Chapter 9: The Next Fun
After the shot, another figure emerged from the burning ruins.
At first, his steps were hurried, but upon realizing the situation, they seemed to quickly adapt, becoming steadier.
"Well done," Brownie's expression regained its usual severity. His coat was torn and his figure looked a little disheveled, but he remained calm, as if everything was under control.
If Buggy hadn't seen Brownie sweating profusely, he might have suspected that he was the one who had caused the explosion and was trying to escape.
In fact, upon seeing Buggy light the fuse, his first instinct was to take cover. Given his madness, he could have dragged the entire ship down with him.
Brownie simply praised the major in front of him. He knew he was a distinguished major, a representative of that side. Even so, despite the chaos of the explosion, he had managed to quickly descend to the crew's quarters and intercept the escaping pirates. It was quite a feat.
He looked at the mouth of the pirate's gun. It was on the right side of his abdomen. It was not fatal. Maybe they planned to transport this pirate to the Sabaody Archipelago. A pirate prisoner who had tried to escape and was recaptured... would they be interested? Thinking about the strange customs of the nobles gave him chills.
It doesn't matter. Once they are presented in prison, they are no longer my responsibility.
Brownie had become accustomed to this. Did they really expect the slave-hunting squads to proactively stop the ruthless pirates? What would the Navy be for then?
The vast majority of pirate slaves came from the Navy, which is why Brownie preferred to kill them on the spot. He couldn't change that rule. He was even inevitably an accomplice. After all, they had killed quite a few pirates, right? This served as a small consolation.
"That's what I should do, Commodore," Buggy replied with a smile, bowing.
His bow made Brownie's heart race, as if that disgusting clown were in front of him again. His face turned pale.
"What's wrong, Brigadier General?" the major asked.
"No, nothing," Brownie coughed twice, suppressing the nausea. He was just a weak major who liked to exhibit a certain aristocratic etiquette. There was no need to overreact. But where had that red-nosed clown gone? Had he really taken the opportunity to escape? The mere thought gave him a tingling sensation in his head. In all his years in the military, this red-nosed clown was, without a doubt, the most disgusting opponent he had ever encountered. Almost none!
He watched helplessly as he learned each of his movements, quickly adapted them, and used them against him. He was forced to be extremely cautious with even the slightest movement! Even more disgusting, apart from the sea stone, he couldn't hurt him. His shattered body had the same effect as elementalization. For the first time, he felt a desperate need to master Armament Haki.
"This is not the Tower of Justice. There's no need for so much formality. Just wave."
"Okay."
Buggy obeyed, without further provoking the Brigadier General. This showed the success of his disguise. Even Brownie, who had just faced him, completely ignored him. Furthermore, the chaos he had created only served to shroud his current identity in mystery, greatly complicating the Navy's subsequent investigation.
Brownie was still alive, and the chaos caused by the explosion was quickly quelled. From the burning cabin, charred bodies were pulled out, all unrecognizable. By the time the sun was high in the sky, the warship was already half sunk.
Those on the escort ship, including the captured fugitives, had to be transferred to the arriving warships. Surrounded by flames and the black muzzles of cannons, they could only put up a desperate resistance.
The only thing that weighed on Brownie's heart was that the red-nosed clown had disappeared.
"A simple fugitive pirate? Is there a need to worry so much?" Ghost Spider asked with a frown.
With the warship sunk, Brownie would probably face a lot of criticism, and he himself probably would too.
"Ah, you don't understand," Brownie grimaced. "He's a monster."
Brownie felt that the clown's shadow would haunt him for a while.
"Then don't give him a chance. Under my orders, sink the escort ship completely!"
"Sink?!" Brownie exclaimed in astonishment.
"Who knows if there's a Navy down there?"
Ghost Spider shrugged. "Sink it inside the Gate of Justice. It's better for you and me. After all, the escort ship doesn't follow a designated route."
Wow, how determined!
Buggy leaned on the railing of the second deck, watching the Navy's actions with some satisfaction. As for the action, he had finally reached the rank of noble lieutenant commander, and just being there was fulfilling his duty.
The view from there was perfect. He could watch the entire process of the little mushrooms dragging the huge warship to the bottom of the sea. It was truly magnificent.
"There's even a second celebratory fireworks display! It seems this world is incredibly enthusiastic."
"What fun should I bring to this world now?" he wondered.
Buggy stiffened his neck, his mind full of ideas.
Look for a great treasure? Boring. Conquer the world? Still boring.
And some kind of righteous adventure? Buggy felt that wasn't as exciting as performing in a circus and stabbing himself.
Suddenly, he thought of that trivial and boring diary.
"Maybe I need to squeeze this identity for all it's worth."
Buggy lowered his head; his white robe of justice rustled in the sea breeze.
"Sometimes, the truth is more exciting than anything else."
Marine Headquarters.
A sudden, booming explosion was heard from the imposing towers.
Sengoku slammed the report in his hand.
"What are these bastards doing?"
He pushed up his round-rimmed glasses with his left hand and rubbed his forehead. He was no longer young, and visible wrinkles were seen on his forehead and around his eyebrows. However, as the helmsman of the Navy, the largest and most violent organization in this ocean, many things could not be done at will.
For example, the report in front of him. A naval escort ship had been involved in a riot, and some of the most ruthless fugitive pirates had detonated the ship's boiler room, sinking it. Attached to the report was a bounty for the Red-Nosed Clown. It was clearly that particular pirate.
The bounty was outrageous. Fifteen million Belly. Top-tier in the East Blue, but not even a small fish in the Grand Line. And now, this small fish had not only escaped naval custody, but had also sunk a warship.
"Shanks. The redhead alone is problematic enough, and now this guy appears," he murmured.
Sengoku looked thoughtfully at a top-secret report on the table. The sudden incident also made him doubt even more the great plan that was brewing in his mind.
"But I will never pass up this opportunity."
Being able to hold the position of Marshal, Sengoku's decision was not easily altered.
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