Buggy D Clown

Fish-Man Island: Gyoncorde Plaza

"Eh!!!" Neptune and all the Princes of the Ryugu Kingdom gasped.

"I can't believe it! Buggy, are you serious?" Prince Fukaboshi exclaimed. "You're saying that Fish-Man Island—the entire Island—can be moved?"

"How could something like that even be possible?!" Prince Ryuboshi added, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"But if a Yonko says so, he must have a plan, right?" Prince Manboshi chimed in, a hint of hope in his voice. "What about Noah, though? Are we leaving that behind? Most of my things have already been loaded on board!"

Neptune shook his head, looking between his sons and Buggy. "We need to trust Buggy! If he believes it can be done, then we must have faith in his abilities."

Prince Fukaboshi crossed his arms, skeptical but intrigued. "So you think Gabban can pull off something like this?"

"Absolutely!" Buggy grinned, gesturing with confidence. "If Noah can be taken along, so can Fish-Man Island. There's no need to worry about the details right now. Gabban will handle it from here."

With that, Gabban stepped forward, kneeling and pressing a hand to the ground. He stood back up, giving a small nod, and said, "I've got this, Your Highnesses. Just trust me."

The princes and ministers erupted into surprised exclamations, many Fish-Men looking on with expressions that said, we may be Fish-Men, but don't take us for fools!

Even Neptune shook his head, seemingly doubtful. But Gabban remained silent, his focus unwavering. He lifted his palm and gently gestured upward, his voice calm as he spoke.

"Rise."

Boom!

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble. At first, the shaking was subtle, almost gentle, but it grew stronger, more intense. Fishmen both above and below the water watched in awe as the entire island slowly started to lift.

The initial shock gave way to a rising excitement, and within seconds, the entire crowd was shouting in astonishment.

"It's moving! Fish-Man Island is floating up!" a Fish-Man Minister exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment.

"My goodness! Are we leaving the depths of the ocean?" another Minister, Minister Toko, gasped, clutching his fins in disbelief.

"Buggy said we're heading to a place where we can see the sun every day and live alongside humans! Could that be true?" Prince Fukaboshi asked, looking between his brothers, excitement brewing in his voice.

"It has to be! Haven't you read the 'World News' lately?" Minister Gindar chimed in, excitement was evident in his tone. "It says Buggy established a new nation in what used to be Wano—it's called the Crimson Empire!"

"I can't wait—I want to go up there and explore!" Prince Ryuboshi declared, his eyes shining with anticipation. "Imagine what it's like to feel the sun on our scales!"

"I don't know," Minister Kaito said skeptically, crossing his arms. "What if it's not safe? We've always lived under the sea. There could be dangers we're not aware of."

Prince Manboshi chimed in, "But this could be a chance for us! A chance to bridge the gap between our people and humans. We've been isolated for too long."

"Exactly!" Minister Toko agreed. "Think of all the possibilities! Trade, friendships… a better future for the Ryugu Kingdom!"

Neptune, listening closely, nodded in agreement. "We must consider this seriously. Buggy has proven himself resourceful and capable. If he believes this is a step forward, then we should embrace it."

The ministers exchanged glances, their previous doubts beginning to fade.

"Then it's settled," Prince Fukaboshi said with a determined look. "We'll trust Buggy and see what lies above the surface!"

Initially, the Fish-Men were nervous, but the excitement quickly replaced their anxiety as they remembered Buggy's description of the Crimson Empire. It was a diverse, welcoming nation where all races could coexist peacefully. Humans, Minks, and even Dwarves were already living there. Maybe, they thought, a place like that could work for Fish-Men too.

As the crowd buzzed with anticipation, Buggy turned to Shirahoshi, who was glowing with excitement. "Shirahoshi, how has it been going with the Sea Kings? Are they ready to help us?"

