"Stand down?!"
A gentle breeze gradually stirred the dust on the ground, forming a tiny whirlwind that rushed off into the distance.
Tashigi staggered to her feet, looking slightly disheveled, her eyes blazing as she stared straight at the man opposite her.
"Bartolomeo! Are you planning to oppose the Marines and shelter pirates?!"
As a notorious underworld boss in Loguetown, Bartolomeo's identity was no secret in Tashigi's eyes.
However, in the world of pirates, gangs—like merchant associations and clubs—were considered legal organizations and fell outside the Marine jurisdiction.
So long as Bartolomeo didn't stretch his hand directly into Loguetown's affairs, the two sides would coexist without interfering with one another.
But today, Bartolomeo had clearly crossed the line.
"I don't want to either, you know~ Miss Officer."
Facing Tashigi's accusation, Bartolomeo immediately put on a shameless, mischievous grin.
It was as if he were saying, I love watching you get angry, knowing you can't do anything about it.
He spread his mouth into a wide grin, sharp fangs poking out naturally.
"Too bad—I've got a deal to make with this pirate!"
"So I'm asking you, do me a favor here…"
"Once the deal's done, arrest her however you like—I won't interfere at all!"
"But…"
Bartolomeo's grin widened even further as he locked eyes with Tashigi, speaking with unrestrained arrogance:
"Before the transaction is finished, no one is taking Alvida away!!!"
"My word is law! Doesn't matter who you are!!!"
Whoosh!
As his voice fell, a transparent barrier suddenly formed, completely separating Bartolomeo's group from the Marines—and began advancing rapidly toward them!
"This is bad!"
Tashigi shouted, gripping Shigure and slashing sharply at the barrier with a metallic clang—yet she was still forced back step by step as it continued to press forward.
Meanwhile—
"Did fighting break out?!"
From a distant tent, a figure abruptly shot into the air.
A glaring red nose flickered into view beneath a cloak.
It was none other than Buggy the Clown, who had rushed out after receiving his men's report.
Hovering high above, his gaze immediately locked onto Bartolomeo in the distance.
Watching Bartolomeo single-handedly force an entire Marine squad into retreat, Buggy's eyes flashed with surprise.
"There's someone like this in the East Blue?!"
"No wonder Lord Red plans so far ahead—truly commanding victory from thousands of miles away!"
Buggy shamelessly flattered in midair.
But just then, the confrontation suddenly ceased.
The Marines seemed to realize they were no match for Bartolomeo and actually sounded a retreat, withdrawing first.
Buggy clicked his tongue repeatedly.
"They're just… leaving like that?!"
"Are the Marines in Loguetown really that pathetic?"
"With that level of resolve, how dare they talk about upholding justice? What a joke!"
He sneered disdainfully, only daring to float closer after every last Marine had fully withdrawn.
At the same time—
Having saved Alvida, Bartolomeo brought a crowd of strangely dressed delinquents to surround the obese, unsightly woman.
"What… what are you trying to do?!"
Surrounded on all sides by hoodlums, Alvida panicked inexplicably and even crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive pose.
The sight nearly gave the seasoned delinquents a physical reaction…
Of pure nausea.
"Don't disgust us!"
Bartolomeo stepped out of the crowd and stopped in front of Alvida, glaring at her coldly.
"You're the one who said you've got a Devil Fruit, right?!"
"I even offended the Marines for your sake!"
"If you dare mess with me, get ready to feed the fish in Loguetown Bay!!!"
"You ugly hag!!!"
"What did you say?!" Alvida exploded in rage at the keyword. "Who are you calling ugly?!"
But the very next second—
BOOM!!!
A transparent barrier suddenly slammed down from above, smashing her violently into the ground.
"I've already had enough crap today! I don't have time to waste on you!"
Bartolomeo bent down, his face like that of a demon, reflected through the barrier straight into Alvida's terrified pupils.
"Now! Immediately! Right this instant!"
"I want to see that Devil Fruit you talked about!"
"Am I clear?!"
"Mmm… mmm… mmm…"
With her lips crushed into a sausage shape by the pressure, Alvida nodded frantically.
In the next instant, the barrier dispersed, and Alvida gulped in air desperately.
She twisted her head to stare at Bartolomeo in shock.
"You… you're a Devil Fruit user?!"
"Anyone with a brain can tell!" Bartolomeo scoffed, then continued coldly,
"Don't think about backing out and eating the fruit yourself."
"There's strength and weakness even among ability users!"
"Offend me, Bartolomeo, and I've got a hundred ways to make sure you don't survive on this sea!"
"Try me if you don't believe it!"
A veteran of the underworld, Bartolomeo knew perfectly well—
When dealing with enemies, you must show ruthlessness and cruelty.
Otherwise, you become the target of that ruthlessness.
And so—he never held back.
Sure enough, terrified by his threats, Alvida cried out in panic:
"No, no, no! I never thought that!"
