The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

"El-sama, here is today's newspaper!"

After Shimotsuki Kouzaburou took his leave, the Shapeshifting Witch Sally walked in with a bright smile. She approached El and handed him a newspaper.

"In recent days, Totto Land's public bounties have caused immense trouble for the World Government and the Navy. Numerous lower-ranking officers have even resigned outright!

"Every day, Navy officers are being assassinated in various ways—by pirates, thugs, commoners, and even their own colleagues.

"Three days ago, a Navy Vice Admiral was poisoned in his coffee and died instantly.

"And just this morning, a relatively well-known Rear Admiral was killed in the restroom when someone threw a bomb inside.

"The Navy is now in a constant state of paranoia. Many officers are so on edge that they can barely carry out their daily duties, let alone go out on missions. Even mundane errands, like walking through town, require them to stay on high alert.

"Pirates have taken advantage of the chaos to wreak havoc. Some are causing trouble specifically to lure the bountied Navy officers into traps!"

"As expected," El chuckled lightly as he flipped through the newspaper.

He had anticipated this outcome when the bounties were first issued. However, it was never a strategy meant to crush the Navy or the World Government entirely. It was simply a means to disrupt their operations, lower morale, and create additional chaos.

While the impact was significant, it wasn't a game-changer.

"Of course, the World Government isn't sitting idly by. In retaliation for Totto Land's bounties on government officials and Navy officers, they've drastically increased the bounties on all members of the Fallen Angel Pirate Crew," Sally reported in a helpless tone. "Your bounty as the leader of the Fallen Angel Pirate Crew has been raised to a staggering 5 billion berries.

"The Five Calamities now each carry a bounty of 3 billion berries, while the Eight Vajra have all been raised to 2 billion berries.

"Even lower-ranking officers have seen their bounties increase significantly. Figures like Tsuru, known as the 'Schemer,' have been given a 1 billion berry bounty, as have I, as the head of intelligence. They've even created a special list called the '72 Pillars'!"

She pointed to a section of the newspaper, laughing softly.

"Those of us who are stronger—like myself, Tsuru, Helen, Lillian, and Kouzaburou—have all been assigned 1 billion berry bounties. The weaker ones, like Sak, Rufe, Baka, and the Neko Sisters, each have bounties of at least 500 million berries.

"The World Government seems truly enraged. They've removed all the odd numbers from our bounty amounts, making them neat and round.

"Below the '72 Pillars,' even the lesser-known officers have seen their bounties double or more. Many who previously had no bounty now find themselves with significant sums on their heads!"

El raised an eyebrow.

"The '72 Pillars,' huh?"

Looking at the bounty list, he asked casually, "What about the Rocks Pirate Crew? Have their bounties changed?"

"Not at all," Sally replied with a smile. "This new system seems to target only the Fallen Angel Pirate Crew.

"In that case, haven't we just inflated the entire bounty economy?"

With Totto Land's actions and the World Government's countermeasures, bounty amounts across the board had skyrocketed, and the system itself was at risk of collapsing. It had turned into a war of wealth and resources—both sides trying to outspend the other. This wasn't just a test of strength but also a financial battle.

"Foolish behavior!" El sneered.

"Do they think pirates like those in the Rocks Pirate Crew can tolerate this?"

Raising bounties might attract bounty hunters and other opportunists, but it would also ignite jealousy among high-profile pirates. No self-respecting pirate would sit idly by if they found their bounty significantly lower than that of the Fallen Angel Pirate Crew.

Pirates like Shiki the Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, and Captain John—each with their own ambitions and egos—would surely feel insulted. Seeing themselves outshined even by El's underlings, they would likely stir up trouble just to make a point, creating headaches for the Navy and the World Government.

"Even so, remind our officers to stay vigilant," El advised.

"These high bounties are no joke. No one should let their guard down, even in their own homes.

"The Intelligence Department must keep a close eye on internal affairs as well. We can't afford any incidents."

Sally's expression turned serious as she nodded.

"Understood, El-sama. I will make the necessary arrangements immediately."

~~~

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