Bounties

A bounty is a reward, usually monetary, promised for the accomplishment of a certain task. In many contexts, it refers to the sum of money awarded for the capture and/or killing of pirates, cultists, Marines, and other persons of interest.

Most of the world's Bounties are issued by the World Authority—via the Navy—with the intent of making the public aware of dangerous criminals, as well as encouraging civilians to help capture them. The specific amount of a given bounty is calculated by a special department within Navy Headquarters, based on the perceived threat level of a given criminal. The highest known bounties, belonging to the great pirates who ruled over the New World, have been more than 500,000 gold pieces.

The standard bounty is issued with a "Dead or Alive" clause, signifying that the criminal no longer has protection from the law and therefore can be killed without repercussion. This makes both live captures and confirmed kills eligible for the reward. However, according to bounty hunters, authorities may detract up to 30% of a bounty if given a dead criminal, as they favor live captures for prison sentences and/or formal executions. Alternatively, some "Only Alive" clauses has been approved for at certain individuals, due to political influence from significant figures of power.

Criminal organizations, such as pirate crews, typically only have bounties on their leaders or figureheads (eg. captains). However, larger organizations, in particular Pirate Titan crews or prominent pirate crews, will have bounties on some or all of their subordinates.

Bounties are not known to carry any statute of limitations; even criminals that have remained inactive for over a century, such as Ogmund the Storm, are viable as bounty heads as long as they have not been confirmed deceased.

While some see their bounty as a curse keeping them from a normal life in society, most pirates treat them as a badge of honor and a measure of their exploits, hanging them in their walls as a trophy.

Types of Bounties

Bounties on Pirates

A vast majority of bounties distributed in The New World are from the Navy and targeted towards criminals and pirates. They are most seen throughout settlements allied and even separate from The World Authority, stored within navy bases/ships for reference, and freely dispersed through news outlets. As long as there is solid proof of an individual's significant criminal activity, most will have a bounty.

Bounties on Navy

Also known as Red Bounties, these are prices against navy officers are illegally funded by a vast array of people but predominantly distributed by the Gilded Bull Pirates. Even being caught in possession of a navy bounty could have you arrested as they are hard to find and only distributed to underground crime-rings, particular bounty-hunters, and Pirate Titan territories. Unlike pirate bounties; navy bounties can be funded by anyone who can deliver the gold without being caught, so oftentimes certain noble houses will fund bounties against officers if they happen to impede in their business. To avoid the ire of other groups of power and weaken their main opposition, the guilded pirates keep their targets against the navy.