Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Shocking the World, A Great Person Has Arrived
It was a calm day at sea.
Two bounty posters, carried by the News Coo, spread across the entire ocean.
"What kind of joke is this? Even those guys can be pushed around?" Doflamingo's pupils contracted sharply.
The wine in his goblet spilled over as he grinned, unsure if it was from amusement or sarcasm.
He glanced at the bounty poster, then shifted his gaze away from Kuke.
There was no need to pay attention to the already dead.
...
"Hero, he's a hero."
"Finally, someone is standing up, someone finally dares to oppose them."
"Will my daughter return home now?"
Cheers echoed across various islands.
Across the seas, there was no group more despised than the self-proclaimed World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, not even the pirates.
Within the pirate ranks, there was a mix of admiration, envy, and disdain.
"Hundreds... thousands... 440 million Berries."
"The World Government is furious. That bounty amount—it's deliberate, isn't it?"
"The first bounty exceeding 400 million, right? But too bad he won't live for long."
"If I had known that attacking the Holy Land would make me famous, I'd have done it too."
"Idiot, are you sure you could escape Mariejois alive? And then evade the Navy's pursuit afterward? That's a death sentence."
Sure, some dared to provoke the Navy.
But almost no one dared to provoke the World Government or the Celestial Dragons.
Even thinking about it sent shivers down one's spine.
...
...
On a ship soon to leave the Grand Line, the Red-Haired Pirates gathered.
Shanks held Kuke's bounty poster in his hand.
Fisher Tiger had also been given a bounty. The news listed him as an ally.
But the world's focus was on Kuke.
He was marked as the main culprit.
Tiger only set the fire, while Kuke rescued people and killed multiple World Government officials, including one of the Celestial Dragons—specifically, the one who had captured Hancock. That Dragon's entire family was dead.
The World Government had kept the murder of the Celestial Dragons under wraps.
Ben Beckman, looking at the bounty in Shanks' hand, nodded in admiration. "An unprecedented feat. That boy is remarkable."
"I'd love to have a drink with him someday."
"Captain, why don't we go find him? If things get dangerous, we could lend a hand," Lucky Roux suggested as the crew gathered around.
"How would we even find him in the vast sea?" Shanks set the newspaper down, his expression a bit complex. "If he survives, his future will be beyond imagination."
"It's unlikely," Beckman said, shaking his head. "The forces the World Government and the Navy will throw at him will surpass even what they'd send against us or the other Emperors of the New World."
...
At the Sabaody Archipelago.
Many slaves who had escaped from the Holy Land Mariejois were hiding here, taking refuge.
"Rayleigh, are you heading out?" Shakky asked, watching as the older man, hungover from the night before, stepped out.
Rayleigh waved casually. "With so many slaves escaping, I'll help them get back to their homelands. Otherwise, they won't stand a chance."
Walking along the streets, Rayleigh looked up and squinted at the rising sun.
Something crossed his mind, making him smile.
Then, he noticed a ship appearing on the horizon.
"That direction... Another ship from Mariejois? More slaves?"
Onboard the ship were five individuals.
The captain: Kuke.
The vice-captain: Gion.
The quartermaster: Hancock.
The helmsman and crew: Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold.
"Hancock."
"Yes~~~" Hancock immediately appeared before Kuke, her eyes fixed on him with admiration.
"Hancock, you and your sisters take the Berries and buy enough supplies."
There was plenty of money on board.
Thanks to Kuke's memories from his previous life, he and Gion had managed to amass quite a fortune already.
"Gion, you find us a newer ship."
The current ship belonged to the World Government, and its many identifying marks made it too conspicuous.
The warship Gion had brought yesterday was even more obvious.
Getting a new ship was necessary.
Otherwise, they would be far too easy to track.
Dressed in civilian clothing, Gion nodded. There was no shortage of ships at Sabaody Archipelago. With so many pirate crews passing through, there were bound to be plenty of pirate ships to choose from.
"Meet back here in an hour. We can't stay long."
Sabaody was far too close to Marineford.
After docking, everyone set off on their tasks.
Kuke, who had planned to explore Sabaody for some achievements, suddenly glanced to the side.
He locked eyes with an elderly man with half-white hair standing on the shore.
"A remarkable person has arrived," both Kuke and Rayleigh thought to themselves simultaneously.
"Care for a drink?" Rayleigh raised the flask in his hand.
"Sure."
Minutes later.
At Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Shakky, bored and leaning on the counter, was idly daydreaming.
The door creaked open, snapping her back to reality.
Her lazy gaze froze in place, widening in surprise when she saw Kuke walking in behind Rayleigh.
She stiffened, looking down at the bounty poster on her bar—the latest one from today.
Looking up, then down again. Up. Down.
It was him.
"You're much more handsome than in the picture," Shakky said with a smile, retrieving the finest bottle of wine from the top shelf.
"Hey, hey, Shakky! I've been asking for that wine forever, and you always told me to get lost. Now Kuke shows up, and you break out the good stuff immediately?" Rayleigh grumbled, feigning hurt.
Shakky ignored him.
Swaying her hips, she approached Kuke and personally poured him a drink. "You've done something incredible, young man."
...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone