Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Clown Buggy and the Tiger's Scheme.
"Bastards!"
On the rooftop of the largest building in the town, a group of pirates were entrenched.
"You can't even catch a thief, what's the use of keeping you? To perform tricks—"
Among the group of pirates, the pirate captain sitting on the throne was furious, his huge nose turning bright red!
This captain was dressed in a clown outfit, with a white skull pattern on his forehead, two blue streaks slashed across his eyes, a big red nose, and red lipstick.
Wearing a clown hat, with blue long hair hanging from it. Dressed in a red and white long-sleeved shirt, a purple scarf around his neck, white gloves, blue pants, clown shoes, and a captain's coat draped over his back.
Although this look was really hard to take seriously, the intimidation factor was there:
"Captain, it's not just that female thief, she has a very powerful boss..."
A few bruised pirates hurriedly explained, basically saying 'it's not that we didn't try, but the opponent is too strong'.
"What kind of expert, how many stories tall?"
"Captain,"
The lookout reported.
"That thief came back on her own..."
"Good, bring her up—"
"Wait, she came back on her own?!"
What's going on? I don't understand... Forget it, let's see what she has to say.
The clown-dressed captain waved his hand, and someone immediately went downstairs to bring her up. It was:
Thud,
Luffy, tied up tightly with ropes, was thrown to the ground, while the orange-haired Nami smiled slightly at the fierce pirates around and the clown-dressed captain.
"Captain Buggy, he made me steal the map."
"I brought him to you, and I also brought back the map~~"
"Nami, you tricked me!!"
Luffy, who had been suddenly attacked and tied up, wriggled on the ground like a caterpillar.
Ah, this...
"Well done!"
Although he didn't know what was going on, Buggy the Clown still needed to maintain his image. He gave an evil smile, "But... what's going on..."
"I had a falling out with my boss,"
The girl named Nami answered calmly.
"I'm fed up with him, so please let me follow you."
Luffy, who was locked in an iron cage nearby, could only pout angrily, "Hmph, I don't want you as my companion anymore."
Ah, this...
"Had enough?~~ Hahaha~~, what an interesting woman." Nami's words first made the pirates on the roof freeze, then they burst into laughter.
"Very good, very good!!"
Captain Buggy, who looked like a clown, stood up and spread his arms.
"The map of the Grand Line is recovered,"
"And we have a new companion..."
"Everyone, let's have a feast!" he announced loudly, "Cheer, eat, and drink to your heart's content! And then—"
"Give it your all in the next battle!!"
"Oooh~~~"
"Long live Captain Buggy!!"
"A toast to the captain,"
"A toast to the treasure!"
"Cheers~~"
The pirates quickly brought out various beers, cooked food, knives, forks, and plates! Then they spontaneously formed small groups and began the pirates' happiest time:
Eating meat, drinking beer, and dividing gold...
"Newcomer, let's have a drinking contest!"
"Sure~~"
After drinking down a few pirates in one go, the atmosphere on the scene became even more lively! A pirate with a low alcohol tolerance on the edge looked at the girl who was 'laughing proudly among the heroes' with both envy and fear, and nudged the person next to him who was just burying his head in eating meat.
"Hey, do you want to give it a try too?"
"No, I don't drink."
...
"Ah, that's a pity." The pirate with low alcohol tolerance forked a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, feeling like he had overlooked something.
---
Heh, my alcohol tolerance is not ordinary.
After knocking down several pirates in a row, Nami, who had no new 'challengers', smiled smugly.
As long as she kept drinking like this, when these pirates all got drunk, she could steal the navigation chart again, and also take away the treasure of the Buggy Pirates!
That's what pirates are, a bunch of simple-minded people...
"Hey~~ hey~~~"
Facing the pirates who were eating and drinking wildly, the hungry Luffy in the iron cage angrily started: eating the iron bars!
Crunch, crunch, crunch,
He had good teeth, the iron cage was already showing teeth marks—
"Hi, boss."
Squatting in front of the cage, the girl named Nami looked at Luffy inside.
"How does it feel? So easily deceived, and you dare to call yourself a pirate..."
"I'm hungry!"
"I want to eat meat too~~"
However, the two of them were not on the same wavelength at all. Feeling like she was 'playing the lute to a cow', Nami helplessly handed the food in her hand into the iron cage. It felt like feeding something, and then:
Chew, chew,
"Tasty."
"You're a good person—why not be my companion?"
Faced with Luffy's sudden change in attitude, Nami was utterly speechless.
"No way!"
"Do you even realize your situation? You'll be sold as a slave and die miserably in a mine..."
