Chapter 64: The Clown Makes an Entrance
East Blue - Near Dawn Island
The sea was calm. A small, rickety pirate ship, painted in garish red, was wobbling toward the shore. Its flag, a skull with a giant red nose, fluttered pathetically in the breeze.
"Heh heh heh... This place looks perfect!"
Buggy stood at the bow, telescope in hand, practically dancing with excitement. "A quiet village, lots of fish, and flat terrain! It's a paradise for beginner plunderers!"
"Men—!"
Buggy struck a pose, his big red nose twitching in the wind. "Look! Ahead of us is a poor, weak island filled with fish, shrimp, and old people! This is the perfect hunting ground for the great Captain Buggy!"
"Wooooah!!"
Mohji jumped up and down, cracking his whip. Cabaji spun around on his unicycle, sparks flying. Even the lion, Richie, opened one lazy eye and burped.
"Richie!" Buggy roared at the lion. "Stop faking! Get up! Time for work!"
"Prepare to dock! Today, I, the great Captain Buggy, will get flashily rich! We'll rob this island so hard, even the coconut trees will be crying!"
But just as they were getting ready to land—
FWOOSH!
Buggy suddenly froze. His red nose twitched reflexively. The next second, the hair on his arms stood on end, and his face went pale.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
A bone-deep chill, as if rising from the seabed itself, shot up his spine.
"This... this feeling... is bad..."
His nose was practically vibrating, his knees were knocking, and his stomach was doing flips.
"Captain Buggy?" Mohji leaned in, confused. "Why are you sweating? It's a nice, cool day."
"QUIET!!" Buggy shrieked, his voice cracking like a duck's.
He stared at the peaceful, unassuming island.
"That... that island... is wrong!"
Buggy's teeth were chattering. "My sixth sense is telling me... if we set foot on that shore..."
"It's not just death... we'll be... we'll be blown to smithereens! My nose will explode! That kind of death!"
Cabaji: "..."
Mohji: "..."
Richie: "...?"
Buggy, forgetting his pride, screamed, "What are you standing there for! Turn the ship around, you idiots!! I don't want to die like a baked potato exploding!!!"
Mohji: "But... you just said it was a paradise..."
Cabaji: "Even Captain Buggy... the man who dared to bite Whitebeard's ship... is this terrified? What is on that island?"
The crew finally scrambled to turn the ship, which creaked and groaned as it fled, its tattered sail flapping.
"Farther! Farther! At least a 500-league safety buffer!!" Buggy yelled, staring back at the island as if he'd just seen death itself.
"That feeling... It's exactly the same as when Captain Roger got angry...!"
"Are you kidding me?! This is the East Blue! What kind of monster could be living on that island?!"
Dawn Island - Edge of the forest
The setting sun cast a golden-red glow over the hills.
A man in a simple fisherman's vest and sunglasses was sitting on a high rock, watching the pathetic little pirate ship flee in panic. A faint, amused smile played on his lips.
"Tch. That guy's nose... is surprisingly sharp."
The man, Bogard, pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Dawn Island team, report," he said calmly. "Target pirate vessel has fled the area. No intervention necessary."
He hung up and looked back at the small, quiet village.
At the house where Roy's parents lived.
"Good thing Fleet Admiral Sengoku assigned us to rotating guard duty here," he muttered to himself. "If something had actually happened... it would have been a real mess."
Dawn Island - The Beach
Rook walked along the sand, his hands behind his back, his face stern. Erin held his arm, her expression soft as she watched the sunset.
"It's so peaceful..." she murmured.
Rook just snorted. "The East Blue has been quiet lately. Guess the Marine patrols aren't slacking off."
"Oh~?" Erin teased. "Are you praising the Marines, or are you just praising your son?"
"Hmph!" Rook's ears turned slightly red.
Erin just laughed, leaning against him. "Don't pretend, you grumpy old man. You spent all of last night polishing Luffy's bamboo sword, didn't you?"
"I...!" Rook sputtered. "I just... the sea air! It's damp! The wood might rot!"
Erin just smiled.
"With Roy watching over them," she thought, looking at the village, "those boys are going to grow up safe and strong."
Rook was silent for a long time, then finally nodded. "I hope so... But even with Roy, I'll be here to watch them grow."
Grand Line - Marine Warship Deck
Smoker stood on the deck, his Jitte resting on his shoulder, smoke swirling around him.
He squinted at the two kids in front of him. Kuina held her Wado Ichimonji. Zoro held his two new swords, Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri, his fighting spirit burning.
"Come on, brats," Smoker growled. "Let's see if the 'geniuses' Roy picked out are any good."
Kuina moved first! "Shimotsuki Style: Moon Shadow!"
Her blade was a blur of silver, aimed straight at Smoker's throat!
"CLANG!"
His Seastone-tipped Jitte blocked it, sending sparks flying. Smoker was impressed. The speed and angle were far beyond that of a normal recruit.
Zoro was right behind her! "Two-Sword Style: Hawk Wave!"
His swords sent a wave of compressed air slicing at Smoker, who parried, the metal ringing.
"Interesting!" Smoker grinned, then shoved, his Haki sending both of them staggering back.
Kuina used the momentum to spin, her blade coming around in a reverse-slash.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
In three seconds, they clashed a dozen times. The sailors on deck were stunned. These two kids were actually keeping up with Captain Smoker?!
After a minute, Smoker finally stopped, his eyes showing a rare glimmer of approval.
"You haven't even had formal Haki training, and your sword skills are already at this level... No wonder Roy was so interested in you."
Kuina sheathed her sword. "Thank you for the lesson."
Zoro just grinned, his eyes still burning. "Again!"
Smoker just laughed. "Save your energy, brat."
He turned and walked back toward the bridge, a trail of smoke behind him. "Once we get to Marineford... you'll have all the fights you can handle."
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