After Reino finished recounting everything he knew, Buggy immediately caught onto several crucial points.
First, the villagers' prosperity hadn't come from their efforts. It had appeared suddenly, without reason, allowing them to live carefree lives without labor. That alone was suspicious.
Second, the strange stone the village chief brought back was highly significant—likely the root of everything, with the chief himself possibly being the source of the island's transformation.
Third, the children who mysteriously disappeared might have been sacrificed for this newfound prosperity.
And finally, the mysterious cave—the one said to grant wealth and abundance—was undoubtedly hiding the greatest secret of all.
From these clues and his observations, Buggy began to form a hypothesis. The strange phenomena strongly resembled the abilities of a certain Devil Fruit he had once read about in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. But he wasn't certain yet. To confirm his suspicions, he would need to see the truth with his own eyes.
After reassuring Reino, Buggy and his crew returned to the main hall.
"Captain, this place is far too sinister. We should leave while we still can!" Hogback urged anxiously.
"No way!" Kuro snapped, his face pale but eyes sharp. His weakened body still hadn't recovered from the island's influence. "We promised Reino we'd help him. And it was these villagers who harmed us. You think I'll just swallow that humiliation? Never. We'll settle this."
Jessica stepped forward next. "Kuro-nii is right. A promise is a promise. We can't abandon Reino now. I believe in Captain Buggy—he can solve this."
"Exactly," Lafitte said, his smile faint but his tone sharp. "They dared to scheme against us. That demands retribution."
"Yeah. We're not leaving." Shiryu agreed coldly.
"Not leaving," Dadi echoed firmly.
Only Weevil sat in silence, staring blankly as though he hadn't understood a word of the discussion.
Buggy listened to their declarations, then gave his verdict:
"We're not leaving. They've already tried to harm us, and we've suffered for it. There's no way we walk away quietly.
But… we must be cautious. This place is filled with tricks. Before anything else, we'll investigate thoroughly so we don't fall into another trap."
The moment they set foot on this island, they were already entangled in its fate. Even if they tried to leave now, the villagers would likely never let them. And even if they did, Buggy would refuse. Anyone who harmed his crew would have to pay the price.
Still, if his guess was right—that this was the power of a certain Devil Fruit—then the enemy would be extremely troublesome. That particular fruit's ability was infamously difficult to deal with.
"Captain, what's our next move?" the crew asked, turning their eyes to him.
Buggy's answer was calm but firm:
"Stay here. Don't arouse suspicion. Tonight, I'll go to the mysterious cave Reino mentioned. Once I confirm the truth, we'll plan our next step."
Night soon fell. Dinner was the same as earlier: their rations, while dumping most of the villagers' food offerings.
Then, cloaked in darkness, Buggy slipped out.
With his speed and skill, he left the house unnoticed, moving like a shadow across the village. No one saw him. Soon, he arrived near the cave.
But instead of charging in, he hid himself and watched.
It wasn't long before villagers began arriving, one after another, all heading toward the cave. Some wore eager smiles. Others looked nervous or sad. Many carried pets in their arms.
When it seemed no more were coming, Buggy approached stealthily and peered inside.
The cavern was packed, filled with nearly every villager. And at the center, just as Reino had described, stood the strange stone.
The stone itself looked odd, but not outwardly dangerous. What unsettled Buggy were the villagers—their gentle daytime faces were gone, replaced by naked greed. Even the chief's once-kind eyes were now cold and sharp.
Buggy listened carefully. Their conversations circled food—whose offerings had been eaten, what they could expect to receive in return.
That confirmed it. The villagers' "hospitality," their endless food deliveries—none of it was out of goodwill. They were offerings, transactions for something sinister.
Then the villagers began forming an orderly line. This time, many clutched their household pets tightly in their arms.
At the chief's signal, one villager stepped forward. Just like before, he prayed aloud to the stone, voicing his wish and presenting his "sacrifice"—namely, Buggy and his crew.
At that moment, Buggy felt it. A strange energy seeped into his body, probing, invasive. But almost instantly, his hidden Conqueror's Haki rejected it, forcing it back out.
At the same time, back at their lodging, his crew experienced the same attack. Whether asleep or awake, each felt the invasive force enter their bodies—only to be expelled moments later by a surge of strange energy within them.
Those awake suddenly felt crushing fatigue, their bodies heavy and weak.
Buggy's eyes narrowed. So this was it. The mysterious energy was the source of their condition. And its origin lay right here, within this cave.
He peered deeper into the shadows, watching closely as the villagers' ritual continued…