Chapter 518: The Comic Relief
On the following day, around noon, a pirate ship found itself adrift on the sea surface, positioned roughly fifty nautical miles from the Impel Down prison.
However, once the pirate ship arrived here, it dared not proceed any further.
Because not far ahead of them, an immensely huge Sea King emerged from the water. Its head rose high, almost touching the clouds as it leaped. With a fierce and eerie countenance, along with sharp teeth, the people on the pirate ship were trembling in fear.
After the Sea King plunged back into the sea with a thud, the anxious voices on the pirate ship could be heard saying, “We’ve all…all come here. Is there really no other way? Sister Alvida…”
Then, a charming female voice responded, “Don’t count on me! You insisted on coming here, and you even spent a fortune on an Eternal Pose. Are you really that loaded!?”
Indeed, the red-nosed skull flag fluttering on the mast revealed that this was none other than Buggy’s pirate crew, the Big Top. On the ship were two officers of the Buggy Pirates, the Beast Tamer Mohji, and the Chief of Staff Cabaji, along with the foolish lion Richie.
Standing before Mohji and Cabaji was a tall, black-haired beauty. However, the weapon she held in her hands didn’t match her appearance at all—it was a thick wolf’s fang club.
This beautiful woman was Alvida, who, after eating the Slip-Slip Fruit, transformed from a plump girl into a stunning beauty.
Upon hearing Alvida’s words, Cabaji and Mohji, along with Richie the lion, couldn’t help but wipe their tears and said, “But… but we have to rescue Captain Buggy, who’s been imprisoned in Impel Down!”
“Hmph!” Alvida hoisted the wolf’s fang club onto her shoulder, sneering, “Open your eyes wide and look. This is the Calm Belt, the nesting ground for monsters and Sea Kings. Do you think this pirate ship can withstand the turmoil? You can’t reach Impel Down this way… Even if there were other routes, those are Navy-designated sea currents. The ‘Gate of Justice’ won’t open to pirates. Impel Down is the world’s largest prison, impervious to intrusion or escape. It’s time to give up!”
“No, Captain Buggy won’t die in Impel Down!” The two men and the lion fell to their knees, tears streaming down as they pleaded, “We will follow Captain Buggy forever until he fulfills his dream, the day he finds Captain John’s treasure…”
“Suit yourselves!” Alvida turned and walked away, disinterested in witnessing their pitiful state. She said, “This ship is mine now. Row your own small boat to Impel Down and rescue him!”
“What!?” Cabaji and the others looked up in surprise. “But this ship belongs to Captain Buggy!”
“He’s not here, is he?” Alvida retorted, “Giving you the ship would be a waste. I won’t go to my death in vain. So, row your small boat. However, I doubt you’ll even catch a glimpse of Impel Down before meeting your end.”
Upon hearing this, Cabaji, Mohji, and Richie immediately knelt at the ship’s side, facing the open sea, tears streaming down as they cried out, “Captain Buggy… thank you for your care over the years. We’ll never forget your great kindness. Farewell! Safe travels!”
“…” Alvida silently watched these fools, surprised at how quickly they turned their backs.
After what seemed like a farewell, Cabaji and Mohji felt a bit better psychologically and began chatting with laughter.
“That female Navy officer who captured Captain Buggy was really pretty!” Mohji recalled with a dreamy expression, “It was the first time I saw such a beautiful woman in the Navy…”
“Yeah!” Cabaji nodded in agreement, adding, “Her name was something like Guina. Thinking about it, she was quite formidable. Captain Buggy took a punch to the face from her, and he went flying. I bet his nose is even redder and bigger now…”
Before the two could finish their exchange, a wolf’s fang club came down with a resonant “Duang,” creating a hole in the deck. Alvida glared at them, her expression dark. “Who were you just saying is beautiful?”
Cabaji and Mohji simultaneously swallowed nervously, wisely replying, “Of course, Sister Alvida, you’re the most beautiful!”
Alvida gave them a satisfied look, nodded, straightened up, and hoisted the wolf’s fang club back onto her shoulder.
However, in that moment of straightening up, she seemed to notice something, making her freeze on the spot.
“What’s wrong, big sis?” Mohji asked curiously.
“There… seems to be a warship!” Alvida pointed at the sea ahead.
The members of Buggy’s pirate crew followed Alvida’s direction and looked in the distance. Sure enough, amidst the mist, a Navy warship was faintly visible, sailing towards them.
“That should be heading to Impel Down, right?” Alvida speculated. “A ship escorting prisoners?”
“At this distance, they won’t attack us, will they?” Cabaji expressed some concern.
“Don’t worry!” Mohji reassured, “We’re leaving here soon anyway, and they can’t catch up with us!”
“Haha, that’s right!” The members of Buggy’s pirate crew burst into laughter.
However, just as they were enjoying the moment, suddenly, a voice came from above, saying, “What the heck! It’s really you guys!”
Cabaji and Mohji instantly froze. What the heck!? This voice… why does it sound so familiar!?
So, the two looked up and saw Ian, with wings of flames, hovering in mid-air!
“Wow!!!”
Mohji and Cabaji were scared stiff, and along with the lion Richie, they crawled and rolled along the deck, seeking cover behind a pile of barrels.
The rest of Buggy’s pirate crew couldn’t bear it either. After getting a clear look at Ian’s appearance, some were so frightened that they jumped into the sea…
Ian’s appearance was like a big shark suddenly diving into a school of sardines, causing the entire Buggy’s pirate crew to scatter in panic.
“Hey, am I that terrifying!?” Ian landed on the deck of the Big Top, feeling somewhat depressed. He hadn’t expected such a huge reaction from these guys.
Only Alvida, who hadn’t seen Ian before, found the reaction of Buggy’s crew strange. Turning to Mohji, who was hiding behind a barrel, she asked, “Who is he? Why are you all so afraid of him?”
Mohji stammered, “I-Ian! He’s the Shichibukai Ian, the Black Dragon!”
This revelation left even Alvida visibly shaken. Gripping her wolf’s fang club, she shouted nervously at Ian, “W-what do you want? Don’t come any closer!”
However, Ian paid no attention to them. Instead, he looked around and asked with curiosity, “Huh? Where’s Buggy? Doesn’t he want to greet an old friend?”
Speaking of it, Buggy and Ian were indeed old friends. Ian’s first substantial loot when he set sail came from Buggy. That’s why, back on the warship, Ian had spotted Buggy’s pirate flag through the telescope, prompting him to fly over.
No one answered Ian’s question, not even Alvida, who had joined Mohji and the others in hiding. Seeing this, Ian had to take matters into his own hands and physically drag Cabaji out.
“C… Captain B-Buggy, he’s been captured by the Navy!” Cabaji hastily explained. “He’s currently held in Impel Down…”
Hearing this, Ian slapped his forehead, recalling the commendation order he had seen back at the Marine Headquarters, praising Kuina’s promotion to the rank of Commander for capturing several notorious pirates. Among those captured was Buggy. Ian had momentarily forgotten about this.
“So, what are you doing here?” Ian curiously asked, “Do you want to rescue your captain, Buggy?”
Cabaji and Mohji exchanged glances and reluctantly nodded, “Y-yes!”
As luck would have it, they had actually given up on rescuing Buggy just a moment ago. However, now, in front of Ian, they found themselves forced to use it as an excuse…
But in the next moment, Ian uttered words that made them regret their decision.
“I see! In that case, come with me. We’re heading to Impel Down to rescue someone. With an extra pair of hands, we’ll have more manpower!”
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