Pirate: I, Buggy, am the Emperor, the Emperor of the Clown King!

The 16th Branch of the East China Sea.

The office was dimly lit, with the curtains only slightly ajar, allowing sunlight to stream in and create a thin band of light on the desk.

Colonel Mouse sat behind his desk, his hands resting on the surface, staring at the Den Den Mushi in front of him.

The voice coming from the receiver next to the Den Den Mushi was crystal clear.

"Are you aware of the situation at Dragon Paradise?" asked the Governor of the East Sea.

Although nominally part of the naval system, they are strictly speaking officials of the World Government.

After all, the World Government still keeps its military power at bay, especially against the Navy.

Otherwise, it's impossible for the navy to control the world's military without any oversight, right?

It's hard to say whose navy this is.

After all, it's a world government that has ruled the world for 800 years, so it will still pay attention to this aspect.

Colonel Mouse didn't know whether to say he knew or not.

do you know?

Of course he knew.

The cannon shots yesterday could be heard from a great distance.

The details of what happened were not hidden at all, and the whole village was talking about it.

The scouts sent out this morning have returned and reported that Dragon Paradise has been reduced to ruins. They didn't see a single fishman, but they did see the Buggy Pirates' flag flying above the ruins.

But he didn't want to say it, nor did he dare to.

Because speaking out means facing the monster that can slay the evil dragon.

One of the most common occurrences in the workplace is that whoever raises the problem ends up solving it.

Being prompted by a leader to speak up is also acceptable.

"I'm asking you a question."

The Den Den Mushi opened its eyes a crack, its gaze seemingly capable of piercing the heart of Colonel Rat.

"I...I know." Colonel Mouse's voice stammered, "Something happened at Dragon Park..."

"What is it?"

"The Buggy Pirates." Colonel Rat swallowed hard. "Buggy the Clown, wipe out the Arlong Pirates..."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

Then the Governor-General of the East Sea spoke again, this time with a hint of amusement: "All wiped out?"

"It should be." Colonel Mouse's palms began to sweat. "The scouts report that Dragon Paradise has been reduced to ruins. Not a single fishman has been seen, only the Buggy Pirates' flag... is flying."

"Oh."

That soft chuckle sent shivers down Colonel Mouse's spine.

"Interesting," said the Governor of the East Sea. "That evil dragon has been running rampant in the East Sea for so many years, relying on Jinbe's backing. He's finally met his match."

As the person in charge of the East China Sea side of the world government system.

It was this Governor-General of the East Sea who allowed the evil dragon to run rampant.

The World Government acknowledges the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but it also tries to impose various restrictions on them.

Since Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is known as the Knight of the Sea, let's tarnish his reputation for benevolence and morality.

This is the World Government's definition of a dragon.

From the perspective of the World Government, the evil dragon has done a very good job over the past eight years.

When needed, you can throw this at Jinbe's face and force him to do the work.

Colonel Mouse dared not respond.

He just sat there, his hands clenching and unclenching, unclenching and unclenching.

The Marine Headquarters was aware of the dragon's rampage in the East Blue, but they turned a blind eye because of their relationship with Jinbe.

Although the Navy claims to uphold justice, in essence, as the violent organ of the World Government, it maintains the order ruled by the World Government.

If justice were the guiding principle, the Navy would have eliminated the Seven Warlords of the Sea long ago.

Taking an order-oriented stance would allow some pirates to do whatever they want, even forming the Seven Warlords of the Sea and permitting legal plundering.

Arlong, as a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, can be considered to be indulging as long as he doesn't go too far.

There are many people in the Navy who disapprove of this kind of thing, a prime example being Smoker.

The reason why White Hunter Smoker went to Loguetown was because he was exiled from Marine Headquarters.

Even within the supposedly righteous Navy Headquarters, there are many such conflicts and contradictions in stance.

Akainu Sakazuki: Extreme Justice.

Aokiji, Kuzan, Lazy Justice.

Kizaru Borsalino: Ambiguous Justice.

Naval hero Garp - the champion of freedom and justice.

Marshal, Warring States Period, and the Righteous Ruler of the World.

