As Koa's first bounty was officially posted, the World Economy News Paper began distributing the wanted posters of the trio across every sea. The purpose was twofold: to alert the public of the danger these individuals posed, and to leverage the reach of bounty hunters and ambitious pirates in capturing them, thus reducing the resources the World Government would have to spend on direct pursuit.
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Koa, spotting a News Coo flying overhead, called it down and bought a newspaper. He had expected this moment—knew a bounty would be placed on his head after what he'd done. Killing a high-ranking Marine in the South Blue, especially during a time when the Marines were desperate for manpower, was bound to draw attention.
Flipping through the paper, he soon found the bounty posters.
When he saw his own, he paused. It featured a photo of him relaxing aboard their small ship, calm and unconcerned—a candid shot, but somehow fitting.
WANTED – DEAD OR ALIVE
MAUI D. KOA – 70,000,000 BERRIES
Koa raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected it to be this high. At this point in time—before the Golden Age of Pirates truly began—bounties weren't just arbitrary numbers. Back then, they were direct reflections of threat level and strength, not just chaos caused. In that context, a 70 million bounty was staggering. It put him on par with pirates who would later be labeled Supernovas—and he was just getting started.
"Looks like the world's finally paying attention," he muttered with a grin, folding the poster and slipping it into his coat.
"Boss, what's that?" Greenbull asked, curious about what Koa was holding. In response, Koa handed him a bounty poster—Greenbull's own. He did the same for Kuzan, who was lazily sprawled out on the deck. Upon hearing Greenbull speak, Kuzan casually approached to see what the fuss was about.
WANTED – DEAD OR ALIVE
Name: Unknown
Bounty: 20,000,000 BERRIES
This was Kuzan's bounty poster. Though his name remained unknown, the image used showed his unmistakable lazy expression as he lounged on their ship.
WANTED – DEAD OR ALIVE
Name: Unknown
Bounty: 10,000,000 BERRIES
Similarly, Greenbull's name wasn't listed either, but his photo was impossible to miss—it captured the exact moment he was flipping off Kuzan.
Greenbull stared at the poster, disbelief written across his face. "How the hell do I have a lower bounty than this lazy afro? I should be closer to your bounty, boss!"
"Probably because they realized you're too weak to be a threat," Kuzan replied flatly, clearly irritated by Greenbull's complaint.
That sparked it. The two immediately began throwing jabs—verbal at first, but quickly escalating into Devil Fruit-powered attacks. Vines burst from the deck, and frost crept across the wood as they launched into yet another one of their ridiculous skirmishes.
Koa just sighed, casually flipping his axe in his hand. "Idiots…"
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Meanwhile, aboard the Oro Jackson, the Roger Pirates were still recovering from the previous night's drinking session. Shanks and Buggy, as apprentices, were stuck cleaning the floor as part of their duties—especially now that Kuma, Ginny, and Ivankov had joined the crew as full-fledged members.
Suddenly, Buggy spotted a News Coo circling above. His eyes lit up as he rushed to call it down and buy the latest newspaper and bounty updates. He was eager to check if there were any changes to his own bounty—though he hadn't yet realized that, as an apprentice, he wouldn't be listed unless he already had a bounty prior to joining.
As he scanned the bounty posters, Buggy's eyes fell on three familiar names—Kuma, Ginny, and Ivankov. Their bounties had been updated again, rising steadily due to their growing fame as the only Devil Fruit users on the Oro Jackson.
WANTED – DEAD OR ALIVE
Bartholomew Kuma (Giant Bear)
Bounty: 45,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED – DEAD OR ALIVE
Emporio Ivankov (Slime King)
Bounty: 45,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED – DEAD OR ALIVE
Ginny (Pink-Haired Demon)
Bounty: 45,000,000 BERRIES
All three posters bore matching bounties—a deliberate move by the World Government to acknowledge their growing threat while also maintaining balance in public perception, especially given their young age.
But it wasn't those posters that got Buggy truly excited.
He spotted three new bounty posters—and one in particular made his eyes go wide.
"CAPTAIN!!!" Buggy shouted, startling the sleeping pirates. The entire ship stirred, many groaning from their hangovers. Shanks, who was right beside him, had also seen it—his older brother's face printed clearly on the front page.
The two apprentices ran straight to Roger, who was groggily waking up from the ruckus.
"Huh? What is it now?" Roger grumbled, rubbing his temples.
Buggy thrust the posters into Roger's hands, nearly trembling with excitement. Rayleigh and Gaban approached, curious. As Roger read the name and bounty, his grogginess vanished, replaced by a booming laugh.
Rayleigh chuckled. "Looks like you're gaining another rival, Roger."
Gaban smirked, handing the posters around to the rest of the crew.
Roger laughed heartily. "Yes! And look at these two beside him—they seem like solid companions. Just like Rayleigh and Gaban have been to me."
He stared at Koa's bounty for a long moment, a gleam of pride in his eyes. "I can't wait for him to reach the New World… with a full crew of his own."
Nearby, Kuma, Ginny, and Ivankov had also received copies of the poster.
"You think we'll meet them again one day, Aniki? Kumacchi?" Ginny asked, her voice soft with nostalgia.
"Of course," Ivankov replied without hesitation, folding the poster with a grin. "Koa's not the kind of guy to disappear quietly."
Kuma simply nodded, his rare smile appearing for a brief moment as he stared at the image of Koa.
The winds of destiny were shifting, and in the vast sea ahead, old bonds and new paths were on a sure course to collide once again.
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Meanwhile, a man with blonde hair and a white moustache was looking at the bounty poster of Koa and his crew while drinking.
"GURARARARARARA, it seems that Roger's apprentice just started making a name for himself," The man, who was named Edward Newgate, said, while Marco was on his side, sitting on his shoulders while the other members of his family were restocking their supplies on a certain island,
This reaction was apparent as every remnant of the Rock's pirates saw Koa's bounty and thought of recruiting Him into their ranks, especially Bigmom, who recognized Koa and knew his full capability.