Countless veteran powerhouses who had lived through the era of Rocks all widened their eyes, seemingly unable to believe that the monster who had once been defeated jointly by the King of the Pirates and the Hero of the Marines had actually left behind descendants.
Recalling the events that had previously occurred in the East Blue, everyone could not help but sigh with a single phrase: "Like father, like son!"
The father was a man who nearly became the king of the world, and now his son's chivalrous reputation had spread throughout the seas.
...
Meanwhile, in a certain sea area in the first half of the Grand Line.
On a ship with a distinctive sheep's head figurehead, a voice full of joy suddenly rang out.
"Teach, your bounty is actually five hundred million belly?!"
The Straw Hat crew, who had barely escaped with their lives, were now looking at today's newspaper.
When everyone, along with a certain reindeer, saw the bounty poster showing a five hundred million belly, their faces were filled with shock.
"Look at the others!"
Urged on by Chopper, everyone flipped to the later bounty posters.
Luffy: Three Hundred Million Belly.
Zoro: One Hundred and Twenty Million Nelly.
Sanji: Seventy-Seven Million Belly.
Usopp: Thirty Million Belly.
Nami: Sixteen Million Belly.
Princess Vivi: Eight Million Belly.
Franky: Forty-Four Million Belly.
Chopper... Fifty belly.
At the end, when they saw Chopper's bounty, everyone fell silent. Then they all raised their heads together and looked at Chopper with strange expressions. The atmosphere instantly became quiet, but only for a moment; soon the entire ship burst into laughter.
However, the laughter did not last long. The people on the ship split into several groups again.
Nami and Usopp panicked and shouted about what to do.
Luffy and Zoro showed happy smiles.
Sanji did not care.
Vivi expressed dissatisfaction with her bounty not exceeding ten million.
Franky continued checking the ship.
As for Chopper and Teach... Both of them had blank expressions on their faces, except one was because of fifty belly bounty, and the other because of five hundred million belly bounty.
But before long, both of them started shouting curses loudly.
Especially Teach... His eyes were fixed tightly on the bounty poster in his hands that was as high as five hundred million belly, his face looking extremely grim.
Although he had long known that once his identity was exposed, the World Government would definitely place a high bounty on him, he never expected it... To directly reach five hundred million belly.
You had to know that for so many years, in order to hide his identity, he had always lived a low-profile life.
Even while on the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, he did not dare to expose himself too much.
Yet he never imagined that after the Devil Fruit appeared, a series of events would expose the identity he had hidden for so many years just like that.
He still hadn't obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit yet!
Right, the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Thinking of this, Teach's whole body shook, and he hurriedly turned his head to look at the chaotic Straw Hat crew beside him.
He adjusted his mood again, revealed an honest and simple smile, moved close to Luffy, and said: "By the way, Luffy, what about that Devil Fruit you got in the East Blue?"
His eyes were filled with excitement as he stared intently at Luffy.
Was he finally going to see it?
The Dark-Dark Fruit!
His era... Was it finally about to begin?
Believing that with their current relationship, the Straw Hat crew would not refuse to let him take a look.
However, just as he was looking at Luffy with anticipation, Luffy did not raise his head. He was still grinning as he looked at the bounty poster in his hands and casually said, "Ah, the Devil Fruit? We sold it."
As soon as these words fell, the originally excited Teach instantly froze in place again, his eyes wide as he stared at Luffy.
After being stunned for several seconds, his voice involuntarily rose: "What did you say? Sold it? Sold it to who?"
"To Ace. What's wrong with you?"
Luffy, startled by the sudden loud voice, turned his head in confusion.
Looking at Teach beside him, who was frozen again, he reached out his hand and waved it in front of him. "Teach, Teach!"
But now...
After hearing that the Devil Fruit had been sold, Teach seemed to have lost all color, as if a layer of gray covered him. He stood there motionless, his gaze numb as he stared ahead, as if he had lost his dream.
The Devil Fruit was sold... Sold?!
Sold to that Umbrella Corporation executive, Ace.
No, that's not right. That guy had already eaten a Devil Fruit, and it was even a logia-type Devil Fruit. What would he want the Dark-Dark Fruit for?
Could it be handed over to the Umbrella Corporation?
So now, the Dark-Dark Fruit... Now it was in the hands of the Umbrella Corporation?
Damn it, how did it end up in the hands of the Umbrella Corporation? You have to know that it was the organization of Ian, the God of the Sun. Who would dare to go and demand it?
And what would Ian, the God of Sun, want the Dark-Dark Fruit for?
Hadn't he already eaten a Devil Fruit, too?
Could it be for someone else to eat?
But no matter what the outcome was, Teach realized... It was basically impossible for him to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit from the Umbrella Corporation.
Who would easily give up ten billion belly?
Unless his old man personally went to ask for it, but ten billion belly... The Whitebeard Pirates simply could not take out ten billion belly. There was no way they could let their Pops go and rob it!
That was even more impossible!
Teach crazily grabbed his own hair while roaring nonstop in his heart: What should I do?! What should I do?! What should I do?!
Could it be that his dream... was going to end just like this, right after seeing a glimmer of light?
Seeing Teach completely ignoring him, Luffy scratched his head in confusion. But seeing that Teach did not respond, he thought Teach might be happy because of the high bounty, so he stopped paying attention to it.