Grand Line, the former Drum Kingdom, now renamed the Sakura Kingdom.
Dalton watched as a Lapahn pulled a sled over from the distance.
The sled stopped in front of him. Dr. Kureha took off her sunglasses.
"Dalton, why did you call me here? Don't tell me you want to ask for the secret to my beauty."
Dalton smiled and handed her the wanted posters in his hand.
"I think you should take a look."
Dr. Kureha accepted them and glanced down.
"Four billion berries. Impressive brat. Slaughtered a country, did he?"
Then she continued flipping through them.
Suddenly, she stopped.
A smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
On the wanted poster, a reindeer wearing a cow-pattern outfit was happily eating cotton candy.
"Chopper."
Dr. Kureha's wrinkled face broke into a smile.
"I think the Marines must have made some kind of mistake with this bounty…" Dalton said from the side.
"Pfft. Hahahaha!"
Dr. Kureha then saw the Lapahn rabbit that boy had carried back then. She had not expected that little thing to get a bounty too.
"As long as Chopper looks this happy, I can relax. Nothing else matters."
Dr. Kureha looked up at the sky.
Dalton said nothing more.
Back then, after seeing that reindeer, he had already confirmed what had happened. Before, it had only been a guess. Now, it was certain.
West Blue, Kano Country.
Chinjao held the wanted posters and showed off to the other leaders.
"Hahaha! Look quickly! These are this old man's grandsons! Hahahaha!"
The other leaders looked at the old man unhappily.
Ever since his drill head came back, he had spent every day laughing.
Now that he saw both of his grandsons had bounties, he was even happier.
West Blue, Lafitte's hometown.
Several security officers held the wanted poster and discussed it among themselves.
"So after that guy suddenly vanished, he joined them."
East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
After Bellemere hung up the Den Den Mushi, she picked up her luggage and led Nojiko out by the hand.
Outside, Genzo and a group of villagers looked at the two of them reluctantly.
"Alright, everyone! After I leave, just live as usual."
After saying that, Bellemere took Nojiko onto a small boat.
Genzo stood on the shore and looked at them.
"Do you really have to go?"
Bellemere held a cigarette between her lips, the corner of her mouth lifting.
"You saw it too. If only that guy had a bounty, it wouldn't matter much.
"But Nami is on the list too. Marine Headquarters already sent the notice. I've been dismissed for now, pending observation."
"That still doesn't mean you have to leave!" Genzo's face looked ugly. "You're not part of their group."
Bellemere smiled, took out a Den Den Mushi, and tossed it to him.
"If you run into trouble, call me. They won't go too far."
After saying that, Bellemere lightly slapped her palm forward.
Bang.
A repulsive force burst out, sending the small boat carrying mother and daughter away.
Genzo and the villagers watched in silence for a long time.
Bellemere held the cigarette in her mouth and remembered White Ghost's words.
"People without someone backing them usually end badly."
Nojiko, already twelve years old, held her mother's hand.
"I wonder how Nami and the others are doing."
Bellemere patted her shoulder.
"She'll be fine. With that man beside her, nothing will happen to her. Didn't you see? She even made it onto a wanted poster."
Nojiko thought of White Ghost, and her still-young face flushed slightly.
Seeing that, Bellemere gritted her teeth.
"Bastard. When I see you, I'm definitely beating you up. My two daughters…"
Nojiko's little face turned even redder.
On White Ghost's side, after resting for several days, they finally reappeared on the sea.
There had been no choice.
That move back then had placed too much burden on him. It was White Ghost's first time using it, and it had nearly killed him. Afterward, he had simply passed out.
With no other option, the crew found an uninhabited island and rested there. The others had also suffered injuries to varying degrees.
White Ghost remained unconscious for three full days before waking up. His whole body had been terrifyingly weak, and no one knew how many medicines they had poured into him before he improved even a little.
That afternoon, White Ghost lay lazily in his exclusive spot, basking in the last bit of sunlight for the day.
Beside him, Chopper held his wanted poster, looking as if he wanted to cry.
White Ghost glanced at the adorable little guy.
"Alright, if you want it to go up, beat a Vice Admiral next time. It'll definitely break a hundred million."
Chopper rolled around on the ground.
"That's a Vice Admiral! How could I beat one? And if they're going to put a bounty on me, at least make it higher! Fifty berries isn't even enough to buy cotton candy!"
"If you have time to roll around here, you might as well train like the others. Maybe next time you join the battle, your bounty will rise."
Chopper stopped rolling and stood up with a determined face.
"I'm going to become a real man! Next time, I'm definitely getting rid of this number!"
Seeing Chopper full of motivation, White Ghost could not help laughing.
In the original path, this little guy had even exchanged a move with Big Mom.
In the end, his bounty still had not risen much.
White Ghost really did not know what was wrong with the Marines.
His crew members were all training hard.
This battle had made them understand their own shortcomings.
Especially Issho.
When fighting Kuzan, if not for the strength of his Gravity-Gravity Fruit and his swordsmanship, he would have been taken down long ago.
White Ghost had said before: no matter how powerful a Devil Fruit was, without a strong body to support it, it was only for show. Pretty on the outside, useless in the end.
Naqin was checking White Ghost's body.
What happened a few days ago had frightened them badly. Although he looked fine now, Naqin still could not relax. Almost every hour, she came to examine him again.
White Ghost pulled the squirrel girl into his arms, a wicked smile on his face.
"Whether my body is good or not, didn't you find out last night? Want to check again tonight?"
Naqin's face reddened. She leaned her head against his chest.
"You scared us to death a few days ago, White Bro. Use that move less in the future. It damages your body too much."
White Ghost played with Naqin's tail while thinking about the sudden inspiration he had had that day.
His method of not developing his ability outward, but instead using it to amplify himself, was correct.
He had just gone a little overboard that day.
Using it for the first time and immediately pushing it to the limit—if not for his strong body and Mythical Zoan ability, he would have died on the spot.
Still, the method itself was correct.
At worst, he could slowly adapt to it later. Bit by bit.
One day, once he fully adapted, he would be able to master it completely.
By then, his combat power would probably rise sharply.
White Ghost did not know how long he had been thinking. He did not even notice when the sky turned dark.
Then he felt his chest become a little hot.
He lowered his head and saw Naqin's cheeks flushed red, her breathing uneven, her eyes misty as she looked at him.
White Ghost glanced at the night sky.
Damn it, it had been dark for a long time.
Did no one call him to eat?
Actually, Wanda had come once. Seeing the two of them lying there, she left directly and did not interrupt his thoughts.
White Ghost picked Naqin up by the waist and walked toward the room.
Tonight, he had to let her give him a proper checkup again. Otherwise, she would never stop worrying.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios