"Long time no see, Imu."
Endless radiance suddenly occupied the entire field of vision. Sitting upon the Empty Throne, Imu's pupils contracted. He stood up abruptly, staring in shock at Aomori as he stepped out from the light.
"You?! You've actually grown to such an extent?"
"It's all thanks to your help." Aomori pulled a magnificent, golden dragon chair from behind him, sat down, and crossed his legs. "No need to be polite, please, have a seat."
Imu's face darkened. "What are you doing here? I will not allow you to act willfully!"
"Don't be nervous. I'm just looking for a little fun. Don't you think this world is a bit lacking in excitement? So..."
"This is..."
"Just sit here with me and enjoy the show."
…
The first half of the Grand Line, "Paradise."
Golden light tore through the void, flying onto a ship flying a clown-patterned jolly roger, sinking into the body of a bewildered Buggy the Clown.
Buggy, who had been grumbling loudly, shuddered all over. He froze in place as a strange voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Crew Summoning System installation successful. Simply consume the corresponding amount of Berries to recruit powerful crew members to serve you. Step right up, don't miss out!]
"What the heck is this?" Buggy shook his head, thinking he was hallucinating, but a translucent square box stubbornly remained before his eyes. It even scaled in size according to his will.
"It's not an illusion?"
"Captain Buggy, are you alright?" His subordinates saw Buggy talking to himself and said worriedly, "He couldn't have gone crazy with rage because the Straw Hat crew escaped, right? His mind has finally snapped!"
"You're the ones who've snapped! You useless lot, bring all our Berries to me this instant!" Buggy roared.
"But... you're the one keeping all the Berries, Captain."
"..."
"Eh? No! Don't!"
Thud!
"These guys are just too useless. If this thing can really let me recruit powerful crew members..."
"Hmm, 80 million Berries left. This is money I worked so flashily hard for. I'll try a small portion first."
Buggy looked at the translucent panel. The rules stated that the mall would automatically refresh with new recruitable crew members daily. The higher his Prestige, the higher the probability of refreshing powerful members.
He clicked into the mall and saw three portraits with brief introductions below them.
Phantom Thief Kid: Proficient in various magic tricks, high intelligence, first-class disguise techniques. Recruitment Price: 30 million Berries.
Soothsayer Neon Nostrade: Possesses the ability to predict the future, low combat power. Recruitment Price: 100 million Berries.
Marionette Master Roselle: Can silently manipulate the bodies of others, numerous life-saving methods, extremely difficult to kill. Recruitment Price: 1 billion Berries.
His heart sank halfway when he saw the prices.
"Why is it so expensive?!" Buggy screamed indignantly. His money was only enough to recruit the first one.
After hesitating for a moment, and with a "might as well try" attitude, he endured the heartache and spent 30 million Berries to recruit Phantom Thief Kid.
With a flash of golden light, the Berries in his hand vanished by nearly half, and a flashy man in a white suit and white cape appeared before him.
"It... it's actually real?!" Buggy was shocked. He hurriedly asked, "You're Phantom Thief Kid?"
"Indeed." Phantom Thief Kid bowed slightly and said elegantly, "Greetings, Captain."
"Right." Buggy looked him up and down. "What are your specialties? Show me something."
"Certainly." Kid nodded, then smilingly opened his palm to reveal three glittering gemstones.
"Eh? Those look a bit familiar..."
"It's all about hand speed. In this world, there is nothing I, Phantom Thief Kid, cannot steal."
"Good, good, good! You're definitely stronger than those idiots. My hard-earned money wasn't wasted!" Buggy's face lit up, his mouth stretching into an exaggerated semi-circle. "Go! Bring back all the treasures that rightfully belong to me!"
"As you wish."
Kid flicked his cape, transforming into white doves and vanishing.
"Gyahahahaha! When he returns, I'll have enough funds to recruit those other two. As long as I keep recruiting, my pirate crew will become the strongest in history. Even Captain Roger would be shocked! Hahahaha!"
Buggy's arrogant laughter rang out through the cabin. Even without a prophecy, he could already foresee his future.
"The Three Admirals, the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords, and that damn Straw Hat kid, you will all be defeated by my hand!"
…
Six months later, Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Sengoku, Garp, Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, and the Vice Admirals, the Navy's top combat forces, were all present. Their expressions were grave as they stared at the massive pirate fleet sailing toward them. Standing at the very front of the flagship was a clown several meters tall, wearing a broad red robe.
"The new Emperor of the Sea, Buggy the Clown..."
"Gyahahahaha! Marines, if you surrender now and become my subordinates, I might just spare your lives!"
"Arrogance! Who would ever surrender to a pirate?!" Akainu roared. He leaped into the air, launching a massive mass of magma toward Buggy. "Great Eruption!"
"Hehehe." Buggy sneered, not moving an inch.
A burly figure stepped out from the side, blocking Buggy's path. The figure let out a thunderous roar; the magma fist shattered upon impact and was blown back.
"He actually... shattered my Great Eruption with just a roar?" Akainu felt a deep sense of trepidation.
"Haha, Younger Toguro, well done." Buggy was triumphant. He looked toward a feminine-looking man beside him. "Orochimaru, it's your turn to perform."
"As you wish." Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips. After weaving signs rapidly, he slammed his hands onto the deck. Three coffins slowly rose. "Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!"
The coffins opened one by one, and three figures with withered, cracked skin stepped out.
"They are..."
"Gyahahahaha! Sengoku, do you recognize them? This is the power of my Buggy Pirates! Attack! Destroy everything!"
That day, Marineford fell. The Navy suffered countless casualties, and the Buggy Pirates instantly became the most powerful force in the world.
One year later, Buggy became the Pirate King in both name and reality.