Chapter 19: We Are Not the Same!
Just as Buggy was doubled over with laughter at Ralph's "outrageous" dream, a notification sound that only Ralph could hear rang in his mind:
[Ding! The host has established a complex friendship with Clown Buggy based on "appreciation" and "amusement." Relationship level reached: Friend. Reward issued: Bara Bara no Mi.]
The system could directly reward Devil Fruits?!
Ralph's heart jolted. He immediately focused his mind to read the description of this reward.
Sure enough, it wasn't directly giving him a Devil Fruit, but rather a set of methods...
After a thoroughly enjoyable feast where both hosts and guests were delighted, the top floor was littered with drunken pirates lying haphazardly, their thunderous snores rising and falling in waves. Even the few pirates originally guarding the treasure were now sound asleep, hugging wine barrels.
Nami, who had been observing from the shadows all along, looked at the top floor that resembled a mass fainting scene and curled her lips into a smug smile. "Pirates really are a bunch of brainless idiots! Getting dead drunk in broad daylight—heaven is really helping me!"
As nimble as a raccoon dog, she silently slipped onto the top floor, skillfully maneuvering around the sleeping pirates, and easily found the chest where Buggy had hidden his treasure. Her eyes sparkled with excitement at the sight of the glittering Berry and jewels inside. She quickly packed them into a heavy bundle.
Hoisting the bundle onto her shoulder, she took one last look back.
That rubber girl with the straw hat, Luffy, was using an empty wine barrel as a pillow, sleeping soundly with a satisfied smile on her lips. Her little belly rose and fell with each breath.
Nami's feelings were complicated. She had secretly observed the entire battle and the subsequent feast. Luffy's pure and formidable combat power, as well as Ralph's attitude toward her, were undeniably genuine.
Even if Ralph had some ulterior motives regarding Lufia, this girl's determination to become a pirate and take pride in it came from the heart—unquestionable.
She recalled Luffy's radiant smile when she raised her glass and shouted without a trace of gloom, "I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
It's just... incomprehensible!
Nami shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel that inexplicable stir in her heart.
A bunch of bastards who only know destruction and plunder—how can becoming someone like that be called an ideal?
Good riddance! Damn female pirate!
She steeled herself and turned to leave this troublesome place.
However, the moment she took a step, two tall figures blocked her path. Two cold long swords crossed, barring her way.
Immediately after, several of the supposedly "drunken" pirates stood up with cold sneers, their eyes clear and alert—not a hint of intoxication in them.
Nami's heart sank. She whipped her head around and saw Clown Buggy lounging leisurely on a beach chair, holding a glass of red wine. His eyes sparkled with mockery and icy coldness—not a trace of drunkenness about him.
The Buggy Pirates' officers, Beast Tamer Mohji and Acrobatics Master Cabaji, stood completely sober on either side of Buggy.
What made Nami's heart palpitate most was Ralph leaning against the railing. He was looking at her with an ambiguous smile, his eyes seeming to have seen through everything, laying all her schemes bare without any place to hide.
Only Luffy... she was genuinely asleep, even smacking her lips and rolling over in her sleep.
Nami's heart instantly sank to the bottom, her face turning deathly pale.
So... all her schemes had never fooled this man from the very beginning!
A chilling wave of despair instantly enveloped her.
What more was there to say? Caught red-handed.
Not only had Nami failed to steal Buggy's treasure, but even the Grand Line chart she had painstakingly stolen earlier was found on her by Buggy's subordinates and respectfully returned to him.
Holding the recovered chart, Buggy shook it triumphantly and cast an admiring glance at Ralph: "Shahahaha! Ralph, you're something else! Not only did you discover this thief's identity early on, but you also played along with her scheme, using the banquet to lure her out and help me recover the chart! Brilliant!"
He wanted to praise Ralph further, but just as he opened his mouth, he was interrupted by Luffy's loud snoring.
Buggy stared speechlessly at Luffy, who was sleeping like a log, and extended another invitation to Ralph: "Kid, see? What future is there following a captain like this? Join my crew!"
Ralph still shook his head. He walked up to Buggy and made two requests: "Captain Buggy, since the chart has been recovered, as agreed, we need to share it. Additionally, this thief, Nami, was caught with our help. I hope you'll hand her over to us for disposal."
Unexpectedly, Buggy's face darkened, and he outright refused: "Share the chart? Don't even think about it! As for this thief..." His icy gaze swept over the bound Nami. "Anyone daring to steal from me, Captain Buggy, must be executed personally! Only then can we set an example!"
As his words fell, the surrounding pirates closed in again, letting out sinister laughter as they aimed their weapons at Ralph and the sleeping Lufia.
Ralph instantly understood.
Buggy thought he was back in control!
When they arrived, he and Luffy together had overpowered the entire scene.
But now Luffy was asleep, leaving Ralph alone with a burden to protect.
Buggy believed he had the advantage and wanted to exploit the situation to pressure them—or even eliminate Ralph to reclaim the face he had lost earlier.
Feeling back in charge, Buggy grew arrogant. With a grand wave of his hand, he declared: "Let me show you my true power! So you don't think I, Captain Buggy the Clown, only know cheap tricks!"
Several pirates wheeled out an exaggeratedly designed cannon. Buggy personally loaded a special red-shelled cannonball into the barrel.
"See this? This is my special Buggy Ball!" Buggy pointed at the cannon, swelling with pride. "You turned down my invitations twice—seems you don't believe in my strength! Let me open your eyes!"
He yanked the fuse!
"BOOM—!!"
A deafening blast roared as the red Buggy Ball shot out, striking a row of houses across the street!
"KABOOM—!!"
Amid the violent explosion, the houses were crushed as if by a giant's hand, instantly reduced to fragments and towering flames! The terrifying power far exceeded that of ordinary cannonballs!
