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"Achoo!!"
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Aboard the Ark Maxim, soaring through the sky, Noir stood on the deck and sneezed violently.
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He rubbed his nose, grumbling as he looked up.
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The Bell-mère family''s special brand of education told him that Nami was definitely badmouthing him again!
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Next time they met, he''d find an excuse to give her a good thrashing…
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Noir walked back into the cabin, a stack of bounty posters in hand, a smile playing on his lips.
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Lucci was feeding Hattori, his white pigeon. Wyper lay sprawled on the floor, snoring softly. Conis was playing with Suu, her little fox.
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Robin, seeing Noir enter, asked, "Well?"
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Noir nodded. "We''re far enough away. Tell Enel he can stop generating electricity."
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Robin glanced back at Wyper, who immediately scrambled to his feet and headed below deck to relay the message to Enel.
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Nobody dared disobey the "Queen of the Underworld."
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When Enel returned to the meeting room, Noir slapped the stack of bounty posters onto the table.
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"Everyone here, including myself, has a bounty now."
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Enel''s eyes lit up, his earlier fatigue forgotten. "Excellent! How much Beli do I have?"
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Everyone looked at the posters. The photos seemed to have been taken in Sabaody Archipelago.
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Enel snatched up his own bounty poster, his eyes scanning the details with anticipation.
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Enel, "Ten Thousand Thunders," Key Officer of the Underworld Pirates, Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit user. Bounty: 150,000,000 Beli.
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Enel exploded at the sight of his epithet.
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"What ''Ten Thousand Thunders''? I''m clearly ''God of Thunder''!" he roared indignantly.
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Noir rolled his eyes. "Do you think the World Government are your fanboys, giving you a cool-sounding title? They''ll choose whatever makes you sound the most threatening."
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"Even my own epithet is terribly bland. And you want ''God of Thunder''?"
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Enel grumbled but conceded.
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Regardless, a first bounty of 150,000,000 Beli was impressive, even in the Grand Line.
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Wyper looked at his own poster with satisfaction. The description was similar to Enel''s.
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Wyper, "War God," Key Officer of the Underworld Pirates, Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit user, suspected Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Pteranodon. Bounty: 130,000,000 Beli.
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Enel, seeing Wyper''s bounty, immediately felt better.
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He burst into laughter, taunting Wyper, "130,000,000 Beli! Hahahaha, less than mine!"
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Wyper''s face darkened. He''d been one-upped, and it stung.
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Are the Marines blind? How could I be worth less than this arrogant fool?!Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
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Robin''s bounty had increased, though only by 1,000,000 Beli. Somehow, Conis had also ended up with a bounty poster.
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Hers was rather cute, a very girly 13,140,000 Beli.
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"What about Lucci?"
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Wyper and Enel curiously peered over Lucci''s shoulder. They were so shocked by what they saw that they nearly choked.
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"Killing Weapon? Why does your epithet sound so cool?!"
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"220,000,000 Beli?! Why is your bounty so high?!"
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Wyper collapsed to his knees in despair. Enel looked as if all the color had drained from the world.
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Aside from Captain Noir and Robin, the acknowledged second-in-command, Wyper, Enel, and Conis were the founding members of the Underworld Pirates, the most senior veterans.
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Lucci and his group had joined later, recruited in Water 7.
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And now the Marines were telling them that Lucci''s bounty was higher than theirs?!
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Lucci, unfazed, picked up his bounty poster. "The Government knows my abilities well. They''ve only seen a glimpse of yours."
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"Plus, I specialize in espionage and assassination. The Marines probably think I helped the Captain infiltrate Mary Geoise."
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Lucci''s explanation eased Wyper and Enel''s frustration somewhat.
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Those two childish idiots…
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The women weren''t concerned about bounties. Robin turned to Noir and asked, "What''s our next move?"
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Noir paused, considering their options. "The number of Celestial Dragons is dwindling. I doubt the Government and the Marines will sit idly by."
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"And after these recent setbacks, they''ll be even more determined to retaliate."
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Mihawk, who had been absent earlier, emerged and sat beside Noir.
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"The Government''s authority and the Celestial Dragons'' status cannot be challenged. The Marines have a week at most before they make their move."
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Lucci nodded, his expression grim. "A major confrontation is inevitable. And the Marines will likely launch a full-scale assault."
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Noir nodded, considering the forces the Marines could deploy.
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Among the Admirals, Aokiji had lost a leg in their previous encounter and wouldn''t be fighting anytime soon. Akainu had nearly been taken down by Ace.
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That left Kizaru, but Mihawk was still with them, so that shouldn''t be a problem…
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Along with Garp and Sengoku, there were only three combatants at Admiral level or higher.
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At this point in time, Zephyr should still be with the Marines!
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Noir''s face turned serious.
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A former Admiral from the same era as Garp and Sengoku, Zephyr possessed Haki comparable to Garp''s, making him a formidable opponent.
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Add to that Vice Admirals like Momousagi and Chaton, along with numerous other Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals, and the Marines'' fighting strength was not to be trifled with.
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But Noir wasn''t afraid. With the underworld river, he wasn''t worried about being surrounded by the Marines.
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However, if Sengoku sent Zephyr after him, he could consider copying his talents.
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There were also several Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals. The Underworld Pirates'' key officers alone might struggle against such a force…
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As Noir stared out at the vast ocean, Robin''s voice broke the silence. "At this rate, we''ll reach Sabaody Archipelago soon."
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Sabaody Archipelago… and then… Fish-Man Island…
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Noir looked thoughtfully at the distant sea. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes glinted. "To bolster our strength, I need to go to Fish-Man Island."
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Robin frowned. "Isn''t that too rushed? Coating the ship will take several days."
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Noir shook his head, his voice firm with resolve. "I can go alone. There''s something I need there…"
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Princess Shirahoshi, the mermaid princess of Fish-Man Island, was Poseidon, one of the Three Ancient Weapons. She possessed the ability to communicate with and command Sea Kings.
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That ability was highly likely to manifest as a talent. If Noir could copy Poseidon''s power, dealing with the Marines would be much easier.
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The ability to command Sea Kings to attack would be a game-changer in a large-scale Marine battle.
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As Captain, Noir''s words were law. No one objected.
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But Robin looked at him with concern.
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Noir, understanding her unspoken worries, leaned down and gently embraced her.
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"I''m just going to make some preparations for the upcoming battle. I''ll be back soon."
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Robin nodded, a smile gracing her lips. "I understand."
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She lifted her head and gently kissed Noir "Be safe, and come back soon."
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The air suddenly filled with an inexplicable romantic tension. Kalifa and Conis watched with starry eyes.
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Lucci rolled his eyes. Wyper and Jabra were playing cards. And Enel…was hanging from the ceiling, generating electricity and light, as usual.
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