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Chapter 11: Dispute
1,290 Words
"So, you robbed a merchant ship of its treasure, and then an orange-haired woman swindled you out of both the treasure and your ship?"
On the deck, three pirates with bruised and swollen faces lay sprawled on the ground.
Standing before them was a man with a cold, stern expression, a long sword slung casually over his shoulder.
It had to be said, Zoro's face was inherently intimidating in the East Blue.
The moment the three recognized him as the "Pirate Hunter," their legs went weak. They practically cried as they recounted the whole story.
"Yes, yes! It was that woman! She tricked us onto her boat, and then we were caught in a downpour and struck by lightning!"
"Damn it! She ran off with all the treasure on the ship! She's so cute, but I never imagined she could be so vicious!" the three pirates gritted their teeth and said.
The three of them had been plundering merchant ships at sea for a long time, but they never expected to be defeated by a woman.
Moreover, if it weren't for that woman, they wouldn't have encountered these three powerful figures and fallen into their hands. Not even Lord Buggy could save them now!
Can she predict the weather?
A flicker of surprise crossed Zoro's eyes. He turned his head and glanced, seemingly casually, at the blue-haired girl standing quietly not far away.
"Sounds like she's much more capable than some great navigator," he said meaningfully.
Meanwhile, Luffy's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had fallen into some serious thought.
That expression was exactly the same as when he heard Zoro and Ganyu's identities yesterday.
Seeing this, Ganyu couldn't contain her joy. Ignoring Zoro, who had deliberately provoked her, she nudged Luffy's shoulder and asked, "Luffy, what are you thinking about?"
She wasn't very tall, just over 1.6 meters. Compared to Luffy, who was over 1.7 meters tall, she was still half a head shorter even while wearing short, centimeter-high heels.
Luffy looked down at her and said excitedly, "Ganyu, how about we go find this person and make her our navigator?"
Just as I thought!
"You mean… the orange-haired lady these three guys were talking about? The one who swindled their treasure?" Ganyu asked, feigning surprise, but her eyes held an undisguised joy.
Great, the plot is really back on track!
At this moment, she was even a little moved. The plot line, which had deviated slightly because of her intervention, was finally brought back on track!
However.
The smile on her face froze before it could even fully bloom.
Because in the very next second, she heard Luffy's loud and unwavering voice say:
"No, I want that guy named 'Buggy' to be my partner!"
Ah?
"Who do you want to be your partner?"
Ganyu, who had never considered this possibility, froze on the spot. Anyone could see the shock and helplessness on her face.
"Buggy," Luffy scratched his forehead, speaking matter-of-factly. "This guy sounds really strong. I want to recruit him."
"No… this…" Ganyu was speechless for a moment, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word.
How could it be Buggy?!
"Who is Buggy?" Zoro asked, slightly puzzled, as the name sounded vaguely familiar.
"I don't know either, but didn't they say that Buggy is their captain?" Luffy pointed to the three pirates sitting on the ground.
"You guys don't even know 'Buggy the Clown'?"
The three pirates spoke almost in unison, their faces filled with disbelief.
In the East Blue, "Buggy the Clown" was no less famous than the "Pirate Hunter," yet these people didn't recognize him at all, and they didn't see any fear on their faces.
The "Pirate Hunter" and "Frost Arrow" were one thing, but this Straw Hat kid who appeared out of nowhere dared to disregard their boss Buggy.
He even tried to get their boss to work for him. How could that be possible?
"He's the captain of our pirate crew! He's a powerful Devil Fruit user!"
The three men perked up immediately at the mention of their leader, their tone laced with pride and a hint of using Buggy's name to intimidate the others.
However, it was clear that the name "Buggy the Clown" didn't intimidate Luffy or Zoro at all.
"Oh… a Devil Fruit user… that's not so surprising." Zoro glanced at Ganyu and Luffy beside him. Unfortunately for the pirates, there were already two Devil Fruit users on their small boat.
Luffy rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands.
"I've decided. Let's go find that guy called 'Buggy the Clown'!"
Upon hearing this, the three pirates were the first to raise their hands in agreement, all saying they could personally lead the way and arrive at the island where the Buggy Pirates were stationed in just a few hours.
They weren't genuinely trying to lead the way. Their plan was to inform Buggy once they reached the shore, hoping to perform a great service and receive a reward.
"Wait."
Zoro stood in front of Luffy, his gaze cold and fixed on him, his tone devoid of any politeness.
"Kid, I never agreed that you could decide the course of this ship."
His previous peaceful interactions with Luffy did not mean that he had already accepted Luffy as his captain.
Although he never showed it, he was, to the core, an arrogant person.
In his three years at sea, apart from the two bounty hunters he met by chance, only Ganyu was qualified to accompany him for so long.
As for Luffy, although you could see he had some special qualities, so far he had not shown enough to earn Zoro's approval.
Luffy was clearly taken aback for a moment.
Then, without flinching, he raised his head and looked directly into Zoro's eyes.
"I am the captain, and it is only right that I decide the course of this ship."
"No. This ship isn't yours, and you aren't the captain. At least… I haven't admitted it yet."
As they spoke, the tension between the two increased steadily. Zoro drew a blade that gleamed with a cold light, while Luffy slowly clenched the fist hanging naturally at his side.
Whoosh…
The sea breeze howled past, making the sails flutter loudly.
The entire small boat seemed to be shrouded in an invisible pressure, causing everyone present to hold their breath.
The three pirates trembled under the pressure of this aura and dared not utter a single word.
Only one question remained in their minds: Who exactly was this straw-hatted kid? How could he be so unafraid of the "Pirate Hunter" and even dare to challenge him for control of the ship?
Isn't he afraid of being slashed?
However, their biggest concern was that if these two "monsters" really started fighting on this narrow little boat, they, the three unlucky bystanders, might get caught in the crossfire and be thrown into the sea.
"Stop!"
Just as the three pirates were gripped by extreme fear, a clear voice suddenly rang out.
The sound, like heavenly music, reached their ears, making them almost collapse. They felt the suffocating pressure around them suddenly ease.
But the next moment, a bone-chilling cold seeped into their hearts, as if they were in a frozen wasteland, and the three of them shivered in unison.
They looked up, stunned, at the source of the chill.
All they could see was…
A slender figure had somehow appeared between the two tense "monsters." Her icy blue hair fluttered in the wind, briefly blocking the sharp gazes that were about to ignite between Luffy and Zoro.