Foosha Village, Makino's little tavern.
The moment Buggy entered, everyone drinking in the tavern looked at him and laughed. Some called out:
"Buggy, you got another fresh scar on your face!"
Buggy did not answer. He merely walked awkwardly to the counter and sat down, then straightened up his filthy, disheveled appearance.
The proprietress, Makino, naturally brought this regular customer a large mug of beer and said with a smile:
"Did Vice Admiral Garp beat you up again?"
Buggy's face immediately turned red, veins bulging across his forehead.
"We were training. Training doesn't count as getting beaten up!"
"Does anything involving the Marines count as getting beaten up?"
Yet the fresh bruises and swelling on his face still drew laughter from everyone. The tavern, inside and out, was filled with cheerful air.
Ever since Buggy had accepted recruitment and joined the Marines, he had remained at Garp's side.
Because of Vice Admiral Garp's extended vacation, Buggy—the "righteous man who had surrendered," a recent key figure in World Government propaganda, already a household name throughout the Grand Line, and personally awarded the rank of Headquarters Colonel by Fleet Admiral Sengoku—had in fact never even set foot in the Grand Line.
During this time, Buggy had been accompanying Garp in an idle country life in Foosha Village.
Of course, that country life was not relaxing in the slightest for Buggy.
While training his grandson Luffy, Garp had conveniently enrolled Buggy, his little follower whose strength was utterly disproportionate to his reputation, into his private training class as well.
As a result, Buggy and Luffy got beaten black and blue by Garp every day.
"Ah..."
Buggy lifted his glass, took a huge gulp of beer, and sighed deeply.
"When will that old man Garp's vacation finally end?!"
"Ha ha ha!"
A hearty laugh