The Strange Boy

The boomerang shot through the air in an instant, passing right by Richie before returning precisely to the boy's hand.

The purple mane around Richie's lion-like face had been cleanly cut off. Its face was now completely smooth and bare. It raised both front paws like a human and stared blankly as it felt its sunflower-like face. After a moment of stunned silence, seemingly unwilling to accept the truth, it quickly dug a hole in the sand and buried its head in the mound.

The Fur-Clad Boy rubbed a finger beneath his nose and chuckled. "Lion meat needs to be plucked first, or it'll really affect the taste."

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure appeared behind him. The whip in his hand lashed out like a nimble viper. The boy sprang lightly into the air and landed five meters away. Toying with the strange boomerang in his hand, he looked at Mohji, who had somehow circled around behind him, and pouted. "What an impolite upright ingredient!"

"Cocky brat! I'll whip that mouth of yours to shreds!"

Mohji charged toward him with his animal-taming whip in hand. He swung the black whip until it formed a dizzying web, cracking through the air.

The Fur-Clad Boy hopped back and forth within the web of whips, showing no signs of fatigue. He was incredibly nimble, and though the web looked dense, it didn't even touch a hair on his head. All the while, he said with ease, "That won't do. My mouth still has to taste all kinds of delicious food. If it gets torn apart, I won't be able to do that."

Mohji roared furiously, "You sharp-tongued bastard! Die!"

He swung his whip with all his might. Amid the swirling sand, its speed suddenly doubled, lashing at the boy mercilessly like a thrusting spear.

From the feedback he felt through the whip in his hand, it seemed he had struck the boy. Mohji's face lit up, and he kept swinging the whip at him. "That's what you get for mouthing off to me, Mohji, the first mate!"

"Rrr..."

As the sand settled, Richie lay opposite Mohji, covered in wounds, his skin torn and flesh exposed. He let out a feeble groan, barely clinging to life.

"Richie..." Mohji's eyes widened. He hurriedly stopped swinging his whip and rushed over to check on Richie's injuries.

The Fur-Clad Boy stood some distance away, talking to himself. "After being 'tenderized' with a good whipping, the lion meat will be much more relaxed. It'll have a chewier texture and richer flavor. Now then..."

He held the boomerang across his chest, a delighted smile curling his lips as if he'd spotted prey.

The next instant, a floating hand came hurtling toward him with four daggers. The boy hurriedly raised his boomerang to block them.

Bang!

The sudden force knocked him back two steps. Another floating hand immediately followed, its sharp dagger seeming to have anticipated where he would be. In an instant, it was pressed against his throat.

Buggy held his arms out in front of him and slowly stepped toward the boy, drawing back the dagger in his hand. He had changed his mind about killing him.

The strange markings on the boy's face finally reminded him who he was. Wasn't he a member of the Kumate Tribe from the original story?

The tribe's members were marked with bear-paw designs around their eyes and on the backs of their hands. They were supposedly an uncivilized cannibal tribe.

In the original story, Luffy had sent Buggy flying with a punch. Cabaji and Mohji searched for him for a long time without finding a trace, so they came to this island and decided who would become the next captain through a duel. After fighting for twelve hours, they were exhausted, only to be knocked down by two punches from Richie while it was asleep.

However, their fight had attracted the Kumate Tribe, and they had been defeated by the tribespeople. The pirates were thrown into a giant pot to be steamed and boiled alive. If Buggy hadn't come to the rescue at the last moment, they would likely have ended up as the Kumate Tribe's dinner.

(ps: This is the story from the original manga's cover page.)

Who would've thought that, through a twist of fate, he'd come to Bear Paw Island early—and in this way? It was hard not to sigh at the whims of destiny.

The Fur-Clad Boy touched the blood from the slight cut on his throat, patted his chest, and warily stepped back. "That upright sashimi nearly killed me!"

Buggy sauntered over, wearing a sly-looking smile. "If the dagger in my hand had gone a little deeper, you'd be dead. But I didn't kill you. Do you know why?"

The Fur-Clad Boy watched Buggy approach and rubbed his chin. "Why?"

"I think you're still too young. You haven't seen the vastness of the sea or the breadth of the world. It'd be a shame to die just like this. Besides, you've met me... If you came aboard my ship, you could travel all over the world, savor all kinds of food and scenery, and see all the wonders it has to offer instead of being stuck on this little island in the middle of nowhere."

The boy seemed to favor agility. His speed and reflexes were astonishingly quick, and judging from the force with which he'd blocked Buggy's earlier attack, he was far stronger than an ordinary person.

Seeing such a capable fighter right in front of him—and one who seemed rather simple-minded—Buggy began to consider recruiting him.

The Fur-Clad Boy furrowed his brow as he thought. Buggy's words seemed difficult for him to understand. After a while, a look of sudden realization appeared on his face. "You mean..."

Buggy picked up where he left off. "That's right. Join my pirate crew and roam freely across the open sea!"

"You mean you want me to become a parasitic ingredient on a Sea Beast?"

Buggy stumbled, his face darkening. What on earth was going through this idiot's head?!

He shouted, "It's called a pirate ship! Ship, ship! You know what a ship is, right? It's not a Sea Beast, and we're not parasitic ingredients! We're pirates, you idiot!!!"

Buggy felt defeated.

"Huh? It's not a Sea Beast? No wonder it doesn't look very tasty." The boy turned his head toward Richie, smacked his lips, and said, "That lion ingredient must taste pretty good!"

Richie sneezed. The moment it met the boy's devilish gaze, its injuries seemed to heal. It sprang to its feet, suddenly brimming with energy, and raced at full speed back to the Big Top.

"Do you ever listen to anyone..." Buggy's eye twitched.

"You mean you want me to leave with you guys, right?"

Buggy let out a breath. At least the boy wasn't completely incapable of understanding people.

"That's right. I've heard there's a place called All Blue, where you can find all kinds of fish from around the world. Once you get there, you can find any rare ingredient you want." Buggy continued to tempt him.

At Buggy's words, the boy kept rubbing the boomerang in his hands, his face full of hesitation.

"Hesitation means you want to go. If your heart's moved, that means you're willing." Buggy looked like a devil tempting a mortal into evil. "Come on. Join us and see the world!"

The boy gritted his teeth and finally said, "No."