Buggy and his crew paid little attention to the islanders' gossip. They didn't rush to question anyone either. Instead, they pressed forward, wanting to observe more of this island for themselves.
Most of the houses here were small and built of stone. The wooden ones were extremely old, full of holes, and patched up clumsily—often with more stone stuffed into the gaps.
Walking around, they even found what resembled a tavern or restaurant, but there were no inns or lodgings at all.
This wasn't surprising. Some locals might be too lazy to cook, so naturally, restaurants existed. But since no outsiders had come here in over a decade, there was no demand for hotels. Any such establishments would have long gone out of business—after all, the islanders had no reason to stay in an inn when they already lived here.
From this brief tour, Buggy confirmed two things: resources on this island were indeed scarce, and outsiders hadn't set foot here in years.
The residents, however, were surprisingly warm-hearted. After their initial shock at seeing strangers, some began approaching them. They asked curious questions about the world beyond the fog, while others offered practical advice—explaining how Buggy's crew could survive here and even suggesting they build their own stone houses.
The reason was simple: on this island, trees were strictly protected. No one was allowed to cut them down. Houses, therefore, had to be built from stone, which was plentiful and durable.
The locals emphasized this rule again and again—do not cut trees. Violators would face severe consequences. They also warned Buggy not to cause trouble or challenge their "hero," a man named Gott, and they eagerly told the crew about him.
According to them, Gott had arrived here more than twenty years ago, trapped by the same impenetrable fog.
Why call him a hero? It traced back to the chaos that plagued the island before his arrival.
Over the decades, pirates had occasionally drifted into this place. Some lived peacefully with the locals, but others were violent, cruel, and disruptive. Their brutality had thrown the island into constant turmoil. Even as time passed and some pirates disappeared, the unrest never truly ended.
Then, over twenty years ago, Gott came. With overwhelming strength, he destroyed the violent pirates and brought the rest under control. Only then did peace return to the island. That was why the people revered him as their hero. Today, he was not only their protector but also the de facto ruler of the island, maintaining order and ensuring the safety of its people.
Hearing Gott's deeds, Buggy and his crew couldn't help but feel a trace of respect. Yet there was also pity. To think that such a powerful man had been trapped here for more than twenty years—it was a cruel fate for a man of the sea.
At the same time, they were eager to meet him. A man of such strength and authority might know things the villagers did not. Perhaps he held some clue about escaping the fog.
Armed with this new knowledge, Buggy's crew left the friendly locals and headed for the island's only tavern.
The food was far from abundant. Most of the dishes were fish, with only small portions of vegetables. Meat was nonexistent.
This was easy to understand. Fish were plentiful in these waters—an endless, reliable supply, making them the staple diet of everyone here. Vegetables, on the other hand, were scarce. The island had little arable land, and the seeds passed down over generations had weakened, producing less yield with each passing year. Now, production was far too low to feed the whole population, making vegetables a rare luxury.
As for meat, there was none to be had. The world of One Piece had no large-scale livestock farming—people relied on wild animals for meat. But on an isolated island, after more than a century, most game had long been hunted out. The few that remained were either in hiding or inedible. Thus, meat had become virtually nonexistent here.
Payment was still in Berries. That made sense: even pirates stranded here over the last century had carried large amounts of currency, keeping it in circulation on the island.
While Buggy and his crew ate, elsewhere the two men who had first approached them now stood respectfully before a towering, broad-shouldered man with graying hair. They were reporting everything about Buggy's group.
This man was none other than Gott—the island's hero and its true ruler.
"Well, well… what a rare sight," Gott chuckled. "It's been over a decade, and now another band of pirates wanders in. A group of unfortunate youngsters."
"Boss," one of the men asked cautiously, "how should we deal with them? Do we quietly add them to the Pioneer Team like before?"
Gott considered this, then shook his head. "No. Don't stir up trouble. We're on the brink of success. We can't afford to let that old hag come bothering us again over something so trivial."
At the mention of the old hag, Gott's kind expression vanished. His eyes turned cold, full of killing intent, though tinged with frustration.
"That damned woman. If not for her, we wouldn't need to tread so carefully. We might have already succeeded by now."
His subordinate scowled as well, though a flicker of fear passed through his eyes.
"Her strength is real, Boss. And her survival tricks are first-class. If we moved against her, the whole island would know. And if those other strong ones still lingering here chose to help her, we'd suffer heavy losses."
Gott's face twisted with unwillingness. For years, he had wanted to eliminate that old woman. But the risks were too great, and so he had been forced to endure her interference. Because of her meddling, his plans had been delayed again and again—tasks that could have been finished years ago still dragged on.
"Those stubborn fools," Gott growled. "Always in our way. If they joined us, we'd all be free already! Do they really plan to rot on this island forever?"
"Who knows what they're thinking?" the subordinate muttered bitterly. "Maybe they truly do want to stay here for life."
"Boss, should we keep these newcomers under watch?"
"Yes. Send someone reliable," Gott ordered after a pause. "We can't afford any mistakes now. No slip-ups. Not with what's coming."
Yes, Boss!
The subordinate bowed low, then hurried off to carry out the order—arranging for Buggy and his crew to be secretly monitored.