◉◉◉◉◉
Buggy's disassembled body was trapped in an invisible airtight space one that was rapidly compressing around him. He felt his entire form being crushed, like his body would soon turn into a bloody smear.
"S-Stop! Aghh! Quit it—PLEASE STOP!" Buggy cried out in agony, blood beginning to seep from the corner of his mouth.
Aero calmly halted the compression. His Wind Blades couldn't harm Buggy directly, but space compression? That worked like a charm against Buggy's Chop-Chop Fruit.
As soon as the pressure eased, Buggy gasped for air like it was the sweetest thing in the world. Every breath reminded him he was still alive.
Seeing Buggy's pitiful state, Aero smiled.
"So… you do fear death. That makes this easier."
He approached with a warm expression and said cheerfully, "Buggy the Clown! Let's have a little chat."
Buggy clenched his teeth. "Screw you! I've got nothing to talk about with AARGH!"
More pain surged through him, and he immediately changed his tune. "Alright, alright! Stop! I give up!"
Aero tilted his head slightly, still smiling. "So… ready to talk now?"
Buggy was panting, drenched in sweat.
"What do you want… just say it!"
Aero undid the compression, and Buggy's body parts immediately zipped back together, forming his regular form.
Groaning, Buggy raised a trembling hand to wipe the blood from his mouth. "What the hell do you want from me?"
Aero raised both hands casually. "Let's be honest here you attacked us first. We didn't come looking for a fight. You dropped a literal warhead on us. Don't you think you owe us something for that?"
Buggy grit his teeth, cursing internally. As much as he hated to admit it, Aero was right. Buggy's own cannonball had missed its intended target and flattened half the town instead including his own crew.
"What do you want?" Buggy asked bitterly.
He had a few valuable possessions: a treasure map, his stashed gold, and a Grand Line sea chart. Of those, the treasure map was sacred he'd die before giving that up.
Buggy thought, 'If this guy asks for my treasure map, I'm fighting him to the death even if I lose.'
But Aero played it cool. "I dunno. Why don't you tell me what you've got to offer? Show me a little… sincerity."
Buggy narrowed his eyes. He hated giving things away he was the poster boy for stingy pirates but he also wanted to live. He rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, then blurted out: "Fine! I'll give you my Grand Line sea chart!"
Aero blinked. "Sea chart?"
He honestly hadn't expected that. Aero took a closer look at Buggy, whose face twitched under his gaze.
Buggy misunderstood the pause.
Thinking Aero wasn't impressed, he rushed to explain: "Hey! This isn't just any chart. It's a map of the Grand Line! You know how rare that is?! You can't make it far in those seas without one!"
Aero showed no reaction but silently held out his hand.
Buggy was stunned by how quickly Aero accepted.
'Wow… this guy's easy to deal with' he thought.
Feeling a little smug, Buggy reached into his coat and pulled out a rolled-up map. Aero glanced at it, then handed it to Eddie.
He didn't even bother trying to read it Aero had never been good with maps, not even in his past life.
Fortunately, Eddie was the team's cartography nerd. He inspected the chart, studied it closely, then whispered to Aero: "Looks legit, from what I can tell. Whether it's missing sections or not, I can't say we'd have to actually sail it."
Aero nodded, then walked over and threw an arm around Buggy's shoulder like they were old pals.
"You know, we don't have to be enemies. What do they say? 'Better to have a friend than a foe,' right? What do you think, Captain Buggy?"
Buggy immediately got suspicious but he couldn't deny the logic. He nodded reluctantly.
"Great!" Aero said, still smiling. "Since we're friends now, shouldn't you offer a little… welcome gift?"
Buggy's eyes widened.
"What?! I already gave you the chart! I don't have anything else!" he shouted, clutching his chest protectively.
Aero chuckled. "Relax, I'm not after your treasure map. I'm not interested in your hoards of gold either."
Buggy sighed with relief. That was exactly where he kept his treasure map right against his chest.
"Then what do you want?" he asked warily.
Aero gestured at the destroyed town around them. "Your cannonballs. The ones you just used to blow this place sky-high."
Buggy blinked. "You… want my Buggy Bombs?"
Aero didn't respond.
Buggy suddenly smirked. He slapped Aero's arm off his shoulder and dug into his coat.
"Then feast your eyes!" he said proudly, pulling out a handful of small metallic beads. "These babies are my latest invention 'Compact Buggy Bombs!' Don't let the size fool you. These little guys pack a serious punch and best of all, you can carry them anywhere!"
He grinned like a salesman closing a deal, spinning one of the bombs between his fingers.
The compact bombs were indeed powerful and in Eddie's hands, they could be devastating.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!