"How did a bounty hunter from Paradise get involved with Explosive Rock?"
In Granny Tsuru's courtyard, the elderly veterans all furrowed their brows.
No wonder Garp and the others were perplexed.
Explosive Rock was an extremely dangerous mineral—its immense explosive power made it highly coveted.
However, storing and utilizing such a substance in battle was no easy task.
Not only did it require advanced mining techniques, but it also needed a special solution to preserve it safely.
Across the entire world, only a handful of people had the expertise to handle such a volatile substance.
If the Bounty Hunters' Guild in Paradise had access to such powerful resources, they wouldn't have fallen into their current state of decline.
More importantly, the Navy's intelligence network, which covered all of Paradise, had never detected any signs of Explosive Rock being used.
Explosive Rock was classified as a top-tier controlled substance by the World Government. If any traces of its use were discovered, a large number of intelligence agents would be dispatched to investigate.
If necessary, even an admiral could be mobilized.
After all, using this substance required no special strength.
All one had to do was smash the glass container against the ground, and it would trigger a catastrophic explosion.
If enough of it was gathered, it could easily wipe out several nations.
Granny Tsuru tapped her fingers lightly on the table and said,"The chubby samurai Rorschach mentioned is likely Morishita Ichiro from the Bounty Hunters' Guild.
He is suspected to be from Wano and possesses the Paramecia-type Zip-Zip Fruit.
This ability allows him to unzip both his own body and inanimate objects, creating a pocket dimension."
"A strange ability… It reminds me of that kid from CP9. Charlotte Linlin also has someone with a similar power who can store things in another space," Kong said, folding his thick arms.
Zephyr frowned and asked, "Who is leading the Bounty Hunters' Guild nowadays?"
"Who else? That old geezer Jonathan," Sengoku replied, glancing at Kong.
Garp picked his nose and looked at Kong in surprise. "That old bastard Jonathan is still alive? Isn't he around your age? When he left the Navy, I was still a rookie."
"Jonathan…"
Kong's expression became complicated, a hint of nostalgia flashing across his face.
Jonathan Barnett—who would've thought that the current leader of the Bounty Hunters' Guild was once a Rear Admiral in the Navy some forty to fifty years ago?
"Does anyone have a way to contact that old man? We need to ask him what the hell is going on. Hoarding Explosive Rock… Is he trying to quit being a bounty hunter and start a career as a terrorist?" Garp grumbled.
"Nope. That guy never kept a personal Den Den Mushi. He believes there's a Devil Fruit out there that allows someone to eavesdrop on all Den Den Mushi communications worldwide," Sengoku shrugged before turning to Tsuru.
"Tsuru, what information does the Intelligence Division have on the current state of the Bounty Hunters' Guild?
This concerns something as dangerous as Explosive Rock—it's no small matter.
We may need Rorschach to go to the Kingdom of Saint Baobab and contact Jonathan Barnett."
"Understood," Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded and began sharing what she knew.
As it turned out, the Bounty Hunters' Guild was far from its former glory.
As Jonathan aged, his control over the organization weakened significantly.
This led to a sharp internal division.
One faction of bounty hunters remained true to their original mission, continuing to hunt down wanted criminals as they always had.
These criminals included not just pirates but also other dangerous individuals who posed a significant threat to the world.
However, the other faction had devolved into little more than assassins, no different from pirates or the mafia.
They would kill pirates for bounties if it was profitable.
But they would also take jobs for money, power, or even women—targeting nobles and high-ranking officials.
Among them, the most reckless and uncontrollable faction was led by Vice President Gulliver.
It was clear that the moment Jonathan passed away, Gulliver would seize power, turning the entire Bounty Hunters' Guild into an assassination syndicate.
Had these chaotic individuals been foolish enough to openly challenge the World Government or the Navy, the guild would have been purged long ago.
In Reality, the Bounty System Has Long Had Major Issues
Some ambitious pirates take pride in their high bounties.
To increase their bounty, they often commit insane acts—massacring defenseless civilians, attacking Marine bases, and more.
The Marines maintain the bounty system primarily to indicate the danger level of a wanted individual, warn the public, and motivate Marines to hunt down pirates for military merit and monetary rewards.
But there's another critical reason.
