Chapter 30 Luffy's Clever Plan Leads to the Robbery of Dadi Baki's CircusThen he glanced at the makeshift weapon in Usopp's hand: "With this childish toy you're holding?"
Upon hearing this, Usopp felt as if he'd been doused with cold water, cold sweat pouring down his back.
Damn it! Spending all his time with Luffy, Zoro, and their monster gang, he'd almost forgotten that he was essentially a weakling with no fighting ability…
He looked at Dadi for help.
Dadi, however, turned to his daughter Carol, who was eating ice cream, with a loving father's smile: "Don't look at me. For my daughter's safety, I would never provoke such a high-bounty pirate."
Usopp was instantly filled with disappointment, feeling like the sky had fallen.
With no other option, he pulled out a specially made firework, shakily lit it, and shot it into the sky.
This was a signal flare that Luffy and the crew had planned beforehand.
It was originally agreed to be used only in unmanageable emergencies.
After all, even those with protagonist-like luck could starve to death; who knows what might happen to the others?
This commotion immediately caught Buggy's attention.
Usopp, startled, quickly shrank back, hiding behind a broken wall, barely daring to breathe.
Buggy, bewildered, looked up at the exploding fireworks in the sky: "What day is it today? Why are people setting off fireworks in broad daylight?"
Mochi, rubbing his hands together, said ingratiatingly, "Captain Buggy, how about we set off a couple to celebrate?"
"Celebrate my ass! Are you trying to say those fireworks are as red as my nose?!"
Buggy instantly erupted in anger, spitting all over Mochi's face.
Mochi: "..."
Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro, who were strolling around, frowned upon seeing the signal in the sky.
"Who's in trouble and sending a signal?"
Zoro, his hand on his sword hilt, asked, looking at the still-smoking sky.
A red light flashed in Luffy's eyes, and his Observation Haki instantly scanned the direction from which the fireworks were rising like radar.
"Huh?"
Luffy murmured in surprise.
"What's going on?"
Zoro asked alertly, "Has something really serious happened?"
"Nothing serious," Luffy said with a mischievous grin, "I just feel like we've got our travel expenses covered for the rest of the journey."
Zoro: "Huh?"
Before the two even reached Usopp's hiding place, countless dazzling fireworks suddenly rose one after another from that direction.
"Wahahaha! Don't miss it! Welcome everyone to enjoy the world's number one Buggy Circus!"
"Beasts jumping through hoops, thrilling knife throwing, unicycle acrobatics—you name it, it's all here! If it's not exciting, you don't pay!"
When Luffy and Zoro arrived at the scene, the once solemn and solemn execution platform plaza was now filled with huge, brightly colored tents.
The Buggy Pirates, now all dressed as clowns, were energetically soliciting customers.
"Are you sure this guy is the vicious clown Buggy, the pirate with a 15 million Berry bounty?"
Zoro's eyebrows twitched involuntarily as he watched the bustling circus.
Luffy, equally speechless, watched the throngs of tourists buying tickets, inwardly raging: "Damn it, you're pirates, can't you have some professionalism?"
Just then, Usopp suddenly emerged from the crowd, a little girl in a delicate Lolita dress riding on his shoulders.
"Yo, Luffy? You're finally here! Look, I found Buggy!"
Usopp pointed to the most conspicuous giant tent, where Mochi was directing the adorable lion Riki to jump through hoops of fire, drawing cheers from the surrounding audience.
"He's inside that biggest tent."
Zoro and Luffy: "..."
These guys are just here to be funny!
At this moment, Luffy also noticed Daddy following behind Usopp.
He generously extended his hand and smiled, "If I'm not mistaken, this must be Dadi Mastasson, right?"
Dadi shook hands with Luffy with some surprise, "You, Commodore, actually know someone as insignificant as me?"
"A former genius sniper from Marine Headquarters, unfortunately defeated by Yasopp, and never recovered, retiring from the battlefield."
Luffy chuckled, teasing him, "That's roughly what I read in the Marine records I've seen before."
Dadi laughed heartily twice, seemingly having already let go of that past event, "That's what it says in the records? It's truly an honor for a renowned Commodore to remember my name."
Luffy changed the subject, directly extending an invitation: "Interested in returning to the battlefield and working for me?"
Dadi paused, taken aback, "Are you recruiting me?"
Luffy nodded matter-of-factly, "After all, he's a man who can go toe-to-toe with the chief sniper of the Red-Haired Pirates, one of the Four Emperors. It's a waste to have someone like you stuck here as a babysitter."
Dadi smiled and shook his head, his gaze softening as he looked at his daughter, Carol, who was eating a candied hawthorn beside him. "As a father, I don't think it's a waste."
