The next day.
"Ian!"
As Ian was sitting on the ship's side fishing, Yamato eagerly ran up, holding a newspaper.
"Yesterday's battle is already on the news!"
It's not surprising at all.
If anything, it's actually surprising that Morgans didn't get the newspaper out last night in record time.
Ian took the newspaper and skimmed through it.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
Even though he had been beaten up yesterday, with his heart still in his hands, Morgans still didn't forget his old profession, adding some flair to the report.
The paper emphasized how Ochoku was completely powerless in front of him, overwhelmed by his crushing advantage.
In the end, Ochoku was even reduced to begging for mercy like a clown, before being mercilessly killed by him.
Well, it's true that there was an overwhelming advantage, but Ochoku also had a great backbone, never once begging for mercy until the end.
The spirit of the older generation of pirates!
I hope Morgans will be more careful next time. This time, I'll let it slide.
"Ian! Ian! And this!"
Hancock wasn't to be outdone and proudly handed a piece of paper to Ian.
"Oh?"
Ian took the paper, and his brows raised slightly.
A bounty notice.
His bounty notice.
Compared to before, the bounty on the notice had undergone a huge change.
"Two billion Berries, Ian!"
Hancock's eyes sparkled with hearts, "That's amazing!"
The bounty notice indeed showed a ten-digit number, with two followed by nine zeros.
A full two billion Berries.
Only Whitebeard, Kaido-sensei, and Big Mom had a higher bounty in the world.
However, even if the bounty hadn't increased, his ranking was still fourth.
After all, he was originally fifth, and the fourth-ranked Ochoku had just been taken out by him.
It's a bit funny to think about, but the bounty system used by the government and navy to deter pirates has, more often than not, become a source of pride for the pirates themselves.
All the pirates take joy in increasing their bounty, viewing it as an honor, and some even go out of their way to cause destruction just to raise their bounty.
However, Ian was still a little dissatisfied.
Ochoku's bounty was over 2 billion, and yet the one who killed him only had a bounty of 2 billion.
In the original story, the admirals had bounties of 3 billion.
"The bounty increased by a full 800 million."
Drake was a bit excited. "There's no doubt that yesterday's battle has completely shocked the whole world!"
As Drake said, when the news bird delivered the newspaper worldwide, everyone was shocked by the battle that took place on Mittel Island.
Those who knew a bit about the world knew just how terrifying the Ochoku Pirates were, and how monstrous Ochoku himself was!
"How is that possible! That was Ochoku! A monster from the Rocks Pirates! One of the legends of the seas! How could he be defeated by a young brat!"
"A brat? You call a 15-year-old with a bounty of 1.2 billion a brat? No, it's even 2 billion now!"
"Ian the Skyfire! An unprecedented monster! At only 15 years old, he already has the strength to challenge the emperors!"
"What in the New World can stop the Beast Pirates? The combination of Beast Kaido and Ian the Skyfire— even Whitebeard would lose!"
The entire world was in an uproar.
New World, Whitebeard Pirates.
On the vast deck of the Moby Dick, there was a deep silence.
The crew held their breath and looked towards their father.
After a long time, Whitebeard lowered the newspaper. "That bastard Ochoku was also taken down?"
"Pops," Marco said, "Ochoku's territory will now be taken over by the Beast Pirates. If that happens, there will be no buffer zone between us and them."
The faces of all the Whitebeard Pirates grew serious.
No matter how unwilling they were, they had to reluctantly admit that the strength of the Beast Pirates had already surpassed theirs.
Among them, that black, chubby man looked particularly strange.
Now that the Whitebeard Pirates were no longer the strongest, was it time to switch paths to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit?
"If they want to fight, let them bring it on!"
Whitebeard scoffed.
There was nothing in this world that could make him feel fear.
Seeing the bold and carefree figure of the man he respected the most, the pirates on the deck couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Yeah, what's there to be afraid of?
