Cooperation

"Puff puff puff--"

Buggy answered the Den Den Mushi; it was Inuarashi calling.

"Buggy..."

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Inuarashi gave a low, bitter laugh. "Regarding the matter you asked me to discuss, let him tell you himself."

Then, the voice on the other end changed, becoming clear and cheerful. "Haha, Buggy, it's me Shanks!"

"I can tell," Buggy laughed. "It's been a long time."

Shanks asked, "Hey, I've heard that you fought Kaido and even single-handedly stormed Big Mom's territory. Is that true?"

"It's true. I didn't expect the news to spread so quickly; it even reached you."

"It's not just me; now the whole world probably knows about your abilities. I never imagined you'd been hiding them so well. You even deceived me for so many years. I always thought you only cared about gold and silver, but now it seems that's not the case..."

"I've just always had a knot in my heart, and why can't we do what Captain Roger couldn't do?"

"The time is not yet ripe... It would be too hasty to act now."

"I don't want to play games with you. You should know why Inuarashi is looking for you."

"An alliance...?" Shanks paused, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Buggy said, "To become the Pirate King."

"You should know that I'm not someone who likes to be restrained. Alliances are just too much trouble for me." Shanks' tone was free and calm.

"No one can escape the tides of the times; the whole world will be overturned and affected, and even you cannot avoid it."

"I know that from the moment I stopped Whitebeard, the era of subtle influence would end, and peace cannot last forever. But before the tide comes, let me be lazy for a little while longer."

Four or five cracks appeared in the wooden plank beneath Buggy's feet. He sighed, "We still just don't get along..."

"We finally have a chance to chat, don't say such hurtful things! Haha!" Shanks laughed heartily, completely unconcerned. "Why don't you come visit me sometime? I'll definitely host a banquet to entertain you!"

"No need..." Buggy put down the Den Den Mushi. "I still hate your carefree attitude. Let's leave it at that... Inuarashi, let's forget about this. If I need your help in the future, I'll ask you for it."

After saying that, he hung up the Den Den Mushi without waiting for a reply.

Perhaps due to his nature or instinct, even as an omniscient transmigrator, Buggy could not avoid being affected by this sudden emotion, and he was not surprised by the emergence of this emotion, as if it were a matter of course.

As one of the Four Emperors, Shanks possesses the World's Strongest. Forming an alliance with him would be ideal, but placing all hopes on him would be overly optimistic.

Since Shanks' attitude indicated that Buggy was unwilling to waste any more words, and also because he understood Shanks' personality, he knew that forcing him would be foolish, so he chose to give up on trying to win him over.

"Mr. Buggy, the ship has docked!" came the shout from outside the door from the Fish-Man crew.

Buggy remained seated for a while before standing up and walking outside.

Back on the Festival Island, Jinbe spoke with the Fish-Man warriors sent by Neptune and learned that their working hours, food, and living conditions were quite comfortable. This completely put his mind at ease, and for a moment, he even felt an urge to Buggy Buggy's ranks. However, after calming down, he dismissed the idea, remembering that he had made a promise a year ago, and how could he break his word and betray his chivalry?

But after much deliberation, he made a new decision: to transfer the captaincy of the Sun Pirates to the vice-captain Aladine, allowing Aladine to choose the future of the Sun Pirates —whether to Buggy Buggy's crew or venture out on his own.

Aladine knew how difficult it was to fight alone in the New World, and he was deeply moved by Buggy's care for his fellow Fish-Man. He also understood Jinbe's meaning: Buggy had strength comparable to the Four Emperors and a benevolent heart towards the Fish-Man, so relying on him was the best choice.

From the moment Fisher Tiger founded the Sun Pirates, their mission has always been to rescue Fish-Man oppressed by humans. Now that Buggy's flag has been planted on Fish-Man Island, deterring passing pirates from invading, even Fisher Tiger, faced with this choice, would likely choose to join them...

So Aladine, after consulting with his crew, surrendered to Buggy and pledged allegiance.

Buggy was pleased to see the Sun Pirates join them, and introduced Aladine to the crew's officers and captain. He also handed over command of the Fish-Man Guard of the Festival Island to Aladine, who was responsible for assisting in defense and responding to calls.

Then he asked about Jinbe's whereabouts. Aladine told him Jinbe had gone to the Sabaody Archipelago. Buggy knew Jinbe's situation Jinbe, so he didn't ask any more questions.

The day after returning to the island, the Den Den Mushi started ringing again.

The Den Den Mushi connected via Den Den Mushi, and there was a jumble of noise on the other end before it gradually quieted down. Then a very polite voice came through, "Excuse me, is this Mr. Buggy? This is Portgas Ace."

"Crocodile delivered the letter," Buggy thought to himself before speaking, "Yes, it was me."

"I knew this guy wouldn't dare try anything funny here!"

"But who can say for sure? Crocodiles aren't exactly straightforward creatures."

"That's right, I still remember that voice."

The Den Den Mushi's nemesis then emitted various static sounds, followed by a voice saying, "Ace is still on the phone, you guys stop arguing."

Buggy could imagine that the many division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates were probably gathered around the Den Den Mushi. After the noise subsided, Ace continued, "Regarding the Marineford War, Buggy, Mr. Buggy. Whether it was saving me when I was a prisoner or retrieving my Pops's body, Mr. Buggy's contributions were indispensable..."

At this point, Ace's voice deepened, as if he were bowing deeply on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, and he said solemnly, "Ace thanks you in advance!"

Immediately afterwards, the Whitebeard Pirates shouted in unison, "On behalf of the Whitebeard Pirates, we thank Mr. Buggy!"

Buggy's efforts in the Marineford War were largely for his own benefit, but the Whitebeard Pirates were unaware of this and did not believe it. They rushed to help him without hesitation simply because "he is the captain's son." How can one find even the slightest flaw in such loyalty?

"No need to be so polite, since you think so highly of me..."

Buggy cut to the chase, "So, would you be willing to work with me again?"