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

this day.

The Buggy Pirates' Giant Ship had already left Loguetown and arrived near Reverse Mountain.

However, it did not rush directly over the Reverse Mountain, but stopped outside the ocean currents in this area.

Nami's judgment was accurate; any closer and they would have been swept away by the ocean current.

At this moment, the sea breeze blew from the southeast, the sky was high, the clouds were thin, and the sunlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds, scattering patches of golden light on the sea surface.

What beautiful weather!

But no one was in the mood to appreciate the view.

All eyes were fixed ahead, on a towering red wall that rose from the sea and stretched deep into the clouds.

It's worth noting that Mount Everest is only 8800 meters above sea level, while the highest point in the red earth continent can reach 1 meters.

And this isn't just a mountain peak; it's a ring that encircles the entire planet... Just imagine how awe-inspiring that is.

At one point in this ring, there is a gap—Winter Island, Upside-Down Mountain.

From a great distance, you can see a current flowing upstream.

On the mountain wall

The water flowed extremely fast, white waves churning and making a thunderous roar.

Nami stood at the bow of the ship, holding a nautical chart in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed.

The sea breeze tossed her short orange hair wildly, a few strands sticking to the corners of her mouth, but she didn't bother to brush them away.

"Is that the Red Line?" Kabaji stood slightly behind her, his gaze fixed on the approaching red wall.

“…Yes.” Mochi, still shaken, chimed in, his gaze also falling on the red wall. “To enter the Grand Line from the East Blue, you either have to cross the Calm Belt or climb the Reverse Mountain.”

"The Red Line is a ring that encircles the entire world, and the Grand Line, sandwiched between the Calm Belts, is also a ring that encircles the entire world," Nami said. "These two rings divide the world into four parts: the four seas of the east, west, south, and north."

"And the focal point of the two circles is either the Upside-Down Mountain in front of us or the Holy Land of Mary Geoise on the other side of the world."

"To get to the Grand Line, you either need to pass through Reverse Mountain or the Calm Belt..."

"The Calm Belt is teeming with giant sea monsters. Without the technology of naval warships, going there would be a dead end."

As she said this, Nami put away the sea chart in her hand and rolled it up.

"So the captain used most of the funds to reinforce the Giant." Kabaji turned his gaze from the Red Line to the deck beneath his feet. "At the time, I didn't think it was necessary, but now I realize—"

Mochi picked up the conversation for him: "Now I realize that the captain's vision has always been farther-reaching than ours."

The two exchanged a glance and, in perfect unison, showered each other with compliments.

Buggy heard it too, but remained silent, because the real reason was actually... After all, Buggy the Clown was once a member of the Pirate King's crew, and he couldn't stand the poor quality of the ship; it was a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The pirate henchmen on the ship were still busy. Some were checking the ropes, some were checking the canvas, and some were squatting by the ship's side checking the seams of the hull.

These are tasks that no one would normally pay attention to, but today is different.

Today they are going to climb that 10,000-meter-high mountain.

Go upstream against the current, climb 10,000 meters, and then rush down from the other side.

Just thinking about it makes my legs go weak.

A young pirate henchman squatted by the ship's railing, his fingers tracing the reinforcing iron bars on the deck, muttering something under his breath.

The old pirate next to him patted him on the shoulder and handed him a bottle of wine.

"Take a sip, to give yourself courage."

The young pirate took the bottle, took a big gulp, and choked, coughing violently.

"Cough...cough cough...do you think we can get over there?"

"With the captain here, what's there to be afraid of?"

The old pirate took the bottle back, took a swig himself, wiped his mouth, and said, "Our captain is going to be the Pirate King!"

The young pirate paused for a moment, then nodded.

His face still showed tension, but the fear in his eyes had lessened.

The entire pirate ship was bustling with activity.

After all, with Nami's emphasis, everyone knew that this was a life-threatening job, and if it wasn't done right, they could all die there.

That's not quite right either; having stronger capabilities isn't a big problem.

Even if the pirate ship crashes on Reverse Mountain, Buggy, Mochi, and Cabaji will definitely survive.

With Buggy's strength, taking Nami and Nojiko with him wouldn't be a problem at all.

But these low-level pirate henchmen are obviously doomed.

So, since it concerns their own lives, these guys are particularly motivated right now.

"Inspect the hull again."

"Re-tie all the ropes and secure anything loose on the deck."

"Also, bring out all your warm clothes. Everyone should wear at least three layers later."

Nami's gaze swept over the busy pirate henchmen on the deck.

One of the pirate henchmen raised his hand, his voice sounding very nervous: "Boss, won't that water...freeze?"

"No," Nami answered decisively. "High-speed flowing water is difficult to freeze."

Because the faster the water flows, the more disordered the water molecules become, and ice crystals cannot form.

Therefore, even if a thin layer of ice forms on the surface, it will be immediately washed away by the water flow.

"But the temperature will definitely drop." Nami thought for a moment and emphasized again, "At an altitude of 10,000 meters, the temperature will drop below freezing, so you guys better put on your clothes and don't freeze to death."

