At the port, beside an inconspicuous small boat, Buggy watched with a pained expression as Kong walked away carrying two bags of gold and jewels.
"Damn yellow-haired brat… you just wait! Someday, Big Daddy Buggy will get back double… no! Ten times what you took from me!"
Buggy's base had only recently been robbed by Nami, so getting ten million Belly in such a short time was his best effort.
Though he shouted angrily, he had no intention of attacking Kong. The master of survival that he was, would never do anything stupid enough to attract the attention of Marine Headquarters.
He could act high and mighty in a branch office, but the bigwigs of Marine Headquarters more or less knew his background—they just hadn't seen him do anything yet. But once they did, just the title of "Roger's crew member" would be enough to send him to Level 5 of Impel Down.
After venting his impotent rage for a while, a cold glint appeared in Buggy's eyes.
"Damn it… Straw Hat… if it weren't for you, how could I have been robbed by the Marines? This debt is on your head too!!!"
Just as he was fantasizing about torturing Luffy, Kaeya walked over from the direction Kong had left.
"Excuse me, are you Buggy?"
Kaeya was very polite. His aristocratic demeanor was natural and unpretentious, and combined with his distinctly pirate-like eyepatch, made a good first impression on Buggy.
"It's this great me, kid. Spit it out!"
Kaeya smiled.
"It's really you. At first, I thought that red nose was fake, but it's real! My, what an experience!"
Buggy's face darkened. He hated it when people mentioned his red nose.
"You're asking to die!!!"
Kaeya's reaction was even faster. He instantly drew his sword.
"Frost Slash!!"
The genuine Frost Slash was far more powerful than the one Kong had used, instantly bisecting Buggy at the waist.
But Buggy's severed upper body suddenly flew up, his fingers wielding six sharp daggers aimed at Kaya.
"Heh heh, slashing attacks are useless against this great me!"
Buggy's power, the Chop-Chop Fruit, grants immunity to all cutting attacks. His body, except for his legs, can freely split and recombine, with a range of ten meters from his feet.
Faced with Buggy's attack, Kaeya exclaimed in amazement.
"I've heard about it, but seeing it firsthand is still shocking…"
Buggy was already in front of Kaeya.
"Even if you praise me, it's no use! Die!"
Kaeya smiled slightly.
"Brisk Dance!"
"Clang…"
The God's Eye at Kaeya's waist shone, three solid ice spikes instantly forming and spinning rapidly around Kaya at incredible speed.
"Clang!"
"Pfft!"
Buggy reacted too slowly. The high-speed ice spikes knocked the daggers from his hands, and one hit him squarely in the face, knocking the saliva right out of him.
Before he could recover, another searing pain struck.
"Ugh… Aaargh!!!"
Two strange, one-meter-tall humanoid creatures with wooden masks, wielding wooden clubs and disproportionate limbs, climbed from the shoreline behind Buggy. Their rough clubs, still tipped with thorns, slammed heavily into Buggy's feet.
These were basic monsters from the Genshin Impact world: Hilichurls.
Kaya instantly swung his sword dozens of times, hacking Buggy to pieces.
"Useless!! I'll kill you!!"
The dismembered Buggy instantly reformed. Tears of pain welled in his eyes as he charged at Kaeya.
"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't fulfill your wish."
Kaeya remained his usual "icy and polite" self, snapping his fingers.
"Wara-ara!"
Above, a Hilichurl, already waiting, held a bouncy, blue creature and dropped it onto Buggy's head.
"Gulp…"
It was clearly one of the seven great slimes: a Water Slime.
At this moment, the Water Slime had absorbed a large amount of seawater. With the Hilichurl's throw, it expanded several times its size, completely engulfing Buggy.
Upon contact with the seawater, Buggy instantly lost most of his strength, and his split body reformed.
Kaeya kindly ensured Buggy's head remained above the Water Slime, not letting him be fully submerged.
"You… who… are… you…"
Kaeya sheathed his sword and bowed slightly in a noble's greeting.
"Kaeya Alberich, Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, and a pirate hunter."
