CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: THE GOD-SLAYER — KARL’S FIRST BOUNTY

"Little White , don’t blame yourself. I allowed everything that happened."

Soaring thousands of meters up, Karl stroked the Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s neck and soothed it. "We didn’t kill him. Once we enter the New World, I’ll offend Mary Geoise anyway. A bounty was only a matter of time."

"Wraaaah..."

The Blue-Eyes gave a soft reply, its mood gradually steadying.

"Took you a bit over an hour to get back. You didn’t send Karina to the Florian Triangle?"

"Wraaaah..."

"So that’s it—on the way back you destroyed the warships chasing you."

Truth be told, Karl could have summoned the Blue-Eyes back to Sabaody in an instant.

Like the auto-recall of the Mysterious Rifle, he could store the Blue-Eyes in its card at any time, then call it out again.

That kind of summoning was a hidden trump for both Karl and the dragon.

A trump that, at a critical moment, might catch an enemy completely off guard.

So with no immediate danger, there was no need to call the Blue-Eyes back.

As Karl rode the dragon to rendezvous with Karina, word of what he had done at Sabaody was racing across the world.

The first to receive the news were the great powers with spies on the archipelago.

When Morgans got his talons on a stack of photos from a minor tabloid’s flunkies, he shook with excitement so hard his feathers nearly fell out.

He ignored Mary Geoise’s warning, prepped the mobile headquarters to move, and sat down in his office to pen a story that would rock the world.

At midnight the next day, countless News Coo took wing with hot-off-the-press papers.

The vast sea shrank to a pond, and the papers dropped like sea mines, blasting that pond sky-high.

Across the Four Seas, the first half of the Grand Line, and the New World, people read the headline: "The God-Slayer—Thunder vs. Light, a Legendary Power Reappears!" and thought their eyes deceived them.

After confirming the headline and the front-page photo were real, the world erupted.

"He’s dead—really dead! Hahaha... even ’gods’ can die!"

"Rumble-Rumble Fruit—the Dragon Knight is a Logia, the Rumble-Rumble user! My god, the Twin Stars of the East Blue are both Logias, both ultra-rare and powerful."

"Wasn’t the Dragon Knight the world’s number one bounty hunter? Why kill a Celestial Dragon?"

"Damn you, Morgans—why didn’t you tell the whole story? Why was a Celestial Dragon killed? Why did Mary Geoise and the Navy force the world’s top bounty hunter onto the opposite side? How much are you hiding, birdbrain?"

"From today, Dragon Knight Karl is my idol. Anyone who slanders him is my enemy!"

"I’ve decided. I’m going to sea to follow Lord Dragon Knight!"

The one who actually killed the Celestial Dragon had been the little dragon.

But Morgans knew that "Karl killed a Celestial Dragon" would sell far better than "the little dragon did it."

And since the dragon belonged to Karl, the effect was the same.

News of the first man to slay a Celestial Dragon swept the globe. A god-slayer was born.

In a single day, all who had suffered under nobles, whose homes were destroyed for failing to pay the Heavenly Tribute, or who had once been slaves of the Celestial Dragons, cheered and hailed Karl as a hero.

Only those at the top of the world focused on the words behind "god-slayer."

Killing a Celestial Dragon shocked common folk like a god’s downfall.

To the strong, Celestial Dragons were weak swine with absolute privilege, able to summon the power of the true hegemon of the seas. No one dared or cared to provoke that filth.

Lay a finger on a Celestial Dragon, and an admiral will hunt you.

That’s one of their privileges—and one of the admirals’ duties.

The Navy’s greatest military force stands at the apex of the sea.

Those who can trade blows with an admiral can be counted on two hands.

And those few all have bonds and territories; none will risk their people for a pig in silk.

So when a man not only struck a Celestial Dragon but then slipped the encirclement led by an admiral and escaped alive...

The name "Dragon Knight Karl" returned to the ledgers of the mighty.

"Fufufufu... daring to lay hands on those fools—what a reckless brat."

Doflamingo grinned over the paper, gloating—at Karl, at the dead Celestial Dragon, or both.

His next words showed his true target. "If you don’t die at the hands of the ’D,’ calling yourself a god is a joke. Fufufufu..."

"Rumble-Rumble, Barrier-Barrier, and that dragon... that brat is way too lucky."

"No wonder he slipped Kizaru. A Rumble-Rumble user restrains the Glint-Glint."

"Another monster is about to rise on this sea."

"Gurararara... before he’s even reached the New World, he’s made a colossal mess. Loves the spotlight, that brat."

"What a year for the East Blue—no, for Paradise. Two super rookies in a row: one with the Flame-Flame Fruit, one with the Rumble-Rumble. Both bursting with potential."

"With that kind of talent, his ambitions won’t be small. Which emperor will he challenge first once he enters the New World?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, the Dragon Knight will be wanted tomorrow. I wonder what the first bounty will be."

"The first to defeat a Warlord—world’s top bounty hunter; the first to kill a Celestial Dragon—god-slayer; fought Admiral Kizaru and walked out of a naval encirclement intact. Even in the New World, there’s no second like that."

