforward thing.
Their new bounties.
A Crew Branded as Infamous
The flutter of winged paper filled the deck as Milo unfolded a newly arrived shipment of bounty posters. A young carrier seagull had just landed on their boat, leaving the latest word from the outside world.
Milo flipped through the pages, his eyes wide in amazement. "Uh… guys, you ought to see this."
He put the posters on a nearby crate, and the crew quickly circled it.
Solian was the first to steal his. His previous bounty of 65 million had increased to an unbelievable:
110,000,000 Berries
There was a heavy silence. Even though they had expected an increase, seeing his name on the list of those who had broken the 100 million mark made it real.
"Damn." Jorin whistled. "They really jacked yours up."
Vance grinned. "Guess killing an 80 million guy and unleashing Conqueror's Haki wasn't subtle."
Solian sighed, rolling up the poster. The Marines would be coming for him harder now. This was a turning point.
Kael took his own, his face crunched up at the figure marked on the page.
Kael: 72,000,000 Berries
His own bounty had risen by 24 million—a definite indication that his popularity as a swordsman and a user of Rust Fruit was growing.
Jorin smiled as he picked up his.
Jorin: 68,000,000 Berries
"Ah, well," he thought. "Guess my swordsmanship's finally getting the recognition it deserves."
Vance collected his next, grinning as he saw:
Vance: 65,000,000 Berries
"Not bad," he growled. "Guess those Marines weren't too pleased with me tossing their men around like ragdolls."
Next came the Twin Tempest, who grinned at their shared windfall.
Twin Tempest: 40,000,000 Berries Each
Milo was the last to check his bounty. The sharpshooter raised an eyebrow at his new score:
Milo: 35,000,000 Berries
Vance slapped him on the back. "You're catching up."
Milo smiled. "Guess the Marines finally caught on that I was the one paying the bills for you boys."
As expected, Rock Lee still did not have a bounty. He had just joined and hadn't battled under their flag. But that too would not last long.
A Change in the Atmosphere
The realization of their increased infamy settled in. These weren't small jumps—each of them had skyrocketed in worth.
Solian was now officially a major threat in the West Blue.
More bounty hunters would come after them. Stronger enemies would take notice. And the Marines…
Solian clenched his fists. The Marines wouldn't sit still.
Milo folded his poster. "Think we'll get any trouble at the port?"
Kael scoffed. "We just hit triple-digit bounties. The small fries here won't even think about messing with us."
Vance chuckled. "We'll see about that."
Solian turned his gaze to the port town ahead, his mind racing with plans. They needed to resupply, lay low, and leave before any major threats arrived.
But fate never made things easy.
As their ship neared the docks, figures gathered at the shoreline. Pirates. Merchants. Locals.
Watching.
Whispering.
The Solar Rift Pirates have come.
Meantime. At West Blue Marine HQ
In a Marines' heavily guarded base, Vice Admiral Volcus sat behind his desk with bounties and reports all about him. "Solian Flare" stood out in bold red.
An upright standing Marines' officer. "Sir, we deploy forces to chase them?"
Volcus smiled. "No. Not yet." His eyes glinting with laughter as he leaned forward. "Let them ship on. Let them settle.".
His fingers tapped against the wooden desk.
"Then we'll crush them before they ever reach the Grand Line."
To be continued…