Kiri, locked in Navarone's prison, woke abruptly before dawn.
His cell was in a surface building, not the sprawling underground brig, which was packed with yesterday's defeated Dead End racers. A marine escorting him last night explained they'd run out of space below, so he was placed above.
Now, alone in the dim cellblock, a faint noise stirred him.
The sound of a key turning.
Someone was trying to unlock a door, the clinking echoing softly.
Kiri's cell was two doors down from the source. Sitting up, he gripped the bars, peering toward the noise.
The lock clicked open, a bolt clattered, and a creaking door moved. Cautious footsteps approached, wary yet bold, heading for the exit.
"Alright, coast's clear. Worth the wait. Now, about a ship—" a voice muttered.
"Buggy, isn't it? What're you doing?" Kiri called.
"Whoa! Who's that… in a cell!? And you!?"
"Long time no see. Doing alright?"
Startled, the figure leapt, body splitting apart—a familiar face. Pirate Clown Buggy, red nose unmistakable from Rogue Town, though his hat and coat were gone. No mistaking him.
As Kiri predicted, Buggy stood before him again.
"Straw Hat's paper lackey! Why're you here!?"
"My line exactly. Thought I was alone, but you're close by, huh?"
"Hmph, screwed up, didn't ya? Too bad. I'm free now, so I'll ditch you and bolt, gyahaha!"
"Wait, wait. Let's chat a bit, since we're here."
Kiri's casual tone halted Buggy, who seemed eager to run despite the predawn quiet. Loud voices risked attention, so Kiri kept his low, while Buggy, annoyed, glanced back without warmth.
"What's your deal? I'm busy. Can't stick around."
"How'd you end up here? Caught?"
"Why!? That schemer, obviously! Followed an Eternal Pose to the race's goal, and it led to this fortress! Navy's strongest base! Who'd come here on purpose? I was tricked!"
"Yeah, figured. By the way, Gasparde set it up."
"Gasparde!? That bastard, strutting around like that!"
"Already took him down. He didn't win either."
"You beat him? His bounty's nearly a hundred million!"
"Long story, but he didn't come out on top."
"Nice, that's refreshing! Alright, I'm off—"
"Wait, hold on!"
Kiri stopped Buggy again, who was itching to flee.
"You still haven't said why you're here. Ship sunk?"
"Tch, persistent, huh? Ship's probably fine. We were in the rear, safe when the lead group got hit. Perfect chance to escape."
"So why're you here?"
"Hell if I know! Got ambushed by some weird polar bear, dragged into the sea! Separated from my crew, hauled here—total mess!"
"Oh, another victim…" Kiri muttered, eyeing Buggy's tantrum with pity.
That polar bear was likely Donny. Wherever Buggy was, Donny nabbed him. Plausible for someone like him.
Fellow victims of the same foe, Kiri softened toward Buggy slightly.
Better yet, this was an opportunity. Trapped in an unfamiliar base, Buggy's escape plan could boost Kiri's odds if they teamed up.
Smiling, Kiri called out to stop Buggy's retreating back.
"Alright, I'm out. Busy here."
"Hold up, don't rush. Why the hurry?"
"Obviously, to escape! It's early, guards are lax. Now's the only shot."
"True, but it's tough, realistically."
"Amateurs shut up. I hid my powers; I can do this."
"Still tough alone. Let's team up. I'll help."
"You!?"
Buggy's eyes narrowed with suspicion. Honest to a fault, his face hid nothing. Kiri, anticipating his response, gave a wry smile.
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"You're Straw Hat's goon. Forgot? I've got a grudge, not a reason to play nice. Even if I owed you, no thanks. Stay there alone."
"Don't be so harsh. Let's be friends this time, side by side."
"No way. I'll savor freedom solo!"
As expected, Buggy turned, jogging off. Kiri tossed out prepared bait.
"Shame. Guess you don't want the hidden vault's treasure."
Buggy froze comically, one foot raised, turning back with eyes wide, brimming with curiosity and greed.
"Hidden vault? Treasure?"
"Yeah. Heard some marine here's stashing cash in secret ledgers, hidden somewhere. I can't find or carry it all alone."
"Just asking, but how much we talking? I'm escaping solo, but, y'know, curious."
"No clue, but probably a ton."
Kiri mixed truth with bluff. The vault was real, per Wendy, but its riches were his guess, maybe improvised.
Truth didn't matter. Hooking Buggy was enough, and it worked.
Buggy's eyes gleamed at "treasure." Unlike adventure-driven Luffy, Buggy was a gold-hungry pirate, his interest visibly spiking.
Kiri smirked inwardly.
Escaping alone in this fortress was tricky. A partner, especially an ability user like Buggy, was a godsend.
"Plus, this place is too big for one guy. Even with your powers, it's crowded and complex. Escaping's a puzzle."