Nami was quite concerned about these relatively obedient pirate henchmen.

The pirate henchmen responded.

"Nami," Kabaji said, still standing at the bow of the ship, his gaze fixed on the red mountainside in the distance, "when are we going up?"

"No rush." ​​Nami looked at the sky, then at the sea, and finally at the nautical chart in her hand. "The current isn't stable enough yet. Let's wait and see when the countercurrent is strongest. It'll be safer to rush in when it's weaker."

Kabaji nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by.

"No need to be nervous." Bucky, who had been the focus of everyone's attention, finally spoke.

He stood atop the tallest mast of the Giant, his feet planted at the very tip, his arms crossed over his chest, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

Cosplaying as the Streetlight King is one of Bucky's hobbies.

"Captain," Nami called out, looking up.

Bucky didn't look at her, but instead looked at the endless red walls in the distance.

"The Red Earth Continent... Legend has it that the walls it created are an insurmountable chasm."

"But so what?"

Bucky raised one hand, fingers spread, palm facing up, as if he were holding something.

"My lovely crew members~"

Bucky turned his hand down, making a fist, as if he wanted to grasp the entire Red Line in his hands.

"The East China Sea is not worthy of our ambitions."

"The Grand Line is just the beginning."

"The new world is just a transit station."

"The place we're going to stand at is the very top of this world."

"We must hold the rules of the entire world in our hands."

"This world is so wonderful, how can it belong only to the Celestial Dragons?"

"We will take over this world—take over our world!"

Buggy does indeed find his henchmen too weak, but he won't give up on these pirate lackeys.

So when these pirate minions were feeling uneasy, he didn't mind giving them some confidence.

"If you have fears, then place them in my arms."

"If you have faith, then place it in me."

"If you want to escape the heavy pressure, then give me the choice and trust me."

"Believe in me, a being far superior to you."

"Then spread my greatness, and make all living beings in this world believe that I am the most superior being."

"All living beings in the world, everything will submit to me."

"In this way, all kings are born."

"In this way, all the gods were born."

"So, my little ones~"

"Let's get ready to go!"

"Let's begin our journey to conquer everything!"

Although in the anime and games, Buggy really likes the character Aizen.

However, in some respects, Buggy and Aizen are completely opposite.

In this respect, Bucky is somewhat similar to Hellish Origin Sea from Sea Tiger.

The transmigrator, Bucky the Clown, is not Bucky the Clown, nor is he the Clown King.

He is simply himself.

As Buggy finished speaking and waved his hand, shouts erupted from the entire pirate ship.

"Captain Bucky! We'll follow you!"

"Captain Bucky! You are our king!"

"Captain Bucky! You will be the god of the new world!"

"I'd die for Captain Bucky!"

In short, the numerous pirate henchmen became incredibly excited and started working even more enthusiastically.

If Buggy is just spouting empty words, then of course he won't stir up any emotions among the many pirate henchmen.

But the benefits and perks that Bucky has been providing have been really good lately!

—It's like if your boss pays you a base salary of 10,000 yuan every month, and you can get a commission of 50,000 yuan after completing the company's daily tasks, and you can also get dividends from original shares after the company grows bigger.

—Needless to say, the company's goals are the direction of my life!

—Onion Orange!

But deep inside the cabins of the Giant.

A room without the lights on.

Alvida huddled in the corner.

After being locked in a small dark room by Bucky for several days, he was finally released... The only problem is that even after being released, his mental state has deteriorated.

She hugged her knees with both hands, curled up into a ball, her back pressed tightly against the wall, as if trying to embed herself into it.

Alvida's eyes were wide open, her pupils trembled slightly, and her lips quivered gently.

That face, once so beautiful it seemed unreal, was now as pale as a sheet of paper.

Noki squatted down in front of her, one hand on her shoulder, the other holding a damp towel, gently wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.

"Alvida... Alvida..." Nojiko's voice was gentle, like she was comforting a frightened child, "It's alright, you're out now, it's alright."

Alvida did not respond.

Her gaze was blankly fixed on the wall in front of her, or rather, she wasn't looking at anything at all.

Her consciousness was still immersed in that terrifying experience.

After being hit by Bucky's Clown Magic: Magic Handkerchief, Alvida was turned into a chibi-style doll.

What kind of state was that?

It was a state where you could see, hear, and feel, but you couldn't move at all.

Forget about moving around, I can't even breathe.

More importantly, Bucky did not remove the magic hand immediately, but put it in a soundproof box and removed it a few days later.

In other words, Alvida was imprisoned in the most miserable condition for several days, which was much worse than being locked in a dark room.

Generally, even when locked in a small, dark room, a person can still move around and sleep.

Hilita was stripped of her ability to move, her consciousness remained constant, and her perception of time was completely destroyed.

Alvida's mental state has been stuck in a recurring cycle of experiences before she was locked in the dark room for the past few days.

—In the room, Bucky was playing with Alvida's doll.

Bucky held a small pendulum in his hand and swung it in front of Alvida's doll.

Bucky put Alvida's doll back into the box.

"No!"

"don't want!"

