Bring the Ship Alongside!

The next day.

Once the ship was underway, Nami asked as she steered, "By the way, Will, where are you planning to sail?"

Will sat nearby, watching the waves roll past the window. "Anywhere is fine."

"Right now, I just want to find some strong opponents to fight."

"Let's go wherever you think we can find someone powerful."

A thoughtful look flickered in Nami's eyes.

After a moment's consideration, she suggested, "I know a place nearby—a port town that was apparently taken over by a pirate crew recently."

"Rumor has it that the captain of that crew has some kind of unusual ability."

"Maybe he's a Devil Fruit User."

That was why she said it.

She hoped it would catch Will's interest and convince him to go there.

Nearby, Carina was carefully examining the intelligence reports they had found in the Captain's Room.

When she heard Nami's suggestion, combined with what she already knew, Carina immediately realized which place Nami meant. Her gaze shifted toward her.

But she didn't say anything. She simply looked at Nami meaningfully, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Will, for his part, paid none of this any mind. He picked up the sherry on the table beside him, took a few sips, and said with interest, "Hmm? Another Devil Fruit User?"

"Sure, let's go there."

"I hope this guy you mentioned is strong enough to satisfy me."

"Yes, Captain," Nami replied with a smile and a nod. She turned back to the helm, steering carefully, though her gaze wandered uncertainly.

The next morning.

After enjoying a hearty breakfast prepared by Carina and Nami,

the three continued sailing for a while, until at last they spotted a harbor along the coast.

"We're finally here. Bring the ship alongside!"

Watching the island draw closer, Will's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He turned to Nami, who was at the helm, and spoke.

"Yes, Captain," Nami replied with a smile.

Once the ship was moored at the harbor,

Will lowered the gangplank and was the first to stride down, setting foot in the port town.

Nami and Carina followed him ashore.

Looking at the unusually quiet town and the deserted street before them,

Will frowned slightly, then turned to look at another ship moored nearby—a pirate vessel with a strikingly distinctive appearance.

The ship was quite large.

A pirate flag bearing a skull with a red clown nose fluttered above it.

Its overall style resembled a circus at sea, making it seem especially strange and dangerous.

The three stood there, silently observing for a while.

Then Carina turned in confusion and asked, "Where did everyone in this town go? Why isn't there a single person around?"

Nami seemed to have looked into the situation beforehand and quickly explained, "This is Orange Town. The Buggy Pirates took it over recently."

As she spoke, she pointed to the other ship moored nearby, a rather comical-looking vessel.

"That should be the Buggy Pirates' ship."

"As for the townspeople who used to live here,"

"it seems they all fled to a shelter outside town, so the place looks deserted."

Even after hearing Nami's explanation, Carina was still puzzled.

"Then where are the Buggy Pirates who took over the town? Why can't we see any of them either?"

"Are those pirates so confident that after taking over the town, they didn't even bother to post anyone to guard the harbor or their ship?"

"I don't know,"

Nami said, folding her arms and shaking her head in bewilderment.

"I only know that the Buggy Pirates should still be somewhere in town."

"But I don't know exactly where."

To make Will even more interested in the Buggy Pirates, Nami added, "Oh, and Will, I once happened to learn something important."

"Apparently, the captain of the Buggy Pirates, Clown Buggy, may have a Sea Chart of the Grand Line."

"If you're planning to head for the Grand Line later, I think that chart could be useful."

After listening to Nami,

Will finally understood.

The person Nami had earlier described as a possible Devil Fruit User was Clown Buggy.

Now that he thought about it,

Clown Buggy did seem to be the most highly wanted Devil Fruit User in the East Blue.

But that was also because Devil Fruit Users were extremely rare in the East Blue.

Its overall strength was also much weaker than that of the other seas.

But who could have guessed

that Clown Buggy, a man who often made people laugh, would eventually rise to become one of the Four Emperors?

He wondered if it had anything to do with Buggy's mysterious luck.

Although Clown Buggy often seemed to stumble into dangerous situations along the way,

he always managed to turn danger into safety and even came away with something to show for it.

As for Buggy's actual strength, Will couldn't be bothered to make random guesses.

He'd find Buggy and test him himself. Then he'd know.

Seeing Will deep in thought, Carina hurriedly offered some more information she knew.

"I've done some research on the captain of the Buggy Pirates, Clown Buggy."

"He seems to be very fond of cannons."

"Rumor has it that in one town, Clown Buggy blew up the entire place with a cannon just because a child made fun of his nose."

"There have also been reports that"

"Clown Buggy has a very strange ability that lets him split his body apart at will to attack."

"I think Nami's guess is probably right. Clown Buggy is very likely a Devil Fruit User."

"As for the Sea Chart of the Grand Line, I don't know much about that."

"But from what I've learned, Clown Buggy has been to the Grand Line."

"So it wouldn't be impossible for him to have a chart of the Grand Line."

Will listened quietly. After a moment's thought, he said, "A Devil Fruit User, and a Sea Chart of the Grand Line."

"We can deal with that after we find Clown Buggy."

"I hope he's stronger than I expect."

With that, he didn't linger. He turned and headed into town.

Seeing Will set off,

Nami and Carina quickly followed, both looking quite relaxed.

After witnessing Will's terrifying strength firsthand—the kind that had completely overwhelmed Treasure—

neither of them thought a pirate with a bounty of only fifteen million would be any match for Will.

Even if he really was a Devil Fruit User.