"Grr, but how's you being here change that?"
"Big time. Before they locked me up, I saw a map of the base. Memorized it roughly. I'd need to check as we go, but I can guide us."
"A map? Where'd you—"
"Pretty lady showed it to me."
Shrugging, Kiri watched Buggy ponder seriously for seconds.
Alone was tough. Kiri's help, even if a lie, could be useful. But trust was the issue. Buggy knew Kiri was Luffy's ally, a key player in their crew's fame, with a bounty to match. Newspapers and rumors confirmed Kiri's role in Rogue Town.
Use him or leave him? Buggy wrestled with greed for gold and escape.
"Will you find that vault?"
"Odds are better. I'll search hard."
"Hmm… alone's a hassle. And it'll take time."
Hand on chin, Buggy weighed pros and cons: with Kiri, without Kiri.
Grimacing, he glared at the air, then decided.
(If the map's real, he's useful. If we're spotted, he's a decoy. Worst case, ditch the vault and run—better to split the marines' attention. Gotta take him.)
Self-preservation and gold first, Kiri's safety second. Convinced of his utility, Buggy grinned, looking down at Kiri in the cell.
Kiri, oblivious to his scheming, smiled loosely back.
"Alright, you're in."
"Thanks."
"But I'm saving you. Be useful."
"Absolutely. Big thanks to the great Captain Buggy."
"Hope that gratitude pays off. Mwahaha, what riches await!"
Beaming, Buggy stifled laughter, already dreaming of gold. A true pirate, drenched in greed.
Time to free Kiri. Buggy reached for stolen keys, hidden behind him. As a Chop-Chop Fruit user, without seastone cuffs, locks were child's play. Stealing keys off a wall was easy; he could even slip through bars in pieces, though he'd avoided it, wary of marines.
No handcuff key, but he could open the cell. Rummaging through the keys, he searched for the right one.
Kiri stopped him. "No need for keys."
"Huh? You're stuck without 'em."
"Nope. I can get out."
With a clank, Kiri's handcuffs hit the floor. Buggy gaped as Kiri's arms turned paper-thin, slipping free, then regained thickness.
Buggy knew he was an ability user, but still gawked.
"No seastone?"
"Guess not."
Smirking, Kiri stepped forward, flattening his body paper-thin to glide through the bars, then reforming.
Impressed, Buggy paused, a new doubt surfacing.
"You hid your powers too? Then why stay here? You didn't need me. What's your game?"
"Same as you—waiting for the right moment. Tons of enemies, unclear escape routes. If a marine came, I'd probe them casually."
"Hmph, fine. These keys are useless then."
Tossing the keys, they clattered on the floor. Kiri smirked.
He hadn't planned for Buggy's refusal. Kiri could've escaped anytime. If Buggy ditched him, he'd have waited for a marine delivering food to chat up.
Buggy wasn't the only one saved here.
Oblivious, Buggy took the lead. Kiri followed, expression neutral.
They weren't allies, not truly cooperating out of trust—just a fleeting partnership. Either could shift gears if things changed, an unspoken agreement as they walked side by side.
Kiri spoke first. "What's first? Need weapons. We'll get caught soon."
"Fight head-on? No chance of winning."
"Exactly. Weapons and a plan to leave the island."
"Like what?"
"Let's stop and think."
They paused before leaving the cellblock, facing each other. No paper for notes, just words to memorize.
"A map would help, but this is messy. Dodge searches, navigate, no weapons yet."
"And find the gold. No gold, no need for you."
"Got it. Need time… and better odds of getting out."
Nodding, Kiri mused.
"Dead End racers are here, right? Any other prisoners?"
"Right! Free 'em, and it's chaos. Marines'll be too busy to chase us. Steal a ship easy."
"Risky, though. Freed prisoners might not help us, and it'll up our crimes."
"Who cares? Surviving's priority."
"Fair point."
"Give 'em weapons, let 'em fight. Less work for me."
Buggy's scheming grin was gleeful, fitting his nature. Kiri had considered this since seeing the map, noting the brig's location. Chaos was key, but timing mattered.
Rushing to free prisoners—was that wise?
Kiri, planning calmly, prioritized steps. Not just their moves—predicting the enemy's was crucial. They needed a destination, items, and chaos in the base.
After a pause, Kiri spoke, plan set.
"Alright, let's be smart. Escape'll be noticed fast, but our abilities suit stealth. Play it right, we'll manage."
"Stealth?"
"I can hide as paper, you split apart. Easy to dodge."
"True, but once spotted, eyes are everywhere."
"Take it slow, plan long-term. Prep step-by-step, and we'll have the edge."
"What's your basis for this… but fine, let's do it."
Sighing, Buggy agreed. Kiri explained the plan, quietly thrilled.
In an unknown fortress, hope and despair mingled. To escape alive, they moved forward.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
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