Damn it… How could that brat have such nerve? To endure for four or five years like that… It's all my fault for not paying more attention. I never expected this…"
Regen's face twisted with rage and regret. The village chief's eyes flickered with a flash of killing intent before he spoke coldly:
"Enough of your useless anger. Go—notify Pete. Tell him to bring everyone. We're going to seize those pirates before they can escape."
Regen forced himself to calm down and immediately ran out of the cave to gather Pete and the others.
Meanwhile, Buggy had already returned to their lodging. He explained everything he had seen and heard and shared his conclusions.
What he had witnessed was villagers offering sacrifices to that strange stone. Each time, a mysterious energy would invade the sacrificer's body—an energy so oppressive it explained why everyone felt weak. Buggy was certain that only the power of Conqueror's Haki could resist it.
His conclusion: the villagers' food was laced with ill intent. By making outsiders consume it, they fulfilled the condition for a sacrifice—feeding them to the stone in exchange for their desires.
Buggy then revealed the truth behind this power:
It was the work of a Devil Fruit. From the style of ritual and its effects, he was sure of it—an exceedingly rare Paramecia-type fruit: the Sacrifice Fruit.
The Devil Fruit Encyclopedia held little about it, only noting that the Sacrifice Fruit allowed its user to grant others' wishes in proportion to the offerings they presented. The user, in turn, could grow stronger from these sacrifices, gaining bizarre and powerful abilities. A fruit both eerie and mysterious.
From his observation, Buggy suspected it even had spatial properties—similar to the Mirror-Mirror Fruit—perhaps some kind of "sacrificial space."
Everyone listening turned pale. The power was too strange, impossible to guard against. Even something as simple as eating a meal could be turned into a trap.
"Captain, what do we do next? Do we confront the villagers directly, or wait and plan?"
The situation was clear, and their choices narrowed to two.
Confront the villagers and their chief now, crush them, and uncover the truth at the risk of a deadly battle.
Or bide their time, recover their strength, and return later better prepared.
But before Buggy could decide, his face hardened.
"It's too late. They're already here. Be careful."
With his Observation Haki, Buggy sensed a large group approaching from just a hundred meters away. The village chief was leading his guards straight toward them.
Faces cold, with twisted smiles, the villagers closed in.
Buggy didn't wait for them to knock—or break down the door. He led his crew outside to meet them.
The chief was taken aback. They already knew we were coming? His suspicion deepened: Buggy had likely awakened Observation Haki. To wield Haki at his age marked him as someone extraordinary.
Buggy smirked casually:
"Yo, village chief. What strong wind blew you all the way here?"
His tone was deliberately flippant.
The chief, however, replied with calm politeness:
"I came to see if our guests had any needs."
Buggy could tell it was just probing, an attempt to test their condition.
He sneered:
"Needs? No, we don't dare have any. The food you sent us already costs us half our lives."
The chief's eyes narrowed. The boy knew.
Buggy had no intention of dragging it out. Whether this man was the mastermind or closely tied to him, there was no reason to waste words.
He unleashed a wave of Conqueror's Haki, pressing down on the villagers.
The weaker ones instantly collapsed, unconscious, leaving only the chief standing.
But even under the crushing pressure, a strange gray energy welled up from the chief's body, shielding him. He remained unfazed.
Buggy's eyes tightened. So this old man… he's no ordinary opponent.
The chief was equally shaken. Conqueror's Haki? At his age? He could no longer dismiss Buggy as a child—this was someone who carried the quality of a king.
And if Buggy already had Observation and Conqueror's Haki… it was likely he had Armament as well. This boy was terrifying.
The old man's expression grew grave, yet his voice was respectful:
"May I know your name? Do you have a bounty on your head—and how much?"
Buggy frowned. For this man to withstand his Haki without flinching meant his strength was dangerous. Still, Buggy answered in kind:
"If I answer your question, you'll answer one of mine. Fair trade?"
The chief nodded readily. His confidence in his power allowed him to agree.
"Fine."
Buggy stepped forward, voice steady:
"I am Buggy, captain of the Yanhuang Pirates. My current bounty is 100 million Berries."
The old man's eyes flickered—first with doubt, then with gravity.