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

The winds on the high seas are actually quite strong, which is why there are so many sailboats.

With the sea breeze blowing, the waves create a rhythmic spray.

The projected waves, illuminated by the sunlight, refracted countless tiny golden sparkles.

Accompanied by the sound of waves crashing against the hull... Nojiko found it quite an experience.

Of course, only someone like Nojiko, who hadn't experienced much life on a ship before, would think that way.

Everyone else, from Buggy and Nami to the pirate crew on board, had had enough of this sight.

Going to sea is actually quite boring.

But this also allowed Buggy and Nami's economic plans to be implemented on the ship.

They borrowed money from Buggy and Nami so the pirate crew could afford to play cards on the ship.

Since Nami is the dealer for the card game, she also has to take a cut from the pirate minions.

It's a pretty heartless thing to do, but it's very One Piece-like.

However, this can only be described as a minor change from usual; the real changes are in other aspects.

The Buggy Pirates' ship has been gone from Arlong Paradise for three days.

The sails billowed in the sea breeze, the bow cleaved through the waves, and the ship sailed toward the town of Logue.

They would also stop at island towns along the way to rest, recuperate, and replenish supplies.

They also put on animal shows.

Because Bucky has other purposes, such as [forming an alliance with Alvida] in the system's major events.

Compared to self-cultivation, the system's improvement is indeed much faster.

The question now is how to find Yalrita, or how to be found by Yalrita?

Bucky already had an idea: to set up a circus in the towns they passed through.

They spread information about their location through performances.

The only problem is that in order to avoid causing panic, we need to lower the pirate flag to disguise ourselves as merchant ships when we approach towns.

this day.

The deck was much livelier than usual.

It wasn't because of the card games and banquets, but because of the cages.

The iron cages were neatly stacked in the center of the deck, each containing a fishman whose hands and feet had been cut off.

They huddled in the corner of the iron cage, their wounds already scabbed over, but the fear in their eyes grew stronger with each passing day.

Croobby leaned against the cage bars, staring expressionlessly at the cracks in the deck planks.

It curled up into a ball, its protruding lips trembling slightly.

Xiao Ba's shoulder sockets were wrapped in bandages, and the stumps of his six arms would occasionally twitch involuntarily, as if searching for the tentacles that no longer existed.

In fact, only Hachi was affected because octopuses can regenerate, and Nami had no interest in tormenting him, so she stopped caring about him after discovering he was growing back.

Many pirate henchmen complained that Nami was soft-hearted, but when they thought about the debts they owed to Nami, they suddenly felt that it was good that Nami was a little soft-hearted.

After all, it's not really possible to plead with Bucky, is it?

As a subordinate, who doesn't want their boss to be easy to talk to?

So in a sense, Nami is actually quite popular.

The cage closest to the stern was the smallest and sturdiest.

The dragon lay inside, limbs gone, the sword wound on its chest healed, but the hole left by its severed nose made its face look like a crumpled piece of paper.

His eyes were half-open, staring at the pirate flag above his head that was fluttering in the sea breeze, and he seemed to be thinking about something.

"Get up, all of you! Stop pretending to be dead!"

Mochi's voice came from the direction of the cabin.

He held the whip in his hand, strode to the cage, and tapped the iron cage with the handle of the whip.

"We've got work to do today, so get your spirits up!" Mochi wasn't worried that these fishmen wouldn't be able to perform; even if their limbs were cut off, they could still put on fish-shaped coats and perform.

He knew very well that the performance wasn't the real purpose; the real purpose was for Buggy to calm Nami's heart.

Considering that Nami's presence has made his workload much lighter, Mochi is still very motivated.

The fish-men didn't move, or rather, very few of them could move anymore.

Mochi didn't care and turned to the crew on deck, shouting, "Move the cages to the dock! The captain said there's a performance in town today!"

The crew responded and rushed forward, lifting the iron cage and carrying it toward the ship's side.

The fish in the cage finally reacted.

Croobi closed her eyes, Chirp began to tremble, and Hachi's eyes were filled with fear.

"Performance..." Xiao Ba's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "...another performance..."

No one answered him.

When the iron cage was carried onto the dock, there were already quite a few people in the town watching.

This is a port town of moderate size, which usually relies on fishing and merchant ship supplies for its livelihood. It doesn't see many pirates, but it's not like it's never been seen before.

But the scene before them still stunned everyone.

Six iron cages.

