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

The circus tents were set up in the open space of the harbor for two whole days.

The first day had the most people.

Dockworkers, vendors, women, and children crowded around the tent.

This world is not just about the battles fought by important figures from the protagonist's perspective.

In fact, there are many ordinary people living their lives all over the world.

For example, before Buggy traveled through time, he had watched the One Piece 25th anniversary short film, "ONE PIECE FAN LETTER," which was essentially a re-examination of the Straw Hat crew's world from the perspective of ordinary people who are "nameless nobodys."

It doesn't tell the story of "the protagonist's adventure," but rather "a legend in the eyes of passersby."

Moreover, a ticket priced at 500 pesetas is really not expensive; it's extremely affordable.

As for fish-man performances, you'd never see one in eight lifetimes in the East China Sea.

In this world, the value of Pelé is roughly the same as that of the Japanese yen.

In this world, a messenger bird's newspaper costs 100 Berries.

It's cheaper than you can imagine.

That price was made possible entirely by Morgans' newspaper, whose deliverymen were like messenger birds.

There are no labor costs, otherwise it would be really impossible to run this business.

The total cost of a ticket for the entire performance is only 500 Berries.

The next day there were fewer people, but they still filled most of the venue.

Mochi cracked a whip on stage, an unlit cigar dangling from his mouth, his muscular physique forming a menacing grin.

Under Buggy's strict orders, the entire Buggy Pirates crew, at least when performing commercial shows, treated ordinary people very well.

Chiu lay on the ground, heading the ball. The ball rolled and bounced, bounced and rolled again, and Mochi's whip followed, leaving bloody welts on his back. Some people in the audience turned their heads away, but most people applauded.

"Jump through the fire hoop!"

"Jump through the fire hoop!"

When Hachiko was dragged out, the ends of his six arms were still wrapped in bandages.

He lay on the ground, using his shoulders to support his body as he moved forward. The flames sizzled against his skin. He dared not stop, nor could he stop.

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

A child in the audience asked his mother, "Why doesn't that fish-man have hands?"

The mother covered the child's mouth and whispered, "Don't ask, just look."

The child stopped asking questions, his eyes sparkling as he watched the handless octopus-man crawl inch by inch across the ring of fire, observing the charred skin and blood seeping from his bandages, before joining everyone in clapping.

Non-my family, its heart must be different.

Although this saying is not circulated in the world, it is generally accepted as such in interpersonal relationships.

After all, there really are alien races in this world.

Moreover, differences between different regions, countries, and towns can create a sense of distance between people.

Over the course of two days, the cost of tickets, snacks, balloons, and other miscellaneous expenses, while not a large sum, was not insignificant either.

Nami sat on a cargo box at the stern of the ship, her notebook spread out on her lap, calculating one item at a time.

As she finished calculating, she looked up, squinted at the sunlight, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"And we can also sell some local specialties from different regions..." Nami exclaimed, "It's much more satisfying than robbing people."

that's the truth.

Most robberies are one-off deals, and victims often face resistance.

There is even a possibility that the other party may cause financial damage when they resist.

When pirates raid towns, they often encounter situations where the townspeople burn down their property.

Even if they manage to steal the banknotes, there's always the risk of damage due to improper storage on the pirate ship.

Especially with paper money, its volume increases when it is stacked after being used for a period of time.

Those pirates' channels for selling stolen goods will also rip off many unsuspecting customers.

Those who can act as channels for pirates to sell stolen goods usually have official backing, so it's safe to say that pirates' spending will be ripped off.

This can be simply understood as: converting ordinary goods into cash = a discount of 2% to 4%.

In short, making money by robbery is not as comfortable as one might imagine.

After robbing valuables, one needs to quickly convert them into cash and spend them.

But if you want to spend it... the towns that have been plundered by pirates have already been destroyed, and many people have even been killed.

Want some service?

No more.

The only option is to look for black market channels that do business with pirates.

Therefore, it's actually more comfortable to spend money obtained through doing business these days.

Pakistan's assessment of this was: economic plunder is the most cost-effective form of plunder.

By attracting crowds through circuses, and indirectly boosting sales of other goods... if this model proves successful, then Pakistan Express... might be able to add more services in the future.

Nojiko stood next to Nami, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea. She smiled slightly upon hearing this but did not reply.

Those pirates have had a great time these past two days.

The people handing out flyers, selling balloons, collecting tickets, and hawking their wares outside the tents were all dressed in brightly colored clothes, their faces smeared with face paint, clutching handfuls of loose change, and beaming with joy as they counted their money.

A pirate was squatting on the dock counting his money. He counted it three times but still couldn't get it right. His companion laughed at him, "You weren't this serious when you were robbing ships before."

The pirate didn't even look up, muttering, "How can these be the same?"

Although he spends the same amount of money, he feels more at ease spending the money he earns. He didn't say this, for fear of being laughed at.

Even most pirates in this world prefer a peaceful and stable life.

