One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

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The next day.

News of Wilhelm's latest bounty spread across the seas like wildfire, carried by flocks of news birds delivering fresh copies of the day's papers.

Marine Headquarters had clearly decided to make a statement, raising his bounty from 200 million Berrie's to a staggering 550 million Berrie's.

The announcement sent shockwaves across the seas.

Reactions Across the World

"550 million Berrie's?!"

"You've got to be kidding me! What did that brat do?"

"I heard Vice Admiral Akainu himself, one of the rumored candidates for Marine Admiral, personally led the charge against him—and failed!"

"Failed? You mean that monster Akainu ended up in a draw with a fifteen-year-old kid?"

"As expected of the son of BIG-MOM. That family only produces monsters!"

"Where is this sea heading? A fifteen-year-old with a bounty like that?!"

Throughout the world, reactions ranged from shock to disbelief.

The fact that Wilhelm—just a teenager and barely out of his formative years—had not only survived but fought to a draw with Vice Admiral Akainu, known for his brutal strength and rumored Admiral-level combat ability, was incomprehensible to many.

The implications were unsettling.

Was the Marine's vaunted strength waning? Or were today's young pirates simply that much more formidable?

For the ordinary folk and merchants trying to eke out a living, these questions loomed large. What kind of future awaited a world where such prodigious power rested in the hands of a boy who had barely begun his pirating career?

Wilhelm's Fans React

While many feared the implications of Wilhelm's rise, others celebrated.

Across the seas, in towns both large and small, Wilhelm's female fanbase erupted into chaos.

"Wow, Master Wilhelm! He's amazing!"

"As expected of 'Young Master Trembling!' He's the idol of my heart!"

"A bounty of over 500 million Berrie's! That's not just incredible—it's legendary!"

"And he's still so cool and handsome! That noble aura... It's irresistible!"

The streets were soon overrun by a frenzy of admirers. New bounty posters featuring Wilhelm's now-iconic image were being plastered on walls across the world—and almost as quickly, they were being ripped down by hordes of Wilhelm's adoring fans.

In no time, these posters had become prized collector's items.

"Isn't he just a pirate? A criminal who's wreaking havoc across the seas?" grumbled an onlooker as they watched a mob of women loot the bulletin wall clean.

"Why is everyone so obsessed?"

But to Wilhelm's legions of admirers, such remarks fell on deaf ears. They were too preoccupied swooning over the "Trembling Nobleman" whose reputation had now reached mythic proportions.

A man in a suit and leather shoes muttered enviously, "He's just a kid who doesn't know his place. Maybe one day, like Pirate King Gol D. Roger, he'll get caught and publicly executed by the Marines!"

Then—

He looked up suddenly.

The man froze, cold sweat dripping down his face.

The sky, once clear, seemed to darken in that instant.

A group of fierce women stared at him with hostile glares…

The next moment:

"What did you say?"

"How dare you insult Lord Wilhelm?!"

"Sisters of the Wilhelm fan club, show him who's boss…"

"Teach him a lesson, so he remembers next time!"

"Don't… don't come closer! You misunderstood, I didn't say that! Ouch! Stop slapping me…"

The man's high-pitched screams echoed through the street.

The onlookers couldn't help but tremble.

They watched the unlucky man, now barely recognizable with his clothes in tatters and his face so swollen it was unrecognizable, as the women proudly walked away, clapping in unison.

Everyone broke out in cold sweat.

...

"Clatter..."

On the vast sea of the first half of the Grand Line.

A pirate ship flying the BIG MOM Pirates' flag sailed slowly forward.

Since early morning, they had been training with Wilhelm, and the three Smoothies, sweating heavily, sat on the bow of the ship taking a break.

"Smoker, I saw the latest bounty on Wilhelm... it's already 550 million Berries,"

The tone of the phone bug in Smoothie's hand mimicked Katakuri's voice, and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, Big Brother Katakuri, we're fine..."

Smoothie shook the sweat off his head and glanced at Wilhelm, who was still training hard on the deck. He smiled and said, "Wilhelm is fine. Akainu, the powerful Vice Admiral of the Marines, might be strong, but he can't stop him!"

"That's good…"

On the other end of the phone, far away in Totto Land, in the middle of the New World, Katakuri, who was stationed on "Flour Island" as the Minister of Flour, let out a sigh of relief, knowing they were no longer at Cake Island.

"Big Brother Katakuri, you don't need to worry about our adventure..."

Smoothie said proudly, "You're the strongest of us all. Don't let me surpass you!"

"The Logia Thunder-Thunder Fruit... it's really unbelievable. You guys went to Sky Island and found such an amazing ability..."

Katakuri said, amazed.

But immediately, he straightened his face and said in a serious voice, "However, if you don't put in enough effort, just relying on a Devil Fruit ability to surpass me won't be enough!"

He had previously learned from Smoothie and the others that Smoothie had gained the power of the Logia Thunder-Thunder Fruit.

Logia abilities are incredibly rare, and for Smoothie to have one was truly surprising to Katakuri.

Of course, he was more happy for Smoothie.

He knew that this younger sister was naturally lazy and lacked ambition.

He could only do his best to persuade and push her to practice hard, not letting her waste her talent and powerful ability.

"I'll work hard, Big Brother Katakuri..."

Smoothie said with determination in her eyes as she watched Wilhelm sweating and continuing to train.

She wasn't sure what Wilhelm's goals were after putting in so much effort, but she was willing to support him with everything she had.

She didn't want him to bear the burden alone.

She had made up her mind to work hard as well.

She hoped that someday she could help him and take some of the pressure off, not wanting to let Wilhelm's efforts go to waste—he had even brought back the Logia Thunder-Thunder Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi) for her, and had gone as far as making a bet to encourage her and the others to practice.

"Okay?"

After ending the call, Smoothie, using her King's Haki to monitor the surrounding sea, shouted to Wilhelm, who was still training: "Wilhelm, the prey is approaching."

Long before her conversation with Katakuri, she had already detected the prey that had entered their "hunting range" — the Foxy Pirates.

Using her "wiretapping" ability through King's Haki, she confirmed that the captain of the pirate group, "High Jumper" Holly Workson, was a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user with the ability to jump, and had a bounty of 65 million Berries.

Coincidentally, among the three sisters, only Strong was still lacking a suitable Devil Fruit.

It was surprising that the prey had come right to their doorstep.

"Oh? Then I'll go first, and you guys can catch up later..."

Wilhelm, who had been training, wiped his sweat, stood up, and clapped his hands.

He casually picked up the Shichiseiken and the Nidai Kitetsu, which were resting nearby. "Perfect timing, I need to test the abilities of these two swords!"

"Fingry!"

"Aww—"

Snowmastiff Fingry, who had been lounging lazily, immediately ran over when he heard his master's call.

With an excited jump, he transformed into a huge eagle and soared into the sky with incredible speed.