Men!

The pirates emptied the warship of all supplies and every scrap of wood that could be used for repairs.

Buggy returned to his own ship with his officers and the rest of the crew. The iron chains and harpoons on the Big Top had long since been cleared away, and the holes torn into the ship's hull were being patched under the direction of the shipwright.

On the navy warship, some of the soldiers who were less severely injured and possessed stronger constitutions finally regained consciousness. Under Captain Nezumi's orders, they manned the helm and fled in a panic, disappearing into the thick sea fog.

"Captain Buggy... won't letting them go leave us with future trouble?" Cabaji walked to Buggy's side, watching the warship depart.

"I don't want to let them go either. Once they return, the Navy will surely issue new bounty posters, and even those relentless bounty hunters will cause us no small amount of trouble... but there is no help for it."

Buggy turned around, leaning his back against the ship's railing. "To obtain an excellent navigator, one must make some sacrifices. This Captain has an important role to play; if he is killed, the plan will deviate."

Cabaji was a bit confused. "Captain Buggy, what does that mean?"

"It means nothing..." Buggy smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth. "Once the hull is repaired, we shall head to Ailu Island to see if that bold thief is still there. However, we probably cannot stay on this island any longer; it would be troublesome to be cornered here. Prepare to depart."

Compared to Cabaji's worries, Mohji and Shuma were mindlessly waving goodbye to the departing warship, looking as if they were parting from lovers in the midst of a passionate romance.

Mohji poked Shuma with his elbow. "Shuma, do you think that rat will increase my bounty?"

Shuma asked curiously, "Huh? What's a bounty poster?"

"A bounty poster is used to measure a person's strength. The higher the amount listed, the stronger the person. I definitely left a shadow over that navy leader today. Once he returns and issues me a high bounty, that despicable swordsman at the bow will never be able to act so arrogant in front of Lord Mohji again, ha ha..."

Cabaji leaned against Mohji's side, arms crossed and head hanging low. "Hey, hey, hey... white-haired beast tamer, I can't just pretend I didn't hear that."

The beast tamer didn't care at all. "Even if you heard it, you can't change reality!"

The acrobatic swordsman retorted, "Don't you think you sound like a three-year-old child?"

"I see a huge fish!" the idiot sniper shouted, staring at the sea surface, drowning out the two men's bickering.

The atmosphere on the deck suddenly became chaotic...

"Awoo?" Richie the lion tilted his head at the three of them, then lowered his body to continue sleeping on the deck, drool occasionally leaking from the corner of his mouth.

On the navy warship carrying Captain Nezumi, because Buggy hadn't delivered a finishing blow, dozens of soldiers whose physical fitness ranked among the best in the fleet staggered to their feet. They applied medicine, treated their external wounds, and struggled to carry out their duties.

Captain Nezumi, wrapped in bandages, leaned back in a rattan chair in the captain's cabin and slammed his fist onto the wooden table in hatred. "Damn thief! The Devil Fruit I intended to secretly send to the auction house is just like that..."

Buru buru...

The sound of the Den Den Mushi on the table suddenly rang out. Captain Nezumi's face turned livid as he picked up the receiver, shouting in a rage, "You bastard messenger, why didn't you answer earlier..."

As he spoke, he let out a breath, suppressing the resentment in his heart, and said sternly, "I apologize, I was rude. This is Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch. I demand an immediate, comprehensive wanted notice for the Buggy Pirates..."

"These pirates are lawless and commit all sorts of evils. If they are allowed to continue running rampant in the East Blue, the Navy's reputation will suffer a severe blow!"

From the other end of the Den Den Mushi came the rustling sound of flipping through files, followed by a calm voice.

"The Buggy Pirates have destroyed twelve towns and intercepted or looted thirty-five cruise ships over the past decade. The captain, Buggy, has seen his bounty rise from 300,000 Beli ten years ago to 10 million Beli today. However, there has been no intelligence from the Navy branches regarding them for over a year, and they are classified as missing."

"They are not only alive, but their influence is growing. They already possess the power to threaten a branch. If their growth is not curbed now, the balance of this sea will be broken. I hope this matter receives the attention of Headquarters, or the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"..." The messenger on the other side was silent for a moment, his grave expression transmitted through the Den Den Mushi. "I understand. I will report this immediately."

"Squeak." The violent heaving of Nezumi's chest slowly subsided, and he returned to his usual gloomy expression. "Then I leave it to you, soldier."

He hung up the Den Den Mushi, narrowed his rat-like eyes slightly, and muttered, "Buggy Pirates, if I catch you, I will personally send you to the gallows and watch your heads roll one by one... and that damn thief, all of you scum deserve to die!"

After the Big Top was repaired, it sailed through the sea fog for half a day before finally arriving at Ailu Island, located southwest of Gravity Island. Buggy did not go ashore; he merely sent a few pirates who were very familiar with the island to scout for information on outsiders.

According to a fisherman on the island, he had seen a group of strange people in cloaks on the island that morning. One of the cloaked figures carrying a package had even purchased a fishing boat from him and sailed off alone toward the sea to the west of the island.

The pirates politely declined the farewell banquet offered by the local village chief and hurried back to the ship to bring the intelligence to Buggy.

Buggy immediately returned to the captain's cabin to consult the East Blue sea chart and the map obtained from the Cannibal Tribe leader. After careful deliberation, he confirmed the location of the island closest to the west of Ailu Island and directed the helmsman and the Square-Faced Navigator to set a course for it.

Cabaji stood beside Buggy and asked, "Captain Buggy, do we still need to bid a final farewell to those guys..."

Buggy looked at the receding Ailu Island with deep eyes. "No need. My target is no longer there. Let's not have any more boring entanglements with them..."

On the distant island, only the outline remained in view when suddenly, many small black dots appeared on the coastline, and a tearful, grateful voice drifted from afar.

"Captain Buggy, and everyone else, take care! We will never, ever forget your great kindness. We will always be proud... to have once been a part of the Buggy Pirates!!!"

The voice was faint, gradually fading into silence...

Shuma sighed with a sense of loss. "Why does my heart feel so empty? It's so uncomfortable. I didn't feel this way when we left the Great Matriarch and the others."

"Hmph." Cabaji turned his back. "What a boring guy... sentimental emotions are only for the childish. A man should walk forward coldly and never look back..."

"Hey, then why are you crying, you idiot swordsman!" Mohji darted in front of Cabaji, curling his lip in mockery.

"This is just sea mist..." Two trails of tears streamed down Cabaji's face, yet he struggled to maintain a cold expression. "You bastard beast tamer, you have the nerve to talk about me? Your chest fur is so wet you could wring water out of it."

"This is just Richie's drool! How could the great Lord Mohji cry over such a trivial matter!"

The two stared at each other in confrontation...

Suddenly, they hugged each other and burst into tears.

"You bastard beast tamer, is my eye sick? Why won't these tears stop..."

"How would I know, you idiot swordsman? Did you pass this sickness to me..."

Buggy looked at the two of them and shook his head with a knowing smile.