"Pirate… hunter… damn it…"
Kaeya addressed the three Hilichurls.
"Sack him up, take him away."
"Wara-gira!!"
The Hilichurls nodded, taking a sack from their backpacks and stuffing Buggy and the Water Slime inside. Then, the three Hilichurls carried him, following Kaya.
"It still doesn't feel real… I can actually command Hilichurls… If only Teyvat's Hilichurls were this obedient…"
Kaeya wasn't rushing to claim the bounty. This was Kong's plan: Kong would first swindle Buggy out of his money, then Kaeya would capture him as a pirate hunter. The final step was to increase Buggy's value to maximize profits.
To develop his own power, money was absolutely necessary, and Buggy was the perfect seed capital.
Just as Kaeya captured Buggy, Kong returned to Marine Headquarters.
"Huh!? Commander Kong? Didn't you leave?"
Lieutenant A was startled to see Kong return. He thought there was a problem with the Rogge Town branch's paperwork.
Kong's expression was grave.
"I can't leave. Something big happened in Rogge Town. A major pirate showed up."
"A major pirate? Is it Luffy? Colonel Smoker took people to capture him. Don't worry, it should be fine."
Paimon's expression was also serious.
"Luffy? Never heard of him, just a small fry. Kong and I just saw a legendary pirate… a former member of the Roger Pirates!"
"Wh…what!? A Roger Pirate!? That legendary level of existence… why would they be in Rogge Town!?"
Kong's expression was worried.
"Rogge Town… is Roger's execution site. It's not surprising that his crew would come here… Anyway, quickly recall Smoker. I need to speak with Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
"Yes! I'll arrange it immediately!!"
…
Marineford, the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku paced anxiously in the room. Three people sat in the chairs beside him.
Admiral Sakazuki, code name Akainu.
Admiral Borsalino, code name Kizaru.
Admiral Kuzan, code name Aokiji.
These were the three highest fighting forces of the Navy!
"This is scary. Dragon actually appeared in the East Blue. Is Grandpa Garp alright~?"
Kizaru's voice was still half-dead, showing no fear.
Aokiji leaned back in his chair with his eyepatch on, as if asleep.
Akainu said,
"Fleet Admiral, sending troops now is probably too late. Besides, only Garp is in the East Blue. Frankly, Dragon will definitely not be caught this time. Hmph, after all, Garp is his father."
Sengoku said,
"Of course I know that. If Dragon were that easy to catch, he wouldn't be the world's most dangerous criminal…"
Aokiji lifted his eyepatch.
"The Fleet Admiral must be worried about that kid Kong."
Kizaru said comfortably,
"That brat… actually found Dragon. Interesting~"
Akainu showed no concern.
"As a Marine, he should be prepared for anything. Hmph, that kid's alright. He didn't panic and reported it immediately. Catching Dragon is hopeless, but if we can destroy a Revolutionary Army base along the way, that's acceptable."
Sengoku was about to speak when the Den Den Mushi rang.
"Beep beep…"
Sengoku quickly answered.
"Hello! Kong!? Are you alright? Hmm… I understand. It's best that Dragon didn't act. You and Paimon be careful… What!? I'll immediately arrange an investigation!!"
Sengoku hung up in a flurry, and the three Admirals stood up.
"What happened?"
Sengoku's face was grim.
"Kong said… besides Dragon, there's another former member of Roger's crew in loguetown! !"
Instantly, even Akainu was no longer calm.
"Who!? Rayleigh!? Or Gaban!?"
Kuzan's face rarely showed such seriousness.
"It doesn't matter who. Appearing in loguetown with Dragon… are the remnants of the old era and the Revolutionary Army collaborating?"
Kizaru was even more stunned.
"Wait wait, are you sure you didn't make a mistake? It doesn't seem like the Revolutionary Army and Roger's crew would get along."
Sengoku waved his hand.
"Someone! Go get the people from the bounty department!"
Marineford, silent for so long, was now rapidly mobilized because of a certain yellow-haired brat's money-making scheme.