"Good faith!? What good faith!?"
"Why are you giving us money!?"
Moji had already rehearsed several versions of what he was going to say in his head while walking out of the tent. But at this very moment, his mind went completely blank—his eyes turning into dull dots as his expression froze on the spot.
Seeing this, a trace of impatient ferocity instantly appeared on Barto's face."Are you trying to mess with me, brat!?"
"You seriously don't know why I'm giving you money!?"
"Huh!?"
A man capable of ruling over 150 towns was no ordinary figure.Just a single glare from Bartolomeo was enough to radiate a terrifying pressure.
"Uh, well…"
Moji instantly broke out into a cold sweat.
Fear was only secondary.The real problem was that he genuinely couldn't figure out why the other party would suddenly throw them a sack of money the moment they met!
That sack of cash…
At the very least, it had to be one hundred million Beli, right!?
Gulp.
Moji swallowed hard. Having never seen so much money in his life, his brain began working at full speed.
The fact that they were found here meant the other side already knew exactly who they were.
And Captain Buggy had sent people to make contact with the Barto Club a few days ago, preliminarily revealing their status as members of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
So the other party suddenly coming here and tossing out a sack of money…
Could it be that they wanted the Buggy Pirates to recommend them for entry under the Straw Hat banner!?
Swish!
A lively gleam flashed through Moji's eyes.
At that instant, it was as if everything clicked into place!
Of course!
A great pirate with a first bounty of fifty million Beli—no matter how powerful a criminal syndicate like the Barto Club was, they'd still be eager to bow their heads!
That just showed how sharp Captain Buggy's judgment really was!!!
Thinking this, Moji burst out laughing inwardly.
He quickly stepped forward, spreading his arms wide in an inviting gesture."Hahahaha! Don't worry, sincerity will definitely be there!"
"Just not right now!"
"Huh!?"
Moji's answer once again caused anger to flash across Bartolomeo's face.
But Moji immediately followed up,"After all, the boss hasn't arrived at Loguetown yet. We underlings can't make decisions on his behalf."
"As for this money…"
Moji glanced at the Beli on the ground.
Although his heart was torn with pain, when he thought of what Red had said to Buggy in the tent that day…
They were pirates who would one day stand against the whole world. How could they lose face over such petty profits!?
Moji cleared his throat heavily. Even though his heart was bleeding, his face looked righteous and resolute."You'd better take it back for now."
"Rest assured! We'll definitely put in a good word for you in front of the bosses. Once the deal is settled, it won't be too late to bring out such a generous gift!"
Bartolomeo: "???"
What the hell!?
Listening to Moji's completely mismatched words, Bartolomeo frowned deeply, realizing something was very wrong.
He suddenly turned his head to the man beside him."Gambia, are you sure these are the guys selling the Devil Fruit? Did we get the wrong people!?"
"How could that be, Boss Barto!"
As the strategist of the Barto Club—and a man known for calling his grandma whenever there was trouble—Gambia replied decisively,"The last group dressed in these same cloaks and capes."
"How could I possibly remember wrong!?"
But recalling Moji's bizarre remarks, he hesitated slightly before adding,"Maybe… they're speaking some sort of pirate code, so we don't understand."
"But from what I can tell, they're saying the real deal hasn't arrived yet and that we should wait before trading."
"Hmm…"
Barto, who had been a delinquent since childhood, nodded with a look that clearly said 'You're smart'.
Still, being made to run here for nothing put him in a terrible mood.
His expression instantly turned cold, clearly about to say something sharp—
But before he could speak, a burst of noisy chaos suddenly came from the direction of Loguetown.
If one listened closely, gunshots and loud shouts could be faintly heard.
"Huh!?"
Moji and Bartolomeo froze at the same time, both turning to look toward the source of the noise.
What they saw next made their eyes widen.
A man built like a bear was leading a group of pirates wearing cloaks identical to those of the Buggy Pirates—fleeing straight toward them while being chased by the Marines!
...
"Pirate Alvida, bounty five million Beli!"
"You have nowhere left to run! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately—that's your only way out!"
Wielding the fine blade Shigure, Tashigi led a squad of Marines in a full sprint, firing as they ran while shouting loudly.
It formed a striking spectacle in the streets of Loguetown.
And up ahead of them was none other than the group that was supposed to arrive at the transaction site on time—Alvida's crew!
"Damn it!"
Seeing Tashigi behind her—slimmer, more beautiful, and even stronger than herself—Alvida let out a hoarse, beastlike growl of jealousy from deep in her throat.
"We clearly disguised ourselves! How did those Marines still find us!?"
Alvida's fat face, completely exposed outside her cloak, was full of confusion.
Meanwhile, the pirates following behind her were on the verge of tears.
Boss, don't you have even a little self-awareness at all!?
But if they dared to say that out loud, their fate would be ten thousand times worse than being arrested by the Marines.
Truly wolves ahead and tigers behind.
Fortunately, heaven always left a way out.
At that moment, Alvida suddenly spotted Moji and Bartolomeo, who were still stuck in a state of misunderstanding ahead.
Though she had no idea why there was another group wearing the same disguise as her own, Alvida—who knew Bartolomeo's identity—had her eyes light up instantly.
She shouted at the top of her lungs,"Hey! Boss Barto! We're here for the deal!"
"Hurry and take care of the Marines chasing us!"
"I'll take you to the Devil Fruit!"
"B-Boss, that's Alvida…"
Behind Bartolomeo, Gambia wore a shocked and awkward expression as he hurriedly reminded him.
Recalling what he had just said earlier, Gambia suddenly felt like the biggest clown alive.
"Alvida!?"
Bartolomeo looked up in surprise and turned his gaze toward Moji."If they're Alvida, then who the hell are you!?"
"Huh?"
Moji was clearly stunned by the question as well.
But seeing the Marines about to arrive, he hurriedly sent one of his men to notify Captain Buggy. Then he pulled down his hood, revealing his full face.
"We're obviously the Buggy the Clown Pirates!!!"
"..."
For a moment, the entire scene fell into complete silence.
Alvida's sudden appearance made both sides realize that they had clearly misunderstood something.
However, with the Marines almost upon them, Moji and Bartolomeo—both operating in the shadows of the underworld—tacitly chose to forget the earlier embarrassment and turned their attention to the Marines together.
Not far away.
With her agile movements, Tashigi suddenly accelerated, closing the distance and catching up to Alvida's crew.
At that very moment, the Shigure in her hand swept past the pirates' bodies like ripples across the surface of a lake.
In an instant—
"Ahhh!!!"
The pirates screamed as razor-sharp slashes appeared across their backs, blood spraying everywhere!
Moments later, every single grunt in the Alvida Pirates collapsed to the ground.
"You have nowhere left to run, Alvida!"
Seeing only one pirate left standing, a sharp gleam flashed in Tashigi's bright eyes.
Capturing a five-million-Beli pirate on her own would be a major achievement for her!
Of course, more than anything, Tashigi felt genuine joy at making the sea a more peaceful place by catching pirates.
With that thought, her steps quickened further, the long blade tracing a cold arc of light through the air.
But just as she was about to reach Alvida from behind—
An unexpected scene unfolded!!!
Bang!!!
A transparent barrier suddenly appeared in front of Tashigi. Unable to dodge in time, she slammed into it as if crashing into a solid wall, her body jerking to an abrupt stop.
At the same time, Bartolomeo stepped forward, his fingers forming a strange hand sign. Looking down at Tashigi on the ground and the Marines who had rushed up behind her, he spoke arrogantly:
"Marines, I still have some business to take care of with Alvida."
"Do me a favor—give me some face and step back for now."
(End of Chapter)