It's nothing but battle!
On the deck, a small girl silently gripped the sword at her waist.
Cake Island.
"That idiot Ochoku actually got taken out by that little brat Ian?"
Big Mom grumbled in frustration. "Damn it! If that marriage had gone through, that little bastard could have been under my control!"
Her children kept their heads down, not daring to speak.
"This is a problem now. Kaido's power has already surpassed mine!"
Charlotte Linlin felt a sense of crisis.
Although she had a deep bond with Kaido, she couldn't guarantee that the bastard wouldn't turn on her.
"Looks like it's time to talk to Whitebeard."
New World, Dressrosa.
Doflamingo's face turned ashen, unable to smile.
Somewhere on the Grand Line.
A man with hawk-like sharp eyes smirked. "Perhaps, he'll be a good opponent."
On a massive, exaggerated ship.
"Brat!! Damn brat!! Oars! I need Oars' strength!"
Alabasta.
"When I find the Pluton, they'll just be clowns."
East Blue, Goa Kingdom, Windmill Village.
"Shanks! What are you looking at?!"
Two cheerful little brats ran into the village tavern, one after the other.
The red-haired man sitting at the bar put down his newspaper and turned around with a smile.
"Just like you guys, it's the new era."
Of course, Ian had no idea how much of a stir he was causing in this world.
After spending a few days, the Golden Dragon ship once again arrived at Hive Island.
The island, which had been heavily damaged during Ian and Marco's battle more than two years ago, was now repaired and in good condition.
Ian originally thought that after the news of the Ochoku pirate group being wiped out spread, the pirates on this island would scatter.
However, what appeared before him now was a brightly decorated coast and cheering pirates.
"Welcome, Boss Ian, to Hive Island!!!"
"Boss Ian humiliated Ochoku! Boss Ian is invincible!!!"
"Boss Ian! Please lead us! We are your loyal dogs, Boss Ian!"
Almost forgot.
Pirates are the best at currying favor, flattering the strong, and stepping on the weak.
When Rocks occupied Hive Island, they bowed to Rocks.
Later, when Ochoku became the boss here, they followed Ochoku.
Then, when Blackbeard defeated Ochoku, they called Blackbeard subordinates.
And now that Ian had arrived, they immediately knelt to him.
Thus, Ian effortlessly took control of Hive Island, and even the remaining members of Ochoku's pirate group on the island swiftly switched sides.
Next, it was time to seize all of Ochoku's territories.
This trip was a huge success.
However, just after resting for a day on Hive Island and not having done much yet, a new newspaper arrived.
When Ian saw the headline, he was slightly stunned.
"Ian the Skyfire! The Fourth Pirate Emperor!"
This familiar yet unfamiliar headline made Ian instinctively think that Morgans, that bastard, was up to no good again.
But it wasn't.
Surprisingly, it wasn't.
It was from another mainstream newspaper in the seas.
Although the headline was sensational, the content was surprisingly reasonable.
It stated that Ochoku was already the strongest under the Emperors, and now Ian could defeat him with overwhelming power, meaning that Ian now possessed the strength to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Emperors.
How should I put this... it's hard to refute.
Should I announce to the world that I have a unique move called the "King Punch"?
The newspaper also mentioned that, aside from the Emperor's power, the Golden Dragon ship, which Ian commands, is home to numerous powerful individuals.
Notably, both Yamato and Hancock are as strong as the high-ranking officers of the Emperors.
With such formidable strength and influence, if Ian isn't the fourth Emperor, then who is?
"The Beasts Pirates are now supported by two Emperors!"
Ian frowned upon reading this.
Then, he reached the end of the article.
"What's even more outrageous is that Ian is only fifteen this year. The writer believes it's time to discuss when he will be able to replace Kaido and take control of the Beasts Pirates."
Tch.
Which bastard exposed my ambitions—
Wait.
Which bastard is trying to sow discord here?
**********
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