Then Look Down...
"Wow, the captain's bounty has increased again!"
Brad sighed unconsciously.
"Yeah, Captain Caesar's bounty was already over 4 billion before. This time, it looks like it's gone up by several hundred million more!"
Bounties in the billions are already the highest in the world. They directly reflect a pirate's threat level and strength, and once a bounty reaches such heights, it rarely increases significantly.
But this time, per Fleet Admiral Sengoku's report…
Even Steel Bone Kong saw fit to raise Caesar's bounty substantially.
To him, the fact that a top-tier powerhouse like Caesar was still growing was a terrifying thought. A pirate of his caliber wasn't supposed to continue evolving, and that alone warranted an "asterisk" of extreme importance.
Thus, this increase in bounty was a direct message: Caesar was a threat that could not be ignored.
"4.555 billion berries… You really are something, Captain!"
Despite the staggering amount, the crew didn't linger long on the bounty poster. To them, this was expected. If Caesar's bounty hadn't increased this time, that would have been surprising.
Then, one by one, they all looked down…
Everyone was eager to find their own bounty poster.
---
The Crew's Bounties
"The first mate's bounty is already at 1,863,960,000 berries! That's insane!"
Hades couldn't help but marvel. A bounty of that size placed Gnali among the strongest pirates on the seas. Few could claim such a number.
"If it weren't for the slight boost from being the captain's right-hand man, Gnali's bounty would probably be two or three billion by now," someone muttered.
"Haha! Mine's 1.235 billion!"
Brad found his poster, and despite his usual calm demeanor, he felt a surge of satisfaction.
A bounty surpassing 1 billion meant the Navy regarded him as a serious threat. The fact that he was only a few hundred million below the first mate was something he could fully accept.
"Hades—1.083 billion berries!"
Some crew members couldn't see their posters, so Lily read them aloud for everyone.
"One billion and eighty-three million… Hmm. Not bad," Hades nodded, keeping his usual reserved expression.
"Hey, Axi! Your 413-million bounty shot up to 837 million berries! You're becoming a real big shot!"
Brad grinned and clapped Axi on the back.
"Oh? Thanks, Brad!"
Hearing his new bounty, Yakexi casually flipped his hair. But inside, he was fired up—this was the Navy's recognition of his growing strength!
---
Rising Bounties
"Weina—634 million berries!"
"Regina—793 million berries!"
"I… I have 750 million berries..."
Lily continued announcing the crew's bounties, giving everyone a general idea of their new standings.
Overall, the crew was satisfied with the bounty increases.
But when Lily got to Barrett's bounty, things changed.
"Barrett… 1.488 billion berries!"
"What?! Barrett's at 1.4 billion?! Wait, he's only fifteen! That's like… 100 million per year?! His bounty jumped by over 500 or 600 million this time!"
Brad's usually cheerful face was full of shock.
Even in this lawless world, seeing someone so young with such an absurd bounty was almost unheard of.
Hades was also stunned, sweat beading on his forehead.
"1.4 billion… His bounty has skyrocketed compared to last year!"
"Yeah. Fifteen years old. And already at 1.488 billion—nearly 1.5 billion. Unbelievable!"
Bounties were closely tied to strength, but Barrett was still so young. He looked like a teenager, but in the eyes of the world, he was already one of the deadliest men on the seas.
As everyone marveled at the sheer insanity of his bounty, Barrett simply smirked. But despite his usual arrogance, he muttered with clear dissatisfaction:
"It's still far from the Captain's bounty…"
With that, he turned and walked away—to train even harder.
The crew exchanged helpless glances.
Barrett's monstrous growth had everything to do with his relentless training and inhuman self-discipline.
---
The Newcomer's Shockingly High Bounty
Then came the bounty for the newest crew member—Issho.
The moment they saw it, everyone felt a wave of disbelief.
"The bounty for Issho… 1.35 billion berries."
Hiss—
Everyone inhaled sharply.
"Lily, you sure you read that right? You didn't add an extra zero by mistake?"
"Millions… Tens of millions… Hundreds of millions… Nope, I counted correctly!"
"1.35 billion?! No way! He didn't even have a bounty before this, and now it's over a billion just like that?! Higher than me?!"
Brad felt his worldview slowly crumble.
He had spent years building his reputation and carefully increasing his bounty over time. But this new guy, Issho, had instantly surpassed him!
Unable to believe it, Brad squeezed in front of the wanted poster and checked it several times himself.
Finally, he had no choice but to accept reality.
"1.35 billion berries."
"...Congrats, Issho."
"Haha, yeah! Never expected you to get 1.35 billion right off the bat!"
"Ohhh-ho-ho-ho! I was just lucky!"
Issho chuckled, attempting to sound modest.
But even though he was blind, everyone else could see it.
His attempt to hide his pride behind a humble act was completely transparent.
The crew just smiled helplessly at his clumsy acting.
---
The Caesar Pirates: A New Era of Terror
The revelation of the crew's new bounties sent shockwaves throughout the seas.
As a whole, the Caesar Pirates' combined bounty had reached a truly terrifying height.
It was no longer just about individual strength—this was proof that they were now an undisputed force that the world government could not ignore.
---
The Captain's Cabin
That night, Caesar and the three women retreated to the captain's cabin to rest.
It had been their home for a while now—large enough to house them all comfortably.
Inside, their daughter Alice fluttered around playfully. She would snuggle into her mother Regina's arms, then switch to Caesar, then go to her aunts Lily and Weina, and finally tease her two older brothers.
She was lively but never annoying. After all, who could resist such an adorable little angel with tiny wings?
But something was off.
Carlos and Lucius, usually mischievous and energetic, had been strangely quiet for the past two days.
They only reacted when Alice played with them, but otherwise, they seemed distant.
Caesar, noticing their behavior, reached out with his telekinetic power and pulled them into his arms.
Alice, unwilling to be left out, squeezed in between them.
Caesar chuckled, stroking the boys' heads.
"Alright, you two. What's wrong?"
Carlos hesitated before mumbling:
"Father… we saw you and mother fighting so hard the other day… and we… we couldn't do anything."
Lucius clenched his fists.
"Even Alice can help with her Holy Light… but we…"
Their voices trailed off, frustration evident.
Caesar immediately understood.
They weren't just envious of Alice's cool abilities.
They wanted to be strong. They wanted to help.
Lily and Weina looked at Caesar, their eyes silently asking the same question.
"Is it time?"
Was it finally time for the boys to receive their Devil Fruits—the Goro Goro no Mi and the Pika Pika no Mi?
Caesar nodded.
He understood.
Their time had come.
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