Chapter 546: Buggy the Star Clown (Part 2)
Kong looked at the assembled officers. Ever since he had made that deal with the World Government, he had increasingly become their mouthpiece, controlled by them, managing the Navy only indirectly.
"Yes, sir," Tsuru said. The situation was irreversible. The implementation of the Seven Warlords system was no longer something the Navy could influence. The only thing they could do now was recover their strength and cultivate the lower and middle ranks to prevent a complete breakdown of their command structure.
Subsequently, the news that all bounties on the Buggy Pirates had been rescinded was disseminated. This time, everyone took the Seven Warlords system seriously.
When they learned of the benefits it brought, many pirates were tempted. By simply joining, their bounties would be stopped, the Navy would no longer hunt them, and they could plunder freely as long as they weren't caught. Even if they were discovered, they only had to hand over half their loot. This was an incredible deal.
In the New World, countless pirate crews who had been oppressed by the three Emperors became interested. Seven famous great pirates were to be chosen, and so far, there was only one. That meant there were still six spots left. This got many people thinking, especially those pirates who survived in the cracks between the three Emperors. It was as if they could see a glimmer of hope. But joining was not so simple. And once they joined, they would be despised by all other pirates.
Just like the Buggy Pirates were now.
After Buggy had agreed to join the Seven Warlords, he had only discussed it with Mihawk and Crocodile. The other commanders remained in the dark. The moment the newspapers were published, Buggy was surrounded by dozens of his confused officers.
"You explain it to them," Crocodile said, his face dark as he looked at the commanders, whose eyes held a mixture of doubt and admiration. For years, Crocodile had been part of the Buggy Pirates, but he had never stopped trying to cultivate his own power base. Yet, after more than five years, he found he couldn't sway these pirates at all. It was as if they had been drugged, following Buggy with blind devotion. No matter how hard Crocodile tried, he had only managed to recruit a few dozen men out of a crew of nearly thirty thousand. He just couldn't figure it out. If it weren't for the fact that Buggy had eaten the Chop-Chop Fruit, Crocodile would have believed he had eaten some kind of hypnosis fruit instead.
Seeing the situation, Buggy just laughed. "What's wrong? Surprised that your Captain Buggy has become a Warlord? Gyahahahaha!" he cackled, looking at the crowd. "You bunch of idiots! It's not like I asked for it. The World Government came crying and begging me! They said it had to be me, so I had no choice but to agree."
Seeing their uncomprehending looks, Buggy continued, "This is just the beginning! No one can stop my expansion! In a few years, I'll be one of the three Emperors! No! I'll be the Pirate King! Buggy the Jester King!" He spread his arms wide and boomed at the crowd.
All the crewmen stared at him, stunned. Buggy immediately puffed out his chest and took a confident step forward.
"Men!" he roared.
"Captain Buggy! Captain Buggy!" countless crewmen immediately yelled, their eyes shining as they looked at his tall, imposing figure.
"Men! I know why you're confused!" Buggy said, spreading his arms wide, his voice full of gravitas. "You're wondering why we joined the Seven Warlords, why we became dogs of the World Government. But I'm telling you, this is all for your own good!"
Everyone, including the commanders, stared blankly at the man before them, shrouded in his red captain's coat. Even Mihawk and Crocodile looked over, wondering what kind of trick Buggy was trying to pull.
"Captain Buggy!" someone called out softly.
"Men! The Buggy Pirates were founded five years ago! We've conquered the Grand Line and the Four Seas! East Blue, North Blue, South Blue! All the seas except West Blue are under our feet! Not even the Marines can stop us!" As he spoke, Buggy planted one foot on a barrel of rum. In that moment, he seemed so tall, so heroic. This was the Captain Buggy they all saw in their eyes.
"Captain Buggy! Captain Buggy!"
"Captain Buggy! Captain Buggy!"
The crew erupted in cheers. The roar of over thirty thousand pirates seemed to shake the very clouds in the sky.
Buggy pressed his hands down, and the crowd instantly fell silent. This display made Crocodile burn with envy.
"But! But, my men!" Buggy's tone suddenly shifted. "After we've sailed the Four Seas, what is our next destination?" he asked the crowd.
At this, all the pirates bowed their heads in thought. Then, a loud shout broke the silence.
"It's the New World! The New World! We'll conquer the New World!"
Someone's shout made everyone else snap to attention. "The New World! Conquer the New World!" In that instant, everyone had a new goal.
Buggy clenched his fist, and the crowd quieted down again.
"That's right, men! It's the New World! But," he scanned the crowd, "the New World is still too much for you right now. As a member of the Roger Pirates, I know just how terrifying the New World is. The weather there is fickle and harsh. The pirates there are savage and cruel. And the three strongest, the Emperors, stand at the very pinnacle of this world. And what about us, the Buggy Pirates?"
"You are too weak!"
This single sentence provoked defiance from every member of the crew.
"Captain Buggy, we're not afraid!"
"Yeah, we're not afraid!" many of them shouted back.
"Yes, you're not afraid," Buggy said, his voice softening, his eyes becoming slightly misty. "But I am afraid. You are all my brothers, my dearest friends and family. Losing even one of you breaks my heart."
Hearing this, the eyes of the crewmen welled up with tears.
"Captain Buggy cares about me so much... and just yesterday, I stole a Berry from the stash. I'm a terrible person!" many of the pirates sobbed.
"So," Buggy said, his voice now deep and serious, "I must wait until all of you have grown stronger. Only then will I enter the New World to fight for the throne of the Pirate King. And all of this takes time. Becoming a Warlord will certainly bring me some infamy, but it will also buy you that little bit of time you need to become stronger."
"What? Captain Buggy became a Warlord... for us?" many of the pirates exclaimed in shock.
"Captain Buggy is so great! To think he would bear such a huge disgrace for our sake! That's it! From this day forward, I'm quitting drinking!" one of the pirates declared, throwing his jug of rum to the ground.
Crash!
The sound of the breaking jug echoed, followed by another, and another. Many of them threw away their alcohol.
"Captain Buggy, we will become stronger! We will definitely make you the Pirate King!" almost all of them roared, tears streaming down their faces.
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