"He's probably scared."
"Definitely scared."
"Yeah, after all, Captain Buggy's true level of skill is..."
"Enough, you guys! Aren't you his veteran crew members? Give him some confidence!"
In the corner of the room, the original members of Buggy's Pirates accurately assessed Buggy's mindset. As veterans, they knew Buggy inside and out.
These guys had a hard time understanding why Buggy became a Seven Warlord of the Sea just by taking a tour of Impel Down and gathered such a loyal group of followers.
The only one to contradict them was Mr. 3.
But even Mr. 3 only refuted them verbally, inwardly agreeing with their judgment.
Meanwhile, Buggy was wrestling with how to get his crew to stop their reckless and suicidal behavior without losing face.
He didn't want to see the Hundred Beasts' army at his doorstep the next morning, or something like BIG MOM's revenge force.
Yet he couldn't outright say this, as losing face might get him stripped of his status.
Luckily for him, his luck kicked in at this very moment.
"Captain Buggy, people from the Donquixote Clan are here. They want to talk with you..."
"You all stay put here... No, come with me, but don't speak or move unless I order it!"
Buggy wanted to talk with them alone but feared they were here to demand accountability, so he brought along his crew.
Whether for fighting or as shields, these crew members were very useful.
To appear more imposing, he even got a giant-sized coat, using the Chop-Chop Fruit to expand it internally, making him look like a small giant.
The negotiations between them went remarkably smoothly. Upon hearing that Doflamingo's team wasn't there to cause trouble but to seek cooperation, Buggy's inner delight was almost indistinguishable.
Throughout the ensuing negotiation, Buggy didn't even haggle, directly accepting the price and deal Doflamingo proposed.
Once Buggy sent the clan members off, he discovered countless gazes fixated on him.
[Crap... did these guys realize I'm actually...]
"You're amazing, Captain Buggy, to have Joker personally propose cooperation! Even he sees your bright future."
"Right, I used to roam the Underworld too; Doflamingo holds a very high status there."
"...Huh?"
Unintentionally, Buggy was again elevated by this group of underlings, entering a state of self-satisfaction.
The deal went so smoothly that even Doflamingo found it a bit odd, though he didn't delve into it, opting to maintain the current state for now.
Their negotiated model was Doflamingo selling arms to Buggy and introducing business to him in exchange for a commission; Buggy could find business on his own but couldn't lower prices or snatch deals freely.
Doflamingo left significant flexibility, yet Buggy didn't even attempt bargaining.
Doflamingo was obviously profitable doing business this way, so he didn't mind.
If the world's fortune balanced itself, one person's good luck might be accompanied by others' bad luck. Buggy seemed to indiscriminately seize luck, more unresolvable than Baccarat's Luck-Luck Fruit.
As Buggy's luck became increasingly heaven-defying, some people started experiencing misfortune, like Drake, who struggled to infiltrate the Hundred Beasts.
He anticipated New World's perilous nature but didn't foresee the terrifying ordeals, barely escaping natural calamities before reaching Hundred Beasts' territory.
The Super Rookie status for pirates was like a "prestigious school diploma"; with this title, joining other pirate crews wasn't difficult, yet Drake hadn't found the chance to submit his resume.
Having finally reached the Hundred Beasts' territory through hardship, he saw no one, so he decided to execute his plan.
His plan was simple: cause destruction, lure out those guarding the island, fight to prove his strength, then naturally join them.
...
"This spot should do, shouldn't harm too many people..."
Observing the buildings ahead, Drake thought about the possible consequences in his mind.
Destroying was meant to attract enemies, yet he didn't want to affect too many civilians, thus targeting a seemingly deserted factory.
"Captain, it's so cold here; no one would live here, right? We should leave, or we'll freeze."
"Shut up, wait quietly."
Drake lifted his cross-axe from the waist and struck it against the building before him. With a loud "boom," he smashed a large hole in the wall, accompanied by a shrill alarm from within the factory.
"Prepare yourselves; they should be coming."
Drake drew his weapon, waiting for the Hundred Beasts' crew to appear. But instead of humans, he saw the factory roof open, and dozens of Magnemite flew out.
"Captain... what are these things..."
"Probably safety robots. Be cautious, something's off about them."
At first, Drake didn't associate these with lifeforms. Magnemite's appearance didn't seem related to life to outsiders, so he simply tightened his grip on his weapon.
Several dozen gazes focused on Drake and his crew as electricity began swirling around Magnemite bodies; the amassed electrical power from dozens of Magnemite struck down in the form of a mighty lightning blast.
"Boom!"
"Watch out!"
Drake transformed into a gigantic Allosaurus to withstand the lightning above, but the rest of his crew lacked his raw power. The blasting lightning ripped a large crater on the ground, leaving Drake's subordinates scattered and unconscious from the strong current.
Then Scotch appeared before Drake.
"Newbie, this is Lord Kaidou's territory. I'm ordered to guard here; do you know what you're doing?"
"As Kaidou's subordinate... defeating you should bring him out, right?"
"Hehe..."
Scotch's mechanical body emitted a mocking chuckle before he said dismissively:
"If you have the skill, then sure, but you're not facing me today. Newbie, this one is your opponent now. Deal with him."
Next, he saw a more startling scene: fellow Super Rookie, Hawkins, appeared in front of him.
"Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious? I've already joined them."
Hawkins' words pierced Drake's heart like a sword.
Aiming to infiltrate and enact an undercover plan, Drake barely started his strategy, while other pirates had already joined up. This event seemingly told him that everything he'd done before was in vain.