Alvida recalled seeing Bucky's enormous face in the last glimmer of light as the box slowly closed... a sinister, terrifying smile like that of a demon king, a smile that seeped deep into her soul.

Alvida shuddered at the thought of Bucky's eyes.

Bucky used clown magic and hypnosis to imprint his image into Alvida's mind.

Then, in the dark room, Alvida could only focus on Bucky's image.

This was undoubtedly an extremely terrifying and desperate experience.

Although Alvida had thought that as a pirate, any kind of fate seemed normal... this kind of experience was just too tragic.

Bucky did indeed only imprison Alvida for three days, but in Alvida's perception, it was far more than three days.

After observing the released Alvida, Bucky felt that the technology did have potential, but it was unlikely to be very promising.

It probably won't be very effective against those tough guys on the high seas, since people with weak wills like Alvida are probably a minority.

We can only wait for further research in the future, just like Im's transformation from Black to Domination.

Bucky has just acquired the Joker's magic, and he's not yet very proficient in using it. He'll have to develop his abilities on his own.

For example, the space teleportation of the Ace Throwing Knife and the clown magic trick of making people disappear are things that will be possible in the future but not at present.

Nojiko felt Alvida's shoulders trembling violently, like leaves in the wind.

"Alvida?" Nojiko's voice was gentler, and her grip loosened. "I'm here. You're safe."

Safety?

Alvida's lips moved slightly.

The word "safety" no longer exists for her.

Alita fell into a state of extremely severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Just think about it for a moment and you'll realize that you've been in a state of complete immobility for several days, in a pitch-black environment with no light or sound, not even a vibration.

No hearing, no touch, no smell... not even a heartbeat.

After being placed into the little black box by Bucky, Alvida fell into a state of absolute nothingness, and her sense of time was completely destroyed.

Even specially trained agents couldn't withstand this, let alone a pirate with a weak will like Alvida.

Bucky did indeed only imprison Alvida for a few days, but in Alvida's own perception, it's hard to say whether it was a few days, a few months, or a few years.

One punishment in the dark room completely shattered Alvida's personality and self... and now it's time to rebuild.

As Nojiko approached, Alvida's body trembled again.

"I...I..." Her voice was very soft, almost inaudible, hoarse, as if squeezed out from deep in her throat.

Noki listened intently.

"I...peed..." Alvida's voice was filled with an indescribable shame and fear.

The moment she was transformed back from doll mode, she collapsed to the ground, her body completely out of control.

At that moment, she was no longer the Alvida who once held a spiked club and called herself "the most beautiful lady in the world".

She was just a terrified, fragile, and vulnerable woman.

The terror and orders from Bucky were etched into his memory.

Buggy ordered that Nojiko obey his orders, and Alvida dared not disobey at all.

Bucky forbids Alvida from committing suicide, so Alvida can't even commit suicide out of despair.

After using the Clown Magic Hypnosis Technique, the enhanced effect through the dark room was indeed excessively strong.

"It's alright." Nojiko paused for a moment, then nodded gently. "I've already changed your clothes and wiped you down. It's fine."

Alvida's lips moved again, as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Her eyes reddened, and something seemed to be swirling inside.

"Look at me." Nojiko placed the wet towel aside, cupped Alvida's face in his hands, and made her lift her head to look at him. "Alvida, look at me."

Alvida's gaze slowly focused, landing on Nojiko's face.

It was a gentle face with a faint smile.

There was no mockery, no contempt, no condescension.

There is only one kind of maternal tenderness that makes you want to rely on her.

"The captain meant no harm," Nojiko said softly and slowly. "He just wanted you to know who the real owner is here."

"He just wanted you to understand that resistance is pointless in the face of absolute power."

"He just wants you to learn to obey."

Nojiko himself knew that what he said was a bit of a blatant lie, but he had to appease Alvida now.

"I..." Alvida's pupils contracted slightly. "I don't know... I..."

"No rush." ​​Nojiko pulled her head into his arms and gently patted her back. "You have plenty of time to adjust."

"The captain is actually very good to those who obey him."

"Look at me, look at Nami, aren't we doing well by the captain's side?"

"The captain is never stingy with us, as long as you obey... obey, Alvida."

Nojiko spoke softly, knowing full well that Alvida would not have a good ending if she disobeyed.

Alvida did not speak.

She leaned against Nokigo's chest, feeling his warm body temperature and hearing his steady heartbeat.

Very reassuring.

Like when I was a child, like being in my mother's arms.

Alvida closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto Nojiko's clothes.

Nochiko didn't say anything, but gently patted her back.

One, one, another.

Alvida's breathing gradually calmed down, and her trembling gradually stopped.

But she did not open her eyes again.

She dared not open her eyes

Because she was afraid that if she opened her eyes, she would see that mask.

Those eyes, looking out from behind the mask, were like an abyss, suffocating and unsettling.

"Sleep." Noki looked down at the pale face in her arms, a smile of pity mixed with helplessness on her lips. "When you wake up, everything will be alright."

Alvida did not speak.

Her breathing became more and more even and steady.

She fell asleep.

She murmured, "Mom...Mom..."

。 —— 。