"Especially killing a Celestial Dragon—if the initial bounty is low, Mary Geoise and Headquarters will be a laughingstock. I say at least 500 million."

"Too low. Minimum 800 million."

"I’m calling around a billion. How many can clash with an admiral and walk away?"

"Don’t forget attribute restraints."

"Don’t forget how broken the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is. Among all three categories, it’s one of the most overwhelming."

"Hey, you looking for a fight?"

"Place your bets—what’s the Dragon Knight’s debut bounty?"

Like when Karl beat Crocodile to become the first rookie ever to defeat a Warlord, the entire world was talking about him again.

The name Dragon Knight trampled even Fire Fist.

If Karl’s defeat of Crocodile made him a superstar rookie, and Ace’s Warlord invitation put him on par with Karl, then now—before Portgas D. Ace could blaze his name across the world again—he would forever be ranked second of the East Blue’s Twin Stars, beneath Karl.

Just as the bookies in the New World said...

Seeing Morgans defy their warning and sell "God-Slayer" papers worldwide, Mary Geoise gnashed its teeth yet still had to tell the Navy to state its position to the world.

The Navy’s response blindsided Mary Geoise: they contacted Morgans directly and had the World Economic Journal publish the wanted posters.

The next day, four posters were tucked into the paper and sold across the globe. Morgans made a killing.

[Dragon Knight Karl — Bounty: 1,011,000,000 berries — Dead or Alive.]

[Blue-Eyes White Dragon — Bounty: 500,000,000 berries — Dead or Alive.]

[Phantom Thief Karina — Bounty: 31,000,000 berries — Dead or Alive.]

[Demon Child Nico Robin — Bounty: 80,000,000 berries — Dead or Alive.]

These were the bounties for Karl’s crew.

Aside from Nami and Perona, Karina—who had already appeared in the Journal—was wanted as well.

Even Robin, who always wore a veil, was recognized from a street photo while out with Karl; they updated her picture and rounded up her bounty.

A debut at over one billion, and even his mount at five hundred million—Karl sparked another global frenzy.

Bounties have watersheds.

In Paradise, a pirate who breaks 100 million quickly is called a Supernova.

At 500 million in the New World, you’re a famed super rookie.

Break a billion, and you’re a real great pirate, qualified to be an executive under a Yonko.

Masterpieces of the Charlotte Family, the Three Disasters of the Beasts Pirates—these are billion-class.

At 2 billion and above, you’re a sovereign.

No doubt, Karl’s debut at over a billion showed how seriously the Navy took him.

For the Navy, killing a Celestial Dragon was only part of it.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit and going toe-to-toe with Kizaru—that was why he was worth a billion.

Unlike those who chalked it up to attribute restraint, the Navy understood Karl’s true power from Crocodile and Kizaru both.

A monster favored by the sea’s will, Rumble-Rumble powers, and dominant Armament and Observation—this young man’s overall strength rivaled the Three Admirals.

If his crew were larger, if he posed more of a hegemonic threat, the number would be higher, not lower.

"Woooow... a debut bounty of 1,011,000,000. Karl, you’re famous—again!"

"Karina’s wanted too!"

"First time out and 31,000,000—if Karina went back to the East Blue, she’d be its queen."

"Robin’s identity got exposed. New photo, plus a million."

"Alala... looks like I won’t need a veil anymore."

Not far from the Florian Triangle, the large three-masted ship dropped anchor.

Karl’s group pored over the World Economic Journal and the four posters tucked inside. The deck rang with exclamations and teasing.

"Karl’s thunder mode is so cool!"

Perona stared at the photo—Karl in knight’s armor wreathed in endless arcs, his aura harsher than usual—her eyes going dreamy.

"Falling for the man in the photo?"

Karina slid an arm around Perona’s shoulders, taking in her flushed, shy face with a grin.

Perona, a complete novice in matters of the heart, turned into a steaming kettle, stammering a denial.

"Shh."

Karina suddenly put a finger to her lips. Seeing Karl chatting with Nami and Robin, she tugged Perona into the cabin.

No one knew what they did inside, but when Perona came out, every time her eyes met Karl’s she panicked and looked away.

Night fell.

Karl and the little dragon—whose appetites were terrifying—were the last to finish dinner and were about to go bathe.

"Little White , bathe with Sister Robin tonight. Karl, you’re with me."

Karina hugged Little White and sent it off to Robin.

"So proactive today. Is there a reward?"

When Karina came back, Karl grinned wickedly, then feigned disappointment. "If that’s it, I’m underwhelmed."

"You shameless man."

She elbowed him, then took his arm with a smile. "You guessed right. And that’s not the only reward. From now on, no Observation Haki."

With that, Karina led Karl back to the room.

"Mysterious today. Don’t tell me you’ve won Nami over and you’re dragging me in too."

"Less talk. In you go."

Karina shoved him through the bathroom door. "Remember this—just this once."

"Uh..."

Standing in the steam-filled room, Karl stared at the two hazy silhouettes in the mist. Familiar orange hair. Familiar pink hair. His jaw dropped.