"Nanananana... Nani!!!"
"Pirate King??? Me!?!"
Hearing Austin's words, Buggy's first reaction was that he was joking. With his mouth hanging wide open, he laughed ridiculously.
"Hahahaha, don't joke around, Austin!"
But as he laughed, Buggy's smile gradually stiffened before disappearing.
Because he noticed that Austin was merely looking at him quietly, his expression calm yet carrying an inexplicable seriousness.
"I'm not joking, Buggy."
Austin silently poured himself another glass and swirled the orange juice, which looked remarkably fresh.
He watched the ripples spreading across the surface of the juice.
"Anyone can become the Pirate King. Why can't it be you? Captain Roger never seemed to have said that Shanks had to be the one to claim the Great Treasure."
"..."
Hearing those words and seeing Austin's serious expression, Mihawk's face grew solemn as he wondered what he was thinking.
Meanwhile, Buggy's underlings were all staring at Austin and their captain with their blood boiling, looking both excited and afraid to make a sound. The sight was utterly comical.
If they had dared, they would have answered for Captain Buggy right then and there.
Hey, hey, hey!!!
That was the Great Treasure!!!
One Piece!!!
Roger's treasure, said to contain everything in the world!!!
With Black Emperor Austin backing him, becoming Pirate King wasn't some unreachable dream, was it?!
But Buggy merely stared blankly at Austin.
Honestly, having long grown accustomed to being a minor pirate, Buggy found Austin's sudden words unreal.
Did he, Buggy, truly have the right?
It wasn't that he didn't believe Austin.
It was simply that Buggy had yet to experience the major turning points that would reshape his life. He was still immature.
In the Original Work, the Buggy who had shouted, "Won't your lives cry out?" had drifted through the Grand Line, gained immense fame and