Compared to the major pirates who have established territories, collected taxes, and no longer rely on pillaging…
The smaller pirates, who spread like locusts across the world, pose the greatest threat to ordinary civilians.
Once these small-time pirates are given a bounty, they immediately become targets for others, often being eliminated before they can rise to power.
After Vice Admiral Tsuru finished explaining, Sengoku spoke into the Den Den Mushi:
"Rorschach, since this incident happened in your area, I'll have to trouble you to take a trip to the Kingdom of Saint Baobab and investigate the Explosive Rock situation.
If you can handle it, take care of it.
If it gets tricky, contact me—we're not too far from Enies Lobby, after all."
"No problem. Even if you didn't ask, I'd still be going—my weapons were taken by that fat bastard.
Oh, by the way, Sengoku, I'd like to requisition someone…"
After a while, the Den Den Mushi call ended.
Sengoku looked at Vice Admiral Tsuru in confusion and asked, "Tsuru, why didn't you tell Rorschach the truth about Gulliver's identity?"
"Heh, giving young people a challenge is better than shattering their confidence. Besides, do you really think that kid will lose?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled.
Garp scoffed, unconcerned. "Gulliver, huh? I actually thought he had turned over a new leaf. Turns out, he's gone right back to his old ways. Well then, let my disciple teach him a lesson on how to behave."
Meanwhile, Deep Beneath the Ocean…
As Rorschach prepared to set off for Queen Spring City to investigate the Explosive Rock incident, something else was happening—an event that would soon spark a conflict between two of the Four Emperors of the New World.
Fish-Man Island, located directly beneath the Red Line at a depth of 10,000 meters, was unlike the pitch-black abyss of the deep sea.
Instead—
The massive roots of the Yarukiman Mangrove, stretching down into the depths, brought unexpected illumination to this oceanic paradise.
Suspended in the water, the island spanned seven to eight kilometers in diameter and was encased in a massive bubble, making it look like a dazzling pearl floating in the deep sea.
Above, the shimmering seawater rippled, and enormous Sea Kings occasionally swam past the island's perimeter.
The island itself was covered in coral reefs of various shapes and sizes.
Sometimes, exposed pearls, agates, and a variety of colorful seashells could be seen glimmering across the landscape.
At the Dragon Palace City harbor, located at the end of Fish-Man Street, several armored guards stood idly at their posts.
Ever since the World Government ordered the Marines to take control of the coating business at the Sabaody Archipelago…
The number of pirates traveling from Paradise through Fish-Man Island into the New World had plummeted.
For most of the island's residents, this was a blessing, as it spared them from pirate invasions, assaults, and kidnappings.
But for the thugs of Fish-Man Street, who relied on extorting human pirate crews for money and weapons, it was a disaster.
"It's been two months… Two whole months! Not a single pirate crew has come down here. If this continues, my plans will be delayed yet again!"
Perched atop a smooth boulder, Hody Jones—a towering, muscular Fish-Man with a mouth full of jagged, saw-like fangs—wore an expression so dark it seemed as if water could drip from it. His bloodshot eyes stared coldly at the quiet harbor ahead.
Without greedy human pirates to rob, he couldn't gather enough weapons and money.
Without weapons, he couldn't arm the more than 100,000 thugs roaming Fish-Man Street.
Without money, intimidation alone wouldn't be enough to recruit the wavering ones to his side.
At this rate, his long-planned coup would be delayed indefinitely.
Originally, he intended to overthrow Neptune and seize control of the Ryugu Kingdom within five years, becoming its new king.
But at this pace, who knew how many years—or even decades—it would take to rally enough rebels?
Furthermore…
"Can the treasure inside the Ryugu Kingdom's vault really give me the power I need? Enough to defeat that traitor, Jinbe?"
Hody Jones clenched a crimson capsule in his palm, lost in thought.
Just then, his ears twitched. He suddenly lifted his head and looked toward the harbor at the end of Fish-Man Street, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
There, above Fish-Man Island's bubble membrane, a massive pirate ship was rapidly descending toward the port.
From the distance, the ship's enormous elephant-shaped figurehead came into view.
"Heh heh heh… Finally, some pirates have delivered themselves to my doorstep."
(End of Chapter)
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