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The skies had cleared since they left the last island behind, but the tension hadn't.
Rael stood at the ship's railing, a warm breeze tugging at his coat, eyes fixed on the open sea. Below deck, laughter echoed—Kaya was teasing Vivi about something, and Robin had disappeared into the ship's new library. It was a slow day.
Too slow.
He exhaled through his nose, voice low.
"…You've been following us for three days."
A shadow shifted in the clouds overhead. No answer.
Rael's hand twitched slightly, fingers flexing just once.
"I let it go. At first. I thought maybe the World Government just wanted to watch. But now?"
The stillness in the air cracked.
A ripple of aura pulsed through the space behind him.
A black-suited figure stepped from the shadow of the mast, landing without a sound. Unblinking, cold, and sharp as obsidian.
Rob Lucci.
He didn't speak. He didn't need to. His presence was already louder than most men's screams.
Rael didn't turn around. "Tell your masters this: if they want a conversation, send a diplomat. If they want a war…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Try harder."
Lucci said nothing. But he disappeared just as quickly as he'd appeared.
By mid-morning, the news arrived.
A newspaper gull landed on the deck with a flutter and a sharp cry. Rael didn't move to take the rolled paper—but Robin did, emerging quietly from below.
She scanned the front page… and her brow rose.
"New bounties."
Kaya and Vivi looked up from where they were sitting near the main cabin.
Rael just sighed. "Let me guess."
Robin handed him the paper, a small amused smile playing at her lips.
"You've officially crossed the line."
In bold black ink, the bounty stared back at him:
RAEL
1,000,000,000 Berries
"For destabilizing kingdoms, defeating Warlord-backed systems, and harboring dangerous criminals. Extremely high threat. Engage with caution."
He didn't react. Just passed the paper to Kaya, who sat down next to him with wide eyes.
"Wow…"
Vivi raised an eyebrow. "That's… about right."
Robin let out a soft chuckle. "You're taking this awfully well."
"I've been worth more," Rael muttered absently.
The silence after that was brief—but telling.
Kaya's voice was softer now. "There's more."
Robin handed them the follow-up sheets.
Nefertari Vivi – 85,000,000 Berries
"For rebellion against World Government-backed regimes and traveling with high-level threat Rael."
Kaya – 60,000,000 Berries
"For aiding known criminal and high-value target Rael."
Nico Robin – Increased to 140,000,000 Berries
"Now confirmed to be aligned with Rael. Known associate of Ohara and historical weapons knowledge. Still a primary concern."
Robin didn't flinch. "Figures."
Vivi blinked at her own bounty, then slowly folded the page. "My father's not going to like this."
"You okay with it?" Rael asked.
Vivi looked up at him—steady, blue eyes burning. "I chose this."
Kaya slid her bounty under the crate she sat on. "Honestly? I'm kind of flattered."
Rael raised an eyebrow. She grinned.
"You saw what happened in Alabasta, Rael. The people are better off. I don't care what some crusty council writes about me in a bounty note."
Robin gave her a small, approving nod.
Rael leaned back against the rail. The sun was warmer now. The sea calm.
But his gut told him this was the silence that came before storms.
That evening, as they anchored just off the coast of a quiet, uninhabited island for rest, the crew sat around a small fire on the deck. They hadn't said much after dinner.
Then Robin looked up from her notes. "They'll send someone stronger next."
Rael nodded. "They already did. Lucci was here this morning."
Kaya's head snapped up. "What?!"
"He didn't attack," Rael said. "Just watched. But the message was clear."
Vivi frowned. "You didn't say anything."
Rael glanced over at her. "What good would it have done? I already knew they were watching."
Robin's expression darkened. "And what now?"
"We stay moving. We stay smart. And we don't wait for them to strike."
Silence fell again.
Then Kaya reached over and took Rael's hand.
"Don't carry it all yourself."
He looked down at her—really looked—and saw that same determined girl who'd once been nervous about healing people. She wasn't nervous now.
"Right," Rael said quietly.
Robin stood, brushing off her coat. "I'll double-check our maps. If they're hunting us harder, we need to start thinking ahead."
"I'll help," Vivi added.
Rael watched the two of them walk below deck before Kaya leaned her head on his shoulder.
"One billion…" she whispered.
He didn't respond right away.
Then finally—
"It's just a number."
But inside, Rael already felt it. This wasn't going to stop. The quiet days were running out.
And somewhere, out in the dark corners of the sea, something else was coming.
Not Marines.
Not bounty hunters.
Something older. Something watching.
Rael didn't know what yet.
But he would. Soon.
---
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