"VIP seats?"
Nao was momentarily speechless.
"I don't need something like that. What I want you to do is very simple — just expand the guest list for your celebration a tiny little bit."
He gestured with his thumb and forefinger barely apart.
"A tiny bit?"
Buggy blinked, confused.
"Yeah — just a tiny bit."
Nao smiled warmly.
"Originally, you were only planning to invite your business partners and some influential figures from the neighboring kingdoms, right?"
"Now, I want you to include all of the well-known pirates across the East Blue. I want Buggy's Delivery Company to turn this anniversary celebration… into a grand pirate festival."
"A… a pirate festival…"
Buggy froze. He stared blankly at Nao's smiling face — and his nose immediately started running again.
A pirate festival, my ass!
He wasn't stupid. Nao's words couldn't have made his intentions any clearer. With just a little thought about what the man had done over the past two years, the truth was obvious:
The "White Dragon" simply didn't want to waste time cleansing the East Blue pirate-by-pirate — he was planning to use him, Buggy, to gather them all together for a single, efficient massacre!
"M–Mr. White Dragon…"
Buggy swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"This… this is really difficult! I might mess up your plans… couldn't you maybe find someone else—?"
"Right now," Nao said calmly, "the only interregional organization in the East Blue with any real influence — besides the Marine— is your Buggy Delivery Company."
He took a slow sip of tea.
"If I don't ask you to handle it, what do you expect me to do? Have the Marine organize the party?"
"B–but…"
Buggy's face twisted into a pitiful grimace.
"If I do what you're asking, after the celebration… my company's reputation will be ruined! How are we supposed to keep doing business after that?"
Reputation was everything in the transport and mercenary business.
If he publicly hosted a friendly, open celebration and then secretly colluded with Nao to butcher the guests afterward — who would ever trust him again? Especially the underground powers that dominated trade…
"Don't worry."
Nao's tone remained even.
"No one knows I've come to the East Blue. When the time comes, I'll just happen to be passing by. No one will suspect you're involved."
"B-but—"
Buggy tried to argue again, but Nao gently shook his head, cutting him off.
"I said I came here to ask you for a favor, but really… I'm also helping you."
"Huh?"
"The Great Age of Pirates is coming to an end."
Nao's voice was calm, almost casual.
"And when it does, the Seven Warlords of the Sea will disappear along with it."
He glanced at the stunned Buggy.
"When that happens, the Warlords will be reclassified as criminals — re-hunted, re-judged, and punished according to their crimes."
"If you don't want to rot in Impel Down or spend the rest of your life on the run again, then cooperating with me now is your best chance — to atone for your sins and change your fate."
Buggy trembled, finally grasping what was at stake. He opened his mouth to speak, but Nao raised a hand, silencing him.
"Honestly, if I hadn't heard good things about your reputation here in Cocoyasi Village — and if I hadn't confirmed that you really haven't committed any crimes these past few years —"
Nao smiled faintly.
"—then I wouldn't have bothered to give you this opportunity, or to say so much to you."
"Well then… do you have anything else to say?"
Buggy shuddered and shook his head immediately.
"No, sir! Nothing at all!"
"Good. Then about the pirate festival…"
"Please rest assured, sir!" Buggy thumped his chest with conviction.
"Leave it to me! I'll make sure it's perfect — I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Nao nodded slightly, saying no more.
That was exactly the reaction he wanted.
Buggy feared death more than anyone, and now that he understood the stakes, he'd give his all to make it work. If Nao had simply threatened him, the clown would've looked for some way to double-cross him.
"Alright, I'll leave the details to you."
Nao stretched lazily, then pulled his hood back over his head and stood.
"Get a room ready for me. I haven't slept in almost two months. I'm going to get some rest — and by the time I wake up tomorrow, I expect you to have a concrete plan ready."
"Yes, Mr. White Dragon!"
Buggy nodded frantically, then immediately called for the old butler to arrange the best guest room for Nao. Only after watching Nao's figure disappear down the hall did he suddenly realize something — his eyes going wide.
Wait a second… did I hear that right?
Two whole months without sleep?
What kind of monster was that man?!
...
Nao truly was exhausted.
With his current monstrous physique, he could actually endure far more — even four or five months without rest wouldn't be a problem.
But still…
From the Grand Line all the way to the East Blue, he had been constantly on the move, fighting and traveling without pause. Even when he was just changing locations, he relied on his Devil Fruit abilityto transform into lightning and fly — almost never stopping to take a ship.
Two straight months of that would wear down anyone.
So even though it was midday and the sun was blazing outside, the moment he reached the guest room Buggy had prepared, he lay down — and was fast asleep the instant his head hit the pillow.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already five in the morning.
Cocoyasi Village lay at a high latitude, and the sky outside was still pitch-black. Nao didn't rush to find Buggy. Instead, after a quick wash, he sat cross-legged on the carpet, quietly meditating and cultivating his energy.
Around eight o'clock, there came a cautious knock at the door — the sound of a maid bringing breakfast.
Nao slowly opened his eyes, ending his meditation.
After thanking the maid, he sat back down in his room. As he began to eat his breakfast, he casually opened his system interface, reviewing his current stats.
[Name]: Natsuya Nao
[Age]: 27
[Strength]: 40 (Current stage: 10,000,000 points per level)
[Agility]: 40 (+4) (Current stage: 10,000,000 points per level)
[Stamina]: 46 (Current stage: 10,000,000 points per level)
[Intelligence]: 16 (Current stage: 5,000,000 points per level)
[Charm]: 23 (Current stage: 10,000,000 points per level)
[Current Points]: 391
[Standard Skills]: Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Close-Quarters Combat (Master), Two-Sword Style (Master), Rokushiki (Master), Firearms Profiency (Advanced), Self-Discipline (Master), Armament Haki (Master), Observation Haki (Master), Painting (Advanced), Fishing (Master), Swimming (Master)…
[Innate Abilities]: Conqueror's Haki, Petrifying Gaze, Adamantine Body, Voice of All Things, Radiance Smile, Craftsman's Spirit, Wind Barrier (Advanced), Thick Skin (Advanced), Iron Head (Advanced), Limb Regeneration, Amphibious Breathing
[Currently Equipped]: Guardian Angel, Boots of Lightness, Thornmail Armor
...
