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

"Not only did you get your tattoo removed today, but you also got a new one. It must have hurt a lot, right?" To be honest, Buggy had no experience in dating, and even after Nami reminded him, he didn't really know what to say.

So he chose to speak his mind.

"It's alright, from now on we belong to you..." Nojiko's voice sounded somewhat confused.

What is the symbolic meaning of this tattoo?

Is it a hobby or interest?

Nojiko felt a sense of belonging... being marked with a unique sense of ownership.

Is this what Nami meant by "there's no turning back"?

Forget it, Nogiko is no longer going to dwell on this issue.

At this moment, Nojiko was wearing a loose vest, her short blue hair was loose over her shoulders, and the ends of her hair still had a trace of water vapor from her recent shower.

The red circle on his shoulder, a symbol of Paki's tattoo, stands out against the blue background of the windmill pattern.

Nojiko and Nami have been marked, and they marked it themselves.

This is different from what happened with the dragon; that was forced upon him.

Once a person takes the initiative to do something, it is easy for it to leave an imprint on their own heart.

This is what belonging means, and it's also about choosing a stance.

Nojiko's fingers were inserted into Bucky's hair, pressing lightly, her nails occasionally brushing against his scalp, bringing a tingling, pleasant sensation.

Bucky felt that if he didn't have ambition, this kind of life would really ruin him.

"The land of gentle pleasures is the graveyard of heroes"... Bucky didn't believe this saying before, but now he finds it to be true.

The beauty and tenderness of women, along with wine and women, have made me so haggard. I will abstain from alcohol from today onwards!

In this situation, Bucky kept his eyes closed.

Although his signature big red nose was still very conspicuous under the light, he no longer cared much about it.

Although I initially felt there were some issues with the design, it actually turned out to be a surprisingly good match when combined with the power and appearance of the Piedmon.

That's what appearance is all about.

Noki reached out and touched the nose, saying, "It's quite cute."

Currently, only Nojiko and Nami dare to do this kind of move.

The other pirates in Buggy's crew didn't even dare to glance at him more than twice.

Baji himself also found it quite amusing, wanting to laugh but not laughing, wanting to say something but not saying anything.

This is the confidence that comes from strength.

"Open your mouth." Nojiko's voice came from above, soft and gentle, with the tenderness unique to older sisters.

After spending some time with Buggy, Nojiko realized that Buggy's personality wasn't as rude as that of a normal pirate.

In a sense, I even think Bucky is quite a kind person.

Nojiko and Nami breathed a sigh of relief after discovering this.

Although they were mentally prepared to follow Bucky, they didn't want to do anything immoral if possible.

Therefore, the more time Nojiko and Nami spent together, the gentler their attitude towards Brazil became.

Furthermore, the Buggy Pirates even received extra points for their actions against Arlong's crew.

For the victims, any form of revenge against the perpetrator is reasonable and just.

In this lawless world, slapping me is equivalent to cutting you into a thousand pieces.

Not to mention that Arlong and his gang truly oppressed and poisoned their hometown for eight years, so in Nami and Nojiko's eyes, no matter how heinous Buggy's methods were, they were just.

Victims don't need so-called moral justice; victims only need revenge.

Bucky opened his mouth, and a peeled grape was inserted into his mouth by two fingers. The fingertips touched his tongue and then withdrew.

He chewed it twice, and the juice burst in his mouth, a sweet and sour taste.

"Is it sweet?" Noki asked.

"Not bad." Bucky spat the grape seeds into his palm and tossed them into the dish on the bedside table.

To be honest, Bucky felt something was off.

Compared to Nami's girlish charm, Nojiko inexplicably has a motherly feel to her.

But who cares? As long as I'm having a good time.

Nokiko picked up another piece of melon from the plate and held it to Bucky's mouth.

Bucky took a bite, and juice dripped down the corner of his mouth. Nojiko gently wiped it away with his thumb, his fingertip lingering on the corner of Bucky's lips for a moment.

Bucky turned his head and touched her palm with his lips.

Nokiko's eyelashes trembled, and a faint blush rose to her face, but she did not withdraw her hand.

With his other hand, he turned a page in the newspaper and continued reading.

"...The Navy Headquarters announced yesterday that it will strengthen control over the entrances to the Grand Line. It is understood that the Navy will deploy additional troops to Loguetown to deal with the increasing number of pirate ships. The garrison officer, White Hunter Smoker, stated that he will not allow any pirates to pass through the town he is stationed in..."

Nochiko's voice was unhurried, with a reassuring rhythm.

When she read "Smoker the White Hunter," her finger paused briefly in Bucky's hair.

"Will Smoker get in our way?" she asked.

"Hmm." Bucky ate another grape and mumbled a response.

"How is he?"

"Not bad," Bucky thought for a moment. "Stronger than most of the Navy."

Bucky even thinks Smoker's moral standards are higher than Karp's.

