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Becoming Wanted:
Bounty Issuing:
Retracting Bounties:
- Spoiler:
- Normally, a bounty is issued by a government official or by the police (Marines). The idea is to tempt others to aid with the capture of the criminal so they can be brought to justice quickly. Bounty hunters make careers trying to find and capture these wanted people. Bounties are issued with a "Dead or Alive" disclaimer, meaning the reward will be paid so long as the threat gets eliminated, but Baroque Works agents state that bounties are usually only paid in full if the criminal is captured alive; up to 30% of the bounty money may be lost by bringing in someone dead, since no public execution can be held.
The amount of a bounty is determined in response to the perceived threat level of the criminal in question; the greater the threat to the world, the greater the bounty. In the eyes of a pirate, high bounties are thus usually seen as a sign of strength. After all, having been assigned a bounty means that the World Government as well as the Marines acknowledge the threat of the person to whom it is assigned. Luffy expresses enthusiasm over his first bounty, and Sanji likewise expresses disappointment when his own bounty poster fails to properly identify him (being a crude artist's rendering). This is not universal, however; Kuro and Nami resented their bounty due to the unwanted attention it brought them. A bounty in excess of Beli 100,000,000 indicates that the person to whom it was assigned has committed unlawful acts of catastrophic degrees.
Bounty Issuing:
- Spoiler:
- A bounty reflects both the threat and power of an individual. Engaging in activities deemed criminal by the World Government or associating with groups which engage in them is enough to warrant significant bounties even if the criminal is not powerful themselves. In particular, direct opposition to the World Government, no matter the reason, is treated as a serious offense, and bounties are issued accordingly.
A bounty can be increased for several reasons:
-The threat of a person's observed combat abilities (as stated by Aokiji);
-More experienced bounty hunters volunteering to capture the individual or group (like the Accino Family, non-canonically, trying to catch the entire Straw Hat Crew);
-Further criminal acts beyond the initial one;
-Inspiring criminal acts when provoked or inciting others to act 'criminally' (for example, Whitebeard destroying Marine ships that followed his fleet for reconnaissance and Dragon leading his organization to topple countries allied with the World Government).
-Occasionally, a designated amount on a bounty may increase if the criminal in question has committed crimes of considerable magnitude that goes beyond the crime(s) committed beforehand that earned them their initial bounty, as with the case of Luffy.
Since the Marines can only issue bounties based on their knowledge of the criminal in question, a bounty may not necessarily reflect the true threat of a person. Tony Tony Chopper was mistaken for a mere pet and issued a mere Beli50, as the Marines were unaware he was responsible for defeating Kumadori of CP9. Luffy's bounty would doubtless be much higher if his defeat of Gekko Moriah wasn't kept secret by the government. Arlong, despite being a Grand Line pirate, had a far lower bounty than his overall threat level to the East Blue, as he bribed the corrupt Marine Nezumi in order to keep his activities secret. In some cases, due to miscommunication or unreported information, the bounty may end up being much higher or lower than the criminal deserved for their actions.
Retracting Bounties:
- Spoiler:
- Bounties, once issued, are usually only retracted when the criminal is captured, killed, or is known to have otherwise died. A change in lifestyle will not affect the bounty. Wanted posters are usually marked with a large red X to indicate that the criminal was taken cared of. The notion that death brings freedom from the bounty was the sole reason for Kuro's plan to escape a pirate's life. A bounty can last for over a hundred years if the criminal is not proven to be dead, like the giants Dorry and Brogy, who can live several centuries. Brook's bounty was placed between 40 and 50 years ago, and is still active, the Marines having discovered that he is the same person as the living person in the photograph.
Aside from death or capture, bounties may be retracted if the criminal can prove themselves an asset to either the Marines or World Government. This is the case with the Shichibukai, who are considered allies of the World Government and have their bounties retracted; this extends to any criminal serving any one of the Shichibukai, such as Caesar Clown. With this, they are allowed to continue being a criminal on a conditional basis. A bounty may be removed by a court of law, as Jango's was during his mini-series. Jango's case was further aided by the pleas of the Marine Fullbody during the case. This later allowed him to join the Marines under the command of Hina.
Criminals who end up as slaves keep their bounties on their heads; however, so long as the slave remains a slave the Marines do nothing to arrest them. To this end, they ignore the slavery on the Sabaody Archipelago as a number of criminals end up slaves there; some even go on to be bought by the World Nobles. Once a slave is freed or tossed aside by its owner, they immediately become fair game once more.