Shirahoshi perked up at his question, pressing a finger to her chin as she thought. "Well… they told me that even though the agreed time hasn't technically arrived, they're still willing to help us. Moving Noah to the Crimson Empire won't be a problem for them. But they did mention they don't like to stay in one place for too long, so it's hard to know exactly what their plans are."

"Hmm, is that so?" Buggy nodded, deep in thought.

"Could it be because of that whole Joy Boy promise to fishmen island from back then?" Buggy wondered, piecing together the ancient tales. "Have these massive Sea Kings been around for eight or nine hundred years, maybe even longer?"

As he looked up toward the sky above Fish-Man Island, just beyond the dense mangrove trees of Yarukiman, Buggy noticed several Sea Kings lurking, their massive eyes peering down at the Fish-Men with a mix of curiosity and reverence. The Sea Kings had no idea their conversation was audible to Buggy.

"Hey, do you think that human could be Joy Boy?"

"Impossible! Isn't it still over a year before the time we agreed upon?"

"Maybe it's not supposed to be that precise."

"Who knows? If he can take all the Fish-Men away from Fish-Man Island, maybe we should help him out, just this once."

"Wait...is he looking at us? Could he be listening in?"

"Don't be ridiculous! We're Sea Kings; no human can overhear us! Only Poisedon can understand us."

Buggy couldn't help but smirk at the irony. He glanced over at Shirahoshi beside him, noticing her puzzled expression. It was clear she hadn't heard anything. Buggy recalled from his memories that Shirahoshi could only communicate with the Sea Kings underwater.

After a moment's thought, Buggy gently patted Shirahoshi's arm. "Shirahoshi, could you take me over to the Yarukiman Mangrove? There's something I want to check out."

"Huh? Sure!" Shirahoshi agreed, though visibly confused by Buggy's request. She swiftly began to move, aided by a bubble ring surrounding her midsection, and propelled herself through the water with a gentle swing of her tail.

Neptune and the others were baffled by the situation, but there was no time for hesitation. As the king of Fish-Man Island, Neptune knew he had a responsibility to calm his people and explain the purpose of their relocation. With the reassuring presence of Neptune and the three princes, the previously anxious Fish-Men began to settle down, their eyes fixed on the horizon in quiet anticipation. They had heard that Neptune intended to bring Noah along with them, and many had already stored their belongings on board.

As they entered the sea, Buggy sat in Shirahoshi's hands, encased in a protective bubble, while she swam swiftly toward the immense, dark silhouette of the Yarukiman Mangrove.

"Hey, look! Poseidon and that human are coming our way!" murmured one Sea King.

"Something about their relationship doesn't seem quite right, does it?" whispered another.

"Of course not! Poseidon said she can only control her powers with his help!" a third commented, impressed.

"Quite the remarkable human."

"He's so small—Poseidon has to hold him in her hand!"

"Ha! So tiny he needs to be carried like a child!"

Buggy's mouth twitched with irritation as he sat in Shirahoshi's grasp, listening to the massive Sea Kings' jabs. Their comments were getting under his skin. Insulting him was one thing, but implying he was small was going too far!

"Hey!" he shouted in their direction. "I can hear you, you giant voyeurs! Stop hiding behind the mangrove and muttering insults! Give me some respect!"

Buggy looked up and glared fiercely at the dark silhouette behind the red tree. "Come out! If you have the guts to speak ill of me, then you should have the guts to face me!"

His words stunned not only the giant Sea Kings lurking behind the red tree but also Shirahoshi, who gazed down at Buggy with wide eyes. "Mister Buggy, can you hear them talking? I didn't catch everything just now; I only vaguely sensed someone speaking behind me. But if you heard them, it must have been them."

Upon hearing this, Buggy quickly realized that Poseidon's powers might still be maturing. However, he wasn't overly concerned. With enough training, Shirahoshi would soon be able to control her powers effectively, just as she had once mastered her observation of Haki.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed through the air.

Gululu! Clatter!