Black Arm Zephyr: Justice Without Killing.

White Hunter Smoker - Rude Justice.

...Anyone with a bit of status or position has their own understanding of justice.

From their perspective, whether the other side is righteous or evil is hard to say.

After all, what was that saying again?

Heretics deserve to die more than infidels!

All of this is welcomed by world governments.

After all, the "justice" in this world is defined by the world government, which is fundamentally flawed.

What the World Government needs is a Navy Headquarters riddled with contradictions, not a united one.

"Rat, go and take care of Bucky." There was a hint of mockery in the East Sea Governor's voice. "Go personally."

Neither the evil dragon nor Buggy really mattered to the Governor of the East Sea.

In the eyes of the Governor of the East China Sea, they were nothing more than pirates.

He just needed to know more about the situation, and then that was it.

Destroying pirates was not his mission.

But figuring out the situation is his task.

"Huh? Me?" Colonel Mouse's heart sank.

I think, maybe, perhaps, probably... I'm going to send it.

"Go!" The Governor of the East Sea interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. "If Bucky really killed the dragon, then we can't afford to offend him, but we can't ignore him either. Go and find out what his attitude is. If we can talk, we can talk; if not, we'll leave."

To be honest, this command is not particularly difficult.

But Colonel Mouse really didn't want to go.

His legs were starting to feel weak.

Even that bastard dragon would have to bow and scrape before him.

When the dragon was in a good mood, he could have a couple of drinks with it; when the dragon was in a bad mood, he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

Now that Bucky, who can destroy the evil dragon, has arrived, wouldn't he have to kneel down and speak to him?

"Sir, what if he..." Colonel Rat's voice trembled, "what if he's hostile to the Navy..."

"What if what?" The East Blue Governor's voice turned stern. "Jinbe is behind Arlong, and who's behind Buggy? He's just a pirate, what are you afraid of?"

Colonel Mouse was utterly speechless.

What are you afraid of?

I'm afraid of dying!

The dragon clearly wanted to coast along, so there was a basis for negotiation between the two sides... That's why the dragon colluded with Colonel Rat, and Colonel Rat wasn't worried about the dragon eating him; it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

But not Bucky!

Buggy's willingness to actively seek out and wipe out Arlong's crew clearly shows he's a legitimate pirate, and a rather arrogant one at that.

If someone like that were to take action against the navy, they wouldn't feel any psychological burden whatsoever!

"Sir, I..." Colonel Mouse still wanted to try, but unfortunately he had no say in front of his backers.

The governor of the East China Sea in front of him is the source of Colonel Rat's confidence to act recklessly.

When the Governor of the East China Sea needed him, Colonel Rat actually had no way to resist.

"This is an order." The Governor of the East Sea's voice turned cold. "You have to go, whether you like it or not. Do you understand?"

Colonel Mouse opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He understood.

He might die if he goes.

If I don't go, I'll definitely die.

The Governor-General of the East China Sea was his direct superior in this system; he was the one who could bring him promotion and wealth, or the one who could bring him to ruin.

In the world government system, there is no concept of right or wrong.

You'd better do whatever your boss tells you to do.

Those who are disobedient and have no powerful backing will not have a good ending.

"...Yes, sir." Colonel Mouse's voice was barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz. "I'll go right away."

The Den Den Mushi closed its eyes.

The call has ended.

Colonel Mouse sat in his chair, staring at the Den Den Mushi for a long time.

Then he suddenly stood up and started pacing around the office.

Like a real mouse.

He is 1.82 meters tall, which is quite tall for a normal person.

But this is the world of One Piece, where the average tall person is at least three meters tall, and the truly tall ones can be eight or nine meters, tens of meters, or even hundreds of meters tall.

At 1.82 meters tall, one cannot be described as disabled, but rather as ordinary.

At this moment, this ordinary mouse was restless and anxious, its expression even more unpleasant than if it had swallowed a fly.

On his pointed, monkey-like face, two small mustaches twitched.

The rat ears on his hat swayed as he walked, making him look like a large, upright rat circling in a cage.

