Kouta saw the reactions of everyone.
Although they were all too focused on the bounties, he didn't say anything. After all, it had only been about half a year since their crew set sail.
They were definitely no match for the old salts who had been at sea for years. Once they had more experience, they wouldn't care so much about bounties.
After all, strength wasn't always reflected by bounty.
Who knew that even Buggy could have a bounty of 3.1 billion?
Hmm... as expected of the owner of Conqueror's Haki luck.
He withdrew his gaze, reached out to ruffle Kuina's head, then looked up. His gaze swept over the sparkling sea before him and fixed on the horizon where the sea met the sky.
He knew that at this moment, the world would be thrown into chaos because of their bounties.
Fame, and then fortune.
Following closely after fame was fortune.
And these vicious criminals who ventured out to sea were mostly in pursuit of fortune.
Although Kouta's crew were top-tier entities in the eyes of the World Government and the Marines, in the New World, they were clearly plump targets for those qualified to challenge the Four Emperors, and for those arrogant fools in the first half of the Grand Line who had no idea of their own limits.
These guys, upon learning of their crew's bounties, would come in droves to cause trouble.
The pirates of the New World might not return to Paradise, but the pirates from Paradise, seeing them, would be like vultures spotting carrion.
"What are you thinking about?"
Kuina tossed the newspaper and wanted posters onto the coffee table beside her. She reached out, took Kouta's hand, held it in hers, and tilted her head, looking at him curiously.
"Nothing."
He withdrew his gaze, looked down at Kuina, and leaned back in the deck chair, chuckling lightly. "Haha!! We're probably going to be very busy for a while."
"Busy?"
"Mmm!"
Kouta nodded and glanced at the wanted posters on the coffee table. He said with a hint of mockery, "Our crew doesn't have that many notable achievements. Such high bounties won't be able to deter the countless people on the sea who seek fame and fortune!"
"Oh..."
Kuina thought for a moment and understood Kouta's meaning. However, she felt no additional emotions about the upcoming trouble; instead, she held a hint of anticipation.
What was the point of going to sea if not to admire the world and fight all sorts of people?
Not only Kuina, but Ahua, the other two, and Robin also didn't take it seriously.
Who were they?
They were members of the Silver Hair Adventure Group, no, the "Freedom Adventure Group." Their captain, Kouta, was a world-class powerhouse capable of killing Admiral-level individuals, so how could they fear mere nobodies!
Even if the coming "nobodies" were numerous, they were still nobodies. Could ants hunt an elephant?
...
*Woo woo woo~*
Beneath the seamless expanse of sky and sea, a train was cutting through the waves, sailing steadily across the azure ocean.
From a distance, the train looked like a long worm in the sea, making clanking noises. From its massive locomotive, plumes of white smoke occasionally billowed, accompanied by a horn blast that the Sea Kings detested.
"Is this the Sea Train?"
At the bow of the Freedom, everyone leaned over the railing, gazing at the distant train with wonder in their eyes.
"To think there's a train that can travel on the sea."
"Does Robin-chan know who invented it?"
They withdrew their gazes and looked at Robin, who was leaning sideways against the railing with her left side.
Robin tilted her head, glanced at the train in the distance, then turned to meet their curious gazes, a slight smile curving her lips.
She said, "If I'm not mistaken, this train should be the 'Smoke Tom,' and Mr. Tom, after whom this sea train is named, invented and built it."
"Mr. Tom is truly great," Ahua pushed up his glasses, a glint in his eyes. "If we follow this Sea Train, can we reach Water 7?"
"Mmm!"
Robin nodded, her gaze returning to the distant train.
"The Sea Train hasn't been in operation for many years yet, and currently, only this one is running. It normally connects Water 7 with the nearby islands for daily life exchanges. It only runs once a day."
"It's been in operation for years, hasn't it? Why not build more? That way, it could break the blockade of the Grand Line's fixed routes and connect the islands together. That would be great for civilians, merchants, and even the nobility!"
Ah Tao, with a cigarette in his mouth, looked at Robin and voiced his confusion.
Robin pondered for a moment, and without turning her head, she looked at the train in the distance and said softly, "Mr. Tom originally built two trains. The first Sea Train built was a prototype, which couldn't brake and was never put into use."
Robin withdrew her gaze and turned back to the others.
"Let me tell you about Mr. Tom!"
"Mmm!"
Everyone nodded.
"Mr. Tom is actually a Fish-Man."
"A Fish-Man? Like Arlong's kind of Fish-Man?"
"Arlong?"
Robin looked at Ahua, who had spoken, with confusion.
"Mmm! Didn't we kill a group of Fish-Men in the East Blue who occupied an island and oppressed the civilians?"
"I know about that. Was it the Arlong Pirates?"
"Mmm, it was them."
Ahua looked at Robin, a trace of memory flashing in his eyes.
He remembered that it was then that the three of them first felt the desire to become stronger.
Recalling the past and the present.
Time flowed like sand, slipping through the gaps in their fingers, scattering in the wind.
The changes they had undergone these past few months were immense. They had never imagined they could become this powerful.
But all of this was thanks to Kouta.
Without Kouta, they wouldn't be where they were now, nor would they have seen so many interesting things and met so many interesting people.
However, they would never say thank you to Kouta.
As companions who had grown up together, from the moment they set sail, they had entrusted their lives to each other. Therefore, there was no need for such words.
Everything was to be kept in their hearts.
"Yes, Fish-Men like those in the Arlong Pirates."
Robin nodded and continued, "It's just that Mr. Tom's tribe is different from Arlong's. Arlong is a shark Fish-Man, while Mr. Tom is a narwhal Fish-Man."
At this point, Robin paused slightly, her gaze drifting upwards to the sparse clouds in the sky, her thoughts wandering.
As if remembering something, she then said, "More than twenty years ago, Gol D. Roger asked him to build a pirate ship."
Before anyone could ask, Robin spoke herself.
"That's right, it's the person you're thinking of, the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
"This ship was the 'Oro Jackson,' built with the wood of the treasure tree 'Adam.' It sailed with Roger to conquer the Grand Line, reached the final island with him and his crew, and witnessed Roger become the Pirate King."
"So what does this have to do with the Sea Train!"
*Slap!*
A loud slap landed on the back of A Luo's head. "What are you in such a hurry for? You'll know once Robin-chan finishes speaking."
Ah Tao calmly retracted his hand, took a deep puff of his cigarette, and glanced down at A Luo, whose eyes were blazing with anger as he turned his head. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, completely unconcerned.