You're using the Sacrifice Fruit, aren't you? And just who exactly are you?
Since he had already answered the old man's question, Buggy demanded his in return. He only cared about two things: the strange Devil Fruit ability and the old man's identity. Whether the village chief would answer was another matter.
"Heh… I was once a member of the Rocks Pirates."
The chief didn't bother elaborating on his Devil Fruit. But his origins? That was no secret—besides, it was likely these youngsters wouldn't even understand the weight of the Rocks Pirates' name.
Buggy's face darkened instantly. This was far more dangerous than he had first imagined.
The pirate crew that once dominated the seas… anyone who had survived from that era was no simple man. And with the Sacrifice Fruit, such a sinister ability, his opponent's strength was not to be underestimated.
The chief noticed the shift in Buggy's expression. No confusion, only grim understanding. His crew, however, was completely puzzled by the name "Rocks Pirates." That told him all he needed to know: Buggy, at least, understood.
"You've heard of the Rocks Pirates?"
"I've more than heard of them. My captain… was one of the men who ended the Rocks Era."
The chief froze for a moment, his mind drifting back to that earth-shattering battle at God Valley. He remembered those titanic figures who fought like gods—and even now, the memory filled him with fear.
"So… you were a member of the Pirate King Roger's crew."
He eyed Buggy carefully, reassessing him based on his words.
Buggy's crew was shocked. Their eyes widened in disbelief—Buggy, their Buggy, was once a crewmember of the Pirate King himself?
Buggy had never shared this openly. The title "Pirate King" carried too much weight, and revealing it carelessly could cause endless trouble. But hiding it hadn't harmed him either, so he had simply chosen not to say.
Now, with everyone staring at him, Buggy finally nodded.
"Yes. I was once an apprentice on Roger's ship."
Since the old man had already exposed it, Buggy saw no point in lying. His crew deserved the truth. And as for the village chief, his identity was far from clean. Compared to Buggy's past, his was even darker. Besides, whether either of them would walk away alive from this encounter was still uncertain.
"Heh. Boy… if you leave behind all the valuables on your ship, I'll let you walk away."
The chief's words were carefully measured.
Buggy's identity made him wary. Roger's crew had been bound tightly by loyalty. Even now, many of them still lived. Killing Buggy here could spark a hornet's nest—one that even he might not survive. He wasn't foolish enough to think the Pirate King's crewmates would simply ignore such a thing.
The sudden change in tone made Buggy blink, but then he smirked knowingly. Of course—that was it. The old man feared the shadow of Roger's name.
"Heh. Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere. And I'm certainly not handing over my treasure."
Buggy could see it clearly: although the chief had once been a Rocks pirate, he had no renown to his name. If he had reached true heights of power, he wouldn't be hiding away on some backwater island. His strength was real, but limited.
"Then there's nothing more to discuss."
The chief's expression sank, as dark as storm clouds. He now knew Buggy wouldn't yield—and that meant they were enemies.
"Heh…"
Buggy did not answer, but his silence was answer enough.
"Jiehahahaha… then you've chosen death!"
The village chief erupted into eerie laughter. Strange gray energy poured from his body, stretching out into over a dozen streams that shot into the bodies of the unconscious villagers lying on the ground.
The moment that power entered them, the villagers began to change. Their bodies swelled grotesquely, muscles bulging and tearing through their clothes in an instant.
They rose stiffly to their feet, their eyes blank and lifeless—milky white orbs staring without emotion. The aura they gave off was wrong, deeply unsettling. They didn't seem like humans anymore—more like zombies from some nightmarish plague.
Buggy and his crew stared, aghast.
In just moments, ordinary villagers had transformed into hulking brutes. Their muscles knotted like stone, glinting with a metallic sheen. Each one towered over three meters tall, like a small giant.
"Jiehahaha! Taste the power of my 'Apostles'!"
The chief's grin was filled with malice as he watched the horror take root.
At his command, the twisted villagers roared and charged, heedless of their own lives.
Buggy narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected this. These weren't ordinary transformations—they carried something even more sinister. Best to test them first.
Drawing his blade, Buggy slashed a wave of sword energy straight at them. This wasn't the time for mercy—these villagers had already been turned into tools, human shields. Holding back would endanger his crew.
The slash struck—but the result was shocking.
The Apostles didn't dodge, didn't flinch. They ran headlong into the attack. The sword energy split their flesh open… but no blood spilled. Their chests split, wounds gaping—yet almost instantly, under that same eerie gray energy, the injuries sealed shut. Within seconds, they were whole again, charging as if nothing had happened.
Buggy's frown deepened. This wasn't just brute strength. These things were near-immortal. Fighting them head-on would be a disaster.
His crew wasn't immortal. If they got dragged into a war of attrition against these mindless monsters, they'd be the ones to bleed and fall.