Clown Joins the Marines

As the Marine soldiers were intensely discussing Garen's strength, a clerk rushed over to Garp with a stack of wanted posters, snapping to attention and giving a crisp salute:

"Rear Admiral Garp!"

"After comparing the records, we've confirmed that the knight is not a registered pirate!"

"The only wanted pirate present is Buggy the Clown, with a bounty of 15 million Beli!"

"Exactly!"

Garen looked at Garp with an innocent expression and said:

"I told you, I'm here to catch pirates."

"That red-nosed guy over there is the pirate you should be dealing with!"

"That's right!"

Nami, recovering from the shock of being captured by the Marine hero, also put on a masterful display of acting, portraying an innocent young woman in front of the Marines:

"We were victims of a pirate attack."

"How can the Marines just arrest people randomly?"

As she spoke, Nami's crystal-clear, light-orange eyes welled up with glistening tears, stirring feelings of sympathy and guilt in the hearts of many weak-willed Marine soldiers.

But Garp wasn't buying Nami's act at all; he just scrutinized Buggy the Clown even more intently.

Garp stared at Buggy for a long time, before finally speaking:

"Buggy the Clown?"

"I thought you looked familiar at first, with that conspicuous red nose..."

"Hahaha..."

Buggy waved his hands frantically, forcing a stiff, dry laugh as he tried to explain, "This nose is actually very common, very common..."

"So it is you, isn't it?"

Garp suddenly stood up from his deck chair, like an angular iron tower rising from the ground:

"That red-nosed brat who was with Roger back then?"

"Ah?"

"Who's Roger?"

Buggy continued to play dumb, but cold sweat streamed down his forehead like a waterfall.

Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent.

Apart from Garen, who already knew, the Marine soldiers, Marine Headquarters officers, reporter Wallace, and Cat Burglar Nami all focused their attention on Buggy.

Even Cabaji and Mohji, who had followed Buggy in East Blue for many years, were now looking at their captain as if he were an alien.

The name Roger usually only refers to one person.

Especially when the Marine hero Garp said that name.

"Gol D. Roger."

Garp finally spoke the name clearly, looking at Buggy as he said:

"I haven't forgotten, you were an apprentice crew member with Shanks on Roger's ship!"

Buggy remained silent.

These words immediately caused a huge uproar.

"That red-nosed guy was a member of the Pirate King's crew?"

The jaws of the Marine soldiers dropped in shock.

"Our captain was a member of the Pirate King's crew?!"

Cabaji and Mohji were also so shocked that their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Shanks?"

Wallace, having caught wind of a super-sensational news story, immediately began analyzing this explosive news material:

"Is that Red Hair Shanks, one of the Four Emperors?"

Wallace's gaze towards Buggy suddenly became fervent:

"Buggy the Clown was a member of the Pirate King's crew, and a close friend of Red Hair, one of the Four Emperors?"

"What terrifying dark plan is he hiding in East Blue under an assumed name?"

"Wait..."

Wallace suddenly discovered another news bombshell:

"Sir Garen..."

"He easily subdued Buggy the Clown earlier!"

"What?"

The Marine soldiers beside Wallace, who had just been pontificating about the situation, suddenly became excited:

"That man actually defeated a close friend of a Yonko with ease?"

"It seems my previous judgment was wrong!"

The analyst who had previously assessed Garen's strength as "Rear Admiral" immediately said in a deep voice:

"To be able to defeat a crew member of the Pirate King and a close friend of Red Hair Shanks, that knight probably has the strength of a Yonko in the New World!"

"Nonsense!"

Another analysis expert retorted fiercely:

"If he had the strength of a Yonko, how could he have been captured by Garp-sama?"

"In my opinion, he's at most at the level of a Yonko's first mate."

"No."

Analyst number three's eyes flashed with a light of wisdom:

"That man isn't a pirate; he probably just didn't want to cause any trouble, which is why he didn't attack Vice Admiral Garp."

"You're saying..."

Several Marine soldiers participating in the discussion gasped: "He could actually rival Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Vice Admiral Garp is on par with Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

An analysis expert came to a shocking conclusion:

"So it seems..."

"That nameless knight must have the strength of a Marine Headquarters Admiral!"

"Hmm..."

Wallace's pen, which had been enthusiastically recording news material, came to an abrupt halt.

