Loguetown Marine Branch Prison
The Buggy Pirates had already been locked up for a full day.
There were other prisoners in the jail as well—criminals without bounties. Weaklings, really. None of them were even worth transferring to Impel Down.
Mohji gently stroked Richie the lion's head, trying to calm his trembling companion. Ever since being frightened by Smoker, the once-ferocious beast had curled up in the corner, shaking nonstop. It no longer looked like a wild animal at all—even eating had become cautious and timid.
"Captain, when are we getting out of here? The kid's about to reach his limit…"
"Did you notice something?" Cabaji said while idly counting people, his unicycle confiscated. "There are fewer and fewer guards on patrol. Something's off…"
"I'm starving! Damn Marines—I want a feast!" Alvida snapped. Even after eating the Slip-Slip Fruit and becoming slim and beautiful, her strength and appetite hadn't changed. Missing a few meals left her miserable—she could easily eat as much as three grown men.
"Captain, there's no one else here. You don't need to keep up the act. We're all your most loyal followers."
"Please, you have to lead us out! Even if it's Impel Down, we'll go together!"
The ever-adored Captain Buggy…
was currently slumped against the wall, completely immobilized.
A Seastone collar hung around his neck, and his hands and feet were shackled with Seastone cuffs, fixing him firmly in place.
Though the Seastone wasn't of the highest purity, it was more than enough. Buggy's body was utterly drained—he was stuck in a constant state of weakness. Even moving a finger took effort.
"Don't panic, my men… I'll lead you out of here. These things can't hold me."
Even now, he forced himself to act tough. He couldn't let his crew see how weak he really was.
If there was anyone Buggy hated most—
first, it was Red-Haired Shanks, for tricking him into eating a Devil Fruit and turning him into a "landlubber."
Second—
the one behind the "heavenly screen."
Those two had completely ruined his life.
Buggy knew his own limits. He couldn't use any form of Haki. In the East Blue, he could bully weaker pirates—but in the Grand Line, any Devil Fruit user could beat him senseless.
He had wanted to keep a low profile and hunt for treasure.
But after being hyped up by the "heavenly screen," that dream was gone.
At the same time, Buggy was watching for an opportunity.
There was no way he wanted to be sent to Impel Down—the hell for pirates. Aside from the legendary Golden Lion Shiki, who escaped by cutting off his own legs, no one had ever made it out.
"Hey… there are no Marines left in the prison. This is our chance."
Buggy raised his hand with difficulty, rummaging through his hair until he finally pulled out a thin wire—then tossed it to Mohji.
"As expected of Captain! You even smuggled something in!"
Mohji caught the wire and immediately began picking the lock.
Perhaps the prison was old and poorly maintained—
in less than five minutes, the door clicked open.
"Haha! Too easy! I impress even myself!"
The other prisoners erupted into noise.
"Brother, help me out! I'll join your crew!"
"I was a navigator—take me with you!"
"I've been a helmsman! Don't leave me behind!"
Mohji ignored them at first, focusing on freeing his own crew. The ordinary members weren't bound by Seastone, so their restraints were easy to remove.
But when it came to Buggy and Alvida—
his skills fell short.
"Captain… these are Seastone cuffs. I can't open them. We need the keys from the Marines."
After struggling for a while, Mohji came to that conclusion.
"Then leave me. Go help the others," Buggy said decisively. "Everyone in this prison can become my subordinates. Our Buggy Pirates will grow stronger!"
The more followers, the better.
Buggy didn't care about quality—as long as they were alive, they could boost his reputation.
Following his orders, Mohji began unlocking the other cells.
They were about to spark a full-blown prison riot—one that would let the East Blue Marines witness the terror of Captain Buggy.
There were no proper weapons in the prison. The inmates grabbed whatever they could—mops, sticks—anything to boost their courage.
Against Marine rifles, these new recruits would serve as cannon fodder.
Only then could the Buggy Pirates survive.
Mohji worked quickly. In about an hour, he had unlocked every non-Seastone restraint and opened all the cells.
If he had eaten the Wax-Wax Fruit, there might not be a single lock in the world he couldn't open.
The main prison gate, however, could only be opened from the outside.
Crouching by a small window, Mohji peeked out—
and froze.
There were no Marines outside.
Not a single guard.
Even the sea beyond—
was empty. No warships in sight.
"Captain… it looks like the Marines all ran away!"
It sounded absurd.
But it was the truth.
The Marines had abandoned their own base—something unheard of.
The Buggy Pirates, who had been sailing for years, had never seen anything like it.
"They must be afraid of Captain Buggy!"
In the end, the pirates could only attribute everything to him.
After all—
the Buggy shown on the "heavenly screen" was overwhelmingly powerful. The East Blue Marines stood no chance.
Even Smoker—future Admiral—was just a mere captain now.
In their eyes—
Buggy was the strongest pirate alive.
But soon—
things took a turn.
"Several Marine warships have entered the harbor—they're back!"
The moment they heard this, chaos erupted again. All eyes turned to Buggy, hoping for guidance.
Buggy, who couldn't even muster strength, struggled just to maintain his usual tone. Seastone was the natural enemy of Devil Fruit users—and someone as weak as him had no resistance at all.
"Don't panic. The Marines don't know we've already broken out. When they come in, we'll ambush them—catch them off guard. If necessary… I'll step in myself."
Of course—
he had no ability to step in at all.
Buggy was bluffing.
If these prisoners managed to seize the keys, he could regain his powers and at least fight low-ranking Marines.
But this time—
the returning forces weren't ordinary.
They were elite Marines from headquarters.
And leading them—
was Admiral Akainu himself.
A man who upheld Absolute Justice.
And he was about to show these scum—
what true terror looked like…