More Than Just a Cook

After they left Bear Paw Island, Shuma showed no sadness at all about parting with his people. Instead, he was in remarkably high spirits, looking curious about everything and touching this and that.

"Wow! So this is a sea beast called a 'ship'! It really isn't made of bones and flesh... Huh, it looks like it's made of wood."

...Crackle...

"Don't eat the ship!!!"

"Wow, Lion Ingredient, what happened to your hair? You look so stupid!"

"Grr!" (You're the bastard who caused this in the first place!)

"Wow, the sea is huge! What's over there? Hey, Fur Ingredient, why are you staring at me?"

Mohji pointed at himself with his thumb. "My name's Mohji. I'm the vice-captain of the Buggy Pirates, and starting today, you're my underling!"

Shuma curled his lip. "No thanks."

Buggy spoke up. "All right, all right. Shuma, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Shuma rubbed the tip of his nose with a finger, then flashed a sunny smile and held out his right hand to everyone. "My name is Kumat Shuma. It's nice to meet you."

Then he took his left hand and shook his own right hand, speaking politely. "Hello, hello! Thank you for your business!"

Buggy and the others stared at him in exasperation. "Quit putting on a one-man show!!!"

There was no hope for this guy...

"Are you a cook?" Cabaji's sharp eyes had spotted the corner of a huge pot sticking out from beneath Shuma's bundle.

"A cook?" Shuma scratched his head and thought for a long time before answering without a care. "Well, close enough, I guess. Oh, right, I brought you all a very precious gift!"

He patted the huge pot beneath the bundle. It was taller than a person, and it went "thunk, thunk."

At that, everyone except Buggy curiously crowded around Shuma's bundle. What could be inside such a huge pot?

It definitely wouldn't be anything good... Buggy was a little curious too, but after spending the past few days with him, he was sure there was no way the idiot had stashed gold and treasure in that pot.

Shuma pulled off the large cloth with a whoosh.

A chokingly pungent spicy smell shot up into the air. Everyone gathered around promptly collapsed onto the deck, foaming at the mouth. Buggy, who was farther away, hurriedly covered his nose and fled into the cabin. What the hell was that idiot doing?!

Shuma inhaled the vivid, fiery scent of the peppers in the pot, looking blissful. "Everyone, this is the local specialty, Destruction Pepper. It's a miracle cure that can bring the dead back to life... Hey, what's wrong with you? You look like you're about to die... Here, eat some Destruction Pepper and you'll be full of energy!"

The pirates collapsed on the deck scrambled to their feet and ran away as if they'd seen a monster, leaving Shuma looking smug. "Haha! I told you Destruction Pepper could bring the dead back to life!"

After Buggy gave Shuma a thorough reprimand and lecture, Shuma put away the huge pot and became a little more restrained.

"I'm Cabaji, chief of staff of the Buggy Pirates and a swordsman." Cabaji gave the Sakura Blizzard in his hand a showy twirl, then slid it back into its sheath.

Shuma's expression turned serious. "Hello, Cabaji."

"I'm Mohji, vice-captain of the Buggy Pirates and a beast tamer. This is Richie." Mohji pulled the bald Richie over.

"Grr!" Richie cowered behind Mohji, looking a little afraid.

"Yes, Richie and Moses Ingredient."

Mohji's face bulged with veins. "You bastard! Why is my name the only one you can't get right?!"

Buggy held back Mohji, who was furious and thrashing around with his claws bared, and said to Shuma, "Your turn, Shuma."

"I'm a cook, I guess. And..." Shuma pulled out the strange boomerang he carried with him. "A sniper, I guess!"

"Sniper..." Buggy automatically ignored the rest of what Shuma said. Seeing the weapon again, he still found it fascinating. Only one end of the boomerang had a leather grip; the other end and the points of the triangular tip were edged with sharp blades. It looked like it could fold up.

"That's right, the Raptor Boomerang." Shuma stood up, spinning the boomerang on his fingertips. He spun around quickly on the spot, then flicked his palm and sent the boomerang shooting into the cloudless sky.

The three of them all looked up. Then the boomerang, now a spinning disc, came flying back like lightning. Despite its terrifying speed, Shuma caught it effortlessly in his hand. Watching his movements up close was astonishing. How did he do that...?

A seabird in the sky gradually grew larger, finally appearing in everyone's view as it plummeted straight down.

Cabaji leaped into the air and drew his sword in a flash. Before anyone even sensed him swing, he had already landed, and the seabird's feathers drifted down like snow.

"Richie!" Seeing Cabaji's almost theatrical display, Mohji wasn't about to be outdone. He ordered Richie to grab the seabird.

Richie leaped high and opened his mouth to bite the bird, which had already been plucked and was ready to be boiled. Then...

With a gulp, it swallowed the bird whole...

Mohji promptly gave it a fierce beating. "You idiot! What are you doing?!"

Buggy reluctantly looked away from Richie and regarded Shuma, who had long-range attack capabilities, as if he'd found a treasure. His eyesight was ridiculously good, and neither his speed nor his strength seemed to have any real weaknesses. He had no obvious flaws in either long-range or close-quarters combat... except for being incredibly simple-minded.

Buggy cleared his throat. "All right, now that we've all met, we're crewmates on the same ship from now on."

"Crewmates." Shuma repeated the word. "How is that different from 'friends'?"

"There's no difference. Someone you'd trust with your back is a crewmate."

Buggy answered with unusual seriousness. He had to give this simple-minded fellow a reliable understanding of the world.

At Buggy's words, Shuma scratched his head, struggling to understand. Mohji and Cabaji exchanged a glance, then awkwardly looked away from each other.

"Crewmates?" Shuma's eyes suddenly lit up. "I get it! It's an animal!"

Buggy sighed inwardly. As I thought... I'll have to keep re-educating this guy throughout our journey. It won't happen overnight.

"You'll understand eventually."

Shaking his head, Buggy finished speaking and walked over to the railing. He gazed out at the boundless sea as the salty wind ruffled his splendid captain's cape, and began assessing their current strength.

The other ordinary pirates' combat abilities could be ignored. Their strength lay mainly with a few officers: Cabaji, who had started to grasp the way of the sword; Mohji, who had eaten a Devil Fruit; Shuma, who could attack from long range; and himself, who had mastered the Six Powers and Life Return.

If they focused only on the East Blue, their crew could be considered formidable. But on the Grand Line, they wouldn't amount to much.

Besides, Devil Fruits and the Six Powers weren't things one could master with ease. Their upcoming special training was likely to be grueling...