Three days later, the news of Enies Lobby's fall swept across the seas like a storm.
The Straw Hat Pirates were instantly elevated to supernova status, even shaking the distant New World.
Luffy's bounty skyrocketed to 300 million Berries, making him the top rookie of his generation.
The pirate world was in an uproar.
"Captain Shanks! The News Coo is here! Should we grab a paper and check out Luffy's new bounty?"
On a remote island beach, a bonfire crackled.
Lucky Roo looked up at the approaching bird, visibly excited.
They'd heard rumors of Enies Lobby's fall a week ago.
But rumors were nothing compared to seeing it in print.
"Sure, grab one," Shanks said with a grin, taking a swig of liquor. "We've been in the Calm Belt for a while. Let's see what kind of mess Luffy's made."
"Taking down Enies Lobby and defeating CP9? That's one hell of a leap."
"Alright, boys—guess Luffy's new bounty. Closest one gets this fine bottle of sake!"
"I'll say… 300 million Berries!"
Shanks tossed the bottle onto the sand, and the crew erupted in cheers.
Lucky Roo rushed off to make the trade with the News Coo.
In the Calm Belt, with no wind and plenty of Sea Kings, communication was limited.
Even Den Den Mushi signals were unreliable.
For places like Amazon Lily, the only way to get news from the outside world was through the News Coo.
"Beckman, you're the brains of the ship. You should outguess the captain. What's your bet?" Yasopp chuckled.
All eyes turned to Benn Beckman.
He took a drag from his cigar, watching Lucky Roo return with the paper.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"Captain… maybe we shouldn't have let Lucky buy the paper."
"You know his jinxed mouth is freakishly accurate."
"Jinxed?"
Everyone blinked.
Yasopp frowned. "You mean when we left Whitebeard's territory, and the captain said he was excited to see what sparks would fly between Luffy and the new Admiral?"
"And Lucky said… 'maybe blood will fly'?"
"Yeah… I remember that…"
The crew fell silent.
Even Shanks looked uneasy.
They all turned to Lucky Roo.
His sheepish expression made their hearts sink.
"Lucky, hurry up and bring the paper over! Don't tell me your jinx actually came true!" Yasopp barked, panic rising.
His son was on that crew.
He had every reason to worry.
Lucky Roo handed over the paper with a bitter smile.
"I was just joking… I didn't think they'd actually be that unlucky."
"Luffy's bounty and the Enies Lobby news are in there, sure."
"But the rest… you'll have to see for yourselves."
Everyone crowded around the paper.
The Straw Hats' story had been shoved into a corner.
The front page?
A scorched, cratered dock.
"Marine Supernova vs Pirate Supernova!"
"No sparks—only blood!"
"Rising pirate star struck down on the spot!"
"Beasts Pirates' Flying Six member obliterated by new Admiral Luoyu!"
"Pirate rookies flee in chaos!"
Dozens of bold black headlines screamed across the page.
There was even a photo—Luoyu submitting the Straw Hats' battered images for bounty credit.
The once-celebratory bonfire fell silent.
Everyone stared at the paper.
At the photos of Luffy and his crew—bloodied, broken, humiliated.
Had their captain bet his arm on the wrong era?
Meanwhile, a Navy warship cut through the waves, just ten nautical miles from Sabaody Archipelago.
Luoyu stood at the bow, sipping from a gourd and munching on a steamed bun.
A Den Den Mushi sat in front of him, connected.
"Luoyu, are you insane? It's been three days! You still haven't delivered the Flying Six guy?"
"You're not seriously using a crippled pirate as bait to lure Jack the Drought, are you?"
Garp's voice rang out from the snail.
"You're getting crazier by the day… and I love it!"
"I've always hated those Beasts Pirates anyway!"
Garp's booming laugh echoed across the deck.
The Marines nearby twitched.
To them, the Four Emperors were nightmares.
Even Vice Admirals avoided them.
And now someone was trying to fish for one?
Even the Flying Six member—barely recovered thanks to his Ancient Zoan resilience—nearly coughed up blood.
He'd thought being a pirate meant dying with dignity.
He never imagined being used as bait.
What hurt most?
Luoyu didn't even care about their bounties.
He only cared about the bonus payout.
To him, the 5% reward was a price tag of shame.
If he hadn't been cuffed in seastone and tied up like a dumpling on the mast, he'd have begged to die with honor.
"Vice Admiral Garp, isn't 50 million in performance points worth it?" Luoyu said, sipping his drink.
"Just keep this from Sengoku. I'll cover your senbei and Koby's snacks for a week."
"Anyway, it's been three days. Still no intel on CP9?"
"If not, I'll have to find another way."
"Another way?"
Garp froze.
"You're not going back to the black market taverns, are you?"
"Last time you bought intel, you pissed off the Beasts Pirates."
"Do it again and you'll probably offend another Yonko. Sengoku's heart won't survive it."
"Just wait a bit longer. HQ's intel network isn't that useless. We'll find where CP9's hiding in Sabaody soon."
"Hey—don't hang up! Fine, I'll give you my private line!"