"But,"
She changed her tone, "If everything goes well, I might steal a key and set you free—"
"Puhahaha~~~"
At that moment, footsteps and exaggerated laughter interrupted Nami. Captain Buggy, the clown, walked over with a swagger.
"Hey Straw Hat, your subordinate is pretty good."
"She's not my subordinate!"
"I get it, I get it, after all, she betrayed you~~"
Captain Buggy waved his hand generously, but in the next second, he lowered his head, and a sinister look crept onto his face!
"Regardless, you shouldn't have stolen from me, Buggy," he said, waving his hand, "Bring 'that' over!"
Boom,
A giant muzzle-loading cannon was pushed over. Although it was the oldest type of firearm, its thick barrel and the cannon tube that could fit a person all indicated its terrifying nature!
And the direction the cannon was aimed at was:
Luffy, who was locked in an iron cage!
"This is my 'Buggy Ball'," Captain Buggy, the clown, took out a cannonball the size of a human head! It even had his pirate emblem painted on it.
"One shot can blow through a building!"
As the cannonball was loaded and the fuse reinstalled, a box of matches was shoved into Nami's hand.
"Come on, Nami."
Captain Buggy, the clown, pointed at the caged Straw Hat Luffy.
"Use my 'Buggy Ball' to send your 'former boss' off, and then join me in ruling the world!"
In an instant, cold sweat slid down the face of the girl named Nami.
Pirates,
Aren't just 'simple-minded,' they're also 'vicious and evil.'
"Uh, uh, Captain Buggy..."
"Don't... don't let this guy spoil our fun," the stiff-faced girl tried to play cute, "Let's keep drinking..."
"Kill him."
However, Captain Buggy, the clown, just glanced at her, and the cold killing intent made Nami speechless. Then he flicked his captain's coat and turned away gracefully.
"Blow him up!"
"Blow him up!!"
"Do it~~~"
"Hahaha,"
"Place your bets~~~"
"Let's see how many pieces that guy ends up in—"
...
All around were the wild laughter and noise of the pirates. In an instant, the pirates who had been 'honestly' drinking and chatting revealed their 'vicious' fangs!
This is bad... If I don't kill this guy... I'll be killed...
Kill him? Or be killed myself?
Faced with this choice, the girl named Nami trembled slightly. She turned to look at the boy in the straw hat in the cage. They had no grudges against each other, and he had even saved her once. Although he claimed to be a pirate, he looked so silly...
"Hey, you're scared."
Luffy in the cage looked at the girl who held his life in her hands with a confident smile.
"Without enough determination and preparation, you can't just deal with pirates recklessly."
"Heh... heh... what determination,"
"The determination to kill at will?"
Facing Nami's question, Luffy laughed heartily.
"Wrong! It's the determination to risk your life!"
Heh heh,
At the edge of the pirate group, the boy who was eating smiled slightly.
"Hey!! Nami!"
Behind her came the urging of the clown captain Buggy, "Hurry up, don't spoil everyone's fun! Or do you want to die?"
Kill or be killed—
"Newbie, you can't even light a fire?"
A pirate who couldn't stand it anymore grabbed the match from Nami's hand and skillfully struck it, bringing it close to the fuse. "Just like this—"
Bang!
A stick hit him hard on the head, knocking the pirate to the ground.
??!!
"What are you doing?"
"Nami, what do you mean?"
"Are you rebelling?"
Oops, I accidentally...
"What are you doing, you really are my companion."
"Shut up, idiot!"
With her back to the iron cage, Nami gritted her teeth and swore with hatred.
"I will never become like these pirates who killed the most important person to me!"—trampling on life wantonly.
"Oh, no wonder you hate pirates so much..."
"Heh heh heh, whether you can't bear to do it or have other plans." The clown captain on the other side pointed, "Dare to fool me, Captain Buggy, I'll show you what cruelty means! Get her—"
A group of pirates immediately rushed over.
"Nami, I want you to be my companion!"
The boy who had been eating at the edge also stood up, pulling a napkin from his hand to wipe his mouth.
"It's over..."
Facing the many pirates rushing towards her, the orange-haired girl looked desperate. She was just a thief, and facing a group of murderers, the only outcome was:
Boom—
In a flash, all the pirates who rushed up were sent flying back!
A figure stood in front of Nami, with his signature catchphrase.
"You started it,"
With one strike...
Who is this...
"Roman!"
Luffy's happy voice from the cage made the boy in front of Nami turn around, revealing a handsome face and:
A disdainful look.
"Yo, Luffy."
"How did you get so weak in such a short time?"