Chapter 964: A Nationwide Manhunt

Chapter 964: Chapter 964: A Nationwide Manhunt

"In celebration of the Chris Pirates’ grand victory, all firearms in this shop are twenty percent off!"

"A ten-year-old gunsmith celebrating the triumph at the Fernal Archipelago! All firearms starting at thirty percent off!"

"To celebrate Oliver-sama severely wounding Sweet Commander Cracker, every firearm in this store will be half-price for the next three days!"

Blaring loudspeakers echoed one after another from the various storefronts lining the street. Many shops had even draped massive crimson banners over their entrances, all completely dedicated to celebrating the Chris Pirates’ crushing victory over the Big Mom Pirates.

Witnessing this spectacle, Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats could only exchange bewildered, stunned glances.

Evidently, the Chris Pirates’ triumph at the Fernal Archipelago brought immense pride to the people of the Clifford Kingdom. Routing a grand expeditionary fleet sent by a Yonko in their very first clash was a victory that offered the citizens unparalleled peace of mind.

"So awesome! They actually beat one of the Yonko, the Big Mom Pirates!"

"A bounty of over eight hundred million... just what kind of monster are we talking about?"

"Oliver... that’s the guy known as the ’Slayer,’ right? Man, I can’t wait to test my sword against his!"

"To think even a Yonko could be defeated... I... I think I’ve caught the ’I’ll-die-if-I don’t-leave-this-island’ disease!"

The Straw Hat crew reacted with a chaotic mix of emotions—some stunned, some terrified, and others burning with an intense fighting spirit.

"Are you kidding me?" Law muttered, his grip tightening around Kikoku as a look of sheer disbelief washed over his face. "Sweet Commander Cracker severely wounded, two core officers dead, and a whole slew of subordinate captains wiped out? In such a short window of time? I don’t recall the Big Mom Pirates being this weak."

Unlike the fiercely naive Straw Hats, Law had spent the better part of the last two years navigating the treacherous waters of the New World. He knew precisely how terrifying the hegemony of a Yonko truly was.

The Emperors of the Sea who ruled over the New World were not titles earned through mere reputation. Each Yonko was a singular force of nature, and their crews were absolute juggernauts comprised of monsters in their own right.

During their shared era, Eustass Kid, Scratchmen Apoo, Mad Monk Urouge, and Capone Bege had all attempted to challenge Big Mom. Yet, before they could even lay eyes on the Emperor herself, they were effortlessly blasted away by the monsters of her crew. Capone Bege had even surrendered his pride and joined the Big Mom Pirates outright.

The only one to achieve any notable success was Mad Monk Urouge, who had narrowly managed to defeat Charlotte Snack, the weakest of the Sweet Four Commanders, carrying a 600-million-berry bounty.

Yet immediately after that victory, Urouge had been thoroughly crushed by "Thousand Arms" Cracker. He was then swept away into the depths of the sea by a raging storm conjured by a furious, vengeful Big Mom.

Law had never imagined that a grand expeditionary fleet led by a Sweet Commander could collapse so rapidly beneath the overwhelming might of the Chris Pirates. He had assumed this war would drag on for several days at the very least before a victor emerged. That would have successfully diverted the full attention of the Chris Pirates’ top brass, granting him ample time to lay his groundwork.

By now, Luffy, Nami, and the others began to grasp the true gravity of the situation. They had clashed with core executives of the Chris Pirates before, figures like Mountain Axe Backan, Cavendish of the White Horse, Dorot Otto the Orc, and God Enel. Every single one of them was an absolute freak of nature.

But it was now blindingly clear that the monsters within the Chris Pirates were not only far stronger than anticipated, but their ranks were vastly deeper.

"Even the former Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile, has aligned himself with the Chris Pirates. It seems that man’s influence and power far exceed anything we imagined!"

Law turned a heavy, solemn gaze toward Luffy, his voice dropping into a stern whisper. "Straw Hat-ya, that man established an intelligence network that rivals the World Government’s CP organizations. In this country, they are absolutely omnipresent. We must exercise the utmost caution. We cannot afford even a single slip-up!"

"Got—"

Before Luffy could add another word, Nami’s fist descended upon his head with a resounding bam.

"Don’t worry, I will keep a strict eye on him!" Nami promised righteously, her fist still smoking.

