Luffy, how can you become the Pirate King if you don't work hard!

Although he doesn't really care about the title of Emperor of the Sea, he would definitely care a little if he were kicked out of that group.

Could it be that the bounty has decreased because he hasn't shown up for two years?

Luffy tensed up and leaned forward: "My bounty isn't going to drop, is it?"

Seeing his expression, Nami chuckled, then held out her hand to Vivi and Robin, palm up, and waved it triumphantly: "Give me the money! I knew Luffy would react like this!"

Vivi and Robin exchanged a smile, then each took out a few Berries from their pockets and placed them in Nami's hand.

Nami immediately beamed, her slender white fingers deftly arranging the banknotes, then she gave Luffy an exaggerated kiss: "Hehe, you're so cooperative, I'll give you a reward later~"

Luffy blinked, looking bewildered. "Wait, have I suddenly become some kind of stake?"

“We made a small bet before,”

Robin smiled and said, "I bet your first reaction when you hear the word 'Four Emperors' is that you're worried about being excluded, or you don't care."

As it turns out, Luffy does care a lot.

Vivi smiled and said, "Luffy, you actually care about your reputation quite a bit."

Luffy grinned a little sheepishly: "After all, they are the Emperors of the Sea. If I were to be removed from their ranks, it would feel like I'd lost."

"Don't worry, your bounty hasn't been lost."

Vivi looked at him seriously, "Although the World Government has not made any official adjustments, based on the information circulating in the black market and assessments from various parties, you are still the pirate with the highest bounty below the Four Emperors. However, everyone still prefers to refer to you as the Fifth Emperor of the Sea."

Ultimately, the title "Emperor of the Sea" has no direct connection to the World Government or the Navy. To a large extent, it is a title spontaneously formed by the people of this sea to honor certain top-level powerhouses.

People are now used to distinguishing Luffy from the established Four Emperors.

The main reason is that what Luffy did was so shocking to the whole world.

At Impel Down, he single-handedly inflicted a crushing defeat on the navy!

He saved Whitebeard and even took Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit for his own use.

Luffy breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

If the bounty hasn't decreased and the reputation remains, then there's no problem.

Nami had already counted her winnings, happily stuffing them into her wallet. Then she leaned over and bumped Luffy with her shoulder: "I'm serious about giving you a reward later~"

She blinked, her eyes hinting at something.

Robin, who was standing nearby, pressed on, "What's the reward?"

Nami blushed slightly, glared at Robin reproachfully, and then chased after him with a bit of embarrassment and annoyance. Robin laughed and dodged, and the two girls started fooling around, filling the tavern with lighthearted laughter.

Vivi rolled her eyes and then continued to give Luffy the information.

"First, the most significant changes came from the Navy."

Vivi's voice was clear and steady, "Former Navy Admiral Akainu Sakazuki has succeeded retired Fleet Admiral Sengoku as the new Fleet Admiral."

Luffy nodded: "I heard about this from Granny Newe on Amazon Lily. Akainu also moved the Marine Headquarters to the New World, right?"

"That's right, the new naval headquarters is located at the original site of the G-1 branch in the New World, and has been renamed New Marineford."

"This move is seen as a signal of the Navy's determination to strengthen its control over the New World. After taking office, Fleet Admiral Akainu implemented a series of radical policies, including expanding the scope of global recruitment, strengthening the Navy's scientific research and development, and taking more severe measures to combat pirates."

"However, the Navy is not a monolithic entity. The biggest news is that former Admiral Aokiji Kuzan officially retired from the Navy shortly after Akainu took office."

"Aokiji left?"

Chopper couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

It only just found out about this.

Luffy nodded: "Yeah, I think it's strange too."

He had a fairly deep impression of Aokiji.

Besides the encounters on Enies Lobby and Sabaody Archipelago, the earlier meeting on Long Chain Island is also still fresh in my memory.

Among the generals, he had a relatively deep impression of Aokiji.

It's related to the other party's preference for letting water out.

joke.

Luffy may feel that Aokiji has something in common with his grandfather, and the loss of such a powerful fighter to an admiral is a considerable loss for the Navy.

Robin was silent for a moment.

Aokiji is still in contact with her; if it weren't for Aokiji, she might have died there during the Ohara incident.

But what did Aokiji do after leaving the Navy?

Surely the world government wouldn't ignore such an important figure.

Moreover, in this vast ocean, it seems that not being in the navy is the only option.

That means becoming a pirate!

A naval admiral became a pirate?

That was big news, but considering that Gion, the substitute admiral, was going to be on their ship, it didn't seem so surprising.

The official explanation is that it's due to ideological differences.

Vivi said, "According to internal sources, Aokiji opposed Akainu's overly radical and absolute justice ideals, which even went so far as to sacrifice civilians. He also opposed the potential chain reaction that might occur after the Marine Headquarters moved to the New World. The two had a heated argument at a high-level meeting, and in the end, Aokiji chose to leave."

