Captain, there's an island ahead—people are living on it."
From high above, Lafitte descended like a shadow. Using his ability to fly, he had scouted the island ahead and returned to report his findings: a human settlement.
"Which direction? Let's head there and rest for a while."
Since they had finally found an inhabited island, it was only natural to dock and replenish supplies. After several days of sailing, their stores had been depleted significantly.
Following Buggy's order, Lafitte steered the Glory toward the island.
Before long, they reached it.
From a distance, they were greeted by a breathtaking sight: sprawling fields of flowers in every color imaginable, swaying gracefully in the wind like waves of a dancing sea. Amid the blossoms and greenery stood charming Western-style houses, scattered across the landscape. The island radiated beauty.
Buggy was surprised. To encounter such a place in this desolate stretch of ocean felt almost unreal.
As they drew closer, they noticed the island was well-developed. Around its shores were dozens of carefully constructed ports.
Yet strangely, not a single ship was moored there—not even a fishing boat.
Despite the abundance of ports, the place felt deserted, as if its infrastructure served no purpose at all.
Buggy and his crew didn't dwell on the oddity. They chose a secluded dock and brought the Glory to shore.
Meanwhile, atop the island's tallest watchtower, a middle-aged man spotted their ship.
"Hey, Pete! Look—isn't that a pirate ship?"
He shook awake his drowsy companion, his face bright with excitement, pointing eagerly toward the Glory.
"Reagan, that's impossible. It's been ages since a pirate ship came here. You must be seeing things."
Pete dismissed the claim. Their island hadn't seen pirates in a long time—surely Reagan's eyes were playing tricks.
Reagan doubted himself for a moment, rubbing his eyes vigorously before looking again. His smile grew wider. "No, I wasn't mistaken. There is a pirate ship!"
When Pete finally looked, his face lit up with even greater joy.
"Hahaha! A pirate ship has come at last! This means we'll profit handsomely again!"
"Exactly! We need to inform the mayor immediately. We can't let these people escape."
With that, Reagan rushed from the tower toward the village center, while Pete remained, grinning oddly at the distant pirate ship.
In the village's grandest house, an elder listened to Reagan's report.
"What? Pirates have come to our island? That is wonderful news indeed."
"Mayor, it's true. Pete and I both saw them. Pete is watching them even now."
A sinister smile spread across the mayor's face.
"Good. Then summon everyone. We must go greet our guests."
Reagan hurried through the village, delivering the message. Upon hearing it, the villagers all smiled strangely as well. One by one, they abandoned the pets in their arms and followed Reagan toward the mayor's house.
Meanwhile, Buggy and his crew had disembarked, walking along a road that led inland.
The path was lined with endless flowers, filling the air with sweet fragrances. It was like walking through a dream, an illusion of paradise.
Buggy was struck by the surreal beauty. But doubts stirred within him, too.
The fields they passed were filled only with flowers—not a single plot of farmland, no crops, no food.
How did these people survive in such a barren sea? Did they eat flowers? The thought unsettled him. This place felt… unnatural.
Still, he followed the others toward the village center.
Soon they came upon a gathering of villagers, all smiling warmly as they awaited them.
An old man stepped forward, beaming. "Welcome, welcome! On behalf of all our people, I thank you for visiting our island."
The crew exchanged uncertain glances.
They had expected fear or hostility, maybe even to be driven away. Instead, they were greeted with enthusiasm and respect.
It was so unexpected that even Buggy himself was taken aback.
Buggy addressed the elder directly: "May I ask your name, sir?"
The old man nodded. "I am the village chief."
Buggy narrowed his eyes. "Old chief, do you know who we are? We're pirates. Aren't you afraid we might harm you?"
The chief's smile never wavered. "Our people saw your flag. We know you are pirates.
But not all pirates are evil. In the past, many like you have come, and they helped us. They were kind, and we treated them kindly in return. Thanks to them, we have the life we enjoy today."
As he spoke, the old man's expression softened with nostalgia, as if recalling distant memories.
Buggy couldn't help but feel conflicted. In this world, most pirates were ruthless killers. Yet somehow, this island had only encountered the rare few who weren't.
It was almost unbelievable. But Buggy also couldn't help but think—they were truly lucky.