So you're Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates.
I'll be direct—I want you to join me and become part of my crew.
Buggy didn't bother with pleasantries. He got straight to the point.
"What? Just the two of you think you can recruit me?
I'm Captain Kuro! I'm a well-known name here in the East Blue!"
Buggy burst into laughter.
"Ha! Kid, your world is so small—you think you're famous in this tiny corner of the sea?
Out here, you're nothing more than an ant.
Come with me, and I'll show you what the real sea looks like. I'll take you to the very top."
Kuro's boasting was so absurd that Buggy couldn't help but laugh.
A rookie pirate with a barely noticeable bounty acting like he ruled the East Blue? Ridiculous.
"Laugh all you want! I don't need you to reach the top. I'll do it on my own!"
Kuro, full of ambition, genuinely believed that everything Buggy spoke of, he could achieve solo.
Buggy saw that look of pride and delusion in Kuro's eyes and knew there was no talking him into it.
So, he stopped talking.
In an instant, Buggy used Soru, vanishing and reappearing aboard the Black Cat Pirates' ship.
Before anyone could react, he launched a flurry of kicks, knocking out every single crew member on the deck, including Kuro himself.
He went easy on the rest, knocking them out without seriously injuring anyone.
But Kuro was special—Buggy increased the force behind his kick, slamming him straight into the deck, cracking it with the impact.
With Kuro now unconscious and partially embedded in the wooden boards, Buggy grabbed him by the collar and yanked him free.
He then dumped a bucket of cold water over himself.
The shock jolted Kuro awake. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes, pain coursing through his body.
He stared at Buggy, eyes wide with disbelief and confusion.
"Who… are you? Why are you so strong? What do you want from me?
I don't believe someone like you would be interested in me…"
"I used to be a bounty hunter. You might've heard of me—people called me the Clown.
Now, I'm gathering members for my soon-to-be-formed pirate crew.
As for why I picked you… That's my business."
Buggy had no intention of explaining further.
There was no need to tell Kuro about his future or his hidden potential.
"You're the Clown? The strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue?
That's impossible. I've seen his wanted poster—aside from that red nose, you don't look anything like him!"
Buggy's appearance had changed significantly since his bounty-hunting days.
He'd washed off the face paint, leaving only his iconic red nose, which was still quite recognizable.
"Listen, kid—don't mention my nose again unless you want to get personally reacquainted with my fists."
Buggy's glare was enough to make Kuro shiver.
He immediately lowered his head and apologized.
"S-sorry! I got it!"
He was already in pain from that earlier kick—he didn't want to endure another one.
"I've got no reason to lie to you. With my strength, I don't need to lie.
So here's the deal—you have two choices:
Join me... or die."
There was no room for negotiation.
Buggy wasn't going to put his old clown makeup back on just to prove his identity.
Kuro wasn't worth that kind of effort.
And if Kuro made the wrong choice, that would be the end of him.
Buggy didn't want deadweight on his ship. A weak-willed, arrogant man with no loyalty? Better to get rid of him now.
Kuro may not have committed any serious crimes yet, but knowing his personality, he was bound to become a threat to others in time.
If Buggy killed him here and now, he'd be doing the East Blue a favor.
Kuro fell silent, seriously considering the ultimatum.
Judging by Buggy's tone and expression, this wasn't an empty threat.
"Fine. I'll join."
It didn't take him long to decide.
It was the most important decision of his life, and one he made without hesitation.
He couldn't win. That was clear.
And nothing was more important than staying alive.
With a smirk, Buggy nodded.
"Smart choice. I knew you'd see reason."
He looked around at the unconscious Black Cat crew members sprawled across the deck.
"As for the rest of your crew… tell them to go home and become farmers or something.
The sea isn't a playground, and with strength like that, they won't survive long."
These weren't insults—just honest advice.
"Understood, Captain," Kuro replied.
Looking at his battered crew, he realized Buggy was right.
Without him, the Black Cat Pirates were doomed.
Sending them back home was the best possible outcome.
With that, Buggy used Geppo (Moonwalk) to soar back to the Glory.
Kuro watched him go, eyes wide with awe.
His respect for Buggy grew even more. In that moment, he knew—
This decision… might be the smartest one I'll ever make.
Ten minutes later, Kuro arrived aboard the Glory, still tied up and dragged along by Daddy.
He'd taken care of things on his end, and now he was officially joining.
Stepping onto the deck of the Glory, Kuro was shocked once again.
From afar, he hadn't been able to appreciate the ship's grandeur.
But now, seeing it up close and walking its deck, he realized just how different it was from his pathetic excuse of a pirate ship.
After the tour, Daddy brought him to the helm and taught him how to operate the ship.
Then, he handed the job off entirely.
Now that there were three crew members, Daddy had no intention of continuing his duties as helmsman.
He had training to do.
Kuro, meanwhile, was completely dumbfounded.
They're putting me in charge of steering the ship?!
Did they not worry he'd sabotage it? Cause a malfunction and try to escape?
Of course, Kuro had no idea—Buggy and Daddy weren't worried in the slightest.
Even if the ship broke down, he wouldn't get far, and neither of them felt like wasting time with tasks they could delegate.
They had training to do—they needed to get stronger.
Kuro was left at the wheel, staring blankly, wondering what exactly he'd gotten himself into.