Only a very small minority are truly belligerent, murderous, and antisocial.

To put it bluntly, many of them didn't become pirates voluntarily; they were forced into it by life.

It was this world ruled by the Celestial Dragons that turned them into demons.

They left after the performance.

The base is at the bow of the ship.

From a distance, we watched as the tents were dismantled, folded, and loaded onto the boat.

The iron cage was also brought up, and the fishmen curled up inside. Some closed their eyes, while others stared at the sea. Xiao Ba lay motionless, and the bandage on his shoulder was bleeding again.

The dragon was in the innermost cage, its limbs gone, the hole in its nose scabbed over, and its eyes half-open, staring at something.

"Captain." Nami walked over from the side of the ship, closed her notebook and tucked it under her arm, holding a Den Den Mushi in her hand.

"Colonel Rat called again, saying that Brinbrin's warship left the port of the 77th branch a couple of days ago and headed towards Loguetown."

"Didn't they come looking for us?" Buggy casually pulled Nami into his arms, always following his heart in this regard.

And that's the true nature of things...

"No," Nami shook her head. "Colonel Mouse said that Brigadier General Brinbrin must have gone to find Smoker."

"Hehehe~" Bucky commented, "Smart."

Nami waited a while, but when she didn't hear anything more, she continued, "Although Brinbrin is a brigadier general, he's not very strong. He came to Smoker probably to use Smoker to deal with us."

"What do you think?" Buggy's eyes narrowed slightly beneath his mask as he casually hooked Nami's chin.

"He's afraid of you. But he can't let go of his sense of justice. So he came to Smoker as a compromise." Nami nestled in Buggy's arms, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the lower half of Buggy's face.

Constantly being lured by Bucky, with nowhere to vent her desires, she became increasingly sensitive.

The same goes for Nochigo.

This is the joy of playing with twin sisters.

It feels so good to expect something in return for a favor!!!

"Interesting." Buggy looked at Nami and felt she was very nice.

He turned his gaze back to the sea.

In the distance, where the sea meets the sky, the clouds are thick and piled up like a white mountain: "Our target... Rogue Town."

Bucky needs to find Alvida, but how?

As expected, the only way is to go to Loguetown to fish for people—catch Luffy and then fish out Alvida!

Mochi changed into an ordinary merchant ship captain's uniform that he had somehow acquired, with his hat pulled low, making him look like a respectable businessman from a distance.

At this moment, he was discussing with Lion Leakey how to put on a show.

Mochi suggested, "Why don't you join the performance... how about meowing?"

"?" Liki looked up at him like he was an idiot, then buried his head in his paws again.

Mochi grinned mischievously, "Otherwise, if the captain decides you're no longer useful, you're probably finished."

"!!!" The dozing Liki suddenly perked up, "Meow..."

"Hahahaha!" Mochi laughed and patted his good friend on the head.

The deck was a mess; some people were moving boxes, and others were tidying up props.

Apart from Bucky being quite free, everyone else is actually quite busy.

After reporting to Buggy, Nami had other things to do, such as training her henchmen.

Nami stood on the ship's railing, holding a stack of papers, and was giving a speech to a few people.

"When you're handing out flyers, smile naturally. Remember, you're merchants now, not pirates. Don't look fierce like you're collecting debts."

She shook the papers in her hand. "This one's from the circus, this one's for selling balloons, and this one's for selling snacks."

"Sell items while handing out flyers. You get a commission if you sell something, and you lose interest if you don't."

The pirates standing in front of her shrank back.

They were handpicked by Nami from the pirate crew; they were quick-witted, eloquent, and had the most debts on the ship.

Currently, he is considered a low-level pirate squad leader in terms of management, and Nami's private bodyguard.

One of them raised his hand and asked, "Boss, how much interest is deducted?"

"The interest you owe is one percent."

The group exchanged glances, their expressions becoming quite subtle.

The person who raised their hand then asked, "And... what about commission?"

Nami's lips curled up into a sweet smile: "10%."

Without saying a word, the group stuffed the flyers into their clothes.

Using commercial means to control those with ulterior motives and to entice them with profits.

Driven by profit, these pirates will become very ambitious.

After all, while a carrot was hanging in front of him, Nami was whipping him from behind.

As someone who works on Buggy's pirate ship, it's impossible for them to owe money and not pay it back, right?

It's one thing to owe money to ordinary colleagues.

Do you owe Nami money?

Everyone knows that Nami's money is Buggy's money!

Would you dare owe Bucky money?

Don't kill!

-

-

We arrived in Rogge Town a few days later than expected.

This wasn't a calculation error on Nami's part, but rather an extension of the performance time.

The pirate flag has already been lowered.

The skull and red nose logo on the sail was rolled up and stuffed into the innermost part of the cargo hold, replaced with an ordinary merchant flag.

The pirates have changed out of their strange clothes; some dress like merchants, some like sailors, and a few have even put fake beards on their faces.