After the initial shock, the gigantic Sea Kings emerged from behind the Yarukiman Mangrove, their eyes glowing eerily in the dark. Each pair of blazing orbs fixed intently on Buggy. These colossal beings towered over him, each measuring more than ten kilometers in length, with the largest reaching staggering proportions!

They were immense and formidable, dwarfing even the island whales like Laboon.

At that moment, the enormous Sea Kings hovered above Buggy and Shirahoshi, casting a powerful aura that instilled a sense of oppression. The atmosphere was thick with an unsettling déjà vu.

"Humans, did you call us out?" one of the Sea Kings boomed.

"Can you hear us? That's incredible!" another exclaimed.

"You seem to be the second human to hear our voices, and you share such a close bond with Poseidon."

The giant Sea Kings emitted sound waves that resonated around them. Shirahoshi looked up in astonishment. "Hey, what are you all talking about? Can Lord Buggy hear you too?"

Several of the giant Sea Kings nodded in response.

"You truly are remarkable! It took Shirahoshi a long time to achieve this."

Shirahoshi glanced down at Buggy, her adorable face filled with respect. After playfully pinching her soft, white cheek, Buggy turned his attention back to the Sea Kings. "If you agree to let Shirahoshi pull Noah out of the deep sea, then please escort him around Fishmen Island. It would save a lot of trouble. After all, you wouldn't want Fishmen Island to be swallowed by some unknown giant Sea Kings, would you?"

The giant Sea Kings exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

"He's someone who can talk to us, Sea Kings!"

"Yes, that's true!"

"For Lord Poseidon's sake, we should help him."

"Let's do it!"

A few of the colossal Sea Kings began to chime in, biting into Noah's massive chains as they swam out around Fishmen Island.

Seeing this, Buggy smiled with satisfaction. It would have been troublesome if a master lanternfish, like the one from the movie in his past life, had shown up.

"Hey, where did they go?" Shirahoshi asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Take me to the Yarukiman Mangrove first, and we can catch up with them later," Buggy said, giving her hand a gentle clap.

"Okay," Shirahoshi replied eagerly, picking up speed as she swam toward the edge of the Yarukiman Mangrove.

Once they reached the shore, Buggy left her palm and pressed his hand against the trunk of the Mangrove tree. In the next moment, a cyan light emanated from his body, creating ripples that spread outward. The few giant Sea Kings who hadn't swum far paused to look back at Buggy.

"It seems there's a strong wave of life coming from that human!"

"What is he doing?"

"I have no idea!"

"Who knows?"

The giant Sea Kings floated nearby, turning their heads to stare at Buggy. With his heightened senses, Buggy could feel their gaze upon him. However, with Shirahoshi by his side, he had no intention of causing any damage to the Yarukiman Mangrove; he felt no need to worry.

As the power of the Mori Mori no Mi flowed into the Mangrove tree, Buggy began to gain a deeper understanding of its unique properties.

At the same time, he drew a significant amount of vitality from the Mangroves and integrated it into his body, which immediately enriched his dense fruit powers. Before arriving at Fishmen Island, Buggy had taken the opportunity to visit the Sabaody Archipelago and sense the Straw Hats' ship, the Thousand Sunny. More specifically, he aimed to perceive the structure of the Adam Treasure Tree.

Combining this with his previous understanding of various magical plants from the Boin Islands, Buggy felt a renewed confidence in the potential awakening of the Mori Mori no Mi. After returning, he hoped to have a meeting on Onigashima to explore the possibility of cultivating the Adam Treasure Tree.

As for the Yarukiman Mangroves, he didn't foresee any major issues. Growing such immense trees would likely require awakening the fruit's powers. Although he had yet to awaken himself, he sensed he could draw some vitality from the two largest Yarukiman Mangroves in the world—Adam and Eve.

The potential rewards were tremendous. The next step was to digest this vitality and learn to control it, bringing him closer to awakening the Mori Mori no Mi.