Smoker would never do something like Garp.

After Roger surrendered, the World Government and the Navy, in order to eliminate any future threats, ordered a full-scale manhunt for all babies born in the South Blue and around Valerilla Island within 10 months of Roger's imprisonment.

They went door-to-door to search for pregnant women and newborns, killing them without mercy, with the aim of eradicating Roger's bloodline.

Roger, that bastard, had a child with some random woman before he knew he was going to die.

To deceive the Navy, Ace's mother, Portgas D. Rouge, deliberately carried a pregnancy for 20 months, far exceeding the normal 10 months.

Ace was born 1 year and 3 months after Roger's death; Rouge died of exhaustion after childbirth.

Only then did that bastard Garp, as Roger had entrusted him, take Ace away and hand him over to Dadan of the East Blue to raise.

...This is really not something a naval hero should do.

Even most pirates probably aren't that ruthless.

To let so many mothers and children die for an unborn child... that's utterly inhuman.

Roger was a pirate, so it's understandable that he did that.

You, Garp, are a naval hero!

You, Garp, knew this information, yet you didn't say anything?

Are you truly righteous?

It is cruel to measure lives by quantity on a scale.

But the so-called strong, the manager, is in this position.

The choices they made were about weighing which side was more important.

All words spoken are false; only actions taken are true.

Bucky thought that during the Marineford War... hehehe... he should take the opportunity to expose him.

Justice is possible.

Evil is also acceptable.

But an unstable stance... is really annoying.

You have brought this upon yourself by going against your own conscience... You have met a just end.

In Bucky's view, whether you're a good person or a bad person, you should stick to one path until you die, and never turn back even if you crash into a wall.

Nochiko didn't ask any further questions, but simply continued reading.

Her hands started moving again, sliding from Bucky's hair to behind his ear, her fingertips slowly circling along his earlobe.

Bucky's breathing became heavier, and he raised his hand from his stomach to touch Nojiko's calf.

Nokiko paused for a moment, then continued reading, but her pace slowed noticeably.

Bucky's fingers slid up her calf, past her knee, and stopped at the back of her kneecap.

The skin there is softer and more delicate than elsewhere; you can feel the pulse when you press it lightly with your finger.

Nochiko's breathing became shallow, and the newspaper swayed slightly in her hand, but she neither flinched nor told to stop.

"Still...still studying?" Nojiko's voice trembled slightly.

"Read." Bucky's lips curled up, and he moved his fingers away from behind her knees, placing them back on her calves, where they remained still.

Noki took a deep breath, raised the newspaper a little higher, and continued reading.

But her voice was no longer as steady as before; she would occasionally miss a word or two, and sometimes pause where she shouldn't.

It's clear that Bucky's hands and feet are not clean.

Besides drawing circles on her calves with his fingers, one circle, two circles, three circles, slowly and deliberately, like playing a very slow piece of music, he was also doing other unspeakable things.

The door was pushed open at that moment.

Of course, only Nami would dare to open the door at this time.

No one else dared to approach Bucky's room at this time.

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 glanced at Bucky's hand resting on Nojiko's calf, then at the lingering blush on Nojiko's face, and raised an eyebrow.

"Captain," she said, a hint of mockery in her voice, "you again?"

Bucky didn't open his eyes, nor did he pull his hand back: "Now we can add you one more."

Nojiko removed the newspaper from her face, glared at Nami, her eyes filled with reproach and an inexplicable sense of guilt.

She pulled her hand out of Bucky's hair and moved it to the side, but Bucky's head was still resting on her lap, and she couldn't move it much.

Nami walked in, expertly kicked off her shoes, and sat down on the other side of the bed.

Bucky usually has women on his left and right.

Nami thought that with her captain being so lecherous, she might end up with a lot of female companions in the future.

However, this is not a big problem for pirates.

If they weren't greedy and lustful, why would they go to sea to become pirates?

Why not be an adventurer or a merchant?

So, greed for money and lust, indulging in desires—that's what pirates are.

Nami placed the Den Den Mushi on the bedside table, picked a grape from the plate, popped it into her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and said, "I have news."

Bucky opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling above him: "Speak."

"Luffy and Zoro have arrived in Loguetown." Nami's voice regained its shrewd tone. "There's also a long-nosed cook with a bag on his back and lecherous eyebrows on the ship."

Bucky's eyes narrowed slightly.

Long-nosed Usopp, perverted cook Sanji.

She was originally supposed to be the fourth or fifth member of the Straw Hat Pirates.

It's a pity that Nami, who was originally supposed to be the third member, was snatched away by Buggy, so the two of them successfully moved forward... or you could say it's something to celebrate?

"When did you arrive?" Buggy pulled his hand off Nojiko's calf, propped himself up on the bed, and sat up. Nojiko quickly stuffed a pillow behind him to make him more comfortable.

