"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Zoro grimaced, "Aunt Belle-Mère, let go!"
"What are you saying, Green Algae Head? So rude, who are you calling Auntie!" Sanji said, hopping on tiptoe to ease the pain, indignantly standing up for her, "It's clearly beautiful big sister!"
"Smooth talker!"
Belle-Mère wasn't buying it, snorted, and dragged the two brats towards the front yard.
"As punishment for disrupting dinner, you two, now, immediately, go do two thousand one-handed push-ups for me before you can eat!"
"Two thousand?!" the two brats screamed in unison.
Any other time, this training load might not be much, but now their stomachs were growling with hunger!
In the main house, on the tatami, Koushirou held a cup of hot tea and watched with a smile.
After Kuina and Zeff left, these two boys became more and more unruly, always bickering, and his mild temperament really couldn't handle it.
But now, ever since Belle-Mère arrived half a month ago, these two kids immediately became much more obedient.
Is it that they fear the fierce Belle-Mère herself...?
Or are they afraid of the big brother who used to be able to make them behave with just one look?
Or perhaps a combination of both?
Koushirou's gaze fell upon the newspaper fluttering in the wind on the table, and he was momentarily lost in thought.
One billion Belly...
How long have they been out to sea? Just barely two months, and the bounty has already reached such a terrifying amount.
Even among those he knows, only one person has a higher bounty than this number.
If given another year or two, the achievements of this child, Koushirou could barely imagine.
Of course, besides that...
Koushirou gently flipped the newspaper and took out the second bounty order, quietly gazing at the black-haired girl with the high ponytail.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
Following that young man, she will certainly become the world's greatest Sword Master, right?
When the time comes to return home, come and slap my face hard, make me, this muddle-headed old father, apologize for that thing I shouldn't have said that night.
"Kuina..."
Keep it up.
......
The Grand Line, Gaya Island.
This is half an island left on the ground after being severed by the Sky Current.
And on the island, Demon Valley Town is a notorious gathering place for criminals, where many passing pirates stop by for a while.
At this moment, in the afternoon, a certain tavern is filled with noise.
The pirates are gulping down rum, boasting about their adventures, the air filled with a mix of alcohol and the stench of sweat.
"Hey, have you seen the latest newspaper? That monster called Shano refused the invitation from the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and his bounty has risen to one billion Belly!"
"Duh, it's a world-shaking piece of news, which pirate in the entire Grand Line doesn't know it, do you really need to say it?"
"Ah Xiong, your news is really outdated!"
The surrounding companions laughed and teased.
Some pirates lamented: "One billion Belly... currently on this island, even if there aren't a thousand bounty criminals, there are hundreds, but adding them up, I wonder if it can match this guy alone."
"Definitely not!"
"Exactly! That's one billion Belly, if you ask me, even all the pirates combined in the first half wouldn't have such a high bounty!"
"Ha? That can't be right, it should be at least a dozen billion, you math idiot!"
"Who's the idiot, jerk! Aren't you illiterate too? Truly educated people wouldn't become pirates, would they?"
The two argued endlessly, and the surrounding pirates also took sides, the supporters of the two viewpoints evenly split.
But no matter what, one thing was beyond any doubt.
One billion, this figure, was well beyond their realm of understanding.
After all, in the first half of the Grand Line, pirates with bounties over a hundred million were very few, and over five hundred million, those were only within the reach of monsters from the New World!
It was then.
"Creak——"
The slatted door was pushed open, and a tall figure stepped inside.
In an instant, the noise within the tavern came to an abrupt halt.
Every pirate's gaze involuntarily focused on this man—
Black trench coat, eyes sharp as a hawk's, and... that iconic Cross Black Blade!
"The... world's greatest Sword Master, 'Hawkeye' Mihawk?!"
Someone recognized him, gasping in fear, the cup in their hand shattering to the floor with a "crash".
The others, who didn't initially recognize him, quickly panicked, and the clever ones were already quietly pulling their partners, sneaking out the back door.
Hawkeye was oblivious to the commotion around him, walking straight to the bar, and following him was Tashigi, full of nervousness.
"A tequila, on the rocks."
He ordered his drink, glanced at Tashigi, and also ordered her the tavern's best-selling cherry pie.
The two chose an inconspicuous spot in the corner and sat down, Tashigi finally beginning to relax.
"Mr. Mihawk," Tashigi asked in a low voice, "do you really think Lord Shano and his crew will come here?"
"Just trust me."
Hawkeye sipped his drink, saying lightly, "If Shano doesn't arrive here in three days, I'll flip my name backwards."
He was absolutely confident.
The trajectory of Shano's crew so far had been traceable.
From Whiskey Peak, to Little Garden, then to Alabasta, following this pattern, the next stop would undoubtedly be Demon Valley Town.