Three days later, under the grateful gazes of the island's residents, Buggy and his crew once again set sail aboard the Glory.
During those three days, they arranged everything for the villagers, explaining to them Gott's true deeds and the sacrifice made by the Snow Woman.
With Gott's death, the power of his Devil Fruit had completely vanished. The memories he had stolen from the people were restored.
After hearing Buggy's explanation of the truth, the residents reacted in different ways—some were filled with gratitude, some with regret, and others with deep sorrow. They were thankful for the Snow Woman's selflessness, regretful for the hatred they had once held against her, and sorrowful for her death, as well as for the friends and family they had lost.
But above all, every single person now carried hatred in their eyes. Hatred for Gott. The man they once praised as a "hero" had in truth been a devil who treated their lives as worthless, destroying so many innocents for the sake of his ambition.
When arranging their future, Buggy had asked whether they wanted to leave with him. He even promised to take them away if they wished.
But after the discussion, the islanders chose to stay. They were born and raised here, and many had never once left the island in their entire lives. The outside world was not something they yearned for. To leave now would mean they might never return. For these people—who had no great ambitions—such a choice had little meaning.
Hearing their decision, Buggy did not press further. It was their choice, and he would not interfere. In truth, this island could be considered a kind of paradise in the cruel world of pirates. If they left, they might suffer more. Staying here was perhaps the best option.
Still, Buggy gave them aid. He showed them the way out of the mist, and he left behind the training methods for the Navy's Six Styles, along with his insights into Armament and Observation Haki.
The Six Styles and Haki were for self-defense. Though no pirates had come here in more than a decade, that could not guarantee others wouldn't arrive in the future. And now, with nearly all of the island's fighters wiped out in the battles, Buggy wanted them to have some means of survival. In this world, after all, strength was everything.
As for the "exit," he gave them that as a contingency. If misfortune ever struck, they would have a retreat. Even if the current generation chose not to leave, their descendants might one day wish to. That path would allow them to go without risking their lives in the fog. It was also a way for lost pirates to leave, which in turn could reduce trouble for the island.
Three days passed quickly. Order was restored. The villagers began rebuilding, while Buggy and his crew prepared to depart. They brought with them Gott's surviving subordinates, who were still of use.
As the Glory raised its sails, the islanders saw them off with cheers and blessings.
Ahead of the Glory sailed a handful of battered pirate ships—seven or eight in total—manned by Gott's remaining men.
Buggy deliberately had them take the lead. It would prevent the Glory from losing its way in the fog. Left to their own devices, they could easily wander endlessly.
Those pirate ships were in terrible condition, barely seaworthy, and moved at a crawl. The Glory had to hold back its speed to stay with them. By Buggy's estimation, what should have been a day and a half's journey would instead take three days because of the slower ships. But there was no choice.
And so they sailed for three calm days, encountering only occasional rough weather. Finally, they reached the sea where the exit lay.
From here, they could faintly see the world beyond the mist: blue skies and a vast, endless ocean unobscured by fog.
It was a scene unlike anything within the fog. Perhaps this was truly the path to the New World.
Everyone's faces lit up at the sight. Excitement buzzed across the decks.
But this sea was not as peaceful as it appeared. Gott's subordinates warned them: any ship approaching the area would be attacked by Sea Kings lurking below. Gott had exterminated many of them before, but a few remained.
The survivors scattered, dragging corpses aboard their ships to use as bait, casting them into the sea to lure out the remaining Sea Kings.
Buggy and his crew felt no guilt about this. The dead were not their doing, nor were they related to them. Their fates had already been sealed. With everything prepared by Gott's men, there was no reason to waste time searching for another method.
The stronger fighters split up to join different groups. Hiryu, Weevil, Lafitte, and Dadi each led a ship. Hiryu and Weevil were capable of battling a Sea King alone. Lafitte and Dadi were weaker, but together they could still hold their own, or at least stall one.
Buggy himself did not join the hunting parties. Instead, he hovered nearby, observing the operations and standing ready to provide support if anything went wrong.
As corpses splashed into the sea, the stench of blood spread quickly. Soon, massive shadows stirred beneath the surface, moving rapidly toward the bait.
Those on the ships—Hiryu, Weevil, Lafitte, Dadi—detected the approaching monsters. But they have not acted yet.
They had to wait for the perfect moment. Their first strike needed to deal massive damage. They could not afford to let the Sea Kings retreat into the depths.
In the water, Sea Kings were the absolute rulers. If they escaped, no one could touch them, and worse—they might strike back, dragging the Glory down into the depths.
And so they held their ground, watching, preparing, waiting for the instant when they could unleash their most devastating attacks.