Seeing this, Luffy, still smiling, spoke to Dadi again:
"How about we make a bet?"
Zoro, standing nearby, watched Luffy expressionlessly, inwardly sighing:
Here we go again. This guy's going to start fooling the cripple again.
Actually, Luffy's suggestion was impromptu; after all, this man was Smoker's classmate.
Although Dadi's role in the original story was pitifully small, his reputation as a genius sniper in the Navy, and the fact that he managed to injure Yasopp in a duel, made his achievements quite impressive.
Even though Shanks hadn't become one of the Four Emperors yet, and Yasopp was still a rookie at sea.
This clearly demonstrates that Dadi's potential is no less than Smoker's. It's just a pity he was so badly hurt by Yasopp's attack that he abandoned his promising future in the Navy and became a bounty hunter.
Without the support and systematic training from headquarters, his strength naturally declined.
Now, Yasopp is a renowned Yonko (Emperor of the Sea) officer, while Dadi is still struggling in the East Blue, a newbie village.
As a Marine, Luffy can't just assemble a few pirate crew members and wander the world like in the original story.
Whether he plans to challenge the Celestial Dragons or conquer the New World, he needs a strong, loyal crew to succeed.
Otherwise, even if you're incredibly powerful, no one will truly acknowledge you as the ruler of the seas.
The lone Shanks is a prime example. Even Sengoku praised his individual strength as being on par with Roger and Shiki, yet he still couldn't become a true emperor.
The fundamental reason is that he was a lone wolf, lacking a large enough force to control his territory.
In the New World, even the most carefree Shanks has a large number of subordinate pirate crews protecting his territory.
Therefore, Luffy understands that regardless of whether he's a Marine or a pirate, he must cultivate his own loyal crew.
Relying solely on Zoro and a few others capable of fighting is undoubtedly a pipe dream for world domination.
Since he's part of the Marine system, Luffy can't openly recruit pirates as subordinates on the high seas. Therefore, the only way to expand his power is through acquaintances.
That's right, he needs to target his adoptive father's Revolutionary Army and his father Garp's network of connections within the Marines.
These two forces, one seeking to overthrow tyranny and establish a new order, the other aiming to maintain peace within the existing framework, are both seen as allies of justice by the common people.
Now, having encountered a promising individual who is neither a member of the Revolutionary Army nor part of the existing Navy system, Luffy naturally wants to bring Dadi, this escaped foe, into his fold.
Unfortunately, Dadi is clearly not as stubborn as Smoker. He glanced at his adorable daughter and decisively refused, saying, "These old bones of mine don't want to die by my own hand."
"You're afraid that if you die, your daughter will be left to wander the streets with no one to care for her, aren't you?"
Luffy bluntly saw through his thoughts.
Dadi silently lit his pipe, took a deep drag, and offered no rebuttal.
Luffy suddenly dropped his smile and said seriously, "But have you thought about where your daughter's true future lies?"
Dadie was taken aback: "What future?"
"With your current abilities, you could certainly live comfortably by bullying a few petty thieves in this town."
"But you've seen it too, the world has changed. The latter half of the Grand Line has long since broken free from the World Government's control."
"The Revolutionary Army is stirring up coups everywhere, and the number of pirates is growing like locusts. How long do you think this false peace can last?"
"With your current level, you can still bully weaklings, but you should also know that for Yasopp, killing you now would be as easy as crushing an ant."
"When the real chaos arrives, when the flames of war reach here, how will you protect your daughter?"
"Wasn't our initial purpose as Marines to ensure that the next generation could live in a world without fear?"
Luffy's barrage of words completely stunned Dadi; his brainwashing ability was undeniably top-notch.
Dadi's face was filled with conflict. He had once been a passionate young man with dreams of justice, pursuing an elite path.
But one failure had shattered his spirits and kept him down for so many years.
"Besides, you've been a bounty hunter for so many years, your enemies probably stretch all the way to the Grand Line. Can you really guarantee you'll stay by Carol's side forever without any mishaps?"
Luffy glanced meaningfully at the group of thugs charging menacingly towards them in the distance.
In the blink of an eye, the group had surrounded them.
"You damned bastard! You dared to betray my brothers for a bounty last time!"
The burly man leading the group, his face contorted with rage, pointed a gun at Dadi's nose and cursed, "Today I'll make you pay for this in blood!"
Dadi ignored the burly man, instead falling into deep thought. He then looked up at Luffy: "Even if you're right, what reason do I have to be your subordinate?"
