Pirate: I, Ace, am the King of Eclipse!

The other party also offered a sufficiently high price.

This combination of kindness and severity made Zeff realize that the future of these young people would not be limited to the first half of the Grand Line.

"Sanji."

Zeff turned around and looked at the blond youth who was still in shock beside him.

"Go to the safe in my office and take down that black handwritten copy."

"But the old man..."

Sanji gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Go get it!"

Zeff's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Sanji was silent for a moment, then turned and went upstairs.

A few minutes later.

After confirming the contents of the handwritten copy, Karina put the black cookbook, which recorded the pinnacle of Baratie's culinary skills, into her bag and locked the suitcase behind her.

"Happy deal, Mr. Zeff."

Ace ignored the other people in the restaurant and walked out.

"Hey!"

Just as Ace was about to step out the door, Sanji suddenly clenched his fist and shouted at the broad back:

"Who exactly are you people?!"

Ace paused slightly.

He didn't turn around.

The sea breeze ruffled his dark red trench coat, and the sunlight streaming through the broken door frame fell on him, making his figure appear even taller.

"A group of madmen who are preparing to go to Upside Down Mountain and completely overturn the rules of this world."

The calm tone echoed in the empty restaurant.

After saying that, Ace started walking again, leading Sabo and Carina out of Baratie and onto the black fast ship that cost 80 million Berries to build.

"Weigh anchor! Raise sails!"

Bucky had already run to the bow of the ship and was shouting orders as if he were the one who had just been dominating the restaurant.

The Eclipse's massive, pure black sails suddenly filled with a roar.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people in the first-floor restaurant, a mixture of awe and fear, the fast ship, as sharp as a black sword, cleanly and decisively turned its bow, tearing through the waves and heading towards the distant horizon.

Sanji stood in front of the broken glass door, watching the Eclipse gradually disappear into the distance, his hand holding the cigarette tightening slightly.

It was only at this moment that he truly realized just how vast the ocean was.

It can also be quite dangerous.

Chapter 21: The Initial Bounty of Fifty Million, Aiming at Loguetown

The East China Sea is bathed in clear blue skies.

The Eclipse's massive black sails billowed in the sea breeze as the ship glided smoothly across the azure waters.

"Splash—"

In the sky, a newsbird wearing a postman's hat circled once, then steadily dropped a rolled-up newspaper and several forms onto the deck.

"Oh? Today's newspaper has arrived."

Sabo caught the newspaper and casually tossed a coin to the news bird.

He untied the ropes, and several brand-new naval arrest warrants immediately fluttered onto the deck with the sea breeze.

Karina, who was checking accounts in the living room, and Bucky, who was cleaning cannons on the deck, both perked up their ears and leaned over in unison.

"Let me see! Let me see!"

Bucky excitedly rushed to the deck and grabbed one of the wanted posters with his red nose printed on it.

"I'm a captain on the Eclipse, after all. The Navy should know what's what, right?"

However, when he saw the numbers and prefixes on it, the expectation on his face froze instantly.

Bucky the Joker.

Bounty: 1500 million Berries.

The photo is still the same old one from back then, and the bounty hasn't increased by a single pegoons.

But that's not the worst part.

Most importantly, below his name was a line of small print—

Affiliation: Chief Odds and Ends of the Eclipse Pirates!

"What a joke!!!"

Bucky's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he angrily stomped his feet on the deck, clutching the bounty poster.

"Why hasn't my bounty increased by a single penny?!"

"And where did those bastards in the Navy get their intelligence from? The fucking Chief of General Affairs!"

"Don't I have any dignity?!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Amidst a burst of laughter, Ace, who had just finished his morning exercise, pushed open the hatch and stepped out.

He strode over to Bucky and slapped Bucky's shoulder with his large hand, almost making Bucky fall forward.

"Don't be so angry, Bucky!"

Ace couldn't stop laughing.

"What's wrong with the chief general affairs officer? That's a key position on the Eclipse!"

"The Navy is clearly giving high recognition to your enormous contribution to our pirate crew's logistics! Hahahaha!"

"Captain! You're definitely mocking me! You're definitely!"

Bucky protested, on the verge of tears.

But Ace was laughing so hard that he couldn't muster any real force when he cursed a few times, and in the end he could only wail on the deck while clutching the bounty poster.

"It seems the Navy's intelligence network is nothing special after all."

Karina crouched down, rummaged through a pile of bounty posters, and then triumphantly tossed her long purple hair.

"They couldn't even get a picture of a living, breathing person like me."

"Indeed, the most perfect criminal etiquette is to never expose one's face to the camera."

"That's because you run fast."

Sabo smiled and shook his head, picking up his own wanted poster.

The photo captures his profile as he smashes the royal family's sailing ship with his fiery fist, bathed in orange-red flames and wearing a top hat.

"Flame Dragon" Sabo.

Bounty: 3000 million Berries.

Life and death are irrelevant.

"The first bounty was 30 million Berries."

Sabo looked down at the bounty poster, his smile faint.

"It seems that the Navy Headquarters is indeed very unhappy about our attack on the royal family of the member states."

"Well done, Saab!"

Ace laughed and gave Sabo a thumbs up.

"This is the kind of rank a first mate of the Eclipse should have!"

After saying that, he picked up the last one from the deck, which was also the highest bounty poster with a striking red danger mark.

The photo was taken secretly inside the Barradi restaurant.

In the photo, Ace sits in the main seat, his massive 2.5-meter frame almost dominating the entire frame. He glances casually at the camera, and even through a thin sheet of paper, he exudes an aura of power and presence.

"Eclipse" Portgas D. Ace.

Bounty: 5000 million Berries!

Life and death are irrelevant!

"Captain, you didn't even lift a finger, and you still got fifty million Berries?!"

When Bucky saw the number, he gasped.

The bounty for the first time soared to 50 million, which has completely broken the historical record of the East China Sea.

"Hahahaha! Fifty million?!"

Ace looked at the number on the bounty poster and made no attempt to hide his joy.

"Looks like that royal guard Sabo threw into the sea was worth something!"

He turned around and shouted at Karina:

"Kalina, let's have a small celebration today and bring out that barrel of good wine from the cellar."

"Bucky, go to the kitchen and grill that biggest sea king leg!"

"Extra meals for the whole ship today!"

Oh! A banquet!

Upon hearing about the banquet, Bucky's earlier frustration vanished instantly, and he turned and ran towards the kitchen.

"Finally, we can drink some alcohol!"