When Buggy carried the boy back, he was no longer struggling. Exhausted from his frantic fight in the seawater, he had already fainted.
Some of the crew were awake by then, busying themselves instead of resting. When they saw Buggy return with a half-drowned child in tow, they were stunned, unable to make sense of what was happening.
After a round of questioning, Buggy explained everything—who the boy was, what had just occurred, and his growing suspicions. He pointed out the many strange things about the island:
The villagers' mysterious livelihoods.
Farmlands filled only with flowers, not crops.
No one is ever working, yet everyone is living in leisure.
He also shared what he had overheard—the villagers' conversations, which hinted at unnatural secrets—and reminded them of their sudden physical weakness. Everything pointed to one conclusion: this island was hiding something dangerous.
"Captain," Hogback, the ship's doctor, finally spoke. "What exactly caused our condition? I've checked everyone. Physically, there's nothing wrong. That's what troubles me… At first, I thought it was just the environment, but now I'm not so sure."
Buggy frowned. "I don't know either. I guess that some kind of special ability is at work. Nothing else explains it. Perhaps… when this boy wakes up, we'll learn the truth."
Buggy couldn't shake the thought that only something like a Devil Fruit could create such a bizarre phenomenon.
That afternoon, the villagers once again arrived with generous baskets of food, just as before. But this time, Buggy's crew refused to touch it. They dumped much of it away and ate only from their supplies.
If the villagers were suspicious, then their endless "gifts" were just as suspect. It was very likely that their strange condition came from eating this food.
The boy finally regained consciousness later that afternoon. The crew gathered in his room immediately.
At first, he pretended to be the same vacant, idiotic child they had seen before—staring blankly, muttering nonsense, eyes unfocused.
Buggy saw through him at once. The boy was being cautious.
"You don't need to pretend anymore," Buggy said firmly. "We already know something is wrong on this island. And these problems may threaten our very lives.
But you don't need to be afraid. For our survival, we won't harm you. On the contrary, we'll protect you with everything we have.
So tell us the truth. Trust us. We can deal with this."
The boy's eyes flickered. "You… have the power to protect me? To solve what's happening here?"
At those words, his vacant mask crumbled. The silly grin and blank expression vanished, replaced by sharp, intelligent eyes.
Buggy nodded, unwavering. "Yes. We'll protect you. And we have the strength to end this."
The boy studied him—his tone, his sincerity—and finally seemed to make a decision. Slowly, he began to speak.
His name was Reino.
Three years ago, this island was poor. Everyone lived in rags, wearing animal hides. Hunger was constant, and most families could barely feed themselves.
But Reino remembered those days as happy ones. Though he was an orphan, the villagers looked after him. Life was hard, but peaceful. He had friends and a carefree childhood.
Then one day, everything changed.
The village chief returned carrying a strange stone. From that moment, life improved—yet harmony vanished.
People stopped caring about Reino. Worse, residents began to vanish. Quietly. Without explanation.
First, it was strangers. Then it was Reino's friends. One by one, they disappeared.
Before they vanished, he sometimes heard them whisper about a "miraculous place." A place where, if you prayed sincerely, your wishes would come true—riches, food, comfort. Parents even took their children there, promising them a better life.
But none of those children ever returned.
The disappearances grew. And as they did, the island grew more prosperous. Fields stopped producing crops and instead bloomed with flowers. Yet somehow, the villagers grew richer, never worrying about food or survival.
Reino realized the danger. In front of everyone, he once deliberately stumbled and began acting insane—slurring, laughing, babbling nonsense. His ruse worked. They dismissed him as a harmless fool, and thus he survived.
For four or five years, he kept up the act.
In that time, he witnessed more. Pirates came, again and again. Each time, they were welcomed warmly, given food and lodging. Each time, within days, they all vanished without a trace—along with their ships.
One night, Reino secretly followed the villagers on one of their mysterious journeys. They went to a cave in the mountains. He didn't dare enter, but he knew—that was where it all began.
And so he lived on, feigning madness, watching, waiting.