Buggy's awakening path is entirely different from that of Green Bull. That guy evolved his fruit ability by constantly extracting vitality from others and accumulating energy. In the end, he transformed into a monster who nearly lost all human functions. Even his diet no longer aligned with his appetite, and it wasn't out of the question for him to become a completely different creature.

Buggy could have taken that route if he wanted to! After the Wano War concludes, he could drain the vitality from hundreds of thousands of enemy troops, followed by the cadres of the Beasts Pirates. With such an immense amount of energy, combined with his own, he should be able to elevate the Mori Mori no Mi to the level of awakening, much like Green Bull.

However, from Buggy's perspective, Green Bull's level of awakening is simply too weak! The tree grown from the Mori Mori no Mi may be large and formidable, but it is cumbersome. Elementalized, he was easily pushed back to his base form by a long-range Conqueror's Haki from Red-Haired Shanks—an indication that he was stretched to his limits!

The true awakening of the Mori Mori no Mi should be divided into two modes: a battle mode, referred to as the "Sage Battle Form," and a planting mode, known as the "Yamato Farming Mode." These represent two distinct ways for Buggy to utilize the Mori Mori no Mi after awakening.

Currently, most of the plants are still used for farming, specifically for food production and the cultivation of various melons and fruits. Buggy has also planted a variety of magical plants on the Boing Islands, including some that only existed in the games or movies he had seen in his previous life. If he can awaken the Mori Mori no Mi, Buggy even dreams of planting all of the Boing Islands!

After a successful harvest, Buggy and Shirahoshi returned to Fishmen Island. As soon as they arrived, Buggy's transponder snail rang, and Crocodile's excited voice came through the receiver: "Captain! Zephyr mentioned that he seems to be bringing the NEO Marine to join our Crimson Empire! He asked me to contact you and wait for you to return so he can discuss it with you in detail. Do you think there's any deception in this? Could it be a Marine conspiracy?"

Finding the situation amusing, Buggy smiled, shook his head, and replied, "Zephyr can't collaborate with the Marines anymore. I'll head back immediately."

With that, he opened a space door and appeared in the third-floor office of Thriller Bark. At that moment, the Thriller Bark was docked on the edge of Onigashima. Standing by the window, Buggy smiled as he watched Zephyr and his students approach, led by Crocodile.

Looking out at Onigashima in the distance, Buggy contemplated that if he wanted to plant trees here in the future, the current reef island would still be too small. Once Fishmen Island is brought over, he plans to ask Gabban to relocate some smaller islands to expand the front of Onigashima several times over, which will be much more conducive to the grand ideas brewing in Buggy's mind.

At the same time, at Naval Headquarters in the meeting room, the highest-ranking officers of the Marines gathered for a crucial discussion. Headed by Marshal Akainu, the attendees included Admiral Kizaru, Aokiji, Fujitora, Vice Admiral Garp, Crane, Smoker, Strawberry, Doberman, and several other Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals.

"Sengoku, you mentioned that the SWORD team sent you important information. Now that everyone from headquarters is here, you can go ahead and share it," Akainu said.

Swish!

Everyone turned their heads almost in unison to look at Sengoku, who stood by the window of the conference room, dressed in a blue shirt and beach pants, his white hair contrasting with his serious expression. He turned to face the group and slowly spoke, "SWORD has reported that the NEO Marine made significant movements two days ago; all their members left the base. They landed in Wanokuni half a day ago—now referred to as the Crimson Empire. However, the anticipated battle did not occur there. As of now, we are unable to enter the Crimson Empire to investigate, and the situation remains unclear. What are your thoughts on this?"

As Sengoku's words hung in the air, the conference hall erupted into a cacophony of murmurs, only to be followed by a heavy silence. Everyone understood the implications. The absence of conflict likely indicated that their former Admiral, Black Arm Zephyr, had very likely allied himself with the Crimson Empire. But can they truly blame him?

---

Enjoyed the chapter?

You can read 40 chapters ahead and get exclusive access to more content on ✨P*treon.c*m/Marioni