Even he, who was single-mindedly trying to break a big story, felt that such a conclusion was too far-fetched.

Meanwhile, Buggy, the other focus of the news, finally reacted:

"That's right..."

Buggy the Clown forced a look of fortitude, but his legs couldn't help but tremble slightly:

"I am indeed a crew member of the Pirate King..."

It was supposed to be a very imposing statement, but coming from Buggy's mouth, it seemed extremely pale and weak.

"Hahaha!"

Garp laughed gleefully: "As expected, it's you!"

As he laughed, Garp's gaze towards Buggy became increasingly strange...

"What do you want?"

Buggy said with a hint of panic:

"I may have that kind of background, but my bounty is only 15 million Beli!"

"Are you going to kill me?"

As he said this, Buggy's body trembled even more.

He had originally planned to spend two years in prison before finding a chance to escape, but he didn't expect to have his important background as a Pirate King's crew member exposed by his old acquaintance Garp.

Buggy had suddenly transformed from an insignificant East Blue small fry into a remnant of the most heinous criminal, someone that every Marine needed to take seriously.

"Hmm..."

Garp pondered in silence for a moment, then suddenly revealed a hearty smile:

"Buggy! Come and join the Marines!"

"No, don't kill me!"

Buggy shouted in alarm.

"Huh?"

Buggy suddenly reacted: "What did you say?"

Everyone else present was shocked by the earth-shattering proposal Garp had made.

Even Garen, who had maintained a calm demeanor because he thought he knew the plot, was stunned by this divine turn of events.

"Come and join the Marines!"

"Just stay by my side!"

Garp slowly walked up to Buggy and, taking advantage of his height, looked down at Buggy, whose face was full of panic and surprise:

"That Red Hair brat encouraged my grandson to become a pirate."

"Wouldn't it be interesting if I had his old friend become a Marine?"

"Th-This, how could this be?"

Buggy, however, inexplicably felt a surge of Courage and refused without hesitation, "I am a crew member of Captain Roger; how could I possibly betray him and join the Marines' ranks?!"

He was, after all, a crew member of the Pirate King. If he switched allegiances and became Garp's lackey, how could he face Captain Roger's spirit in heaven?

However, what Buggy didn't know was...

His Captain Roger's own son was being raised as Garp's grandson.

"Is that so?"

Garp stroked his graying beard, looking troubled, "Then I really have no choice."

"A crew member of the Pirate King, once captured, will definitely be executed!"

"Ah?"

The determination on Buggy the Clown's face quietly faded.

Garp glanced at Cabaji and Mohji beside him, "Moreover..."

"Your two subordinates are probably not going to escape either."

Cabaji and Mohji exchanged a difficult look, their expressions both very ugly.

"Almost forgot..."

Garp added, "That lion is included as well."

"Roar?!"

The lion Richie trembled under Garp's gaze.

A moment later...

Cabaji's expression hardened, and he bowed his head in worship, "Lord Garp!"

"Actually... I have always had a heart for justice, but I went astray in my youth!"

"Every day spent on the pirate ship, I was tormented by my conscience, it was truly a living hell!"

"Yes!"

Mohji also said with tears in his eyes, "Back then, it was because I had no way to serve my country that I mistakenly embarked on the path of piracy!"

Mohji imitated Cabaji's appearance, kneeling and crying bitterly, "Rear Admiral Garp, I want to be a Marine!"

"Roar, roar, roar!"

The lion Richie also tried to put on a righteous appearance.

Garp nodded in satisfaction and turned his scrutinizing gaze to the real protagonist, Buggy the Clown.

"You guys..."

Buggy's face flickered between light and dark.

His whole body was trembling violently, seemingly feeling immense anger at the betrayal of his two subordinates.

That abyss-like, sea-like terrifying emotion brewed and fermented within Buggy's body, finally erupting after a brief silence:

"Bastards!"

Buggy glared at his two subordinates, roaring with extreme indignation, "Is that what you all think?!"

Cabaji and Mohji were so frightened that they shivered in unison, and they buried their heads even deeper.

"Why didn't you say so sooner!"

Buggy's face revealed a look of remorseful excitement, and he cried out in anguish, "It's because I couldn't bear to leave you old subordinates that I haven't abandoned darkness and turned to the light!"