"This afternoon," Nami spat the grape seeds into her palm, "our spies spotted the berth on the south side of the dock."

"What about the navy?"

"I saw it too." Nami's lips curled up, a hint of schadenfreude in them. "The people keeping watch said that Smoker's lieutenant went to the docks himself to take a look, and then went back to report. But he hasn't made a move yet; he's probably waiting."

Bucky nodded.

Luffy is Garp's grandson, and Luffy talks big about it everywhere... Anyone with even a little bit of status and rank knows this.

So how to deal with Luffy is a really big problem.

Bucky is thinking about what to do.

The reason, of course, is that Bucky needs to complete a record of major events in the system.

He has only completed one so far—the historic meeting of the main characters (the trio).

Next up are—an alliance with Alvida, a recreation of Roger's execution in Loguetown (Luffy's version)... and so on.

The problem is that the plot has changed, and Bucky can no longer find Alvida.

Although Buggy also told the pirates who went out to find information that it was a woman wielding a spiked club.

However, after Alvida realized she was being sought after, she hid the spiked club.

The now-thin Alvida looks different from the chubby version she was when she was wanted, meaning that although people know who she is, they don't know exactly what she looks like.

When Alvida is determined to hide, ordinary pirates simply cannot find her, given her relatively superior strength.

So Buggy's idea was to capture Luffy and execute him, hoping to lure Alvida out.

The prerequisite for completing this plan is that Bucky cannot reveal too much of his strength.

It's hard to say what might happen if his overwhelming strength scares Alvida away from coming.

So we can't start a fight with Smoker right now; we can only wait... until we capture Luffy.

Of course, this was Buggy's plan, and he didn't explain it to Nami.

Buggy's orders were simply to wait and search for Luffy and Zoro.

Bucky was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Pass the word down, tell everyone to get ready, it's time to prepare to evacuate."

Nami was stunned for a moment: "Retreat? So suddenly??"

"Life is unpredictable." Buggy got up from the bed and walked to the window. "Have the spies keep an eye on Luffy and the others. I need to know immediately if anything happens."

"Have you bought all the supplies and items I asked you to buy before?" Bucky said.

"I bought warm clothes and spirits," Nami nodded and said.

"Captain," she began, her voice softening, "what do you intend to do with that boy in the straw hat?"

Bucky didn't turn around: "Fishing."

"...By the way, Captain...we've searched the entire Loguetown port area, but we can't find any new warships that can navigate the Calm Belt. We'll have to go through Reverse Mountain," Nami said, somewhat troubled.

"It's alright, I was prepared a long time ago. The Giant was built to this standard," Bucky said.

The Giant is the ship of the Buggy Pirates.

If we can find a new type of warship that can travel through the Calm Belt near Loguetown, we can steal it and travel through the Calm Belt to the Grand Line.

Unfortunately, if that's not possible, then you'll have to go upside down mountain.

Nami was silent for a moment, then nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

"Yes." She stood up, straightened her collar, and prepared to leave.

She stopped at the door and looked back.

Bucky was still standing by the window, while Noji sat high on the bed, still clutching the newspaper in her hand. The redness on her face had faded considerably, but the tips of her ears were still pink.

"Oh, right." Nami's gaze swept over the two of them, then landed on Nojiko's lower abdomen. A mischievous smile slowly crept onto her lips. "You two, don't get pregnant behind my back."

Nokiko's face flushed red.

She grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at Nami.

Nami had anticipated this. She turned to the side, and the pillow flew past her shoulder, hitting the door with a dull thud.

"Nami!" Nojiko's voice was urgent and shy, her short blue hair almost standing on end.

Nami stood at the door, laughing so hard she almost fell over, her orange hair bouncing under the light.

"Did I say something wrong?" She tilted her head, looking completely innocent. "Sister, if I hadn't come in, who knows what would have happened?"

Nojiko grabbed another pillow, while Nami had already closed the door with a smile.

The pillow hit the door panel and then fell to the ground with a soft thud.

Bucky turned around, looked at Nojiko's face, which was as red as a boiled shrimp shell as if to tell you that you could eat it, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

He walked back to the bedside, sat down next to Nokiko, and reached out to tuck a stray strand of blue hair behind her ear.

Noki kept her head down, not daring to look at him, her fingers unconsciously twisting the bed sheet.

"Ignore her," Bucky said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "She's just a smooth talker."

Nochiko didn't reply, but buried her face in his shoulder and groaned softly.

Outside the door, Nami's footsteps had already faded into the distance.

Bucky pulled Nojiko into his arms, rested his chin on her head, and looked out the window at the sea illuminated by the moonlight.

He patted Nochiko on the back and whispered, "Go to sleep."

Nojiko snuggled against him, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes.

Bucky, however, was still thinking.

Enjoying life is one thing, but when it comes to considering what to do next, one still needs to think things through.

It's time to get started.

.