She hurriedly added,
"The Devil Fruit's in an inn we're staying at! One of my subordinates is guarding it right now!"
"I can take you there immediately!"
"That's more like it~!" Bartolomeo shot her a disdainful glance, then subtly signaled the man beside him, Gambia.
Thud!
A sack stuffed full of Beli was suddenly tossed in front of Alvida.
Bartolomeo continued coolly:
"Relax."
"As long as the Devil Fruit is real, I'll pay exactly what we agreed."
"It is! It's real! Totally real!"
The moment she saw the money, Alvida's eyes lit up again.
Yet deep inside, she was filled with bitter regret.
There were plenty of auction houses in the East Blue that could sell Devil Fruits—only charging a 15% fee…
Why had she acted on impulse and gone to an underground gang instead?!
In the end, not only was the fruit still unsold, but her subordinates had been killed or captured by the Marines.
The entire Alvida Pirates were reduced to just herself and a single guard—Koby.
"What kind of sin did I commit to deserve this?!"
Alvida dragged herself up in disgrace, but years at sea meant she wouldn't completely collapse from this setback.
At the very least, if Bartolomeo honored the deal, she would still get a massive 150 million Beli!
Buggy, hovering nearby, had overheard every word of their conversation.
Seeing Alvida's miserable state, he felt inexplicably melancholic.
"Could it be that Devil Fruits really are cursed… that anyone who tries to sell one ends up tangled in misfortune?"
Recalling how he once possessed underwater combat abilities praised even by Pirate King Roger himself—only to have his fate rewritten by a moment of greed…
He couldn't help but sympathize with Alvida.
Still, even if his earlier life had gone astray, the second half had only just begun!
"Gyahahahaha~!"
Judging the timing perfect, Buggy descended from the sky, bursting into loud laughter to draw Bartolomeo's attention.
"Who's there?!"
Bartolomeo froze, immediately looking up.
The next moment, suspicion flashed across his eyes.
"Buggy the Clown! Why are you here?!"
"Wait—why are you flying?!"
"Are you a Devil Fruit user too?!"
"Hahaha, youngster, that's nothing to be surprised about!"
Relying shamelessly on his power of flight, Buggy struck a superior pose, speaking like a seasoned elder:
"The endless sea is filled with Devil Fruit users!"
"Don't let the tiny East Blue blind your eyes~!"
"I saw you weren't weak, so my interest was piqued."
"And honestly…"
"Even across the vast ocean, talents like yours are rare."
"Your future shouldn't end here."
"So? Care to conquer the seas together with me?!"
Whoosh—
A fierce gust blew Buggy's cloak away, revealing his full figure.
He hovered in the sky, arms crossed.
His bright red cape billowed behind him, like a crimson banner flying high!
What was even more absurd—
His words echoed almost exactly what Dracule Mihawk had once said to Roronoa Zoro.
Purely over the top.
No wonder the future Buggy the Clown would climb all the way to the coveted position of Yonko by sheer audacity and outrageous luck.
"So cool… that red nose!"
In an instant!
Bartolomeo and his entire crew sparkled with starry eyes, showering Buggy with admiration.
As delinquents, they had zero resistance to sheer chūnibyō energy.
Only Alvida looked on in disbelief.
"Are these idiots blind?! That red-nosed guy is just putting on an act, isn't he?! Hey?!"
"He's so scared of you that he doesn't even dare descend another meter!"
"He's obviously worried about getting caught in your ability!"
At once, a sharp glint flashed in Alvida's eyes.
"Could it be… these guys are actually super easy to fool?!"
Elsewhere—
Buggy, suppressing his fury at being called red-nosed, forced a grin.
"Hahaha, what's impressive isn't me—it's you young people!"
"If I'm not mistaken, you must be the infamous Bartolomeo of these waters!"
"That's right! It's me, Senior Buggy!"
Influenced by Buggy's chūnibyō aura, Bartolomeo's demon-like face actually softened into a friendly smile.
"Mm, very good." Buggy nodded calmly before continuing,"I happened to have some business I wanted to discuss with you today."
"After seeing that just now, I think we've gained yet another shared topic."
"I don't want to see talented youths trapped in backwater corners—I'd like to show you a brighter path."
"But since you're busy right now, how about this…"
"I'll wait here for a few hours."
"If fate allows it, when you return, we'll surely meet again."
"Deal!"
Swept up by such a romantic invitation, Bartolomeo agreed instantly.
After all, the red nose was cool—but the Devil Fruit was urgent.
Just before leaving, Bartolomeo suddenly remembered something and turned back, shouting up at Buggy.
"Oh, right—Senior Buggy!"
"I heard from your subordinates… that you've already joined the Straw Hat crew?"
"I don't know why a cool uncle like you would become someone else's subordinate, but I overheard that Marine saying earlier…"
"It seems the Straw Hats just arrived at Loguetown's port!"
"The Marines retreated in a hurry because they're rushing to surround the Straw Hats!"
(End of Chapter)