Chapter 106: The Bounty

“Tacit understanding” — these two words often carry great weight. When coordination is seamless, it saves a great deal of trouble. Of course, this plan was quite simple: Qiu Bai would draw the enemy’s attention, Aine would revert them to their juvenile form to weaken their overall strength, and finally, Peipo would administer a suffocating treatment. That would settle everything.

“Qiu Bai?”

Though wrapped up like a mummy, at least Qiu Bai’s face remained visible.

“Besides me, there’s no one else in the North Sea who looks this miserable,” Qiu Bai muttered gloomily.

They had found the right person... but it was no surprise that Qiu Bai was severely injured.

Clearly, he was unfit to be “transported” in his current state. Unless a non-naval fleet was docking soon, it was best for him to stay here quietly and receive treatment.

Aine pondered for a moment, then patted Peipo on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Instantly, Peipo transformed—not only growing two sizes larger, but bypassing the stages between polar bear and panda, evolving directly into a Totoro.

Qiu Bai, labeled “handle with care,” could only be treated gently. Aine carefully helped him up and nestled him into the thick, furry bear coat.

There was probably no better cushioning material than fat and fur. With Peipo’s gentler movements, Qiu Bai barely felt any additional pain.

Aine then pointed toward the unconscious naval lieutenant, as if asking Qiu Bai what to do next. Qiu Bai shook his head, signaling that leaving things as they were was sufficient.

In a sense, he had been saved by the navy, so he wouldn’t take any unnecessary actions.

After abducting the man, the three retraced their steps. Though Peipo’s enlarged form made movement more cumbersome, having Qiu Bai as a radar scout made their journey less agile but more predictable.

Of course, when forced, they reluctantly knocked out a few marines who couldn’t be avoided... but only to that extent. Ultimately, the trio returned to their small boat, “according to plan.”

And then... it was time to make a swift escape.

As for the bounty, Qiu Bai felt no regret. He knew there was no way he would ever claim that money.

The three vanished from the fleet’s reach. It wasn’t until the following morning, during routine medical rounds, that the doctors discovered Qiu Bai’s disappearance. The ensuing commotion aside, this sort of “self-incrimination” was enough to reveal Qiu Bai’s identity.

If he were truly a bounty hunter, he wouldn’t have fled in such a battered state... Though the navy often treated bounty hunters coldly, they never distrusted or feared them to that degree.

Anyone reacting like this could only be a pirate.

Once the naval intelligence system in the North Sea got to work, Qiu Bai’s identity was finally uncovered—though by then they had already vanished without a trace.

According to information from a journalist who had previously stirred up trouble, the pirate known as “Yaezakura” was in fact Qiu Bai, affiliated with the Donquixote Pirates.

This reporter had apparently crossed paths with him before, and based on his assertions, the navy largely accepted this account.

More importantly... was there any explanation more plausible than the Donquixote Pirates having taken down the Komodo Pirates?

The North Sea was vast but could not accommodate two hostile pirate crews. The latter’s provocation inevitably led to their “justifiable” demise... Pirates often wished ill upon each other; their mutual hatred ran far deeper than that between pirates and the navy.

With a reasonable explanation in hand, the navy nonetheless took the matter seriously. After all, when dealing with the Komodo Pirates, the Donquixote crew had deployed minimal force, merely sending a rookie—or even a trainee fighter—to handle the entire operation... which seemed somewhat exaggerated.

As a result, the navy had to raise its assessment of the Donquixote family’s combat strength and threat level. Meanwhile, Qiu Bai, the executor of this mission, went from obscurity to sudden fame.

By defeating a pirate captain-level opponent, he earned recognition within the navy and was promptly placed on the bounty list.

—————

West of the Grand Line’s mysterious Triangle Zone, a ship sailed toward the Sabaody Archipelago.

Though Qiu Bai’s actions had shaken the North Sea pirate world with their significance, this ship attracted far more attention from the navy headquarters and the wider world.

Its captain was Fisher Tiger, leading the Sun Pirates.

Recently, their notoriety rivaled that of Whitebeard or Big Mom. Tiger’s defiance had so enraged the Celestial Dragons that even Ryugu Kingdom on Fish-Man Island felt the world government’s pressure.

Yet the Sun Pirates feared nothing... If there was any recent change aboard this ship, it was the addition of a dozen or so mermaids.

“Lily, have you seen today’s news?” a young mermaid called out, holding up a freshly acquired newspaper.

Merfolk found it difficult to move in this environment; bubbles rarely worked beyond Sabaody, so she sat atop a fish-man with a head full of black hair.

In short, her mode of transportation was none other than Jinbe.

“Has the navy sent new forces to surround Captain Tiger again?” Lily asked, handing the paper over. She asked casually, sensing from the other’s expression that it wasn’t bad news.

The paper flipped to a page reporting the clash between two North Sea pirate crews, which ended in one side’s annihilation. The article was detailed, but it hardly concerned them.

Just as Lily thought this, she turned the page and came face-to-face with two large photos occupying the entire spread.

First, the victorious pirate crew’s captain, Donquixote Doflamingo, had his bounty raised to 440 million.

Second, a young pirate who played a pivotal role in the skirmish had been listed with a bounty for the first time.

“MARINE: DEAD OR ALIVE, BOUNTY 58,000,000, Qiu Bai.”

Though multiple photos were available, the one chosen for the bounty poster showed Qiu Bai drenched in blood, wielding a knife single-handedly, leaning against the Komodo’s helm.

Anyone who had seen that photo would never forget the pirate’s gaze—not because it was fierce, but because, despite what one would expect, it was calm.

The most dangerous pirates in public perception must look like this; the navy hoped the public would see them this way. Thus, the photo captured exactly that.

“Qiu Bai... is that his name?”

At the moment the bounty poster was published, a few recognized the name and associated it with past images...