The pirates carried the six fish-men, whose hands and feet had been cut off, off the ship and neatly stacked them on the open ground next to the dock.

A clown wearing a pointed hat jumped onto a wooden box, banging on a small drum and shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Come on, come on!"

Don't miss it!

"The Pakistani Circus is putting on a grand performance today!"

"A fishman performance! A once-in-a-lifetime event!"

"Tickets are only 500 Berries!"

"Five hundred Baileys!"

"Only 500 Berries!"

……

As GG's voice continued to spread, more and more people came to watch.

The crowd stirred.

Some people stepped back, some pushed forward, some whispered among themselves, and some had already taken out their wallets.

Fishmen are very rare in the entire ocean; most ordinary people in this world have never seen a fishman.

Therefore, using fishman performances as a gimmick still has great commercial potential.

"Fishmen? Those are fishmen?"

"My God, it really is a fish-man!"

"Do merfolk look like this? Their bodies are similar to fish, but their heads are so strange?"

"Hands and feet...where are their hands and feet?"

"Don't ask anymore, just look."

One of the iron cages was opened, and the chick was dragged out.

He was dressed in a strange fish-shaped outfit, and his protruding lips opened and closed, emitting indistinct whimpers.

Mochi stood behind him, a whip in his hand, a savage smile spreading across his face.

"The first act—heading the ball!"

A ball was thrown in front of Qiu.

Chirp lay on the ground, using its head to lift the ball slowly and laboriously.

The ball rolled down, bounced up again, and rolled down again.

Like a seal.

With each failure, Mochi's whip would fall and lash his back.

Some people in the crowd gasped, some turned their heads away, but most people applauded, cheered, and urged for the next program.

To be honest, in their eyes, other races are just animals.

Animal performances are even less of a concern.

Cockfighting, bullfighting, and gladiatorial arenas do exist in this world.

"Let that octopus man perform!"

"Let him out!"

"..." Many viewers became more and more excited as they watched.

In the daily lives of most people in this world, there is not much entertainment.

Therefore, the commercial prospects for such circus performances are really good.

"Hahaha!" Mochi laughed even louder.

He waved to the crew to set up the fire rings, and then dragged Hachiko out of the cage.

Xiao Ba lay on the ground, the stumps of his six arms bracing against the rubble, each movement requiring all his strength.

The ring of fire burned before him, and the firelight reflected in his eyes like two pulsating balls of despair.

"Drill!" Mochi roared.

Xiao Ba closed his eyes, used the remaining part of his shoulder to support his body, and moved forward little by little.

You can only jump around with all your might when you get to the ring of fire.

The flames sizzled against his skin, but he dared not stop and could not stop.

Mochi's whip awaited behind him, hotter than flames, more painful than death.

In this respect, it must be said that Mochi's animal taming ability is truly exceptional.

Under Mochi's training, some fishmen died from injuries or illnesses, but none of them starved themselves to death.

Even the evil dragon is still alive.

"Come on, come on! Rice crackers! 100 berries a bag!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, children, and balloons!"

Some pirates have also started to become merchants, selling things under Nami's orders.

After all, even pirates are different.

Not all pirates in the Buggy Pirates are particularly bloodthirsty; they don't mind making some money through commercial means.

Nami was happy to see this happen.

To expedite the transformation of these pirates, Nami even offered to lower the interest rate if they repaid their loans early.

This gave these pirates even more motivation.

The vast majority of pirates go to sea in search of wealth.

So how can you make money if not by earning it?

make money!

The cheers from the crowd grew louder and louder.

Baji stood at the bow of the ship, watching this scene from afar.

Today he wasn't wearing his Joker suit; he was just wearing a loose shirt and trousers.

However, he still wore that black and white mask on his face.

The corners of his mouth beneath the mask were slightly upturned, making it impossible to tell whether he was satisfied or indifferent.

"How much has the ticket revenue been?" Bucky asked curiously.

A pirate next to him quickly opened his notebook and stammered out a number.

Bucky nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He didn't care about the money.

He cared about something else.

News of the circus performance would spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the East Sea and the ears of everyone who cared. Including Alvida.

The woman who ate the Smooth-Smooth Fruit, the woman who allied with Buggy in the original story, the target he needed to ally with in the system's major events.

If you can't find Alvida along the way, you'll have to wait in Loguetown.

If Alvida hides and doesn't show up or take the initiative to find him... then maybe she'll have to capture Luffy to use as bait?

And Smoker from Loguetown.

Ace Knife can now control two throwing knives.