However, the World Government did not characterize Aokiji's actions as defection or becoming a pirate.

You should know that the World Government has rules: you need permission to go to sea. If you go to sea without the World Government's permission, you are a pirate.

Many people become pirates this way.

He only announced that he was stepping down for personal reasons, but retained his honorary title of Admiral.

This is clearly out of consideration for Aokiji's strength and influence. If they push him too hard, and a former Marine Admiral actually becomes a pirate, it would be a heavy blow to the World Government's prestige.

"So what is he doing now?" Luffy asked curiously.

There is no definite news at the moment.

Vivi shook her head. "All I know is that he wanders around the New World like a traveler. Some people have seen him in the waters near Wano Country, and others have seen him on the edge of the Totto Land Kingdom. He doesn't seem to have built up any power base, nor does he seem to be deliberately avoiding the eyes and ears of the Navy or the World Government. He just walks around aimlessly."

Luffy stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

A powerhouse of Aokiji's caliber wouldn't wander around the new world aimlessly.

He must have his own motives.

However, since the other party showed no hostility, Luffy wouldn't pay too much attention to it.

What he's more concerned about now is...

"Where are Ace and the others?"

Luffy asked, "How is the Whitebeard Pirates doing?"

"The New World is in chaos right now, and the Whitebeard Pirates are shrinking their territory."

Vivi said, "Because Whitebeard's physical condition fluctuates. When he's in good health, he's still the strongest man in the world, and it's even rumored that he's stronger than before the Marineford War; but when he's in bad health, he falls into a state of loss of control, unable to distinguish friend from foe, and his destructive power is astonishing."

The commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates had to expend a great deal of effort to protect him and minimize his opportunities to fight personally.

The white-bearded uncle's body?

The reason why things sometimes work and sometimes don't is probably due to that special physical condition. It's not just Whitebeard who is like that; Rocks and Harald, who are in the time tunnel, are also like that.

"Because Whitebeard's condition was unstable, and the Whitebeard Pirates did suffer significant losses after the Marineford War, their territory was encroached upon by many parties."

Vivi continued, "Besides the Red-Haired Pirates maintaining their usual restraint and neutrality, the other two Yonko, Kaido of the Beasts and Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, took the opportunity to expand their territories and annexed many islands that originally belonged to Whitebeard."

As the captain of the second division, Ace has been very active in the past two years, leading his team to put out fires everywhere and trying to stabilize the situation.

He, along with Marco, Captain Jozu, and others, supported the Whitebeard Pirates, but the pressure remained immense.

Luffy didn't speak, but his eyes remained calm.

He could imagine the challenges Ace was facing now.

But that was Ace's adventure, and the Whitebeard Pirates' own battle.

Luffy will not easily intervene unless it is a matter of life and death.

Just as Ace wouldn't arbitrarily interfere in the Straw Hat crew's journey, this is a tacit understanding between brothers, and also a respect for each other's choices.

"The pirates of the New World are all eyeing the Whitebeard Pirates as a huge prize. Among them, the most powerful is undoubtedly the Blackbeard Pirates led by Marshall D. Teach."

Upon hearing this name, the atmosphere in the tavern froze slightly.

Luffy squinted.

After all, Blackbeard was the culprit who caused Ace's arrest and triggered the war, and he was also an opponent that Luffy had fought in Impel Down.

He's still alive?

Luffy thought that guy was dead.

"After Impel Down's escape, Blackbeard quickly gathered his remaining forces and recruited a large number of vicious criminals who had escaped from Level 6 of Impel Down."

"A year ago, a major event occurred known as the Rocky Harbor Incident. Shortly afterward, Blackbeard seized Beehive Island in the New World and began to expand rapidly."

Vivi looked up at Luffy and said, "Most notably, Blackbeard, like you, Luffy, has become a dual Devil Fruit user."

Luffy was stunned for a moment.

A user with two Devil Fruit abilities?

"According to reliable intelligence, during the Impel Down War, Blackbeard somehow stole the Momo-Momo Fruit that originally belonged to the World Destroyer Bondy Wald."

Vivi said, "Now he possesses both the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Momo-Momo Fruit. With these dual powers, he runs rampant in the New World, defeating several veteran pirate crews and plundering vast amounts of resources and territory."

His bounty skyrocketed to 2.5 billion Berries in two years, making him widely regarded as the closest he could come to being a Sea Emperor.

"Momo fruit,"

Luffy repeated in a low voice.

He remembered this fruit; it could multiply the size, speed, weight, and other attributes of objects it touched, making it a troublesome ability.

If combined with the properties of the Dark-Dark Fruit, it would indeed become extremely difficult to deal with.