“Garp, what are you doing?” Sengoku asked, looking displeased as Garp suddenly started acting strange.

“Sengoku, are they at the Goa Kingdom?” Garp asked, anxiety clear in his voice.

“Yes,” Sengoku replied.

Garp felt his heart drop.

It’s over.

Why is Ace with them? Has Shanks already discovered Ace’s true identity?

“Sengoku, the Goa Kingdom is my homeland. I have to go back,” Garp declared, unable to wait any longer.

Sengoku frowned. “What good will it do for you to go back now? From here to the Goa Kingdom takes at least three months. Just calm down. They may be pirates, but neither Kuke nor Shanks have committed any atrocities against civilians. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Garp’s expression remained tense.

He wasn’t worried about that.

His real concern was that Ace’s identity might have already been exposed.

To make matters worse, the photo also showed Scopper Gaban, a former member of the Roger Pirates.

“Sengoku, I’m not asking for your permission. I’m telling you I’m going,” Garp said firmly before turning and leaving the conference room without another word.

He hurried as fast as he could to the port.

“With Shanks’ style and Kuke’s personality, even if they find out that Luffy is my grandson, or if they know about Ace’s identity, they wouldn’t harm them,” Garp muttered, trying to reassure himself.

There shouldn’t be any major issues.

As long as Ace’s identity wasn’t exposed—and considering how much Ace hated Roger—Ace definitely wouldn’t willingly reveal that he was Roger’s son.

The more Garp thought about it, the more he calmed down.

“I’ll just take it as a chance to check on those two boys,” he said to himself.

Back in the meeting room, Sengoku massaged his temples, realizing that controlling Garp was a futile effort.

He sighed and let it go.

“Kuke has gotten even stronger, and the Radiant Eclipse Pirates have gained new members,” Sengoku said, pointing to a slightly blurry photo.

It showed the Radiant Eclipse ship.

Several women could be seen leaning against the ship’s railing.

Among them were Lily and Makino.

Sengoku looked at the two women thoughtfully.

He wondered if they were some of the spies the World Government had sent out. If that were the case, the situation was delicate.

Sengoku quickly gave out orders. “Immediately contact the World Government and confirm their bounties. Then publish them.”

The Government couldn’t afford to let their undercover agents fall behind. If they joined the Radiant Eclipse Pirates but hadn’t been given bounties, it could raise Kuke’s suspicions.

“Yes, sir!”

…

…

The sky began to clear.

The Red Hair Pirates were strewn all over the ground, passed out from the previous night’s drinking.

Kuke, on the other hand, had long since been taken back to the Radiant Eclipse by Gion, sleeping comfortably on a large bed.

“Captain, I’ve prepared some hangover soup for you,”

Upon hearing the noise, Makino entered the room, holding a bowl of soup.

Kuke quietly looked at the gentle Makino. It was time to officially invite her to join the crew.

“Captain, Captain! I’ve got a bounty! They’ve put a bounty of 50 million on my head!” Lily burst into the room, excitedly waving the latest bounty poster.

“Makino, you’ve also been given a bounty. Yours is 500,000 berries,” Lily added, happily passing on the news to Makino.

“Huh?” Makino’s mouth fell open in shock, forming an “O” shape.

She stood frozen in place, staring at her bounty poster, trembling with fear.

Once someone had a bounty placed on them, there was no going back from being a pirate.

“The World Government sure worked quickly with these bounties,” Kuke said, surprised at the Government’s swift actions.

Seeing Makino’s pale face, trembling in fear, Kuke stood up.

He placed a large hand on her shoulder.

The sense of security it provided slowly calmed her shaking body.

“Captain, what do I do? I have a bounty now. I’m officially a pirate. Can I ever go back to Foosha Village?” Makino asked, her voice laced with worry.

Gion and Hancock entered the room as well, trying to comfort Makino.

“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t invited you, you wouldn’t have been given a bounty,” Gion apologized, looking at Makino with guilt. “Once a bounty is issued, it can’t be revoked.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Makino looked at everyone, seeking help.

“Come with us! Let’s travel the seas together!” Lily said, extending an invitation.

Everyone else nodded, eagerly awaiting Makino’s answer.

Though their time together had been brief, Makino’s kind nature and incredible cooking skills had won everyone over.

“But I don’t know how to do anything… I’m useless…” Makino muttered, looking down in self-doubt. Everyone was so strong, but she had no abilities to contribute.

She snuck a glance at Kuke.

“You’re important. I need you,” Kuke said, stepping closer to Makino, looking directly into her eyes. “Even if there were no bounty, I was already planning to officially invite you to join as my crewmate.”

“Really?” Makino asked, her eyes wide with hope.

“Of course,” Kuke said with certainty, his gaze full of reassurance, easing all of her fears about the future.

Under the watchful eyes of the crew, Makino slowly but firmly nodded.

She had officially joined.

The 8th member of the crew: Makino (Chef).

…

…

At the same time, Shanks, who had just woken up, stared blankly at the bounty poster in his hand.

“Makino’s been given a bounty… So that means she’s also now a wanted pirate by the Navy,” Shanks muttered, feeling a growing unease about Makino’s situation.

Knowing that the Radiant Eclipse Pirates were a prime target of the World Government’s focus, he couldn’t help but worry.

The Radiant Eclipse Pirates were one of the most dangerous crews on the seas.

Shanks recalled Kuke’s strict standards for his crewmates from the previous night.

The more Shanks thought about it, the more he realized he couldn’t rest easy.

“Even if I have to get beaten by Kuke, I need to give it a try,” Shanks muttered, as he started walking towards the Radiant Eclipse.

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep