Ian wasnât surprised by Buggyâs background exposure.
He was well aware that after the Impel Down riot, the identities of the prisoners who came out with him had been thoroughly investigated by the Marines.
While Buggy was imprisoned, perhaps nobody paid much attention to him, but once he escaped alongside Ian, the Marines would immediately discover, upon checking his background, that he was a hidden big fish.
How deep was the Marinesâ aversion to Pirate King Roger? It might be hard to describe, but the fact that even after Rogerâs death for over twenty years, the Marines hadnât given up on tracing his bloodline showed a lot.
To the Marines, anyone connected to Roger was a subject of concern. Even Rayleigh, had he not lived in seclusion and appeared indifferent to worldly affairs, might have been ordered to be captured long ago by those in command if they knew he existed.
So, when they found out that Buggy, despite his deep and powerful background, was acting so low-key, the Marines couldnât sit idly by. They suspected Buggy might be up to something and, out of caution, exposed him, considering him one of the masterminds behind the prison break, just like Ian.
If Sengoku knew that Buggyâs low profile was because he had been searching for âCaptain Johnâs Treasureâ all along, rather than plotting something in secret as he imagined, itâs hard to say what his expression would be like at that timeâŠ
However, Ian wouldnât expose Buggy. After all, these backgrounds were indeed facts for Buggy.
So, instead, Ian added fuel to the fire and said, âHey, Buggy, looks like you canât hide anymore. Youâre going to be famous!â
âNo⊠no!â Buggy hurriedly explained to everyone, in a fluster. He didnât want the Marines to focus on him because it meant danger.
But his explanation was futile at this moment. Ianâs words indirectly confirmed that everything in the newspaper was true. The prisoners knew that Buggy and Ian were acquainted, old friends even. Didnât Ian refer to him as an âold friendâ when he saw Buggy in prison?
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So, at this moment, all the prisoners stared at Buggy with gaping mouths, unbelieving.
Then Ian said, âOh, by the way, Buggy, I met Uncle Rayleigh some time ago, and he mentioned you!â
âHuh!? You met Uncle Rayleigh!? Howâs he doing?â Buggy, caught off guard, asked excitedly.
As soon as these words came out, a weapon held by one of the prisoners fell to the ground with a clatter.
âTh-theyâre not talking about Rayleigh, the Dark King Rayleigh, right!?â The prisoners asked, trembling with fear. âIs he really a member of the legendary pirate crew?â
âThis⊠this is too shocking!â One prisoner said dumbfoundedly. âI never thought that Impel Down would be holding so many big figuresâŠâ
For a moment, the prisoners began to regard Buggy as a figure on par with Crocodile and Jinbe, akin to a Shichibukai-level character. Even Crocodile himself was quite surprised. He had always thought of Buggy, the red-nosed guy, as nothing more than a jokester. He never expected him to have such an astonishing background.
At this moment, Buggy also snapped out of his daze. He felt like he had been tricked by Ian and quickly waved his hands at everyone, saying, âW-wait a minute! While itâs true, donât put such a big label on me! How am I supposed to navigate my pirate life from now on!?â
But then Ian put his arm around Buggyâs shoulder, embracing him without hesitation, and whispered in his ear, âHey, Buggy, donât rush to explain. Let me ask you, do you want to become a Shichibukai?â
âS-Shichibukai?â Buggy was instantly stunned.
âThatâs right!â Ian nodded and whispered softly, âYou see, my Shichibukai title has already been revoked, and the same goes for Crocodile and Jinbe. Plus, with the earlier deprived of Doflamingo, that leaves four vacancies among the Shichibukai. The Marines will definitely try to fill those gaps. In my opinion, you have a very good chance of receiving an invitation!â
âR-really?â Buggy widened his eyes, looking at Ian in disbelief.
âOf course itâs true!â Ian nodded. âBecause of your background, even though the Marines will see you as an enemy, at the same time, if they find they canât deal with you, theyâll try to recruit you. Thatâs how I became a Shichibukai, believe me?â
âBut⊠but I donât even have a pirate ship anymore, and my crew is a bunch of idiots!â Buggy said dishearteningly. âHow can a pirate crew like that stand up to the Marines?â
âThatâs why,â Ian said with a smile, âthis time, going to the battlefield with me is an opportunity for you! Your background is a valuable asset. When the time comes, Iâll allow you to take some of these prisoners with you and form your own crew. Then you wonât have to worry, right?â
Ianâs words filled Buggy with excitement, but given his past experiences of being tricked by Ian, he remained cautious. âAre you really going to help me like this?â
âWhat are you sayingâŠâ Ian said with a straight face. âOf course⊠itâs not like Iâm helping you for nothing!â
However, upon hearing Ianâs assurance, Buggy relaxed a bit. âThatâs great, then. Just tell me what you want in return!â
âI donât need anything too bothersome, donât worry!â Ian said with a smile. âAfter you become a Shichibukai, youâll definitely have contact with the Marines. When they have any movements or plans, youâll need to find a way to pass that information to me!â
Yes, thatâs Ianâs goal. He may have been stripped of his Shichibukai title, but he still needs to have a presence within the Marines. While Kuina can occasionally pass on information to Ian, her identity is inconvenient. With Buggy, however, there wouldnât be any issues. Even if the Marines found out, it wouldnât matter much because Buggy was originally a pirate.
Ian had already figured out that if he could lift Buggy up to the position of Shichibukai, he could then have him pay attention to the situation within the Marine Science Unit. Ian wanted to find out what happened to Uncle Kuma in the end.
Developing Buggy into his own informant, and at the level of a Shichibukai informant at that, felt exhilarating no matter how he thought about it. Didnât Kaido work with Doflamingo in the same way?
Although their collaboration was for evil purposesâŠ
At this moment, Buggy was truly moved. After hearing Ianâs terms, he thought carefully and found that it wasnât anything extraordinary. He could totally do it. Immediately, he looked at Ian and said, âDeal!â
âThatâs great, my friend!â Ian said satisfactorily. âRest assured, Iâll find a way to give you opportunities to shine. By then, youâll become someone everyone looks up to!â
âHahaha!â Buggy laughed heartily. After his change of heart, he stood with his hands on his hips and laughed heartily, then, with an air of sophistication, stroked his chin and addressed the prisoners present, âWell, it seems I canât hide it anymore⊠Thatâs right, I was a crew member on the Pirate King Rogerâs ship, and Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, is my sworn brother! Ah, those were the days, fighting alongside Captain Roger and Vice Captain RayleighâŠâ
âWhoa!â The prisoners gasped in shock, then erupted into a chorus of uproar.
Hearing Buggyâs admission firsthand, the prisoners finally understood why the Marines singled him out while others were not mentioned. It seemed like this was indeed true. Didnât Ian just have his arm around Buggyâs shoulder, displaying the demeanor of lifelong friends?
At that moment, Buggyâs reputation among the prisoners soaredâŠ
And his crew members from the Buggy Pirates only now realized the true extent of their captainâs background. Cabaji and Mohji, among others, fell to their knees before Buggy, tears streaming down their faces, filled with gratitude and worship, swearing allegiance to him for lifeâŠ
Ian smiled contentedly as he watched Buggy address the prisoners, pleased with the outcome. Meanwhile, Crocodile whispered behind him, âLooks like youâve gained another pawnâŠâ
âCanât put it that way; itâs just a mutual exchange!â Ian retorted without even looking back. âJust because we donât care about the Shichibukai title doesnât mean others donât, right?â
Crocodile chuckled coldly and fell silent.
At that moment, the bay was suddenly shrouded in shadow. Looking up, Ian saw a massive cloud looming overhead, blocking out the sunlight and casting a vast shadow.
With his keen eyesight, Ian vaguely saw the colorful balloons beneath the cloud, a smile creeping onto his face.
âItâs finally here, my Sky Island!âŠâ