"Is that Buggy the Clown's ship, the so-called 'Immortal Buggy'?"
Zoro was the first to jump up and board the ship.
With two loud bangs, he quickly took care of the crew on board.
Most of them were just weaklings and sailors; the stronger fighters and officers had gone with Buggy to the island.
"There's no treasure here..."
Nami followed behind, searching the ship top to bottom. When she found nothing but empty spaces, her disappointment showed.
"Our captain loves treasure, so he makes sure to take it with him. He never leaves it on the ship for us small fry to guard..."
The bruised and battered minions said, trembling with fear as they glanced at Zoro.
"Three-sword style... You're Roronoa Zoro, the famous bounty hunter, right? Is our boss finally in your sights?!"
"Sorry, I'm not a bounty hunter anymore~"
Zoro looked at Link and said, "Seems like our fight in Shelz Town didn't get out. No one reported us."
"After all, we helped Shelz Town with that big problem. And Montka was really unpopular, so it wouldn't sound good to report us. We probably weren't mentioned at all," Link chuckled, unfazed. "Looks like we need to check out the island."
His eyes sparkled with interest.
Link was eager to meet Buggy, the pirate who had been judged by Crocodile, Jinbe, and Ivankov as a "blemish on the Pirate King's ship." With a legendary luck of the Conqueror's Haki, he wondered if Buggy was hiding his real power or just really lucky.
It was hard to believe that three powerful figures would give him such similar evaluations—good, bad, and ruthless. Surely they couldn't all be wrong?
But Buggy must have some redeeming qualities if he was on good terms with Shanks, right?
"Let's head to the island!!"
Luffy suddenly popped out of the kitchen, a piece of almost cold meat dangling from his mouth, and he spoke with his mouth full.
Zoro and Nami exchanged glances, slightly twitching at the sight.
They looked at Luffy, then at Link, and without a word, they nodded in agreement.
As expected, Link felt way more reliable than Luffy and was better suited to be the captain!
With Luffy leading the way, the four of them headed toward Buggy's base.
Orange Town, known for its abundant oranges, was famous in the East Blue.
Oranges were essential for sailors to prevent scurvy, as they packed a lot of vitamins, and were highly sought after by the people of the East Blue.
The oranges from Orange Town were some of the best quality among many varieties in the East Blue.
While the oranges provided wealth and a better life for the townspeople, they inevitably caught the attention of many pirates.
If it were the usual trashy pirates, the strong villagers could probably fend them off.
But this time, the intruder was none other than Buggy, a top-three pirate in the East Blue with a bounty exceeding ten million berries, the "Immortal Buggy!"
Few islands in the East Blue could stand up to such a powerful pirate.
The townsfolk had no choice but to hide in the mountains.
So, the entire town became a ghost town for Buggy, who took over without any resistance, looting as he pleased.
Originally, the townspeople thought Buggy would leave after raiding, but they clearly underestimated his ruthless nature as a pirate.
Just as Link and the others were making their way to the base...
"Whoosh!"
"Boom!"
First came a sound cutting through the air, followed by a loud explosion ringing in their ears.
Turning around, they saw a massive fire blazing in the direction of their right.
Many houses were destroyed, and thick black smoke filled the sky.
"What is that?"
Seeing the hellish scene, Nami instinctively covered her mouth.
"If I'm not mistaken, that must be Buggy's invention—the Buggy Bomb. It looks way stronger than regular cannonballs," Link said, his eyes reflecting the fiery glow as he contemplated something.
"Buggy Bomb?"
Luffy watched the chaos without any expression.
Zoro's gaze sharpened, his face serious as he observed.
He had seen the cruelty of pirates many times before; though he was resolute, the tension in his eyes was clear.
For a moment, the four of them were silent, taking in the scene.
At that moment, on the roof of the tallest building in Orange Town...
"Hahaha, my little minions, how's the power of my Buggy Bomb?!"
Buggy the Clown, a future Warlord of the Sea, stood proudly with his vibrant red nose and wearing his flashy captain's outfit. He was the apprentice pirate from the legendary Pirate King's ship, and he was now surrounded by a bunch of fierce pirates. Holding a wine glass in one hand and a chunk of meat in the other, he laughed loudly as he moved through the banquet, clearly enjoying himself.
"It's way stronger than regular cannonballs! Truly worthy of Captain Buggy!!"
His crew, dressed in clown costumes just like him, cheered joyfully around him.
The atmosphere was filled with excitement and celebration, with Buggy basking in the attention, feeling like a true king among pirates.