"Colonel." A cautious voice came from the doorway.

Colonel Mouse stopped and turned around.

The adjutant stood in the doorway, half his body leaning in, his expression no better than Colonel Rat's.

"Come in and talk!"

The adjutant quickly came in and stood ramrod straight.

They were in cahoots; they'd done everything together, and their relationship was incredibly close.

The bribes they received from the dragon were divided between the two of them.

When they oppress the people, the two of them go together.

They wrote those whitewashed reports together.

Now that things are going badly, the two of them will naturally share the burden.

Although their backer was the Governor-General of the East China Sea.

But in this world, it's only the subordinates who take the initiative to share the burdens of their superiors that make sense; there's never a superior who takes the initiative to clean up the messes of their subordinates.

So they can't escape this task, and they have to do it.

"Any new information from Dragon Park?" Colonel Rat asked, staring at him.

"Yes, Colonel." The adjutant's voice was low. "Our men went to investigate again and confirmed it."

"Confirm what?"

"The Arlong Pirates... are truly wiped out."

Colonel Mouse's legs went weak, and he almost sat back down in his chair.

"Where is the dragon himself?"

"I haven't seen them." The adjutant shook his head. "I haven't seen any of his officers either, Hachi, Croobi, or Chu."

"Dead?"

"I don't know... but..." The lieutenant hesitated for a moment, "Someone saw the Buggy Pirates' crew carrying something... what they were carrying..."

"What is it?"

"It's a merman." The lieutenant's voice was even lower. "A living merman. But... his hands and feet have been cut off."

Colonel Rat's pupils suddenly contracted.

Carrying a live fishman whose limbs have been cut off?

Colonel Rat remembered the Celestial Dragons of the World Government.

In the past, both mermaids and fish-people slaves were very expensive.

The Celestial Dragons would treat these fish-man slaves as playthings, making them perform on stage like animals.

The dragon once said that fish-men are nobler than humans.

Dragons once regarded humans as ants.

Now, his compatriots are being transported like animals.

"Bucky..." Colonel Mouse's voice trembled slightly, "Who exactly is he?"

The adjutant dared not answer.

He simply stood there, head bowed, waiting for Colonel Rat's instructions.

Colonel Mouse began pacing again.

This time, he walked even faster, and his expression was even uglier.

The dragon is dead.

The Arlong Pirates were wiped out.

Those fishmen who once bowed and scraped before him are now being transported like animals.

And he was about to meet the man who had created all of this.

"Why are you monsters coming to my territory again?" Colonel Rat was particularly unhappy about this.

Although he joined forces with the evil dragon to exploit the people and plunder their wealth.

But actually, he could do it himself without the dragon.

They can even enjoy life in a steady and sustainable way.

Adding another dragon will only make things more complicated and worse.

Now, not only is there an evil dragon, but also Bucky.

Colonel Mouse felt like his head was about to explode.

He stopped and looked at his adjutant.

"Go," the rat said in a hoarse voice, "bring out those chests of treasure from the storeroom."

The adjutant was taken aback.

"Treasure? Colonel, that's our..."

"I know it's ours!" Colonel Rat glared at him. "But isn't survival the most important thing right now? The dragon has been defeated, what are our meager possessions worth? We might even lose our lives, what's the use of keeping the treasure?"

The adjutant dared not ask any more questions and quickly ran out.

Colonel Mouse turned around and walked to the window.

He pulled the curtains open a crack and looked out through the gap.

In the harbor, the warship was anchored there, its naval ensign fluttering in the wind.

The naval flag.

A symbol of justice.

But at that moment, Colonel Mouse looked at the flag and felt only irony.

justice?

What is justice?

The evil dragon roamed the East Sea for eight years, killing countless people.

How many villages were looted?

Has the Navy ever been in charge of this?

No.

Because behind Arlong is Jinbe, who is a Shichibukai (one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea), and the Shichibukai are legal pirates recognized by the World Government.

Therefore, the evil dragon can go unpunished, tyrannize the East Sea, collect protection money from twenty villages every month, and so on...