"Shahahaha! See that?!" Buggy laughed maniacally, slowly turning the cannon toward the bound Nami. "Next, I'll use this special Buggy Ball to finish off this thief who dared covet my treasure! As for you, Ralph, you still have time to decide whether to join us!"
He sneered and added, "This is what real pirates are! Plundering, destroying, those who obey prosper while those who resist perish! Not some little girl's playing house!"
Nami was pushed in front of the cannon, staring into its dark, hollow barrel.
She immediately begged for mercy, "Don't kill me! I'm very useful! I'm highly skilled in navigation and charting! I can join your Buggy Pirates! Please, don't kill me!"
Buggy scoffed, "Haven't you already tried this trick with Ralph and the others? How could I possibly trust a fickle thief?"
Nami whipped her head around, glaring hatefully at Ralph.
That bastard! He actually told Buggy everything!
The cannon was reloaded, and the fuse was about to be lit.
Knowing there was no hope of survival, Nami instead threw caution to the wind. She straightened her back and cursed at Buggy and the pirates, "You scum! Trash! Bastards who only know how to plunder and destroy! You don't understand others' suffering at all! You don't deserve to live in this world!"
However, her furious curses only provoked even more arrogant laughter from the Buggy Pirates. They felt no shame—instead, they wore it as a badge of honor!
Just as Ralph frowned, contemplating how to save Nami, another unexpected turn of events occurred!
From downstairs in the bar, an old but furious voice shouted up at the top floor:
"Clown Buggy! Get out here! I'm going to fight you to the death today!!"
The Buggy Pirates curiously leaned over to look and saw an old man with graying hair and round spectacles standing downstairs.
He wore homemade leather armor and held a rusty pitchfork, glaring furiously up at the top floor.
"Old man, who are you? Your clothes are so strange. Why do you want to challenge Buggy?" A voice, still groggy from sleep but full of curiosity, rang out.
Everyone was taken aback and turned to look. It was Luffy, who had been woken by the cannon fire and shouting.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she sat up, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere around her, and instead became interested in the old man downstairs.
The Buggy crew was momentarily speechless.
Hearing these pirates still had the nerve to ask, the old man downstairs cried out in grief and anger:
"I am the mayor of this town! You trash pirates came to our town, plundering and destroying as you please, forcing the townspeople to flee their homes! At first, I was afraid too, but... but am I even worse than Chouchou? Even it knows how to protect its home and its master's shop! As the mayor of this town, how can I stand by and watch you destroy it? Today, I will fight you to the death!"
Nami looked at Luffy, her face showing deep disappointment and disdain. "See? This is what pirates are! They only destroy what others hold dear! Homes, dreams, lives... they mean nothing to you!"
However, Luffy's reaction once again took her by surprise.
"I'm a pirate too," Luffy stood up, dusting off her clothes, her expression serious, "but I never do things like this! Shanks doesn't either!"
"Shanks?!" Hearing that name, Buggy abruptly stood up from his deck chair. He stared intently at the straw hat on Luffy's head, suddenly understanding.
"I knew it! That weird pirate logic of yours sounded so familiar! So you know that bastard Shanks!"
"Exactly!" Luffy adjusted her straw hat, a proud smile spreading across her face. "This straw hat represents my promise with Shanks! He said when I become a great pirate, he'll come to take it back!"
Buggy suddenly lowered his head, his face disappearing into the shadow cast by his captain's hat, his voice turning unusually deep:
"So... that's why... you dream of becoming the Pirate King... is that it?"
Then he snapped his head up, his expression completely distorted by rage and some long-held resentment, erupting into a hysterical roar:
"Don't mess with me!! You and Shanks are both idiots! You have no idea what those two words 'Pirate King' even mean! Just for your connection to Shanks alone, I'm going to blast you to pieces!!"
As he spoke, he suddenly swung the cannon around, its dark muzzle pointing directly at Luffy!
Luffy also flexed her wrists and neck, her innocent smile fading as her eyes grew sharp: "I thought you were a decent guy since we had a feast together. But you insulted Shanks... Unforgivable! Looks like I'll just have to knock you flying after all!"
Ralph watched the rapidly deteriorating situation and sighed helplessly.
Before he knew it, another fight had broken out.
But the timing was perfect—he'd obtained the ability he needed, so he could intervene without holding back.
Just as Buggy was about to light the fuse, Ralph suddenly spoke, his voice laced with sarcasm:
"Buggy, are you an idiot?"
Buggy froze, glaring furiously at Ralph: "What did you say?!"
Ralph pointed at Luffy, his tone flat but stating an undeniable fact: "You're using a cannon against my captain? Did you forget she ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi and is a rubber human? Do you think cannonballs would work on her?"
Buggy stared blankly, his mouth hanging open: "That's... that's right!" In his rage, he'd completely forgotten! Rubber isn't affected by blunt force—the impact of cannonballs would be useless!
While Buggy was still stunned by this sudden "tactical error," Ralph moved!
"Soru!"
His figure instantly vanished from where he stood, appearing before Buggy like a ghost the next moment! The dagger in his hand traced a cold gleam as it cut through the air like lightning!
"Swish!"
A head wearing a captain's hat, with blue hair and a red nose, went flying through the air!
Buggy's flying head first showed shock, then broke into an extremely mocking smile at Ralph, even letting out a "Shahahaha" laugh:
"You're the idiot!! Did you forget I'm a Bara Bara no Mi user?! I'm immune to slashing attacks! You moron!!"
Facing the mocking head, Ralph—standing beside the headless body—showed no panic. Instead, he looked up at the flying head and revealed a meaningful smile, one that suggested everything was going exactly according to plan.
"Is that so?"