"You know, even if I wanted to return to the Navy, with my old classmate relationship with Smoker, I could easily get a decent position there."
Luffy, seeing Dadi's wavering, grinned and played his trump card: "Let me reintroduce myself, Monkey D. Luffy. My grandfather is Monkey D. Garp, the biggest second-generation official in the entire Navy. If you agree, I can send you to the Navy Headquarters' elite training camp in a heartbeat!"
Dadi's face instantly changed upon hearing the name: "Naval Hero Garp?!"
Luffy calmly nodded, concealing his achievements.
"And to be honest, your old classmate Smoker won't be around for long either, he'll be in my catch."
Luffy, in an effort to win over his men, didn't hesitate to betray Smoker.
Daddy, after hearing this, fell into deep thought.
At this moment, the criminals, who had been ignored for so long, finally snapped.
"Damn it, can't you give us some respect? We're here for revenge, can't you respect our profession?"
"Brothers, get them! Kill them!"
The criminal leader, red-faced and bulging with rage, roared.
In that instant, Zoro and Dadi moved as if by telepathy.
A crisp clang of blades rang out, followed by several gunshots.
The battle ended too quickly, as if it hadn't even begun.
Dadi calmly pulled a cigarette from the arms of a fallen criminal, lit it, and put it in his mouth. Turning to Luffy, he said, "I can sell you my life, but you must promise me a completely safe future for Carol!"
Luffy beamed, "Deal!"
Zoro, watching Dadi's swift movements, couldn't help but admire, "No wonder he's the legendary 'Lion and Cub' Dadi, he's got something."
Dadi glanced at Zoro, "Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro? So you're the sucker Usopp was talking about who does all the work but doesn't get paid."
"What?!"
Zoro instantly flew into a rage, glaring fiercely at Usopp.
Usopp trembled, frantically waving his hands, "Misunderstanding! It's definitely a misunderstanding! I was just joking!"
The commotion was so loud that it finally attracted the attention of Buggy and his crew at the circus.
First mate Mochi squinted, scrutinizing Zoro and Daddy. "Hmm, these two look so familiar," he muttered.
The lion Ricky beside him let out a couple of howls, seemingly in agreement.
Mochi suddenly slapped his thigh. "Oh right, aren't they those two famous bounty hunters?!"
Suddenly, Mochi seemed to realize something. "Bounty hunters?!"
He yelled and scrambled into the tent, shouting to Bucky, "Captain, something terrible has happened! We've been targeted by bounty hunters!"
"What?! You're saying someone's eyeing my perfect red nose?"
Buggy roared at Mochi as if his tail had been stepped on.
Mochi: "..."
"Eh? Is this the legendary Captain Buggy?"
Luffy's voice suddenly echoed from the side, startling Buggy.
He whirled around and saw Luffy holding his prized treasure map. Buggy's face instantly turned green, and he yelled excitedly, "That's my treasure! Take your filthy hands off me! Cleave - Clown Knife!"
Everyone: "..."
Buggy: "..."
Damn it! He forgot he hadn't found his hand yet!
"Cleave - Pancake!"
Buggy roared again, unwilling to give up. His lower body suddenly detached, spinning like a giant pancake as it flew towards Luffy, sharp daggers popping out from the tips of his shoes, aimed straight for Luffy's vitals.
Luffy frowned slightly, watching Buggy's flashy attacks. It wasn't that Buggy was particularly strong, but rather that he found the guy ridiculously weak.
With moves like that, a 15 million bounty would be considered inflationary; giving him even a penny more would be a waste.
Seeing the two legs flying towards him, Luffy unceremoniously raised his foot, delivering a groin-crushing kick.
A muffled thud followed.
The moment before, Buggy had been laughing arrogantly, but now his face turned ashen, he collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing, screaming like a pig being slaughtered: "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!!!"
"Damn it! Where are all the men! Attack! Grab this kid!"
Buggy, enduring the excruciating pain, shouted for help towards the outside of the tent.
However, after shouting for a while, all was quiet outside; not a soul was in sight.
At that moment, Zoro and Dadi casually lifted the curtain and walked in.
"What a bunch of rabble, so easily defeated," Zoro said with a yawn.
"Holy crap!"
Buggy turned around and was horrified to find that his entire crew outside had been wiped out, lying on the ground.
"You really worked on Roger's ship?"
Luffy asked, looking at Buggy on the ground with suspicion.
Upon hearing this, Buggy broke out in a cold sweat: "Holy crap! How did you know this secret?!"
The next second, he quickly covered his mouth tightly. This was the biggest secret of his life; if he hadn't kept it a secret all this time, how could he have been living so carefree in the East Blue?