The morning sun cast long shadows across Little Garden as the remnants of the previous night's celebration lay scattered around the camp. Empty sake bottles and gnawed bones told the tale of a feast that had lasted well into the dawn hours. The Straw Hat Pirates and their giant hosts had celebrated their victory with the kind of reckless abandon that only comes after surviving a life-or-death battle.
Luffy was the first to stir, his stomach growling loudly enough to wake the dead. He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes and looking around at his scattered crew. "That was awesome! We should have parties like that every—"
His words died in his throat as he noticed something wrong. Nami lay curled in her blanket, her face flushed an alarming shade of red, while nearby, Sanji was shivering despite the warm morning air.
"Hey! Nami! Sanji!" Luffy scrambled to his feet, his captain's instincts kicking in immediately. "Something's wrong!"
The commotion roused the others. Zoro's hand instinctively went to his swords before he realized there was no enemy to fight—just an invisible one that had invaded his crewmates' bodies. Usopp's face went pale as he saw the telltale signs of high fever ravaging both the navigator and cook.
"They're burning up," Vivi said, her voice tight with concern as she knelt beside Nami. The princess had some medical knowledge from her time learning to govern Arabasta, and what she saw made her stomach clench with worry. "This isn't just exhaustion from the party. They're seriously ill."
In the chaos of their adventures, none of them had considered that Little Garden itself might pose a threat. The prehistoric island harbored ancient diseases, bacteria that their modern immune systems had no defense against. It was a cruel irony—they had survived battles with giants and dinosaurs, only to be felled by microscopic enemies.
"No doctor," Usopp muttered, his sniper's precision failing him completely in the face of this challenge. "We don't have a doctor on the ship. How are we supposed to—"
"I can take their illness!" Luffy declared suddenly, his fists clenched with determination. "If I get sick instead, then they'll be fine, right?"
"That's not how disease works, you rubber-brained idiot!" Zoro grabbed Luffy's shoulder before the captain could do something even more reckless than usual. "You can't just transfer sickness like that!"
Usopp nodded frantically. "Yeah! That's not— You can't just— That's completely impossible!"
Princess Vivi had already taken charge, her royal training showing as she organized their makeshift medical care. She wrung out a cloth in cool water and placed it gently on Nami's burning forehead. "We need to keep their fevers down while we figure out what to do next."
Despite his condition, Sanji managed a weak grin as Vivi tended to him. "To be cared for by such a beautiful princess... even if I die here, it would be worth it." His voice was barely a whisper, but his eyes still held that familiar spark of appreciation for feminine beauty.
"Don't talk like that," Nami managed through chattering teeth, her navigator's stubbornness showing even in her weakened state. "I refuse to die on some random island after barely entering the Grand Line. My dream isn't finished yet!"
The weight of her words settled over the crew. They had all entered the Grand Line with grand ambitions, but this harsh reminder of mortality made those dreams feel suddenly fragile.
Igaram, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "There is one option," he said carefully. "Drum Island..."
All eyes turned to the loyal retainer as he continued, his weathered face grave with concern. "Most of the doctors were exiled by the current king, Wapol, but he still keeps about twenty of the finest physicians by his side. They could cure this illness easily—if we can convince them to help."
"Then that's where we're going!" Luffy declared without hesitation.
"It won't be simple," Igaram warned. "King Wapol is... unpredictable. His methods and personality defy conventional understanding. Getting him to help strangers, especially pirates, will be nearly impossible."
"We'll make it possible," Zoro said grimly, his hand resting on Wado Ichimonji's hilt. "Whatever it takes."
As they prepared to leave Little Garden, Usopp glanced toward their three Baroque Works prisoners—Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, and Mr. 5. "What do we do about them?"
The crew exchanged looks. As much as they disliked their enemies, outright murder wasn't in their nature. These were the protagonists of a story about friendship and adventure, not cold-blooded killers.
"Leave them with Dorry and Brogy," Luffy decided.
Dorry and Brogy combine used the "Hakoku" technique that cleared the Going Merry path through the Island Eater.
Their century-long battle finally ended when every weapon they wielded shattered beyond repair, leaving nothing that could ever be reforged.
