"Buggy, huh…"
Hearing Orin say that, Shanks froze for a moment, then relaxed and smiled faintly, no longer trying to persuade Orin to stay.
"It's been so long… I wonder if he's still holding a grudge against me."
"Ever since we split up at Loguetown six years ago, I haven't seen him since. Do you know where he is now, Orin?"
Orin nodded.
"Yeah. My news-delivery seagulls can monitor nearly the entire ocean. Unless Buggy's hiding deep in some remote forest or at the bottom of the sea… Otherwise, how do you think I managed to find you out here?"
"Ah… I see…"
Shanks suddenly realized it, as if the thought only now struck him.
Right!
He'd never even considered why Orin had shown up on his ship so suddenly.
Now it all made sense…
"Wait a second—doesn't that mean no one on the seas can ever escape your watchful eyes anymore?!"
"Exactly."
Orin smiled faintly.
"Only like this can I make sure I never miss any fun happening around the world~"
"You bastard…"
For some reason, Shanks suddenly felt irritated. He gritted his teeth, that long-lost feeling surging back.
Back when they were on Roger's ship, he always felt as though Orin's shadow loomed over him.
Now that he finally had his own crew and his own journey, he thought he was free…
But in reality…
Orin's gaze had never left him!!!
Damn it, so annoying!!!
...
Orin left.
Taking Mihawk along, he vanished from the Red Force.
Meanwhile, somewhere else…
"Captain Buggy!!! We spotted suspicious people near the coastline!!!"
East Blue, an unknown small town.
Under the rule of the notorious Buggy-sama—whose bounty reached a terrifying nine million Belly—the townsfolk lived in constant fear, terrified of offending him.
And all of this… just because Buggy happened to get his hands on a treasure map—one whose authenticity was questionable—but the map indicated there was a hidden treasure somewhere in this very town.
"Nani!!! Pirates? So sharp, huh? They must be here to steal my treasure!!!"
"Then let's show them just how fearsome the Buggy Pirates are!!!"
"Ooohhh!!!"
Inside a circus-style tent, Buggy, dressed in his clown outfit and orange cape, was proudly declaring his authority.
Beside him, his oddly dressed underlings—looking like circus performers themselves—cheered passionately in response.
This was Captain Buggy!!!
A man with a nine-million Belly bounty—one of the most infamous names in all of East Blue!
Beast Tamer Mohji and Richie the lion were quickly sent out, tasked with eliminating the intruding pirates who dared disrupt Buggy-sama's plans.
After giving his orders, Buggy turned toward another subordinate.
"Hey, Cabaji! That place in East Blue I told you about—the one famous for its tangerines—have you found it yet?"
Cabaji, the Buggy Pirates' chief of staff, balancing on his unicycle and wearing a scarf, pulled out several sheets of paper after hearing Buggy's question.
"Captain Buggy, these are the islands in East Blue where the tangerines are said to grow best."
"Oh? Let me see!"
Buggy grinned wickedly, scanning the documents carefully.
But as he read, his smirk froze, and soon his expression turned dark. Inside, he started wailing.
What the hell?! All of these islands… have Marine bases stationed on them!!!
Why the hell can't these damn Marines just go somewhere else?!
How was Buggy-sama supposed to claim these islands like this?!!
Buggy flipped through the pages again and again—until suddenly his eyes lit up.
The Cocoyasi Village! Now that was a good spot. The Marine presence there was practically nonexistent, and it was far from any Marine base.
Buggy-sama was secretly plotting when and how to seize Cocoyasi Village when, suddenly, a scream from outside pulled everyone's attention back.
"Aaaahhhhh!!!"
Down the road, a white-haired man covered in bumps, along with a bruised and battered lion, stumbled back in a miserable state.
It was none other than Mohji and Richie—the ones Buggy had sent out earlier.
"Hey!!! What the hell happened to you two?! What's with those injuries?!"
"Uuuhhh… uuuhhh…"
Mohji tried to explain, flailing his arms wildly, but his face was so swollen he couldn't form proper words, only stammering incoherently.
"Unforgivable!!! How dare someone beat up Buggy-sama's men like this?! I'm furious!!!"
"Don't be mad, Buggy~"
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind—but Buggy, who was in a fit of rage, didn't recognize it. His entire body exploded apart in anger, scattering into pieces.
"Who the hell is that?! Which bastard dares call me Buggy without saying Captain Buggy first!!!"
"Captain Buggy!!! Look!!!"
Cabaji, still balancing on his unicycle, suddenly froze as if witnessing something unbelievable. He wobbled, lost his balance, and toppled over.
Shaking, he pointed toward the entrance of the tent, urging Buggy to look.
"What now, you idiot—uh… wha—?!"
Buggy, mid-insult, suddenly felt as though someone had grabbed his throat. His whole body stiffened on the spot, his jaw hanging open, unable to speak.
After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out two words.
"Orin!!!"
It was indeed Orin—teleporting across half the ocean just to pay Buggy a visit.
Smiling, Orin waved casually.
"Buggy!!!"
...
"Or… Orin!!!"
Buggy completely lost control, shooting forward off the ground like a rocket. Tears and snot gushed out uncontrollably as his body broke apart midair and flung itself toward Orin, wrapping around him tightly.
"It… it's really you… it's been so long!!!"
"Oi, you bastard, your reaction's a bit too over-the-top, don't you think?!"
It was obvious Buggy was genuinely emotional and happy. His tears and snot were flowing nonstop, his feelings overflowing.
If Orin hadn't teleported away instantly, he would've gotten covered in it.
"You bastard… you've really made a name for yourself now, huh? I thought you became the king of the seas and completely forgot about me!!!"
"Ah… ahaha…"
Truth be told, Orin had been busy these past few years, wandering around and making a name for himself. He hadn't contacted Buggy at all, and he felt a bit guilty about it.
"Sorry, sorry! I've just been a little tied up these years. But you're my best bro, Buggy. There's no way I could ever forget you!"
After much comforting, Buggy's emotions finally began to settle… but only a little.
With no other choice, Orin pulled out his ultimate trump card.
"As an apology… I'll give you these treasure maps, Buggy."
"Wait—really?!?"
As expected, Buggy's mood did a complete 180 upon hearing that. He instantly released Orin, his eyes sparkling as he snatched the maps from his hands.
Because Buggy knew one thing for certain—unlike that bastard Shanks, if Orin gave him a treasure map…
It was definitely real.
Orin would never lie to him.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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