After landing, a golden stele stood tall at the center of the world, towering into the clouds. No matter how far away one was, the stele could be clearly seen, especially the large characters inscribed on it.
The stele on the left: Pirate Bounty Ranking.
First place:
Second place:
...
One hundredth place:
The stele on the right: Strongest Pirate Crew Ranking.
First place:
Second place:
...
Twentieth place:
For now, both rankings were empty.
Then, the informational voice resounded once more.
"Those who make it onto the rankings will receive experience to level up. The higher the rank, the more experience granted."
"As for how to get on the rankings, the Pirate Bounty Ranking will open in three months. At that time, everyone can enter the Bounty Realm to face powerful enemies. Rankings will be determined by the number of enemies defeated. There is no time limit, and there is no cap on the number of enemies defeated. This will determine one's combat strength."
This made everyone understand that the bounty represented one's strength. The stronger one was, the better their performance would naturally be, and the higher their bounty would be.
"Once the Bounty Ranking is announced, every six months, participants will re-enter the Bounty Realm. Each time, experience will still be granted based on rank."
This delighted everyone, as it meant that even if they didn't secure first place initially, they could continue to improve and aim for a higher bounty in the future.
"As for the Strongest Pirate Crew Ranking, it will open in six months. The Pirate Crew Ranking Battlefield will be initiated. The victor in battles between crews will advance. There's no need to worry about heavy casualties in crew battles, as the battlefield environment is special. Those who are severely injured or even killed will be teleported out, returning to the same state they were in before entering."
Many found this reassuring, as battles between pirate crews were bound to be intense and could result in significant casualties. With the Navy of the Pirate King's world arriving in three years, many hoped to avoid heavy losses among the pirates.
"Additionally, the top five crews on the Strongest Pirate Crew Ranking will receive special rewards, namely titles for their crews."
"The first-place crew will be granted the title 'One King.'"
"The second to fifth-place crews will be granted the title 'Four Emperors.'"
...
Then, the informational voice faded.
In the next moment, the entire Dragon Kingdom buzzed with discussion.
"One King, Four Emperors—what domineering titles!"
"They will undoubtedly belong to the crews founded by the prodigies."
"To be precise, the Bounty Ranking is for the prodigies, while those of us with ordinary talents can join powerful crews. Then, we might become members of the Four Emperors Pirates or even the One King Pirates."
"Train hard, and we must become members of a powerful crew!"
...
Those with ordinary talents held little hope for the Bounty Ranking but still wondered how high their bounty would eventually be. After all, as pirates, their bounty symbolized their honor and strength, representing their prestige.
At this moment, the most excited and motivated were naturally the prodigies.
West Coast City.
A burly, imposing middle-aged man gazed at the two steles with a confident and fiery look in his eyes.
"My Azure Dragon Pirates, founded by Wang Quanshi, will undoubtedly take first place. In the Ranking Battlefield, no matter how strong the opposing crew is, they will be defeated by my Azure Dragon Pirates! As for the Bounty Ranking…"
Wang Quanshi raised his head, his eyes locking directly on the first-place position.
"On the personal ranking list, I, Wang Quanshi, will become number one, the man with the highest bounty! The top spot on this list also symbolizes that its holder is the world's strongest pirate! The strongest man!"
Wang Quanshi was confident that he would secure these two top spots. After all, he was one of the ten-level prodigies and had obtained the Animal Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon Form. Even though he was only at level eleven now and had barely tapped into the fruit's potential, he had already witnessed its immense power. He was confident that he would become the strongest, and once he reached a higher level, he believed he could fully transform into an Azure Dragon.
...
In Su City.
A voluptuous, strikingly beautiful woman with a cold and alluring demeanor was also intently staring at the two stone tablet rankings. She was also a ten-level prodigy named Song Ling, the possessor of the Soul-Soul Fruit. After obtaining this fruit, she realized just how powerful it was—it allowed her to steal the lifespan of living beings and grant souls to inanimate objects, which she could then control. In other words, if she became strong enough, she could even bestow souls upon the sea, mountains, and lightning, and manipulate them at will.