Bucky is now really keen to unlock the Joker Magic skill.

Clown magic is not strictly speaking a single skill, but rather a collection of smaller skills.

These include: turning opponents into doll keychains, creating explosions, disguise, teleportation, and so on.

The only problem is that the numerical strengths are not high.

For example, Clown Magic: Magic Handkerchief can turn an Ultimate-level monster into a doll, but it can be destroyed by Angewomon's arrow.

For example, the Clown Magic: Mind Transfer can teleport the Ace Throwing Knife, but it cannot teleport itself.

In short, these are head-kick skills or support skills with amazing special effects, but they are not suitable for head-on confrontations.

Thinking of this, Bucky's lips curled up a little more.

"Keep performing~" He turned around and walked towards the cabin.

"Yes, Captain!"

It was much quieter inside the cabin than on the deck.

Nokiko was sitting on the edge of the bed, with a plate of cut fruit on the low table in front of her.

She was wearing a loose vest, and her short blue hair, which had just been washed, still had a slight dampness.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Bucky push the door open and come in, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

"You're back?"

"Um."

Bucky walked to the bedside and sat down next to Nojiko.

Noki naturally leaned over, picked up a grape from the plate, and offered it to Baki's lips.

Unlike Nami, Nojiko doesn't have any special talents, so serving Buggy closely is her usual job.

Bucky opened his mouth and took it, his tongue inadvertently brushing against her finger.

Although Piedmon in Digimon is not a lecherous man.

Unfortunately, he is the time traveler, the Clown King, Bucky.

When he has nothing to do, he doesn't mind being a LSP (Life Support Person).

Nokiko's eyelashes trembled, and a faint blush rose to her face.

But instead of pulling his hand back, he picked up another one, this time a small piece of honeydew melon.

"Is it sweet?" she asked.

Although Bucky has a big red nose on his face.

but!

In this world, individual strength is more important than outward appearance.

As long as you're strong enough, that's beauty in its sheer power!

Even if there are problems with one's appearance, it will still be described as having distinctive features.

For example, unusual appearances were collectively referred to as strange appearances, peculiar appearances, or noble appearances in ancient times, and were also often called the appearance of emperors or the unusual appearance of sages.

Hands that extend past the knees, large ears that reach the shoulders, double pupils, and hands that extend past the knees are all considered unusual physical features.

Ancient people believed that those born with extraordinary features were destined for great achievements, signifying a noble destiny and extraordinary status.

Such people are often associated with emperors, saints, founding monarchs, and unparalleled heroes.

Of course, whether it can be passed down depends on whether one achieves something significant.

"Not bad." Bucky placed his hand on her waist, feeling the warm softness through the thin fabric.

Nochiko's body stiffened slightly for a moment, then relaxed, leaned on his shoulder, and continued to feed him fruit.

This kind of relationship began after the destruction of Dragon Paradise.

Nojiko is neither as shrewd and capable as Nami, nor as rough and reckless as those pirates.

She possessed a gentleness and obedience unique to older sisters, like a pool of warm water—neither scalding nor freezing—quietly waiting to be needed.

Although this is a bit different from Nojiko's usual personality, personality is something that depends on the person.

The independent and courageous side of Bucky will not be shown to him.

The only thing that will appear to Bucky is his kind and gentle side.

There's even a sense of martyrdom, like a younger sister who suffered for eight years and now it's my turn to sacrifice myself to feed the tiger... In short, the maternal glow is off the charts!

Bucky's hand slid from Nojiko's waist to his back, his fingertips slowly moving down the line of his spine.

Nokiko's breathing became lighter, and she buried her face deeper into Bucky's shoulder, her ear tips turning almost red, but she didn't flinch or push him away.

"captain……"

"Um?"

"It's nothing." Nojiko shook her head slightly and picked up another piece of melon.

Bucky didn't say anything more.

His hand rested on her lower back, the warmth of his palm seeping through her clothes, causing Nochiko's breath to tremble slightly.

The room was extremely quiet, with only the creaking of the planks as the ship rocked and the faint cheers coming from the distant deck.

The door was pushed open at that moment.

Nami stood at the door, clutching a Den Den Mushi in her hand. Her expression shifted from surprise to helplessness, and then to a knowing "I knew it" kind of understanding.

She raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering for a moment on Bucky's hand resting on Nojiko's lower back, then looked away and walked in as if she hadn't seen anything.

"Captain, did I arrive at the wrong time?"