In short, everyone is very busy.

The docks in Loguetown were larger than any of the ports we had stopped at along the way.

The stone-built dike extends into the deep sea, with rows of iron stakes on it, mooring boats of all sizes.

Baji stood on the side of the ship, looking at the clock tower.

The place where Roger was executed, the place where the Pirate King died, the platform where that man died smiling, is right below that clock tower.

Buggy watched for a long time until Nami walked over and stood beside him.

"captain?"

"It's nothing." Bucky looked away, turned and walked towards the gangway. "Let's go ashore."

The circus tents were pitched on an open space west of the dock.

The land was originally used to store fishing nets. Nami negotiated with the port manager for a long time and finally succeeded in negotiating a price that satisfied her and rented the space.

By the time the circus tents were fully erected, the sun was already setting, and the orange-red light spread across the sea, bathing the entire town in a warm hue.

The flyers were handed out, and quite a few balloons were sold.

A few pirates set up a small stall by the dock, selling grilled squid and boiled corn. The iron plate on the stove sizzled, and the aroma wafted far and wide.

The other end of town.

The warships of the 77th Naval Division have been stationed for two days.

Brigadier General Brinbrin is forty-seven years old this year.

He spent 26 years in the navy, rising step by step from the bottom, relying not on connections, but on his solid military achievements.

He has seen many pirates, killed many pirates, and let many pirates go.

But no pirate has ever made him as restless as he is now.

"Commodore." The adjutant came out of the cabin, holding a cup of tea. "The tea is ready."

"Thanks." BrinBrin turned around and went into the cabin.

On his desk sat a wanted poster, which he had just bought from Newsbird that day.

The man in the photo is wearing a black and white mask and standing on a high place. The sunlight shines on him from the side, making his figure appear tall and slender.

Beneath the mask, the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, carrying a faint smile.

Brigadier General Brin Brin flipped the bounty poster over and placed it face down on the table.

"I'm going to town." He picked up his coat from the back of the chair and said to his adjutant, "You stay here and watch the ship."

The office of the naval branch in Loguetown was much larger than that of the 77th branch.

After all, this is the town where the Pirate King was executed, making it extremely valuable for commercial tourism.

Simply put, there are many tourists, therefore there is money.

There was a knock on the door of the naval branch office building.

"Come in."

Smoker had his legs propped up on the table, his hands behind his head, and a cigar dangling from his mouth.

Because of the unique properties of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, he can even directly exhale cigar smoke without inhaling it, and the smoke he exhales gathers into a grayish-white cloud above his head.

Frankly speaking, if it weren't for his special Devil Fruit ability, he would have smoked himself to death long ago with this kind of smoking habit.

Smoker usually smokes two cigars, but when he's relaxing in the office, he'll just stuff his mouth full.

A severe smoking addiction that leaves one speechless.

BrinBrin stood in the doorway, looking at the man who was ten years younger than her, and then said, "Colonel Smoker."

"Sit down." Smoker finally turned his gaze back to Brinbrin's face.

To be honest, the relationship between the two wasn't bad.

Although they both have rather volatile tempers, they both share a sense of justice.

BrinBrin stood there, back ramrod straight, his expression serious: "I'm here for Bucky."

"I know." Smoker took the cigar out of his mouth and tapped the ash on the edge of the table. "Bucky the Clown, with a bounty of fifty million, you can't beat him."

"..." Brigadier General Brinbrin wanted to complain: Although it's true, you don't have to say it so directly!

His expression didn't change, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly: "So I came."

"Will we win?" After thinking for a moment, Brigadier General Brinbrin still asked this question.

"We'll win." Smoker glanced at him.

BrinBrin looked at him.

Smoker transformed into a wisp of smoke and appeared by the window.

The setting sun shone in from behind him, hiding his face in shadow, with only the embers of the cigar in his mouth visible.

"This is elementalization."

"Ordinary physical attacks are ineffective against me," Smoker stated directly. "Bullets, swords, fists—none of them will work."

To attack a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, aside from special counters, one can generally only use Armament Haki and Seastone.

The elementalization of nature can be passive or active.

This is a very strong ability when you're not playing at a high level.

Once you reach a high-level game, you'll have to see which element it is.

Kizaru's light transformation and Smoker's smoke transformation are not even in the same league.

However, the passive mode's elemental transformation can be directly hit by Armament Haki and Seastone.

The active mode's elemental transformation involves dispersing the body before being hit, just like what Katakuri did when Luffy fought him.

"No one in the East China Sea can hurt me," Smoker said confidently.

No matter what, he was Zephyr's disciple and a good friend of Aokiji, so his standards were quite high.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Brigadier General Brinbrin nodded.

As he moved, the strange hairstyle gradually returned to normal.

She had three small braids tied into a circle on her head, two large braids tied into a circle on each side of her cheeks, and her beard tied into a circle below.

This unconventional hairstyle only shows that he has rather strange tastes.

.