This filled her with immense confidence. Initially, she had been disappointed at not being able to choose the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit, but now she was extremely grateful to have obtained the Soul-Soul Fruit instead.
"My Overlord Pirates will definitely take the top spot. The highest bounty will also be mine. No one will be allowed to stand above me—I like being on top."
...
In Chengdu City.
A man was brimming with confidence.
"To become the top pirate crew, the overall strength of the entire crew is crucial. The captain may be strong, but without many powerful crew members, it's impossible to become the number one pirate crew. However, one thing is certain—on the bounty list, I, Bai Shaohan, will undoubtedly be number one, because I am the user of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"
Bai Shaohan, also a ten-level prodigy, had initially thought that the Tremor-Tremor Fruit he obtained through a contract might be the weakest among the powerful Devil Fruits. But after acquiring it and learning a bit about its abilities, he realized that the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was incredibly powerful. It wasn't just about creating simple vibrations or causing earthquakes—it was a fruit with immense destructive potential.
Now at level eleven, he had barely scratched the surface of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power, but even the little he had unlocked made him a formidable force. Thus, he was absolutely confident that he would be the top bounty holder and the world's strongest man.
...
At this moment, many prodigy pirates were filled with their own confidence, all striving for high rankings. Not only because higher rankings granted more experience, but more importantly, it was a matter of honor. No prodigy wanted to settle for anything less than first place, and none wanted to be overshadowed by others.
Ye Yu stepped out of his house and looked at the two stone tablets, fully aware that many prodigies were vying for the top spot. He didn't say much, but as he gazed at the number one position on the bounty list, he began to wonder how high his own bounty would be in two months.
"With the strongest talent and contracts with seven of the top pirates, being number one isn't just a goal—it's inevitable. Anything less would be a disservice to the contracts I've formed with these pirate elites."
Ye Yu's tone wasn't arrogant—he simply believed that first place was a given. The only thing on his mind was whether his bounty would create an insurmountable gap when the time came.
At this moment, Ye Yu heard a familiar voice in the distance. Looking over, he saw Lin Muxue and Li Cang also observing the stone tablet not far away.
Li Cang fawned, "Xue Er, our Chosen One Pirate Crew must become the top Pirate Crew, the One King among all Pirate Crews. As for the bounty list, although I possess the powerful Might Might Fruit, I don't aspire to the top bounty because of you, Xue Er. You've obtained the terrifying Rumble Rumble Fruit, and you're sure to claim the first spot."
Lin Muxue raised her head, her expression filled with pride and confidence.
"My talent is at level nine. Although it's not among the strongest, my Rumble Rumble Fruit will undoubtedly rival those level ten Devil Fruits. I do have a chance at the top bounty."
At this point, Li Cang noticed Ye Yu in the distance. Knowing that Ye Yu could hear them—after all, none of them were ordinary people now—he sneered mockingly.
"Xue Er, you should also thank Ye Yu. Despite having a level ten talent, the strongest among level ten, he failed to obtain the most powerful Devil Fruit. If he had, even you, Xue Er, would have a hard time claiming the top spot. So, we should thank him."
Lin Muxue could sense the mockery in Li Cang's words. She glanced at Ye Yu, recalling how she had once fawned over him like a lovesick fool. Naturally, she felt both anger and humiliation, and she nodded with a scornful smile.
"You're right."
Lin Muxue approached Ye Yu, her words dripping with sarcasm despite her apparent gratitude.
"I really should thank you, and on behalf of all the Chosen Ones, I thank you. For not obtaining a Devil Fruit and instead contracting seven Non-Ability Users, you've not only cleared the way for the Chosen Ones to claim the top bounty but also allowed someone else to make it onto the bounty list."
Li Cang chimed in, "That's right. When the time comes, the person ranked 100th on the bounty list will surely tha
nk you. If you had obtained a Devil Fruit, you would have undoubtedly made the list. But as you are now, there's no chance you'll be on it, leaving a spot open for someone else."
(End of Chapter)