บท 32: Chapter 32: Buggy Pirates' Attack

After Ian and the others left, Morgan turned to the middle-aged Marine with a smile and said, "Haha, it's amusing. The rookie caught a pirate, and it turns out to be someone from that circus-like crew, the Buggy Pirates?"

"Yes!" nodded the middle-aged Marine.

Their seemingly disdainful conversation unintentionally revealed the truth. At this moment, Buggy's true identity had not been discovered by the Marine Headquarters. The Buggy Pirates had a confusing image with Buggy's clown-like appearance and Mohji, the animal tamer, as well as Kabaji riding a unicycle and performing acrobatics. They appeared more comical than menacing. Additionally, the Buggy Pirates rarely had direct conflicts with the Marines, as they were more focused on robbing treasures. This led the Marines to believe that they were just small-time troublemakers, posing no real threat. Thus, until now, only Buggy, as the captain, had a bounty on his head, and even that bounty was quite low.

Ian was unaware of these details, which led to his excited capture of Kabaji and the subsequent misunderstanding.

After they came out of the Marine base, Ian grew increasingly frustrated. He took out his anger on Kabaji, punching and kicking him, and Kabaji could only endure it like a meek lamb, tears welling up as he endured Ian's wrath, covered in bruises.

If it weren't for the Marines providing some medical treatment and bandaging in the base, Kabaji feared Ian might have beaten him to death.

Once Ian had vented his anger for a while, a loud rumbling sound came from his stomach. Only then did he realize that he hadn't eaten for a long time. Smelling the delicious aroma of food from somewhere in the street, Ian felt his stomach growl even louder.

Koby also heard the rumbling sound and, seeing Ian's temper, had been too afraid to speak to him earlier. Now he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Ian, are you hungry? Let me treat you to a meal!"

"No need!" Ian said maliciously, glancing at Kabaji, "He'll pay for it!"

"I... I have no money!" Kabaji weakly protested.

"I don't care!" Ian grinned, "Since you can ride a unicycle, go perform tricks on the street and earn money for me! If you can't make enough, then sell some of your flesh!"

Ian had completely turned dark-hearted at this point. Kabaji was terrified by his words.

What kind of person could say such dreadful things with a smile on their face?

However, something even scarier happened. Guided by Koby, they entered a restaurant that seemed quite unique. Ian immediately started ordering extravagantly, selecting the most expensive dishes. By the time a whole table full of food arrived, Kabaji was on the verge of fainting!

How long would he need to perform on the streets to earn enough money for this feast?

Even Koby was astonished, holding a drink, watching Ian devouring food like a starving demon. He seemed to have a personal vendetta against the dishes. Unable to contain his sympathy, Koby looked at Kabaji, who was tied up nearby, with a gaze that clearly conveyed, "You're in big trouble now!"

But Ian didn't care about that. He kept on eating, and whenever he tasted something he liked, he would call out to the restaurant owner, "This is good! Bring us ten more!"

Kabaji was in utter despair. "Can you even eat that much!?"

Ian glared at him, saying, "If I can't finish it, I'll take it to go! Focus on how to earn the money! If you can't get the bounty, it's your responsibility to earn it for me!"

Kabaji was now crying, really crying. In his heart, he called out, "Great Captain Buggy! Where are you? Come and save me!"

...

Perhaps Kabaji's call was answered.

At this moment, outside of Shells Town, on a coast near the sea, a pirate ship with a long-nosed elephant figurehead was anchored there.

This ship was naturally Buggy's ship, the Big Top. The coast was surrounded by cliffs, making it difficult for anyone to discover them.

A small boat quickly approached the Big Top, and several agile pirates climbed aboard using the ladder. Seeing Buggy sitting on the deck, the pirates shouted loudly, "Captain Buggy, we've found out!"

Buggy stood up and asked, "What's the situation?"

"The kid did take Chief of Staff Kabaji to the Marine Branch 153 base!" the pirates reported. "We didn't dare get too close to the Marine base, but we asked people in town, and they confirmed seeing that kid! So, we reckon Kabaji went into the base and is likely being held captive!"

"Good!" Buggy burst into laughter. "Set sail, my boys! We'll attack Shells Town, rescue Kabaji, and capture that wretched kid!"

"Woo-hoo!!!" All members of the Buggy Pirates on the ship cheered, their spirits high. They controlled the ship aggressively and headed towards Shells Town.

