Chapter 296: The Year 1492 of the Sea Calendar
As the battle between the Navy and the Rockefeller Pirates concluded, Morgans wasted no time and immediately published the news that had been prepared beforehand—announcing the victory of the Rockefeller Pirates over the Navy. The alternative version praising the Navy's success was torn to shreds without a second thought.
With the spread of this news, the world was once again shaken to its core.
"Rockefeller Pirates Achieve Total Victory Over the Navy, Crushing the North Blue Naval Forces! Defeat of Black Arm Zephyr!"
As the reports circulated, people worldwide saw the headlines on the newspapers.
This battle had been brewing for quite some time. From Zephyr's departure from Marine Headquarters to his clash with Charlotte in the North Blue, an entire month had passed. During that time, everyone eagerly awaited the showdown between Admiral Zephyr and the notorious New World pirate, Rockefeller Charlotte, to see who would emerge victorious.
The outcome was unexpected for the public. The seemingly invincible admiral had actually lost to a pirate, igniting a surge of anger and fear in people's hearts. It wasn't just the Navy's incompetence that enraged them—it was also the overwhelming power of the pirates that terrified them.
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North Blue – Near the Island of the Battle
"Doffy! Are we still heading there?" Trebol asked, looking at the massive black ship sailing ahead.
Doflamingo's young body emitted a faint but fierce aura of ambition.
"No need! With our current status, we're not qualified to stand against someone of that level. Once I unify the underground order of North Blue, then I'll consider working with him!" Doflamingo replied, watching the Rockefeller Pirates sail past with a confident glint in his eyes.
The mighty Poseidon ship sailed away, and Charlotte never noticed the presence of the future kingpin, Doflamingo.
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With the battle over, new bounty posters from the Navy were promptly issued.
The critical point of this battle, Charlotte's son Caesar, successfully caught the Navy's attention.
Rockefeller Caesar, bounty of 160 million Berries, eldest son of Rockefeller Charlotte, Zoan-type, Mythical Beast model, Azure Dragon form. Suspected to possess the same Devil Fruit as Kaido of the Beasts. Charged with killing the North Blue governor. Extremely dangerous—dead or alive.
Rockefeller Esdeath, bounty of 120 million Berries, eldest daughter of Rockefeller Charlotte. Paramecia-type, Frost Frost Fruit. Participated in the North Blue battle and killed several Marine officers. Extremely dangerous—dead or alive.
Apart from these two, other key members also saw slight increases in their bounties.
Douglas Barrett, bounty of 580 million Berries, vice-captain of the Rockefeller Pirates, Paramecia-type, Fusion Fusion Fruit. His bounty notice listed his crimes and stated: Dead or Alive.
Charlotte was slightly taken aback by Barrett's bounty. It seemed unusually high, likely due to his association with the Rockefeller Pirates.
To put it into perspective, Chinjao had roamed the New World for five years, causing countless incidents, yet his bounty was also just 580 million Berries. Barrett, in contrast, had only been active for about two and a half years.
Furthermore, the five swordsmen who killed three veteran Marine Headquarters vice admirals also made it onto the wanted list.
Greatsword Elvis Lowell, bounty of 230 million Berries, sword master. Dead or Alive.
Swift Sword Dick Roy, bounty of 220 million Berries, sword master. Dead or Alive.
Dual Blades Brian Turner, bounty of 190 million Berries, sword master. Dead or Alive.
Quick Blade Andy Nelson, bounty of 200 million Berries, sword master. Dead or Alive.
Rapier Boris Hodge, bounty of 180 million Berries, sword master. Dead or Alive.
It became clear that sword masters, once rare and hard to find, were now gathering en masse under the banner of the Rockefeller Pirates.
With the new bounty posters issued, Charlotte's reputation soared once again. Many swordsmen who were hesitating at the threshold of becoming sword masters made up their minds to set sail and follow the world's greatest swordsman, Rockefeller Charlotte.
This surge of swordsman enthusiasm was something the Navy hadn't foreseen.
And then there was Charlotte's own updated bounty.
Rockefeller Charlotte, captain of the Rockefeller Pirates, the world's greatest swordsman, known as the Blood Sword Master. Bounty: 3.56 billion Berries. Dead or Alive.
The staggering bounty of 3.56 billion Berries left everyone in shock.
However, Charlotte merely curled his lips in dissatisfaction. Though his bounty had increased, it still fell short compared to Gol D. Roger, Golden Lion Shiki, and Whitebeard Edward Newgate. Despite his feats, he remained ranked behind these three, consistently overshadowed by them.
Among the three, Roger held the highest bounty. Who knew what kind of trouble Roger had stirred up lately that caused the Navy Headquarters to repeatedly raise his bounty? It seemed that he had done something to severely provoke the World Government—likely another incident related to the Poneglyphs.
Speaking of Poneglyphs, Charlotte had been in this pirate world for decades yet hadn't seen a single stone tablet. The so-called treasures of this pirate world still eluded him—a bitter irony for a supposed "transmigrator."
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Sea Calendar Year 1492
More than a year had passed since the battle with Zephyr.
During this time, the Rockefeller Pirates occasionally made appearances but refrained from causing major disturbances. Similarly, the Navy had not sent any commanders to hunt them down, maintaining a strange, mutual understanding—so long as Charlotte didn't cause trouble, the Navy and the World Government wouldn't intervene.
Understanding this, Charlotte had spent the past year peacefully in the North Blue. Whenever they arrived at a prosperous island, he would take his children ashore to experience life.
Initially, the locals would panic upon seeing the Rockefeller Pirates approach. But when they realized that the pirates did not engage in mass slaughter or plundering, they gradually calmed down.
Soon, a rumor spread throughout the North Blue:
"As long as you don't attack the Rockefeller Pirates, they won't harm you."
No one knew whether this statement came from the Rockefeller Pirates themselves or from someone else. Regardless, no kingdom dared to act against them. On the contrary, some bold rulers even took the initiative to invite the crew to royal banquets.
Charlotte never refused these free meals and festivities. After all, with his agreement not to stir trouble, the crew had no stable income. Sustaining such a large number of people was no small feat. To keep finances afloat, they had to rely on raiding other pirates.
During this time, many unfortunate pirate crews met their end at the hands of the Rockefeller Pirates.
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