"Six hundred sixty million?!"
Usopp's voice trembled.
"Luffy's amazing!" Chopper's eyes sparkled.
"Not bad, hahaha."
Luffy's mouth curled up slightly. "That's more like a captain's bounty."
"That idiot captain got that high a bounty?"
Sanji and Zoro temporarily stopped their argument.
"Six hundred sixty million Berry, Luffy! Let me sell you!"
Nami stared at the number, tackling Luffy and shaking him by the neck.
Think of all the oranges and clothes she could buy with that.
No, no—this wasn't the time for that.
Luffy was used to Nami roughhousing with him. He looked at his new wanted poster. The photo seemed to be a candid shot of him in Gear Second—an awkward angle that didn't fully capture his unique appearance, more like a blur from high-speed movement.
"Not bad."
But he liked his Gear Fifth form better. He wondered why the World Government hadn't photographed that.
Without realizing it, the Straw Hat crew now had five members with bounties over a hundred million. Their total bounty easily exceeded 1.5 billion Berry!
A crew with that kind of bounty, even in the New World where the strong gathered, was quite formidable.
Luffy and the others were pretty happy about it. A higher bounty meant the world took them more seriously—one step closer to becoming Pirate King.
But not everyone was celebrating.
Franky flipped through the stack of posters and suddenly let out a howl:
"Why?! Why am I a wanted man too?!"
He held up a fresh poster:
Iron Man Franky — Bounty: 44,000,000 Berry
Note: Accomplice of the Straw Hats. Extremely dangerous!
Accomplice of the Straw Hats? Extremely dangerous?
What was the basis for that?!
Franky stared at his signature pompadour and sunglasses on the poster, frozen stiff.
"Boss!"
"Boss, you're wanted too! What're we gonna do?!"
"The World Government is the worst!"
The Franky Family rushed to his side and cried in his arms.
"So come with us, hahaha."
Luffy invited him again. The Franky Family realized their boss might actually become a pirate!
But now that Franky was wanted, it seemed like his only choice.
The bounty posters were just a minor interruption to the banquet.
For Luffy, nights were usually overtime for Devil Fruit development. He was used to scraping together time for training, even if it meant using his imagination and understanding. Multitasking—staying focused amidst the noise of a banquet—was something he had mastered.
Otherwise, he'd just have to sit by and watch during parties.
As the banquet wound down, his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Vivi wasn't there.
"Merry, where's Vivi?"
Luffy asked quietly.
Merry looked up from her small plate of snacks, blinking her big eyes. "Vivi went back to the Merry, I think."
She could sense it. And Vivi seemed a little preoccupied.
Back on the Going Merry?
Luffy was sensitive to his nakama's moods. Earlier during the party, he had vaguely noticed that Vivi didn't seem fully engaged. Beneath her smile was a shadow, barely noticeable.
It was probably about her position—and the new wording on her bounty poster.
A princess who had become a pirate. The revised capture conditions meant the World Government's attitude toward her had changed. The pressure must have been enormous.
Luffy didn't know how to comfort her. He was never good with complicated thoughts.
But he felt that as captain, he should at least let her know he cared.
He couldn't let a nakama brood alone with their worries.
So he got the Merry's location from Merry and set off.
Water 7 was quiet at night. Only the distant sounds of rebuilding and the crash of waves broke the silence.
Luffy knew his way well to the hidden dock where the Going Merry was moored.
The familiar sheep-headed ship rested quietly under the moonlight. Her hull bore a few scars from the battle at Enies Lobby, but she still radiated a sense of safety.
Luffy jumped lightly onto the deck and headed straight for the women's quarters.
Merry said Vivi was spacing out. Maybe she needed company.
Click.
Without a second thought, he opened the door.
And freeze.
Moonlight streamed through the porthole, clearly illuminating the room.
Vivi was facing away from the door, apparently just out of the bath, still carrying moisture from the water.
She was getting dressed.
And it seemed she had just put on an undergarment with delicate lace trim. The curve of her pale, smooth back, the slender waist outlined by the lace—in the moonlight, it was breathtaking.
Luffy's brain crashed for a second.
Then he reacted, slamming the door shut with a bang—fast enough to stir the air.
Damn!
Merry had tricked him!
She said Vivi was spacing out. Why was she changing?!
He was going to give Merry a piece of his mind when he got back!
But in that fleeting glimpse—Vivi liked lace?
His thoughts drifted involuntarily. He remembered at Alabasta's palace, catching a glimpse of something similar in her wardrobe.
He shook his head hard, scattering the images.
"Ahem. It's me."
Tap,tap, tap.
Luffy stood outside, took a deep breath, trying to sound casual, and knocked. He knew she was changing inside, but now he had to pretend he didn't. Self-deception!
First, he wasn't a pervert. This was just an accident!
Second, he definitely did not think lace looked nice.
Probably.
A few minutes later, Vivi's voice came from inside, a little nervous, carrying the softness of just-bathed relaxation and a faint tension:
"I'm... decent."
"Oh."
Luffy responded and pushed the door open again. He did his best to maintain an expression that said he had no idea what happened, that he had just arrived.
Vivi, on the other hand, looked rather unsettled.
She had nearly jumped out of her skin when the door suddenly opened.
Her Fūfū no Mi had already sensed Luffy's presence, but she had assumed he would knock—not just walk in.
Fortunately, her back had been turned. He hadn't seen everything... but did that really make a difference?
She had been sitting on the edge of the bed. When Luffy entered, she sprang up like a startled rabbit.
Her face was still flushed from the bath, her eyes flickering, unable to meet his gaze. Her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her shirt.
***
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