Chapter 1184 - 694: Kuzan, 4.5 Billion Belly! (Part 2)

The proportion of this part has risen sharply, raising the intensity of their engagement in battle significantly, and the funding is consuming heavily.

Medicines, weapons, ships... which of these don’t cost money?

"Once the Navy’s prestige drops, trying to recover it is incredibly difficult!"

For those representing justice, raising prestige is hard; once it falls, elevating it again is even harder by far.

For those representing evil, it seems that people show tolerance; even if annihilated, as long as it rises from the ashes, it continues to instill fear, and the bigger the deed, the greater the terror.

"And that guy, we must issue a wanted order..."

Akainu paused for a moment, his tone filled with sighs and reflections, "Since he doesn’t care about the impact at all, it signifies he has completely shifted to the evil side, and we needn’t worry about respect anymore."

"The impact will be huge..." Kizaru reminded.

"We must issue a wanted order!"

Akainu gritted his teeth, "He is not like Issho, who joined two years ago, even if he became one of the evil, he would just be a Kingdom Security Officer. That guy was a former Navy man! Yet he completely disregarded respect twice to join evil! A wanted order is necessary! Announce it to the world!"

As he spoke, he clenched his fists, magma red light emerging once again, "That despicable Kuzan!!"

Kuzan’s departure was a scandal, something the World Government kept secret.

His help in the battle with Teach was suppressed, even though the ocean’s communication channels are wide, only a limited few knew these things.

Without corresponding written news, the public treats it as mere rumors.

After all, an Admiral resigning naturally spreads various versions of rumors.

But this time is different.

If they don’t speak, Sage will. He’s not one to hide things.

Moreover, Kuzan himself became a Pirate, not joining O’hara.

The only option is to issue a wanted order, casting him among the evil; anyway...

The disgrace is already enough!

...

Meeting room.

Navy meeting king, giving more PPTs than actual merits, meeting version ’Ryokugyu’ Brannew stood on the stage again, his face under the sunglasses solemn, facing the two rows seated below, equally solemn-looking Vice Admirals.

Although skilled in delivering PPTs, he inherently belonged to the Navy Criminal Investigation Bureau, not the Navy Commander’s branch, originally from a crime level assessment background.

The Revolutionary Army is causing unrest, with a significant number of Pirates from the Four Seas entering the Grand Line, making him conduct numerous meetings recently, evaluating the danger of over a hundred million Pirates, with Navy ranks targeted from Colonel to Vice Admiral.

Yet every meeting that includes Vice Admirals indicates that it’s about a Great Pirate.

And indeed, it’s the intelligence they are hearing this time...

No need for speculation, Brannew opened the Video Snail, and what appeared next was Blackbeard’s wanted order.

"A few days ago, intelligence came that Blackbeard gathered a hundred thousand people at the new headquarters... no, at the Blackbeard Kingdom’s location, engaged in combat with thirty thousand troops of the Disaster Pirates, and subsequently lost."

Brannew maneuvered the video, marking a large red cross over it, then switched the video to a scene of a damaged fortress.

The familiar Vice Admirals recognized it as their former G1 Fortress, but the fortress now was almost shattered to pieces, the once substantial main area now littered with bleeding corpses.

Nearby, a few massive Sea Kings could be seen swimming.

One Sea King even leapt from the water surface, its massive mouth devouring an entire fragment island along with the bodies upon it, stirring up a wave of torrents.

"Including prisoners selected from Impel Down, Pirates entering the New World from the first half of the Grand Line, along with Blackbeard’s former crew, a total of one hundred thousand people, except for a few, none survived, all died here."

"Moreover, this sea area has become a Sea King activity area, now extremely dangerous. As for the Disaster side..."

Brannew paused, speaking slowly, "According to intelligence, this time they lost only two thousand men, a substantial victory!"

"Gulp—!"

As his words ended, the Vice Admirals collectively swallowed, their faces filled with shock.

They often commanded naval battles and land battles; the loss ratio between Pirates and Navy has always been high, the Navy’s disciplined training providing consistently powerful force and high discipline, while Pirates, though rogue, possess treacherous methods and rich combat experience; true combat can yield a one-for-one casualty rate if fought fiercely.

With one hundred thousand against thirty thousand, even if disadvantaged, sheer numbers can cause significant losses for the opponents, even elite ones.

Two thousand casualties...

It’s practically mythological!

"This includes leaders and subsidiary Pirates of the Disaster, all bounties increased by one billion, these people need no further introduction, they are not the focus."

Brannew continued adjusting the machine, directly displaying a wanted order for a melancholic middle-aged man with a monocle and stubbly beard.

"Let’s talk about the Blackbeard Pirates, only three people joined the Disaster crew... the first, Van Augur."

"Originating from the East Sea, initial bounty of sixty-four million Belly, former Blackbeard Pirates’ third ship Captain, due to insufficient danger level and our recent focus on the Revolutionary Army, we haven’t paid much attention to him."

"But now, since he’s been absorbed by Disaster, being one of the rare three invited, we must reevaluate his level of danger. Disaster never invites people without reason, especially on a battlefield of pure annihilation; those who survive must possess talent."

"As a sniper, Van Augur possesses exceptional observational skill and acuity like those of great sea powers, and wields sufficient strength to support his sniping techniques. Additionally, he’s an ability user of the Warp-Warp Fruit, allowing for instant teleportation to any spot within range, offering immense mobility."

"His joining Disaster surely signifies high-risk actions under Disaster’s orders, considering he was originally one of Blackbeard Pirates’ Captains, the bounty we set for him..."

The photo suddenly changed, the original bounty untouched, merely preceding it with a ’7’.

"Seven hundred sixty-four million Belly!"

Nobody found this amount astonishing.

If it’s a Great Pirate, a bounty of several billion isn’t surprising.

"Next..."

Brannew switched the photo again, revealing a familiar face, with strong facial contours chewing a cigar while wiping a blade.

"Rain of Shiryu, former Impel Down Chief Warden, one of the three joining Disaster Pirates, former Blackbeard Pirates’ second ship Captain, if not for that person, his power should be the second in Blackbeard Pirates, former bounty thirteen billion two hundred million Belly, this bounty is high enough, no noticeable dangerous behaviors discovered yet, bounty remains unchanged."

"And the last one..."

Brannew pursed his lips but recalled something, changing the photo with a flash of a curly-haired photo to a fierce-eyed woman with long curly golden hair.

"Bienta Lily, an old acquaintance, Disaster Pirates’ official second in command, recognized as one of the ’Three Phases’ and the ’Inner Three Phases’ within Disaster Pirates."

"Grand Minister O’Hara, overseeing all internal affairs, Disaster’s most trusted deputy. In the ’Kingdom Battle’, she easily defeated Shiryu, coupled with her unparalleled leadership and her name feared by important citizens of the sea."

"This ’Sword Princess’, the bounty we set is twenty-two billion Belly. Although it only increased by two billion, she must not be underestimated; future actions will certainly become even more dangerous!"

"After that..."

Brannew sighed, resignedly adjusting the wanted order back, displaying that very familiar and once highly respected face amongst many Vice Admirals whose faces turned dreary, even despairing.

"Former Navy Admiral, former Blackbeard Pirates’ tenth ship Captain, the last of the three joining Disaster, Aokiji... Kuzan!"

Brannew spoke gravely, "Forty-five billion Belly!"