Unknown Island

The pirate ship drifted aimlessly across the ocean, battered by the gale.

I do not know how much time passed, but eventually, the rain ceased and the skies cleared. A ray of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, causing the sea surface to shimmer. Waves crashed against the shore, and as the tide receded, it left behind lively fish stranded on the sand.

The Big Top came to a rest at the mouth of an island's harbor. The ship's main mast was riddled with massive cracks, and the deck was in a state of utter ruin.

The destruction was not limited to the exterior; the main cabin was a chaotic mess of overturned tables and chairs. Wine in the storage room had spilled everywhere, and food supplies had been soaked by seawater, turning moldy and inedible.

Buggy conducted a headcount inside the cabin. Many of his subordinates had perished in the shipwreck, and their numbers had plummeted to around twenty. Inexplicably, the Square-Faced Navigator had somehow managed to survive.

That bastard... before the Cumulonimbus Tornado had even formed, he had ordered the helmsman and sailors to press onward, swearing on his life that there would be no danger. If Buggy hadn't experienced such a situation before and remembered it vividly, the Big Top would likely have been torn apart in the eye of the hurricane, and everyone on board would have been sent to a watery grave.

Even so, the ship had lost nearly half its crew!

Buggy suppressed his rage toward the culprit for the time being. He could not settle the score yet; the man was the only navigator on board, and for now, he remained indispensable. However, Buggy now understood more clearly than ever how vital a competent navigator was on the high seas, and a secret resolution began to form in his mind.

After taking a long time to steady his emotions, Buggy ordered his men to repair and clean the ship. He did not idle either, taking the lead in the work himself. Seeing this, Mohji and Cabaji dutifully joined in to help restore the interior.

Though the pirates remained somber, the sight of Buggy and his two officers working alongside them eased their spirits, and the efficiency of their labor improved significantly.

Once the work inside the cabin was mostly finished, the cabin door opened and Buggy stepped onto the deck. He sighed as he looked at the damaged mast; this shipwreck had completely derailed his plans. With the mast broken, the food spoiled, and the wine spilled—not to mention having no idea which island they had drifted to or how to return to their original route—finding his intended destination would now take significantly longer.

He shifted his gaze from the mast and looked back at the island. Before him lay an endless primeval forest, and in the distance, three towering peaks stood at the edge of the island.

Suddenly, a rustling sound emerged from the jungle. A boy wearing animal skins, with strange markings painted around his eyes, darted out.

Dragging a wild boar carcass in one hand, he stared at the pirate ship in amazement and shouted, "An unfamiliar sea-beast ingredient!" He then pointed at Buggy on the ship, "And a parasitic ingredient on the sea-beast! A huge harvest, a huge harvest!"

Is this brat some kind of idiot savage? And who is an ingredient... Buggy stared at the boy, his face darkening with irritation.

Most of the clutter in the cabin had been cleared, and the two officers stepped onto the deck. Wiping the sweat from their faces, they intended to catch some sea breeze, but suddenly, they sensed danger. Both men ducked simultaneously, and a chilling gust of wind whistled past their cheeks.

Mohji straightened up, completely oblivious. "Cabaji, thanks to you, I got to feel such a cool breeze the moment I came out... Huh? Half-Face, what's wrong with you!"

As Cabaji had ducked, the sword wound on his chest—inflicted by Zoro—had suddenly burst open. Blood sprayed out, and he collapsed onto the deck, his body convulsing.

Mohji's eyes widened. He crouched down and shook Cabaji's body frantically. "Hey, hey, hey! You aren't going to die from a gust of wind, are you?!"

Cabaji gritted his teeth, his voice weak. "You white-haired idiot, stop shaking me! If you keep shaking, I really will die!"

At the same time, Buggy's body was sliced in two by a sharp blade. His upper torso hovered in mid-air, arms crossed over his chest, as he sized up the boy. The opponent's weapon was interesting.

The fur-clad boy opened his right hand, catching the peculiar boomerang as it flew back at high speed. He stared in astonishment at Buggy, whose body was now split in two. After a moment of silence, he realized something and exclaimed, "I get it! It's upright sashimi!"

"What are you babbling about, you idiot..." Veins bulged on Buggy's forehead.

The boy stroked his chin and pointed at Buggy's red nose. "Could it be... cherry-flavored upright sashimi?"

Buggy ignited daggers in both hands, roaring, "I'm sending you to the afterlife right now!"

"Wait a moment, Captain Buggy..." Mohji stood before Buggy with a look of righteous indignation, his gaze heavy as he stared at the boy. "Although Cabaji is despicable and a total snake, he is a rival I respect. This brat killed Cabaji, so today, I will avenge my rival... and my partner!"

With that, Mohji leaped off the deck. He glanced back for a second, seemingly stepping on something, but he paid it no mind. He fixed his eyes on the boy, the crashing waves behind him seemingly echoing the tragic bond of brotherhood between men.

Cabaji, who had been stepped on hard by Mohji, coughed up blood and wheezed, "You white-haired idiot... when I recover, I'm going to kill you..."

Buggy, standing on the deck, did not stop Mohji. If he had to personally deal with a local savage, it would be beneath his dignity as a captain.

"Richie!" Mohji pointed forward. A lion immediately sprang out from behind him, baring its fangs and glaring at the fur-clad boy with a look that would terrify any ordinary person.

The fur-clad boy showed no fear. Instead, he rubbed his finger under his nose and shouted excitedly, "A lion ingredient living on a sea-beast!"

"Richie, tear him apart!"

As Mohji gave the command, Richie clawed at the ground, snorting two puffs of white steam from his nostrils. He lunged forward instantly, closing the distance with terrifying speed in the blink of an eye.

The corners of the fur-clad boy's mouth curled upward. His eyes suddenly revealed a sharp, icy glint that contrasted with his youthful face. He threw the peculiar boomerang in his hand, and it whistled through the air toward Richie.

One end of the boomerang was blunt, while the other was a razor-sharp blade. It spun through the air like a terrifying disc, aiming straight for Richie's head.

Richie sensed the danger of the strange weapon just in time. He slammed on the brakes, his massive body rolling to the side to narrowly dodge the boomerang.

However, the boomerang completed its arc and flew rapidly back into the boy's hand. In the next instant, the boy threw it again, leaving a disc-like afterimage in the air.

At this moment, Richie was still crouched on the ground, unable to react or dodge in time. The boomerang had already reached him, transforming into a sharp, icy gleam. The situation turned dire in an instant.