Chapter 455: Buggy's Trump Card
"Yake, why are you looking so down? This is not good, meow." Pizarro said.
"Next, we must seize the treasures from the Phantom Beast Conference, meow."
Hearing Pizarro's words, Yake felt speechless.
He could not even see the shadow of the treasure yet!
Boom!
He sliced another incoming cannonball.
Whoosh!
Yake swung his sword, aiming to carve a gap in the enemy's ship.
But the opponent, daring to attack their ship bearing the Beasts Pirates' flag, was no ordinary foe.
They were quite renowned.
The Buggy Pirates were the leading pirate crew in East Blue.
On the Buggy Pirates' ship, a group of pirates in varied outfits gathered around a man with a red nose.
"Hahaha, how dare they challenge Boss Buggy? That Pizarro guy is truly ungrateful." one pirate said.
"Exactly! Even Kaido of the Beasts would have to bow before our boss." another added.
"That is right! Boss Buggy is just that great, is he not?" a third chimed in.
Their fervent gazes made the man, Buggy, raise his chin proudly.
His hands and feet split apart, propping up a large cloak, giving him an imposing presence.
He spoke confidently, "Yes, that is right. I am Buggy!"
"Kaido is just a small fry. Even Whitebeard would need to tread carefully before me, hahahaha!"
As Buggy laughed exaggeratedly, a man with a beer belly joined in enthusiastically, "Ho ho ho, you are truly our boss, Buggy! The pride of East Blue!"
Only one man on the ship, Galdino, watched Buggy bask in the crowd's adoration and grumbled inwardly.
The world had gone mad. Did Buggy have no sense of his own strength?
He could see the ships of Beasts Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates nearby.
If Buggy's boasts reached their ears and provoked them, trouble would follow.
Galdino noticed a young man with glasses, Kuro, whose eyes glinted coldly amidst the chaotic crowd.
He leaned in and whispered, "Kuro, are you unhappy with Buggy? He just gets carried away easily. Do not take it to heart."
Kuro smiled, adjusting his glasses with his palm, and said, "Galdino, you worry too much. I just think Boss Buggy is very impressive."
Seeing Kuro's smile, Galdino felt a chill.
"Hahaha, is that so? Well, that is good then." Galdino replied awkwardly.
He stepped away from Kuro, feeling uneasy.
The Buggy Pirates were now East Blue's top pirate crew.
Their captain, Buggy, boasted a bounty of 2.1 billion Berries.
Such a bounty was a devastating blow to pirates worldwide.
As a result, strong pirates from East Blue eagerly joined the Buggy Pirates.
The crew then ventured into a courier business.
Their growth in East Blue was rapid, showing potential to become a major force.
Undoubtedly, Buggy's high bounty fueled their success.
And that bounty? Mostly luck.
By chance, Buggy had defeated a gem-level hunter from the Hunter Association, part of the Tarot Totem forces.
This feat, combined with Buggy's unique status, earned him such a reward from the World Government.
His status also kept him untouchable.
"Little ones, ignore that small fry and speed up the ship!" Buggy commanded.
"That is our Boss Buggy! A pirate with over 800 million Berries means nothing to him!" a crew member cheered.
"Let us go! How can the Buggy Pirates be slowed by such a minor crew?" another shouted.
"Boss Buggy even spared that guy!" a third added.
As the crew cheered, their ship ceased firing at Pizarro's.
They focused on sailing and navigating the intensifying squalls.
Seeing the fanatical pirates calm momentarily, Buggy discreetly wiped cold sweat from beneath his loose red robe.
He was not entirely without skill.
If his crew dragged him into a direct clash with Pizarro, he would likely be crushed, losing his prestige.
His hard power did not match his lofty bounty.
Over the past two years, Buggy had trained diligently—well, somewhat.
Currently, he struggled against pirates with 100 million Berries bounties.
With his special trump card, he could handle those worth three to four hundred million.
But his strength was nowhere near 2.1 billion Berries.
Yet Buggy did not dare show weakness.
Otherwise, bounty hunters would likely band together to claim his head.
His only fortune was that he committed no major evils in East Blue.
Whether due to this or his bounty, the Marines had not targeted him recently.
Thankfully so.
Otherwise, facing Marine Officers one-on-one, he could defeat ten ordinary Vice Admirals.
Against a veteran Vice Admiral, he would struggle.
A candidate Admiral? He would need to plan a stylish pose for his defeat.
A true Admiral coming for a 2.1-billion berries bounty pirate?
He would surrender neatly and head to Impel Down.
Fortunately, none of this had happened.
"Buggy." a voice called.
"Ahh!" Buggy yelped.
Focused on heading to the cabin to escape from wind, he was startled by a ghostly voice behind him.
Turning, he saw Galdino and snapped, "Galdino, you fool! Do you want to scare me to death?"
Buggy complained angrily, but Galdino remained unfazed.
Combing his figure-8-shaped hair, Galdino said with a serious expression, "Buggy, I want to warn you. Be careful with Kuro."
"Kuro? That genius kid?" Buggy replied.
"He is just an intern. Why should I worry? Do you know who I am?"
"I am Buggy! A great pirate with a 2.1-billion-Berry bounty!"
Hearing Buggy's words, Galdino felt exasperated.
Had Buggy hypnotized himself?
Having traveled with him, Galdino knew exactly how limited Buggy's strength was.
"Buggy, I am just warning you."
He said no more, his glasses glinting briefly before he walked away expressionlessly.
"What is this guy Galdino up to?" Buggy muttered.
Watching Galdino's blue-and-white striped clothes billow in the wind, Buggy huffed and hurried into the cabin.
The rest he left to his crew.
While East Blue's pirates were not as strong as those from other seas, the Buggy Pirates had gathered most of the region's best.
They lacked top-tier pirates but had many with bounties of one to two hundred million, even three to four hundred million berries.
Most of these were magic pattern users, whose strength grew faster than ordinary training, though reliant on resources.
The Buggy Pirates were gaining momentum in East Blue.
By chance, many powerful magic pattern user pirates joined for resources.
These individuals were quite formidable.
Thus, Buggy was not worried about handling this stage of the Phantom Beast Conference.
Typically, his subordinates handled issues, while Buggy cheered loudly.
His defeated foes were often awed by him.
If his story were written, it would outshine many popular comic protagonists.
This was why Buggy remained so confident.
Beyond his extraordinary luck, his stability stemmed from a secret ability: Tarot Totem Number 0, The Fool's Beggar.
(End of Chapter)