Colonel Mouse closed his eyes.

He knows what he's thinking.

There is no justice in this world, only piles of stinking dog shit.

"Dragon...you bastard, you deserve it...but you should never have dragged me into this!" Colonel Rat knew that the dragon never took him seriously.

Every time they met, the dragon always looked down on him with that arrogant air, as if he were a dog.

it's good now.

They were wiped out.

"Serves you right."

Colonel Mouse opened his eyes and looked out the window at the naval ensign.

Who is Bucky?

Could he be more difficult to deal with than a dragon?

Could he be hostile towards the Navy?

Will he...?

Colonel Mouse took a deep breath and shook off these chaotic thoughts.

who cares.

Let's sound them out first.

If Pakistan is easy to talk to, then send some treasure and make friends.

If he's difficult to talk to, then...

Colonel Mouse clenched and unclenched his fist.

Then send more treasure to buy a life.

Anyway, he's been in the navy for so many years. He may not be good at other things, but he's certainly good at changing his stance depending on the situation.

If he can be a lackey for a dragon, he can certainly be a lackey for Bucky... as long as he can sell himself for a good price.

"Colonel."

The adjutant's voice came from behind.

Colonel Mouse turned around.

The adjutant stood at the door, followed by several soldiers carrying a wooden box.

The wooden crate wasn't big, but it looked heavy.

"They've all been moved here," the adjutant said.

Colonel Mouse walked over, squatted down, and opened a box.

Golden light poured out of the box.

It's full of gold coins.

Some of this was the benefit he received from the evil dragon, and some was the spoils he plundered from other pirates.

He originally planned to keep it for his retirement.

But if we don't use it now, we probably won't be able to support ourselves in our old age.

Colonel Mouse closed the box and stood up.

"And those few bottles of good wine," he said, "take them with you too."

The adjutant paused for a moment, then asked, "Wine?"

"A pirate like Buggy would probably like this." Colonel Rat straightened his uniform. "Giving treasure is buying your life, giving alcohol is making friends. It's always good to have both options."

The adjutant nodded and ran out again.

Colonel Mouse stood in his office, taking one last look at the place he had spent so many years in.

Office desk, chair, filing cabinet, Den Den Mushi (snail phone).

Everything was the same as usual.

But he knew that from this day forward, everything would change.

The one who rules this place has changed from a dragon to Bucky.

He was just a lowly naval captain, caught among these monsters, living cautiously like a real rat.

"Colonel, the wine is here."

The adjutant ran back, carrying two bottles of wine.

The label on the bottle says it's the best brand from Donghai.

Colonel Mouse took the wine, looked at it, and then handed a bottle to his adjutant.

"Let's go," he said.

"Yes, Colonel."

The two people walked out of the office, down the corridor, up the stairs, and out the door.

The warship was waiting for them in the harbor.

The sunlight shone on the deck, on the busy soldiers, and on the naval ensign on the mast.

Colonel Mouse climbed the gangway onto the warship, stood on the deck, and looked back at the harbor.

The town was exceptionally quiet under the sunlight.

People were walking on the street, shops were open, and children were playing.

Nobody knew what their naval captain was going to do.

No one knows what that man named Bucky will bring to this sea.

Colonel Mouse withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.

The sea shimmered under the sunlight, and a faint shadow appeared where the sea met the sky in the distance.

That's the direction of Cocoa West Village.

That's the direction of Dragon Paradise.

That's... the direction Bucky is in.

"Let's go," said Colonel Mouse.

The warship slowly sailed away from the port, its sails raised, riding the wind and waves.

The sea breeze blows from the sea, carrying a salty, damp scent, the taste of the ocean, and a certain indescribable, unsettling feeling.

Colonel Mouse stood at the bow of the ship, clutching the bottle of wine in his hand, watching the horizon draw ever closer.

His heart was beating very fast.

His back was sweating.

His hands were trembling slightly.

But he cannot turn back.

Because it's too late to turn back.

A profound sense of powerlessness enveloped my mind and body.

Colonel Mouse stood at the bow of the ship, his pointed, monkey-faced features filled with fear.