"Treasure~ treasure~ my favorite thing in the world~!"
With hands on his hips, body leaning back, nose pointed skyward, and legs kicking high as he strutted forward, Buggy flaunted a swaggering gait that screamed arrogance.
Kuro watched him, itching to land a punch, but since Buggy's stitches had only just burst open again, now wasn't the time. He could only pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.
Why did I end up in the same crew as this clown…?
Perona, walking alongside, studied the noisy "Clown" for a long while. Her curiosity got the better of her—she reached out and tugged on Buggy's bright red nose, as though testing if it would come off.
But she failed.
"Huh? It doesn't come off."
"Of course it doesn't come off, you idiot! This is my nose!"
"Ohhh, I thought you were just the crew's hired 'jester,' someone Captain brought aboard to keep us entertained at banquets."
"What did you just say?! I was the second person to join this crew! A founding member! A great pirate with a bounty of 95 million berries! Don't think just because you're a woman, and you recently signed a contract with the Captain, that I won't kill you!"
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it… it's just, your nose looks so fake. How was I supposed to know it's real?"
"You're still talking?!"
Buggy's mood snapped from glee to fury in the blink of an eye. Perona was stomping all over his sore spot, again and again—it was infuriating.
But in the end, he huffed and swallowed his anger.
"Hmph! Fine—I'll let it slide, since you were smart enough to lead us to Moria's treasure vault."
Perona wasn't cowed in the slightest. She even stuck out her tongue and pulled a face at him.
The group moved on. Alongside Buggy, Kuro, and Perona, there were also Hachi—trailing along at the back with his usual clueless air—and the silent Law. Their task: strip Moria's treasure vault clean.
At the head of the line, Perona clutched her stuffed bear like an obedient little girl. After a while, she lifted a finger toward the front.
"There. It's just ahead."
At the end of the corridor stood a massive iron door, sealed tight with heavy chains and multiple locks.
Buggy rushed forward and tugged desperately at the links, but they wouldn't budge.
"Locked?! Damn you, Moria! That treasure belongs to me, and you dare keep me out?!"
Taking a few steps back, Buggy sprinted and leapt—slamming himself shoulder-first into the door.
Bang!
The door didn't budge. Buggy, however, bounced back and hit the ground. His stitches tore again, blood seeping through.
"Arghhh! That hurts!"
Kuro, watching him writhe and clutch his wounds, only adjusted his glasses, turned his head toward the view outside, and pretended not to notice.
Law sighed and stepped forward.
"Clown boss, either you sign the Captain's contract, or you learn to nurse your injuries. Keep this up and you'll die—from blood loss, or infection."
"You don't have to tell me that! I just—just slipped up, that's all."
Buggy brushed him off, his bravado hiding evasiveness.
Hmph. I'm not as stupid as the rest of you! Sure, that contract looks like a good deal—but it shackles you to the Terror Ghost for a hundred years. Who knows what hidden costs it carries? No way I'm signing.
I still remember the deal I struck with Captain Davy Jones: craft him a hundred Buggy Bombs, and I'll walk away free. With his style, he won't break his word.
And thanks to these new recruits, my production speed has only gone up. The ship's hold is stuffed full of my bombs. Once we reach the New World, I'll finish the quota—and then I'm free! No contract needed!
Catching the sly glint in Buggy's eyes, Law guessed he was plotting something, but said no more. He simply crouched down and patched the clown's wounds yet again.
Buggy sat cross-legged, baring his teeth at every sting of the scalpel. Everyone else was watching him make a fool of himself, so he hurried to change the subject.
"Hey, Ghost Girl—"
"It's Ghost Princess! Princess is the key part!"
"Whatever! You've got the keys to this door locked up, right? What about my treasure?"
Hachi drew his three swords with a metallic shiiing.
"Nyu, I'll just slice the locks open."
"No need for that—I have the key."
Perona fished around in her stuffed bear and produced a jingling ring of keys, twirling them smugly.
Buggy nearly exploded on the spot.
"You had the key this whole time?!"
"Well, you never asked me… ahh!"
Buggy's detached right hand shot out, snatched the keys, and jammed one into the lock.
Click!
The lock fell open. Chains clattered to the ground.
"Hahaha! Treasure—here I come! Ow!"
Buggy yelped. Looking down, he saw Law had just finished stitching him up again—with inhuman speed.
"Clown boss, you'd better pace yourself. If you burst your stitches again, don't expect me to babysit you forever."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it!"
Buggy reattached his hand with a snap and brushed Law off, then rushed through the doorway ahead of everyone else.
The sight inside made his eyes bulge.
Piles upon piles of glittering treasure filled half the chamber.
Gold and jewels—the true hard currency of the Grand Line, often more useful than berries themselves. Moria's years of plunder, stacked high, untouched.
Golden crowns, pearl necklaces, diamond rings, carved chests of rare wood… everything gleamed so brightly, it seemed even the night sky dimmed in comparison.
"I'm rich…! I'm finally rich!!"
Buggy almost wept with joy. Then he dove headlong into the ocean of gold coins, thrashing about like a man possessed.
First the butterfly stroke. Then backstroke. His whoops and hollers echoed through the room.
Kuro, arms crossed, stood in the doorway.
"Does he even realize this treasure's going to be confiscated? Hmph. Whatever. Hachi, Law—start moving it."
"Got it," they answered together.
Perona watched with curiosity. The crew clearly split into two camps.
Kuro, Hachi, and Law—calm, untempted, dutifully doing their work.
And Buggy—like a greedy thief, completely consumed by lust for gold.
So even in the Davy Jones Pirates, there are factions, Perona thought. Just like our old 'Trio of Freaks.' If I want to survive here, maybe even thrive… I'd better figure out whose leg to cling to.
She decided to keep watching.
As for Buggy, his wild antics weren't entirely genuine. He was deliberately masking his true aim: searching through the treasure for something specific.
At last, his eyes lit up. From one of the chests, he pulled out a bracelet.
The Captain John Treasure Map Bracelet!
Plain to the eye, adorned with only two small beads—but Buggy knew it held a secret. Chuckling to himself, he pocketed it.
Once I finish my deal with Captain Davy Jones and leave this crew, I'll hunt down Captain John's treasure. That'll make me truly rich beyond measure!
He was still grinning stupidly when he noticed Hachi standing silently at his side, head tilted curiously.
"Wahh! Hachi—you scared me! Don't sneak up like that!"
"Sorry, nyu. I was moving treasure chests, but then I saw you standing there grinning to yourself, so I got curious. What's so funny?"
"Eh? N-nothing! Hurry up and move the loot. Bring all this treasure aboard for me!"
Buggy puffed up, striking the pose of a vice-captain, trying to hide his guilty conscience.
And Hachi, as always, took him at face value. "Okay," he said earnestly, and went back to work.
Buggy let out a sigh of relief.
One way or another, his countdown had begun. Soon, he'd finish his obligation to Davy Jones, and his path to riches in the New World would be set.
Only then did his thoughts drift back to Ace. That man—suspected to be Roger's son—was about to be executed.
Should I… do something?
No, no… what could I even do? I can't do a thing.
Captain Roger, I'm sorry. If he really is your child, I still can't help him. He's in the Navy's iron grip.
Buggy could only pray silently.
Hopefully Whitebeard really can save him.
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