Chapter 22: Gurarararara!
Perhaps Buggy's luck wasn't too bad. Not long after nightfall, a clamor different from the sound of ocean waves appeared within Buggy's senses. Taking out his binoculars and opening his eyes, he looked in the direction of the sound, and a faint point of light appeared in the darkness.
Good luck! Giving himself a thumbs-up and tidying up a bit, Buggy immediately dashed towards the lights.
Soon, a shadow with a somewhat exaggerated silhouette emerged within Buggy's field of vision. Buggy, somewhat amazed but without overthinking it, quickly landed on the dimly lit deck.
"Huh?!" A very surprised voice immediately sounded in Buggy's ears.
"Pops, this guy looks familiar!" Another gruff voice followed.
"Gurarararara! Isn't this the other little brat from Roger's ship? What, you've mastered a bit of Haki and now you're here to take my head again?" Whitebeard's voice boomed in Buggy's ears like a clap of thunder.
Holy... crap!
Clearly seeing the three people welcoming him, Buggy, who had just praised his own luck, now had a look of utter astonishment on his face.
Damn it, if I had known, I wouldn't have come this way even if it killed me! No matter how dangerous the New World seas are at night, it can't compare to this towering man before me, hailed as the world's strongest.
"Yo yo, long time no see, everyone! Have you had your midnight snack? If not, I still have some here!" Facing the man hailed as the world's strongest, Buggy felt immense pressure.
"Gurarararara! Little brat, I thought you had gotten stronger, but it seems you haven't changed a bit from before. Why don't I see that red-haired brat? Aren't you two together?" Whitebeard also sensed that Buggy bore no ill will, so he changed the subject and began to inquire about Shanks' whereabouts.
"Five years ago, in Loguetown, after Shanks and I saw the captain off, we separated. I don't know where he is now either," Shaking his head, now that Whitebeard mentioned it, Buggy also felt like seeing Shanks.
"Then what did you come onto the ship tonight for? Don't tell me you really intended to sneak attack Pops," Marco asked warily from the side.
"Marco, that joke isn't funny. Hehe, I was actually planning to go to a certain island to take a look, but I miscalculated the distance and ended up drifting at sea. I saw your ship passing by and came aboard. Don't worry, I have no other intentions, just want to rest for a night and leave at dawn," Buggy quickly replied.
"Pops, this won't do!" Jozu, who was beside them, immediately spoke up.
"It's alright. Without that fellow, although many clueless guys have appeared in these seas, it has become much quieter. I originally thought that if I were to see anyone, it would be that red-haired brat appearing in these seas first. I didn't expect you to be the first... Gurarararara! Gurarararara! Finally, something interesting has happened." After speaking, Whitebeard laughed heartily and turned to enter the cabin.
Looking at Buggy, Jozu immediately followed him inside.
"Just stay on the deck, and remain within my line of sight!" Even though Whitebeard had spoken, Marco's vigilance didn't lessen in the slightest.
"Hehe, I won't cause trouble for myself!" After speaking, Buggy didn't look at Marco but turned his gaze towards a corner beside the cabin. At that moment, a pair of sinister eyes was staring intently in his direction.
Such a gaze, this sense of pressure, that hooked nose... it's Marshall D. Teach, no doubt. Buggy immediately came to this conclusion.
Withdrawing his gaze, Buggy, feeling a bit annoyed, was now considering something: should he try to get his hands on the Dark-Dark Fruit after leaving? This thought vanished in an instant.
Teach obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit is the spark on the fuse leading to the end of the Great Pirate Era. If this spark is extinguished, the future will become unpredictable and chaotic. Besides, the Dark-Dark Fruit isn't very useful to me. Buggy, who had his own plans, ultimately erased the thought from his mind.
He passed the night peacefully. When the first ray of light appeared on the horizon, Buggy, who had been sitting quietly against the ship's railing for a long time, opened his eyes and stood up.
"Marco, Captain Roger raised the curtain on the Great Pirate Era. More and more pirates will enter the New World, and you all will face many challenges. Don't be careless and lose. You must leave the opportunity for me or Shanks. Although the Roger Pirates have disbanded, we are still here. We won't let the legend be easily forgotten by the world. I'm really looking forward to our next meeting!" After speaking, Buggy soared into the air and quickly disappeared from Marco's sight.
"Gurarararara! That red-nosed brat really has changed a lot, completely different from before. Won't let the legend be easily forgotten by the world, huh? Gurarararara! Bring me wine!"
Leaving Whitebeard's Moby Dick, after spending half a day, Buggy still hadn't seen land; before him was still an endless ocean. Taking out his compass and looking at the constantly spinning needle, Buggy frowned slightly.
His target was definitely clear. Before arriving here, the compass had also been normally indicating one direction. It was clear that the compass wasn't malfunctioning. The reason it was spinning continuously like this was probably because he had already arrived at the location.
He held the compass upright. The next moment, the needle instantly pointed downwards. Needless to say, what he was looking for was definitely beneath him.
The deep sea, huh? Although I thought the journey to find Devil Fruits wouldn't be so smooth, I didn't expect it to be like this right at the start. It seems that to get the Devil Fruit I want, I'll have to find a Fishman helper.
After considering for a long while in mid-air, Buggy ultimately chose to leave.
He didn't head towards Fish-Man Island. For Buggy, a single Devil Fruit wasn't enough to make him go on a special trip to Fish-Man Island. Not to mention the trouble, who knew if the Fishman he found could resist the temptation of a Devil Fruit? Since he couldn't be 100% sure, Buggy wasn't willing to waste his effort. At worst, he would just give up on this Devil Fruit.
He refused to believe that all the other Devil Fruits on his target list were at the bottom of the sea; there had to be some on land. He would get the ones on land first, and then slowly think of a more reliable way for the ones in the sea.
Regarding the Devil Fruits in the pirate world, Buggy didn't actually want to get his hands on every single powerful fruit. It would be enough to obtain the few Devil Fruits in his plan. Just finding the most suitable abilities for the few companions in his plan would suffice; there was no need to turn himself into a Devil Fruit collector.
I'll find a place to rest and reorganize for two days first!
Leaving his current sea area, Buggy headed towards the nearest island.
(End of this chapter)