The ship docked, and Rogu, standing on the observation deck, carefully studied the surrounding area through a telescope.
- Hmm... it seems there is a town there. But there are no Marines or people there... Oh, no, I was wrong, there are people after all.
Through the telescope, he could make out several scattered figures slowly wandering through the streets. However, given the size of the city, there were clearly fewer people than there should have been. Not understanding what was going on, Rogu decided to go on reconnaissance.
— No matter how many days of sailing, I haven't met a single pirate or even a ghost along the way. Once land has appeared, I can't miss the chance to stretch my legs.
The pirates on the ship were securely locked in the hold, including Cindy and the five who had originally boarded.
Rogu decided not to take the risk and not to take them with him. He thought that if there were guards in this city, then let them take the prisoners themselves. This would save him time and energy.
Having tidied up his clothes, throwing the iron mace and the black sword Kuromaru over his back, he confidently jumped off the ship onto the pier...(T/N:The sheath is black along with the handle but not the sword , its not the infamous black blade)
....
Although Rogu had already looked at the city through his telescope, it was only when he stepped onto its streets that he truly felt how deserted it was.
"Somehow... too empty," he frowned.
The city looked as if all the inhabitants had disappeared from it. Which reminded Rog of the words of an old song.
"Where is everyone?" he muttered as he walked through the streets.
His gaze slid over the surrounding buildings. At first glance, the city was completely normal. White walls, red roofs, stone streets, and soft sunlight. All this created a feeling of coziness and warmth.
But the absence of people made the atmosphere of this city rather disturbing.
"Maybe they don't like to go out on the streets during the day here?" Rogu thought as he approached one of the houses.
He pushed the door and it gave way.
Stepping over the threshold, he found himself in the hallway, from where he could already see the living room. Everything looked completely normal. Even the shoes were neatly placed at the entrance, and Rogu, following the manners, changed his shoes before walking around the house.
He looked into all the rooms, but found no one.
"What the hell... Are there really mystical stories in this world about all the people disappearing from cities? Although, no, I saw people when I looked through the telescope," he muttered, returning to the entrance.
Putting his boots back on, Rogu walked outside and continued exploring the city.
The silence and emptiness gave him a strange feeling. On the one hand, it was disturbing, but on the other, it was unusual and even exciting. It all reminded him of an adventure.
"I wish I could run into a couple of pirates," he said out loud, as if throwing down a challenge.
Then the silence was suddenly broken by a sound. And from somewhere far away came the creaking of wheels.
The sound was muffled, as if it was coming from the alleys, and despite the distance, it seemed as if it was already close. The empty city amplified the echo, making the sound more mysterious.
Rogu looked towards the source of the noise, but instead of people or a cart he saw four lines in front of him...
Wanted!
Kabaji!
4,000,000 belli!
You can capture it!
These lines appeared several hundred meters away from him, as if they had flared up in the air. They could not be closed or ignored. After all, neither trees, nor walls, nor any other obstacles could hide these words. They broke through any object, becoming part of reality.
This created a truly strange and even creepy atmosphere.
Rogu hadn't even had time to see the man yet, and the four lines continued to approach, accompanied by the same strange creaking of the wheel. And soon a man appeared in front of him, riding a unicycle.
- Oh, oh, oh, what a surprise! - the man, who was apparently Kabaji, exclaimed cheerfully. - You must be a foreigner!
He laughed, looking at Roga: - Today the whole city gathered for a festive event. You must be a pirate hunter? Hahaha, we spotted your ship, and I was sent to invite you to our celebration!
Riding closer, Kabaji, with a sword on his belt, continued with a smile: "My name is Kabaji. I am very glad to see the respected pirate hunter."
- I see, - Rogu answered with a slight smile. - Well, now everything is clear. I thought that the city had died out or that ghosts had appeared here.
- Ghosts? - Kabaji laughed. - Impossible! This is a quiet and peaceful town.
Bowing slightly, he deftly maneuvered his unicycle to clear a path: "Please follow me."
Rogu nodded and glanced at the sword at his side.
- What is this thing?
- This? - Kabaji answered without hesitation: - Just props for the holiday.
A glint flashed in Rogu's eyes.
— Can I take a closer look?
"Uh..." Kabaji hesitated, clearly not ready for such a question.
"If you can't, then fine, I won't insist," Rogu shrugged indifferently, demonstrating that he wasn't going to pressure him.
Kabaji, feeling relieved, smiled even wider: "How did you end up in Orange Town? Have you heard anything about us?"
Turning around, Kabaji cast a cold glance at Roga and, asking a question, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
- Huh? - Rogu's voice came from behind him. - No, I don't think there were any strange rumors. I went out to sea to look for pirates, but instead of pirates I found land, so I decided to come here and take a look.
"That's great," Kabaji nodded.
-Great?
-Certainly.
-Why excellent?
- Because... - Kabaji abruptly pulled the sword out of its sheath and turned around with a clang. - Now you will die!!!
However, when the blade came down, there was no one behind him.
Kabaji froze in amazement, and his heart sank, sensing something was wrong. Before he could turn around, a sharp pain pierced him from the back of his head to his fingertips!
Without making a sound, Kabaji fell off the unicycle and froze, his face buried in the ground. Rogu looked at the large iron mace and said with satisfaction: "It's a good thing after all."
Although in a direct fight, Rogu was sure that he could easily deal with this opponent, but why complicate things when you can make it simpler?
At that moment, chains appeared out of nowhere and instantly entangled Kabaji and his unicycle.
"Is the unicycle also considered part of this guy?" Rogu thought with a grin.
He didn't go anywhere, but instead, he just sat down and waited. When he saw Kabaji, he immediately understood what was happening on this island.
"Orange Town, Kabaji, unicycle, acrobatic fencing… So it's definitely Buggy. But he wasn't on my list to catch. Why am I suddenly here?" Rogu looked thoughtfully in the direction he came from and smiled. "However, a pirate with a bounty of fifteen million… He may not have reached his peak yet, but catching him now would be good too.