New World, a certain island.
On this peaceful island, a lively gathering was taking place.
The sound of footsteps approached as a tanned man, carrying a stack of newspapers, walked briskly toward the group.
"Captain! The papers are here!" Rockstar grinned, handing them over respectfully.
Lucky Roo, chewing on a piece of meat, chuckled. "You really think the Captain reads newspapers? He's too busy drinking!"
Shanks, leaning against a tree, burst into laughter. "Hahaha! The moment I see words, my head starts spinning! No way I'm reading that!"
"Besides, we've got Benn Beckman. No need to worry about anything—just sleep and drink, hahaha!"
Benn Beckman, ever the calm and composed first mate, silently took the newspaper without a word. His sharp eyes scanned the pages as he took a slow drag from his cigarette.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Captain. Something interesting happened in the East Blue. Want to hear?"
Lucky Roo's chubby face lit up with curiosity. "Oh? What is it?"
"Wait—don't tell me it's about that kid, Luffy?"
Rockstar blinked. "Luffy? Who's that?"
Shanks, who had been lazily lounging, suddenly perked up at the mention of the East Blue.
He sat up straight, grinning. "Alright, Beckman, quit teasing. Spit it out!"
Benn exhaled smoke, his voice steady. "Not Luffy."
"Yesterday, a rookie named Chris was given a bounty of 100 million berries—the highest first bounty in the history of the Four Seas."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
Yasopp, being from the East Blue himself, immediately shook his head in disbelief.
"No way! The East Blue is the weakest sea! Even getting a bounty over 10 million is rare there!"
"How the hell did some rookie get 100 million? Beckman, you must've misread!"
Lucky Roo nodded. "Yeah, a 100 million first bounty in the Four Seas? That's impossible!"
Shanks, though intrigued, also raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember anyone in the Four Seas ever getting a bounty that high on their first posting."
Benn took another drag, unfazed. "I didn't believe it either. But it's true."
"The Marines never inflate bounties. If anything, they suppress them."
"So if they're giving this kid 100 million, his real threat level must be even higher."
His sharp eyes gleamed with analytical precision.
"Mark my words—the Marines will send at least a Vice Admiral after him."
Rockstar laughed nervously. "A Vice Admiral? For a rookie from the East Blue? Isn't that overkill?"
Lucky Roo stuffed more meat into his mouth. "Yeah! Even if he's got potential, he's still just a rookie!"
"Doesn't know Haki, hasn't faced the Grand Line's dangers—how strong could he really be?"
Yasopp crossed his arms. "A 100 million bounty is insane enough. But sending a Vice Admiral? That's just wasteful."
Shanks, however, was staring at the newspaper—specifically, at Chris's photo.
His grin faded slightly as his eyes locked onto the young man's gaze.
Then—
"Hah…"
A low chuckle escaped him.
"Those eyes…"
"You don't get eyes like that unless you're the real deal."
"This kid… he's going to be a monster."
Benn exhaled smoke, nodding. "If they survive the Marines' hunt…"
"This era will remember their names."
Meanwhile, across the world…
The news of Chris's unprecedented bounty spread like wildfire.
Pirates everywhere were stunned.
"A 100 MILLION BOUNTY IN THE EAST BLUE?! THAT'S INSANE!"
"Damn it! I've been pirating for years and only got 90 million! How the hell does a rookie get more?!"
"Screw this! I'm joining the Chris Pirates! I wanna be famous too!"
"Hahaha! The East Blue finally produced a real monster! The Marines must be sh*tting themselves!"
"Where's this Chris guy?! I wanna challenge him!"
The world was buzzing.
And at the center of it all—
A young man with eyes like a storm.
To Be Continued.
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T/N:
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