Chapter 72: The Group with a Bounty on Their Heads

The CP agents pursuing Wood arrived at the scene shortly after he fell into the sea.

For CP agents who could use Geppo (Moonwalk), the sheer cliffs of the Red Line were no obstacle.

However, they quickly discovered that although there was a rope ladder hanging on the cliff, Wood was nowhere to be found.

The Red Line is surrounded by the sea, making it impossible for him to hide. After noticing the large amounts of blood on the surface of the water, the two CP0 agents concluded that, with no other options, Wood had likely chosen to jump off the Red Line.

The Red Line's peak is thousands of meters high, a sheer drop like this is essentially a death sentence, even for a Fish-Man.

However, the World Nobles (Celestial Dragons) would not be satisfied with such an answer.

Therefore, the two CP0 agents ordered their subordinates to search the surrounding area, insisting that even if Wood had died, they needed to find his body!

They understood that with the rapid currents, finding Wood's body would be challenging, and the scent of blood could attract Sea Kings, who might have already devoured his corpse…

The next day, the entire ocean was shaken!

What had transpired in the Holy Land of Mariejois could not be concealed and spread rapidly across the seas.

The news agencies, through various channels, quickly learned the details and, via News Coo (the carrier birds), disseminated this major news to every corner of the world.

A massive fire had swept through the Holy Land of Mariejois, freeing many of the Celestial Dragons' slaves. Moreover, two Celestial Dragons had perished in the chaos!

The chaos in Mariejois and the death of the Celestial Dragons was such big news that it was comparable to the news of the Pirate King Roger's execution a few years ago.

Undoubtedly, the entire ocean took note of several names as a result of this news.

[Fisher Tiger, a Fish-Man and one of the ringleaders of the Mariejois incident, had a bounty of 350 million Berries placed on his head!]

[Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo, also a Fish-Man and one of the ringleaders of the Mariejois incident, had a bounty of 500 million Berries placed on his head!]

This individual was considered extremely dangerous and suspected to be the main culprit in the deaths of the Celestial Dragons. A reward would be given for any information leading to his capture.

Jinbe, a main instigator of the Mariejois incident, had a bounty of 150 million Berries placed on his head.

…

Shortly after the Mariejois incident, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had not been in his position for long, was once again subjected to a scathing reprimand from the World Government.

The reason was simple: the Navy had responded too slowly. The unrest in Mariejois had lasted throughout the night, yet the Navy didn't arrive until the next day when the culprits had already fled.

Facing the Five Elders' criticism, Sengoku stood expressionless, though inwardly, he cursed the five old men before him.

Marine Headquarters wasn't exactly close to Mariejois, the incident had occurred in the dead of night, and Mariejois was located atop the Red Line. Reaching it was no easy feat.

The fact that the Marines managed to arrive the next day was already a swift response.

If anyone was to blame, it was the Celestial Dragons themselves, who had grown complacent, thinking that their status and the geographical advantage of Mariejois would keep them safe forever, with no one daring to challenge them.

"Do you have any leads on the whereabouts of those Fish-Men?" the Five Elders asked, shifting to the matter at hand after the customary reprimand.

They knew they couldn't really blame the Navy for this incident. It was just that the Celestial Dragons had gathered to vent their frustration, and the Five Elders had chosen Sengoku as their scapegoat.

"Regarding Fisher Tiger and Jinbe, we have some leads since they are well-known figures on Fish-Man Island.

"However, concerning this 'Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo,' Marine Headquarters has scoured all available intelligence on Fish-Men, but we found no records of this individual.

"It's possible he was a hidden powerhouse among the Fish-Men, or perhaps the name he provided was a false one."

"Of course, I personally lean towards the former. Anyone bold enough to commit such a daring act would likely not fear being hunted down and wouldn't bother with a false name.

"There are many Fish-Men in the ocean, so it's not surprising that a few hidden powerhouses might emerge."

While Sengoku had his own suspicions about the so-called Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo, he did not voice them to the Five Elders.

Sengoku was known as "The Strategist," one of the few in the story known for his intelligence. He certainly wasn't a fool.

The timing of Wood and Gion's assignment to escort slaves to Mariejois and the sudden occurrence of such an incident seemed too coincidental to Sengoku.

While the Fish-Men's attack on Mariejois had its reasons, Sengoku found it hard to believe that Wood and Gion were uninvolved.

However, since Sengoku had promised to keep their identities hidden when they took on this mission, no one else knew that they had been in Mariejois.

Moreover, since there was a two-day gap between the time Wood and Gion delivered the slaves and the Fish-Men's attack, the World Government had not linked the two events to them.

When Sengoku first heard of the incident at Mariejois, his immediate concern was that Gion and Wood had caused a huge mess. But upon hearing that the main perpetrators were Fish-Men, he was greatly relieved.

Although Sengoku inwardly suspected that this Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo, who left no trace of his identity, might be either Wood or Gion, he had no intention of revealing this to the Five Elders.

Sengoku wouldn't say a word because there was no benefit to doing so for himself or the Navy.

Even if Wood and Gion had left some traces behind, Sengoku would choose to cover it up.

Sengoku was one of those traditional Marines who had no love for the Celestial Dragons. If it weren't for his awkward position, who would want to be the World Government's lapdog?

So even if Sengoku knew that this Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo was indeed Wood or Gion, he would take that secret to the grave.

As far as Sengoku was concerned, this Fish-Man Sword Saint Yasuo was a Fish-Man, and the details of his background were still under investigation.

But one thing was certain: the Navy had absolutely nothing to do with this. The Navy stands for justice and would never commit such an "evil" act as killing a Celestial Dragon.