Buggy directed the remaining crew to move all the cannons to the side of the ship while taking out a basket of specially designed Buggy cannonballs marked with the Buggy Pirates' emblem.

These were custom-made Buggy cannonballs. After all, Kabaji was a senior officer in his crew. Though Buggy preferred a low profile, for the sake of Kabaji and getting revenge on Ian, he had no choice but to make a grand move this time.

Buggy had returned from the Grand Line, and though he rarely picked fights with the Marines, it was not because he couldn't handle them but simply because he didn't want to deal with them.

In this world, even a rabbit can become fierce when it's cornered, let alone Buggy?

On the other hand, Mohji was a bit hesitant and asked Buggy, "Captain Buggy, that's the Marine branch base, is this really okay?"

"What are you worried about?" Buggy scowled at him. "It's just a branch, not a direct branch of the Marine Headquarters. How can there be any powerful figures stationed there? The highest rank in the 153rd branch is just a Colonel, and he's an old guy waiting to retire!"

Buggy was indeed not worried. The true elite forces of the Marines were concentrated in the Grand Line, where the branches were directly under the Marine Headquarters. These direct branches had a "G" symbol in their numbering, such as G-2 Branch or G-5 Branch. The Marines in the East Blue were incomparable to the direct branches, even if they held the same rank of Colonel.

Perhaps if it was a Colonel from a direct branch, Buggy would have to think more carefully about attacking Shells Town. But for the soon-to-retire Colonel of the 153rd branch, Buggy had no concerns.

Mohji nodded, feeling somewhat reassured. Still, he reminded, "By the way, Captain Buggy, I heard there's a Marine soldier named Morgan in Shells Town. He recently wiped out the Black Cat Pirates and captured Captain Kuro. We should be cautious of him!"

"Is that so?" Buggy raised an eyebrow, then stroked his chin with a cold smile. "Alright, I'll deal with that guy when the time comes. You guys just focus on storming the base and rescuing Kabaji!"

With the Buggy Fleet departing from the cliff, they soon arrived near the Shells Town's harbor. On the other hand, at the 153rd Marine Branch headquarters, a lookout stationed on the tower noticed Buggy's pirate ship almost immediately. The pirate flag hanging prominently caught their attention, prompting an immediate alarm.

"Woo-Woo!!"

The pirate invasion alarm resounded throughout Shells Town, causing confusion and panic among the townspeople. They hurriedly rushed out of their homes and various shops, bringing their families and belongings as they fled towards the Marine headquarters for safety.

Within the Marine base, soldiers rushed out, armed and ready. They organized the townspeople seeking refuge, ushering them inside the base for protection. At the same time, they reported the situation of Buggy's attack to their superiors.

Rod, the Colonel in charge of the 153rd branch, was an aging Marine who had spent nearly two to three decades in the East Blue. His rank was a result of his perseverance and dedication. In these peaceful waters, it was his first time facing a pirate attack on a Marine stronghold, leaving him momentarily flustered.

Thankfully, the newly promoted Vice Lieutenant Morgan, despite being arrogant, possessed some courage. He promptly reported to Colonel Rod and volunteered to lead the defense against the pirates.

Rod didn't hesitate at all and quickly agreed.

To be honest, Morgan himself wasn't sure how he managed to capture Captain Kuro in the first place, but it led to his promotion. This promotion ignited a fire of ambition within him. Morgan had secretly set his sights on Colonel Rod's position, thinking about how to take over as the leader of the 153rd branch after Rod's retirement.

Buggy's attack was the perfect opportunity. As long as he could lead the Marines to repel the pirates, his achievements would be undeniable. With such credit to his name, it wouldn't be a problem to become a Colonel.

With unwavering confidence, Morgan rallied the Marines and hurried towards the harbor.

Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Ian was left utterly baffled. How could everyone disappear within a moment? Not just the customers, even the restaurant owner was gone!

Where did everyone go?

Ian was too hungry to notice the alarm while he was eating...

Just then, Koby rushed in, looking panicked. "Uh-uh, Ian, it's not good! The B-Buggy Pirates are attacking!"

Ian heard this and turned to Kabaji, smiling playfully.

Seeing Ian's expression, Kuro knew something was up. Sure enough, the next second, Ian casually replied, "Well, I've got good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"W-What do you mean?" Kuro asked nervously.

"The good news is, it seems like you won't have to perform for food money anymore! The bad news is... you might be going to jail, and you might end up with your captain..." Ian said nonchalantly, cleaning his teeth with a toothpick.