With their duel concluded, they had other priorities—like reuniting with their old crew from the Giant Pirates.
As the Going Merry prepared to sail, a familiar white shape descended from the sky. The News Coo circled the ship once before landing near Zoro, who was practicing his swordsmanship despite the circumstances.
The green-haired swordsman glanced at the bird with mild irritation. "I'm not paying for news right now."
Understanding rejection when it saw it, the News Coo fluttered over to Igaram, who dutifully produced a hundred berries. "One newspaper, please."
The bird accepted the payment with professional satisfaction, dropped the latest edition of the World Economic News, and soared away to find its next customer. Even the most fearsome pirates knew better than to harm these messenger birds—antagonizing them meant cutting yourself off from the outside world entirely. On the unpredictable Grand Line, information was often the difference between life and death.
Igaram unfolded the newspaper, and his eyes immediately widened at the headlines. Morgan's sensationalist journalism was in full display, each headline more dramatic than the last:
"THE EVIL PIRATE WITH THE FASTEST GROWING BOUNTY!"
"THE FUTURE FIFTH EMPEROR OF THE SEA?"
"BUGGY THE CLOWN VANISHES IN EAST BLUE—BREWING A MASSIVE CONSPIRACY!"
"ARTORIA JOINS THE MARINES—THE FUTURE ADMIRAL!"
"RED-HAIRED SHANKS AND WHITEBEARD PIRATES MAKE CONTACT!"
But it was the bounty poster that made Igaram's hands tremble. Buggy the Clown's laughing face stared back at him, but the number beneath it defied all logic: 3,000,000,000 BERRIES.
"Three billion," Igaram whispered, his voice barely audible over the ocean wind.
The astronomical figure represented more than just money—it was a statement. Buggy's original bounty had been a mere 15 million berries, the kind of amount placed on small-time East Blue pirates. This increase of two hundred times his previous bounty was unprecedented in the history of piracy.
Behind this decision lay heated discussions within Marine Headquarters. Contrary to what most would assume, the debate hadn't been about whether the bounty was too high—but whether it was high enough.
Admiral Sakazuki had been the most vocal opponent of the "low" bounty. Having faced Buggy personally in combat, he understood the clown's terrifying capabilities better than anyone.
In his office at Marine Headquarters, Sakazuki stared at his bandaged hands—a reminder of their encounter. His "Daifunka" (Great Eruption) and other magma attacks, which had reduced countless pirates to ash, had been completely ineffective. Buggy's "Bara Bara no Mi" (Split-Split Fruit) allowed him to separate his body parts, causing the magma to pass harmlessly through the gaps.
But it wasn't just the Devil Fruit that made Buggy dangerous. The clown had demonstrated advanced Conqueror's Haki techniques that left even Sakazuki struggling. The admiral's preferred strategy of trading injuries had been rendered useless—Buggy could simply separate the parts of his body that would be hit while his attacks landed with devastating effect.
The only advantage Sakazuki possessed was his superior stamina. In a prolonged battle, he might have a chance—but the keyword was "might."
"That clown has become my natural enemy," Sakazuki had admitted to Fleet Admiral Sengoku during their private meeting. "Sending one admiral isn't enough to guarantee victory. That man is a genuine threat to the World Government's stability."
His recommendation for massive military conscription had been denied, creating tension between the admiral and his superior. But Sakazuki had found an unexpected ally in Artoria, her sense of justice aligned closely with his own absolute principles, even if she wasn't quite as extreme in her methods.
Meanwhile, the search for Buggy continued across East Blue. Every Marine base had been put on high alert, but the clown seemed to have vanished completely. This disappearance was perhaps more terrifying than open confrontation—a enemy you couldn't see was impossible to counter.
The World Government's member nations in East Blue had taken the threat seriously. Kings and queens evacuated with their children to other seas, unwilling to risk their lives while such a dangerous individual remained at large.
Most of the kings of the member countries of the World Government in East Blue evacuated the East Blue with their queens and children. This was also influenced by Buggy the Clown. As long as he was alive, the nobles in the East Blue would not be able to sleep well every day.