Chapter 41: Give Me the Bounty!

The officers of the Marine branch in the West Blue concluded their meeting within five minutes, swiftly mobilizing every available soldier.

A massive force of over five hundred Marines was deployed to the port, boarding warships that spread out to blockade the surrounding waters. Cannons were promptly reloaded, their barrels aimed at the slowly approaching pirate ship on the horizon.

The commander of the First Fleet, a second lieutenant, stood on the observation deck, peering through a telescope while gripping a Den Den Mushi to coordinate with other officers.

"It has been confirmed—this is the Disco Barum Pirates' ship. Their captain has a bounty of 45 million Beli. Snipers, prepare to open fire as soon as the ship enters range!" he barked.

Similar orders were issued across multiple warships. Captain Mozambia, his chubby face unusually serious, stared at the sea with unwavering focus.

Aboard the Pirate Ship

Asa scratched his nose, fully aware of every movement happening on the island. These people had mistaken him for Disco Barum.

Not that it mattered—he wasn't exactly a law-abiding citizen and would inevitably become a pirate. However, at this moment, the Thor had yet to be built, and no ship existed that could properly carry him. So, for now, he simply wandered the world.

The stolen pirate ship continued forward, finally entering the Marines' firing range.

"Fire! Sink him!" Mozambia commanded.

The warships had already locked onto their target.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Flames erupted from the muzzles of twenty to thirty cannons, hurling cannonballs toward Asa's ship like a goddess scattering petals.

"Iron bullets?" Asa muttered, amused. (The cannonballs in One Piece are indeed iron. I remember it was mentioned in an episode, but I forgot which one. If you remember, let me know in the comments!)

Standing at the bow, Asa simply smiled as the incoming black cannonballs rained toward him. Calmly, he extended his hand.

The moment he did, the shells froze midair.

Through his electromagnetic control, Asa could manipulate all metal elements. If he kept developing this ability, he might even be able to extract the iron from a person's body.

The cannonballs hovered motionless in the air. A collective gasp spread among the Marines.

"Fire again!" the officers ordered, unfazed. They were, after all, graduates of the Marine Headquarters' elite training academy. Having studied the strange abilities of Devil Fruits, they assumed Disco Barum had simply acquired one.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

More shells soared through the air—only to be halted again, forming a dense cluster of suspended cannonballs.

Mozambia frowned. Clearly, bombardment was useless.

"All hands, close in on the pirate ship! Prepare for a boarding battle!" he ordered.

Asa's Counterattack

"Are they done yet? Do they have a death wish?" Asa growled in frustration. He had gone through all this trouble to seize a ship, and these Marines were now trying to sink it.

In a flash of lightning, Asa vanished from the ship, reappearing in midair above the sea.

With a flick of his fingers, the cannonballs reversed course, hurtling back toward the Marine warships at even greater speed.

"What?!" Mozambia's expression darkened. He swiftly unsheathed his Grade 50 sword and swung, sending a crescent-shaped shockwave slicing through the air. It bisected the incoming cannonball, sending the halves splashing harmlessly into the sea.

"Cease fire!!!" he roared.

Realizing something was off, Mozambia quickly retrieved a stack of bounty posters.

"Who is this guy?" he muttered, flipping through the wanted notices.

Despite checking every record, he found no connection between Asa and the Disco Barum Pirates.

"Adjutant!" he called, turning to his subordinate. "Do we have any information on this young man?"

Mozambia, a senior officer personally assigned by Marine Headquarters, outranked even locally promoted major generals in the West Blue. Every major Marine operation in this sea had to go through him.

Determined not to waste his career in this backwater, he had personally investigated all the powerful criminals in the region. Yet, there was nothing on Asa.

Little did he know, Asa's full photo had never been made public.

"This man is definitely not part of the Disco Barum Pirates," Mozambia concluded. "But what is his goal?"

His adjutant scoured his memory, but he, too, found no trace of this individual.

"Even if he isn't a pirate, he must be affiliated with them," Mozambia stated firmly.

He never once considered the possibility that the most notorious pirate in the West Blue had already been killed—by a young man simply looking to cash in his bounty.

Asa's Thoughts

"I overheard their meeting earlier," Asa mused. "Admiral Zephyr and Vice Admiral Kizaru are coming to the West Blue. Maybe I should just sink this island and give them a little greeting?"

Although his eyes were fixed forward, his mind was already far ahead, considering the possibilities.

He didn't have Haki yet, but he was confident in his body's endurance. Against a Vice Admiral, he wouldn't necessarily lose. Against Zephyr, perhaps, but against Kizaru? He had no doubt he was stronger.

"So what if Kizaru's a Logia user? If I can't beat him, does he seriously think he can catch me? What a joke."

Still, destroying the island wouldn't benefit him.

"And besides, I'm a good citizen, aren't I? I killed a pirate and brought his head for a bounty!" Asa smirked, rubbing his chin in thought.

His plan was simple—exchange the bounty for some Beli, roam the West Blue for a while, then make his way to the Grand Line.

Of course, if he happened to meet Zephyr, he wouldn't mind a little sparring session. The Marine instructor was famous for his Armament Haki, and his true strength lay in teaching. Perhaps Asa could use the opportunity to pick up some pointers.

The Bounty Exchange

With that, Asa casually picked up Disco Barum's severed head and tossed it toward the Marine warship.

"Watch out…!!"

The Marines instinctively flinched, their faces paling in horror as they realized what was flying through the air—a human head.

"The head of 'Barbarian' Disco Barum?!" a sniper with the keenest eyesight cried out.

Hearing this, the Marines snapped their gazes toward the airborne object.

Mozambia, being the strongest among them, reacted first. His sharp eyes scrutinized the severed head before comparing it with the bounty posters.

His hands trembled slightly.

"Disco Barum… is dead?"

This revelation shook him to the core.

When Mozambia had first arrived in the West Blue, he had targeted Disco Barum in an effort to bolster his record and secure a transfer to Marineford. However, when the two finally clashed, it had ended in a stalemate. Neither could gain the upper hand.

Mozambia himself had been responsible for setting Disco Barum's bounty at 45 million Beli.

Yet now, Disco Barum's severed head lay before him.

Lifting his gaze, Mozambia locked eyes with the young man floating effortlessly in the sky, his mind racing to figure out who he was.

Then Asa spoke.

"So, Disco Barum was a wanted pirate, huh? His head is right here. When do I get my bounty?"

A sudden flash—and before Mozambia could even react, Asa was already standing right in front of him.

His speed was so overwhelming, it felt like instantaneous teleportation.

Mozambia's breath hitched. His instincts screamed.

This was no ordinary man.

(End of Chapter)

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