"You had better. Otherwise, forget saving Black Leg-ya, every single one of us will end up buried in this country," Law warned, his tone growing three shades darker as he glanced at Luffy, who was currently cradling his head with tears in his eyes.

After spending this much time with the Straw Hat Pirates, Law’s most enduring impression of them was their complete lack of discipline and their total refusal to follow a plan.

"Did you hear that, Luffy?! Follow the plan at all costs!" Nami barked, grabbing Luffy by the shoulders and shaking him violently as she roared directly into his ear.

"I hear you, I hear you..." Luffy groaned, completely drained of energy.

"That’s right, Luffy! This time you absolutely cannot just run off!"

"Yeah! We’ll be watching your every move!"

Usopp, poorly disguised as a carpenter, and Chopper, in his hybrid form, chimed in simultaneously. They flanked Luffy on both sides, keeping their eyes glued to him like hawks.

"Man, this is turning into a super dangerous mission!"

Franky muttered, adjusting his large, white-spotted robe. With a fake bushy beard glued to his chin and his hair styled into two thick, absurd pigtails, he looked remarkably eccentric.

"What a pain."

Zoro crossed his arms and scoffed. His three swords remained concealed beneath his deep green robe, and he wore a pair of thick, lensless black glasses frames, giving his rugged demeanor an oddly academic look.

Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp—

Suddenly, the heavy, rhythmic cadence of marching boots echoed down the avenue. Squads of soldiers clad in dark grey military uniforms, repeating rifles slung over their backs, began navigating through the streets and alleys in perfect formation.

Seeing the military presence, Law instantly gestured for the Straw Hats to retreat, pulling them back into the shadows of a narrow alley corner. From their hiding spot, they peered out cautiously to gauge the commotion.

The soldiers carried thick stacks of freshly printed flyers that bore a striking resemblance to bounty posters. They fanned out with practiced efficiency, slapping the posters onto every available wall for the public to see.

In an instant, the color drained from the faces of Law and the Straw Hats. The photographs staring back at them from those posters were none other than their own brand-new, updated bounties.

"A national manhunt issued by His Majesty the King!"

"The former Warlord of the Sea, captain of the Heart Pirates, the ’Surgeon of Death,’ Trafalgar Law, along with the entirety of the Straw Hat Pirates, have successfully infiltrated the kingdom with intent to sabotage!"

"Any citizen who spots these fugitives and reports their whereabouts will receive a reward ranging from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of berries!"

"For those capable of bringing in their heads, His Majesty the King will award double the value listed on their official bounties!"

An officer stood in the center of the boulevard, holding an amplifying Den Den Mushi to his mouth as his voice boomed across the marketplace.

The street erupted into a frenzy. The citizens surged forward, crowding around the freshly plastered walls to scrutinize the faces of the Straw Hats and Trafalgar Law.

This very scene was playing out simultaneously across every city, town, and rural village within the borders of the Clifford Kingdom. It was a total, nationwide dragnet orchestrated by the Chris Pirates.

"Dammit!"

Law’s expression turned incredibly grim, his brow furrowing deeply as his mind raced through their dwindling options.

After a long, agonizing silence, Law finally spoke in a low, tense whisper. "We need to find a place to lay low and let this initial storm blow over."

"Why?" Nami asked, her brow knitting in confusion. "Shouldn’t we be moving as fast as possible? The longer we drag this out, the higher the chances we get caught, right?"

Law stared out at the chaotic, energized crowd filling the street, analyzing the situation with cold, calculated logic. "The people of this nation possess a fanatical devotion to the Chris Pirates and that man. If we make a move right now, the probability of us being exposed is near certain."

"Our best option is to wait until the Big Mom Pirates launch their counteroffensive and clash with the Chris Pirates once more. Ideally, we wait until Charlotte Linlin’s forces push all the way to Micity Port or Unzan Port. That will draw the entire nation’s focus away from the interior, and it might even force that man to take the battlefield himself."

"Only then should we strike. Not only will we be able to safely demolish the Chris Pirates’ primary Arms Manufacturing District, but we can also trigger massive internal chaos. We’ll throw the waters into complete turmoil, and use the confusion to fish out the information we need to locate Nico Robin-ya and Black Leg-ya!"