At night, the banquet began as scheduled.
In the shelter's central square, bonfires lit up the night. The air was filled with the aroma of grilled meat as Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and the others wolfed down meat and drank wine, celebrating with the townspeople.
Even little Chouchou had a piece of meat in his mouth as he chased and played with the children.
After the banquet began, Can Yue slipped away while no one was paying attention and headed to a nearby hilltop. He sipped his wine and occasionally looked down at the crowd below.
Not bad. This was quite nice.
Before crossing over, Can Yue had lived in troubled times and had never personally experienced such a harmonious scene.
Just then, a lifeless figure crashed down beside Can Yue.
Looking closely, it turned out to be Black-Nosed Clown, one of the pair who had tried to rape Pig Butcher's wife.
"I already know what he did, so I executed him."
Clown Buggy's voice slowly rang out.
"Mind if I have a sip of your wine?" Buggy asked Can Yue as he reached for his flask.
Can Yue frowned and slapped Buggy's hand away. "Of course I mind!"
"Kyahaha, you really are something. Pirates are supposed to be easygoing. Just like back on Captain Roger's Oro Jackson."
As he said that, Buggy's expression turned somewhat dazed.
How should this scene be described? If Can Yue were reminiscing beneath the moonlight, he would definitely look cool as hell. But Buggy, with that vacant smile in his eyes, looked more like a creepy pervert.
"A person can't stay bound by the past forever," Can Yue said as he looked at the slightly dazed Buggy.
"Yeah, I get it. If I hadn't met you, I might never have gotten over it. Thanks."
"Mm. What's your next move?"
Buggy froze for a moment, then pointed at the townspeople below. "I'm going to apologize to them!" Then he snatched Can Yue's flask, took a huge gulp, and threw it to the ground. Ignoring Can Yue's face, which had gone black as charcoal, he leaped straight down.
"I'll kill you, Buggy!" Can Yue slashed apart the flask Buggy had defiled, then nearly swung his sword to give Buggy an Azure Dragon Break. In the end, he merely let out a long sigh and stopped.
"Next time we fight, I'll chop you into pieces!"
Below, Luffy ate meat and made funny faces while curious townspeople pulled on his body as though he were a rubber band.
Nami also displayed her terrifying drinking capacity, making the townspeople cry out that she was a true heroine among women.
Zoro was still the same as ever, drinking wildly and drinking man after man under the table.
Just then, laughter rang out.
"Kyahaha, everyone's having fun. Mind if I join in?"
Clown Buggy's voice reached everyone's ears.
The festive scene gradually fell silent.
Zoro had already drawn his sword, while Luffy stood upright. The two stared fixedly at Clown Buggy.
Nami's face was full of fear, but she forced herself to speak to Buggy. "What are you trying to do? Can Yue is nearby. Aren't you afraid he'll kill you?"
Buggy landed on the ground and lightly waved both hands, signaling the three to calm down.
"You three, don't be afraid. Look at the townspeople's reactions."
The three were puzzled, and then they heard the Mayor's voice.
"Buggy, you can eat, but remember to write an IOU."
"Yeah, and add an IOU for the compensation for all the damage you've caused to the town lately."
"And your lackeys scared us when they caused trouble. You need to compensate us for that too."
Buggy's lips curled upward, and he suddenly burst into laughter. "Kyahaha, no problem! Whatever else needs compensation, tell me all of it. I'll write IOUs for everything!"
The townspeople did not seem to doubt Buggy at all and simply replied, "Come have a drink."
"Coming, coming."
Everyone chimed in one after another, leaving Luffy and the other two completely at a loss.
What was going on? They were this familiar? The townspeople weren't afraid of Buggy at all?
Only Can Yue, standing high above, did not find it strange. Pig Butcher had mentioned Buggy before. This guy really was easy to talk to.
Or rather, as expected of Roger's crewman.
Naturally, Buggy joined the frenzy of the banquet.
After several rounds of drinks, Buggy, who seemed to have drunk too much and was feeling dizzy, suddenly climbed onto a rooftop. Swaying unsteadily, he shouted at the still-celebrating townspeople below.
"I, Buggy, am sorry!"
Because Buggy's voice was so loud, the lively banquet slowly quieted down. Everyone wanted to hear what Buggy intended to say.
"I'm a crewman of the Pirate King, but I'm too much of a coward. I never had the confidence to become an emperor and rule the New World like Shanks. If I failed to make a name for myself, I'd disgrace the captain. I couldn't let Captain Roger lose face, so I hid in the weakest East Blue, hiding away in Captain Roger's hometown."
"Burp." Buggy let out a drunken belch and continued.
"I'm a pirate. If I don't seize territory, then I'm no pirate. That's why I occupied Orange Town. I used to comfort myself by saying that although I took your town, I would protect you too. As long as I was here, those pirates who burned, killed, and pillaged wouldn't get to come in and hurt you."
"Kyahaha, but damn it, that was just an excuse for my cowardice."
"Mayor, Pig Butcher, and all the townspeople, I, Buggy, am sorry. I've caused you trouble all these years."
With that, Buggy bowed to all the townspeople.
The townspeople looked at Buggy with disdain, all complaining that his alcohol tolerance was truly terrible and asking what nonsense he was babbling about.
But Buggy ignored their mockery and continued speaking.
"I'll definitely compensate the town for its losses. I have money in my warehouse, and I'll go get it for you now. Once I settle the bill, I'm setting sail!"
"From now on, Orange Town will be under the protection of me, Buggy-sama, the future next of the Four Emperors. No pirate will ever dare offend this place. You can live boldly and without worry from now on. Kyahahahaha!"
Buggy staggered toward the warehouse at his base. He had probably really drunk too much, because he did not realize that his so-called money no longer belonged to him. It was all with Nami.
Buggy's speech got Luffy completely fired up.
"Wow, Buggy was actually a crewman of the Pirate King! He even knows Shanks!"
"And he doesn't seem like such a bad guy."
Zoro did not respond to Luffy. After taking a drink, he turned to Nami.
"Looks like Buggy still doesn't know you stole his money. What are you going to do?"
Nami thought about how Can Yue had their backs, then forced herself to gather her courage and put her hands on her hips.
"My profession is being a thief who specializes in stealing pirates' money. So stealing pirates' money is my actual job. That means this huge bag of treasure is money I earned from my work. It's my salary. Completely reasonable, perfectly legal income. I'm definitely not giving it back."
Luffy and Zoro were still considering Nami's words. At first, they sounded quite reasonable, but something felt off.
Can Yue had already come over to them and settled the matter with a single sentence.
"This is the commission Nami paid us. It has nothing to do with Buggy."
Luffy smacked his forehead and cried out that he was right, then shouted.
"Shishishi, then, brothers, before Buggy finds out what really happened, let's set sail!"
"Agreed!" Nami was the one who answered. She was still a little worried about Buggy's retaliation.
Can Yue naturally felt there was no need to avoid Buggy. If Buggy dared cause trouble, he could naturally rob Buggy again.
Thinking about it from another angle, this reason for setting sail was rather interesting, so he did not object.
And so, the four turned down the townspeople's pleas for them to stay, ran to the shore, casually stole a Buggy Pirates sailboat, and set sail into the night.
Before you continue