Since leaving Marine Headquarters, Nao had spent the past two and a half years roaming the seas.
Those years weren't only to pursue his path of justice and bring the Great Pirate Era to an end — they were also to push his strength to its absolute limit.
He had traveled through every corner of the world, seen the many faces of humanity, and in the process, tempered both his mind and spirit. His understanding of swordsmanship had grown deeper than ever before.
During that same journey, his Observation Haki had quietly evolved to the Master level, filling the last gap in his skill set.
As for his core attributes—strength, agility, and stamina—he was already among the strongest in the world. At this level, even a single step forward required tremendous effort.
But justice, in the end, had its rewards.
At first, Nao hadn't paid much attention to his points, but as he traveled the seas and saved countless people, his reputation reached its peak — and he was astonished to find his accumulated points had grown to an unbelievable level.
At one point, it had even surpassed 20 million — an astronomical number.
That massive reservoir of energy allowed him to push his limits even further. With years of relentless training and those points as fuel, he had finally broken past the 40-point threshold in all three core attributes just a few months ago.
Nao's gaze flickered slightly as he raised his right hand.
A terrifying, domineering energy silently flared to life between his fingers — flowing with his thoughts, alive and fierce.
Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
Back when he had battled Big Mom in the North Blue for seven days and nights, he hadn't yet grasped this power — and had suffered for it.
But now, two and a half years later…
He could wield Conqueror's Haki Infusion as naturally as moving his own hand. His mastery far surpassed Big Mom's, seamlessly merging the energy into his swordsmanship and Devil Fruit techniques alike.
Whether it was pure swordsmanship or the thunderous powers of his Logia fruit, the addition of Conqueror's Haki had elevated every attack to devastating new heights.
In every way, Nao had become a true all-round warrior — a perfect "hexagon" fighter, unmatched in every field.
"When the Great Pirate Era ends…"
Nao's gaze turned toward the window, as though piercing through the clouds to the distant Red Line. His voice was soft but resolute.
"…that will be the time for you and me to fight again, old witch."
Two and a half years ago, when he had faced Imu at full power, he could only last three or four hours.
But now—
With his power having ascended to a whole new level, he finally had the confidence to stand as her equal, ready for a true battle.
...
After finishing breakfast, Nao made his way back to Buggy's mansion.
Buggy had been nervously waiting since dawn, and the moment Nao arrived, he hurried forward with both hands to present a detailed proposal.
It was clear that some clever strategist had helped him — the plan was well thought out, comprehensive, and polished.
According to the document, Buggy Delivery would launch a massive publicity campaign, spreading word of the anniversary celebration across the entire East Blue within three days.
To attract pirates to attend, Buggy had really put in a lot of thought.
On one hand, he heavily promoted the upcoming anniversary celebration — hyping it up as a once-in-a-century pirate festival that no one could afford to miss. He also announced that Buggy Delivery would cover all the costs of food, drink, and entertainment for every guest.
On the other hand, he offered huge rewards, declaring that there would be numerous team and individual competitions during the event. Anyone who passed the preliminaries would receive generous prize money, while the pirates who won the championships in each category would be rewarded with Devil Fruits.
The idea was, more or less, the same as the "Pirate Fest" organized by Douglas Bullet in the One Piece: Stampede movie —
except that Bullet's grand event was held in the New World, where powerful figures gathered, so the prize on display was a Log Pose to Raftel, enough to lure in pirates of the Warlord class and beyond.
But in the East Blue, a few Devil Fruits were more than enough to surpass any other temptation.
"Not bad."
Nao gave a small approving nod. He didn't offer any changes and simply handed the document back to Buggy.
"Let's go with this plan."
Buggy, who had been nervously watching his expression the whole time, finally let out a sigh of relief when he saw Nao's satisfied look. Grinning with relief, he respectfully withdrew.
To give the pirates ample time to travel, the celebration — originally planned for the end of the year — was postponed to the middle of January, 1510 of the Sea Calendar.
That meant there were now more than ten extra days of free time.
With nothing urgent to do, Nao decided to leave Cocoyasi Village for a short while that evening, planning to wander around the nearby seas.
Partly to relax and clear his mind, and partly because it had been so long since he last returned to the East Blue —
he figured he might as well take the chance to swing by Chaili Island, his hometown, and see how things had changed.
...
A few days later.
In a quiet, empty stretch of ocean, a flash of lightning split through the clouds — and Nao's figure appeared in the sky.
"Don't tell me… I got lost?"
He looked at the sea chart in his system interface, then down at the unfamiliar island below, feeling a bit exasperated.
Normally, whenever he traveled with a clear destination, he would have a nearby Marine branch send him a Log Pose.
But after returning to the East Blue, he hadn't contacted the local branches yet — and since this was his home sea, he had thought he knew the waters around Chaili Island well enough to just follow the chart and his instincts.
After all, it's not like he was bad with directions.
Yet somehow…
"Well, whatever," he muttered. "Might as well go down and ask someone."
Shaking his head, Nao transformed into lightning and descended onto the forest-covered island. Before long, he found a small path leading toward a nearby village.
At the fork in the road, he noticed the signpost — and froze for a moment.
"Huh? This place is… Shimotsuki Village?"