339  New bounty

"This time? Weren't you working hard before?" 

Akainu seized upon the loophole in Kizaru's words and accused him.

"It's all right, let's stay focused. We have matters to discuss regarding Whitebeard's bounty; let's not digress," 

Vice Admiral Tsuru interjected timely.

"Garp, do you have anything to add?" 

Sengoku inquired, noticing Garp's silence.

"Since Kizaru had the most encounters with Whitebeard, he should have the most input. I won't be participating in this discussion," 

Garp stated.

Sengoku, feeling somewhat helpless, turned to Kizaru and said, "Kizaru, please share your opinion with us."

"The devastation caused by Whitebeard, along with his massive pirate forces, poses a significant threat to Marine Headquarters and even the World Government. I believe the bounty should be at least 7 billion Berries," 

Kizaru stated after a moment of consideration.

After Kizaru finished speaking, Akainu shook his head and stated, "No, we can't allow Whitebeard to continue growing in power. His threat has surpassed our expectations. In my opinion, it should be 9 billion."

When these words were uttered, the Marine executives were stunned. 9 billion? That was a terrifying number. They were aware that Roger's bounty initially was only 5.564.8 million, nearly twice that of Roger's.

While Akainu's personal feelings toward Whitebeard may have influenced this decision, and although the number was surprising, there was no opposition from the high-ranking officials.

After the final agreement, Whitebeard's bounty was set at 9.05 billion. Following this decision, Marine issued the highest bounty order in history.

On the new bounty list, Whitebeard stands atop his ship, wielding a naginata in hand. This photo was captured by a Marine battleship during the siege of the Whitebeard Pirates.

In the photo, Whitebeard exudes a commanding presence, remaining calm and collected amidst numerous enemies. His kingly aura and majesty leap off the paper.

However, the most astonishing aspect is the number beneath the photo: 9.05 billion. This figure has already surpassed the bounties of the other Four Emperors by a great margin.

The bounty list quickly spread worldwide after being published in newspapers. Discussions about Whitebeard flooded every corner of the world.

"Wow, Whitebeard's bounty has reached 9.05 billion. That's the highest in history. It's terrifying"

"9.05 billion, my God! Even though Whitebeard defeated the Big Mom Pirates, I never expected his bounty to skyrocket like this all of a sudden"

"Don't you know? After the war between Whitebeard and Big Mom ended, Whitebeard was besieged by Marine, and it seemed like Marine was wiped out"

"Yes, it's almost as if Whitebeard single-handedly took on dozens of Marine warships. I believe such terrifying strength is worth 9 billion"

Every street and alley is abuzz with talk of Whitebeard. People are astonished by his sky-high bounty, and they're also filled with both fear and admiration for him.

Even this brand new bounty list has dashed the sailing dreams of many children. In a small town rife with chaos, a bullied boy happened to stumble upon this bounty list.

The boy was immediately drawn to Whitebeard's towering figure, deep gaze, and noble aura on the bounty list. His heart swelled with desire and impulse.

"Is this... the King of the Pirates?" 

The boy felt a surge of excitement, his heart racing faster. He, too, harbored the desire to become such a figure.

No one dares to oppress, no one will look down on them. To live and fight as they please, that's the life of the strong!

"I want to become stronger! I want to be a pirate like him," the boy vowed silently.

The next day, the boy prepared a simple single-handed sailboat and embarked on his own sailing journey. Regardless of the outcome, he was determined to pursue his dream. He firmly believed that this was the only way to change his situation.

Similar things are happening all over the world. Whitebeard's new bounty list not only shocks and surprises people but also ignites a powerful vision within them.

......

The day after Marine released Whitebeard's bounty, the Whitebeard Pirates received the news. Whitebeard lay leisurely in his chair.

Marco stood on the deck, holding Whitebeard's bounty list in his hand, observing alongside the other commander and crew members.

"9 billion!?"

 Charles Vane exclaimed instantly upon seeing the number.

"There's another 50 million on top of that," 

Marco added softly, his expression betraying little surprise.

"This...this..." 

Charles Vane stuttered in surprise

"It's truly surprising that Marine would offer such a high bounty," 

Even the calm Jinbei said in a surprised tone.

"Hahaha, this just shows how envious Marine Headquarters is of Pops, I think after the last incident, they're too scared to attack us recklessly," 

Joz laughed after seeing the bounty

"No one knows how Marine Headquarters will act, but as long as we keep getting stronger, we'll remain fearless," 

Vista affirmed.

"If Pops takes down Kaido later, his bounty might surpass 10 billion," 

Tesla said with a smile.

"Kaido isn't our concern right now. We need to stabilize for a while now, and deal with those prisoners,"

 Marco said.

"Oyaji, I've reorganized the pirate groups that surrendered to us before. Their original crews remain intact, but we've assigned an officer to supervise each ship," 

Marco reported to Whitebeard.

"Yeah," 

Whitebeard nodded. He didn't pay much mind to these matters, trusting Marco and Bejamin to handle them capably.

"By the way, Oyaji, Katakuri and the others have been imprisoned. Maybe they've had a change of mind," 

Marco informed Whitebeard.

Time can soften grievances, so Whitebeard hadn't given much thought to Katakuri and the other prisoner until Marco brought it up.

"Well, bring the key members," 

Whitebeard instructed.

Whitebeard didn't want to waste any more time. If these individuals couldn't sincerely join his pirate group, he would release them rather than continue to detain them.

Anyway, with the Big Mom Pirates now defeated, unless these individuals want to start from the beginning, seeking refuge with Whitebeard is their best option. Taking refuge with Kaido or Redhead is impossible.

They all know, even if Kaido is superior to Big Mom, it's not by much, and he still can't compare to Whitebeard.

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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