The next morning, the familiar sound of newspaper birds filled the air as hundreds of News Coos spread across the skies, carrying the latest reports and updates from all over the world. For most people, it was just another morning routine — reading about royal disputes, pirate attacks, or world government decrees. But for a certain group sailing aboard the Wicked Wench, today's delivery carried something far more personal.
Club, who was usually the first to notice incoming birds, exchanged a few berries for a rolled-up newspaper. He climbed down from the bird's nest as he flipped through the pages with mild curiosity. However, his eyes widened the moment he came across a section that made his stomach twist in disbelief. Printed across several pages were articles — and bounty posters — that bore faces he recognized all too well.
Without wasting a second, Club jumped down to the deck, holding the newspaper tightly as he shouted, "Guys! There's news about us!"
His voice immediately drew the attention of the crew, interrupting their morning activities. Aramaki, who was watering some of his smaller plants near the mast, paused mid-motion. Laffitte, who had been cleaning his cane, raised an eyebrow. Even Jack, who was sitting by the helm, turned his gaze toward Club. Within moments, everyone had gathered around him.
"What are you talking about?" Aramaki asked, reaching for the paper. Club handed it over, unfolding the front pages where their wanted posters were neatly printed under bold headlines describing their "recent criminal activities."
"Let me see," Aramaki muttered as he scanned through the article that mentioned their names alongside the words 'Casino Heist on Westwind Isle.'
According to the report, three unidentified individuals had robbed a prestigious casino and caused chaos among the patrons who were simply trying to enjoy their evening.
Aramaki's expression soured as he flipped to the next page, where he found their posters.
[WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE – ARAMAKI (10,000,000 BERRIES)][WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE – LAFFITTE (10,000,000 BERRIES)][WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE – CLUB (10,000,000 BERRIES)]
He stared at the numbers for a few seconds, frowning slightly. "Ten million already, huh? That's high for just defending ourselves. We didn't even start that fight."
"It's the casino's fault," Club said, folding his arms. "They probably bribed a Marine officer to make the story sound worse. I guess they didn't like losing money to us."
Aramaki sighed. "Figures. Corrupt cowards."
Then, his eyes moved toward the bottom of the article, where two more names were printed. "Wait… how come Jack and B have bounties too? They weren't even near the casino."
Laffitte, reading over his shoulder, chuckled quietly. "Seems like they made some noise of their own."
Club pointed toward another column on the page, which featured an illustration of a shattered restaurant and eyewitness accounts of a massacre involving a known mafia family.
The text described how a pirate captain named Jack and his companion had single-handedly wiped out the Colombo Pirates — a group with deep ties to underworld organizations.
Multiple witnesses confirmed the event, and some even reported seeing lightning destroying a ship at the harbor later that day.
Printed below the article were two more posters:
[WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE – JACK (30,000,000 BERRIES)][WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE – BEE (15,000,000 BERRIES)]
B leaned closer to look at his own poster and frowned immediately. "How come they misspelled my name? It's just B, not Bee!"
Aramaki smirked, clearly amused. "Hahaha, you're an insect now! Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
B glared at him and snapped, "Keep talking and I'll sting you with my foot!"
Club, holding back his laughter, added with a grin, "Actually, I think it suits you. Kira Bee, the Shining Bee. Don't you want to shine someday?"
B paused, thinking for a brief moment before exhaling through his nose and shrugging. "Fine, I guess that doesn't sound too bad," he muttered.
Meanwhile, Jack remained silent, his eyes fixed on his own bounty poster.
The paper rustled quietly in the sea breeze as he studied his portrait, the 30 million printed underneath his name reflecting a sense of recognition he neither sought nor avoided.
His expression was calm, but his thoughts ran deep — not about the money, but about what this meant for the path they were walking on.
Laffitte noticed his silence and walked over, placing a hand gently on Jack's shoulder. "You alright, Captain?" he asked softly, his usual smirk replaced by a tone of genuine concern.
Jack looked up, slightly startled from his thoughts, then gave a faint smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." He then looked at the others, who were still joking around with their posters. "I'm actually more excited to see what our next bounties will be. Let's see where fate takes us next."
Laffitte nodded, smiling faintly at his captain's optimism. B, Club, and Aramaki overheard the words and shared the same grin, their earlier worries fading into laughter.
They all stood together on the deck, the morning sun glinting off the sea around them, their posters fluttering slightly in the breeze — the first proof that the world had finally taken notice of their existence.
Jack raised his arm, his voice filled with energy and confidence. "For our new adventures!"
The rest of the crew immediately followed, their voices echoing across the open sea.
"For our new adventures!"
-------------------
Meanwhile, somewhere on a quiet island located in the vast region of Paradise, a young boy was sitting near a shaded tree, holding a freshly printed newspaper that had been sold earlier that morning.
The boy was none other than a young Marshall D. Teach, the same person who would one day become one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, as well as the son of the infamous Rocks D. Xebec.
At this point in time, Teach was still an ordinary child, though the ambitions in his heart were anything but ordinary.
He had bought the newspaper out of simple curiosity, just to see what kind of events were unfolding across the world.
As he turned each page, his eyes caught sight of a section that displayed the newly released bounty posters of two different pirate groups.
His gaze stayed fixed on one in particular — a poster showing the face of a man named Jack, sitting on the deck as well as looking at the camera directly.
Teach read the accompanying article carefully, repeating the name several times under his breath, as if trying to remember it. His expression was calm, but there was a faint sense of excitement that he couldn't hide.
"One day," he thought to himself, "when my plan succeeds, my name will be printed on these same pages, and the world will know it. I'll be the one who rules everything, the true king of the sea."
The thought made him grin slightly, his young mind already filled with endless possibilities. However, his attention was once again drawn toward the poster of Jack. For some reason that Teach couldn't explain, his eyes lingered on it longer than he intended. There was a strange feeling deep within him — a sense of recognition or connection that he couldn't clearly define.
"Who are you?" Teach wondered silently, staring at the face printed on the poster. It was as if something about Jack resonated with him, though he didn't understand why.
The feeling stayed with him even after several minutes, lingering in the back of his mind like an echo that refused to fade.
After a moment of thought, Teach folded the newspaper carefully and tore out the page that had Jack's bounty poster on it.
He looked at it one last time before placing it inside a small wooden box he kept under his bed.
"I'll keep this for later," he murmured quietly, almost as if he was talking to fate itself. He then stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes, and looked toward the horizon. "Maybe the sea will bring us together one day."
With that, Teach left the area, the sound of the waves echoing behind him, unaware that this small act of curiosity would someday tie his destiny with the very man whose face he couldn't stop staring at.