Ancestral Ruins

Buggy had chosen this island as their destination because he had a map to an island where treasure was very likely buried.

A year ago, he had stolen the map from another pirate crew. After a year of studying it, he had finally confirmed that the island marked on it was Gali Island, southwest of the East Blue, and that the red X in the middle marked the treasure's location.

Sailing here had been the plan from the beginning, but Ji Ba had taken over his body during the voyage. Even so, Buggy still had a strong interest in the treasure.

Buggy turned around, dabbed a few drops of liquor into his eyes, and put on a sorrowful expression. Then he said through his tears, "It's a long story. My father actually died here. I want to find his remains and give him a grand funeral."

"So that's what happened. What a filial child!" Chris nodded in understanding.

"No way! How could your father be in our island's Ancestral Ruins?!"

"The Ancestral Ruins, huh?" Buggy gave a sly smile. "Then it must not be this island. I must have remembered wrong."

"So you remembered wrong. Hey, do you take me for an idiot?!"

Chris looked at the pirate before him more carefully. The man had a big red nose and a pair of crafty, sinister eyes. A fancy captain's hat covered his dark blue hair, and when he grinned, he looked just like a clown.

"So your goal, you pirates, is the Ancestral Ruins?" Chris stared at Buggy.

Buggy didn't answer. He studied the other man's expression and made a guess. This map must be a treasure map. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted so strongly.

"Outsiders, I advise you not to set your sights on the Ancestral Ruins. Though it was once a place of worship on this island..." Chris rose to his feet. "It has now become a dwelling place for vengeful spirits! Anyone who enters is cursed to die. No one has ever come back alive... Why throw your lives away?"

"Treasure guarded by evil spirits? Now that sounds interesting. Thanks for the warning, but I doubt you understand what a pirate believes in." The blood in Buggy's veins, hungry for wealth, began to race, and his heartbeat quickened.

It was time to set out. He looked toward the gathered pirates, who were celebrating noisily, and called out, "Cabaji!"

Cabaji, who had been performing acrobatic tricks on a unicycle, suddenly dropped from the tightrope at the captain's voice. He drew the Great Grade Sword Sakura Blizzard from his waist, his gaze cold. "Captain Buggy, do you want me to kill this old man?"

All eyes around them instantly turned to Chris.

Meanwhile, outside the tavern.

A large crowd of villagers, young and old, had gathered after being summoned by the villagers who had been inside the tavern. Armed with hoes, sticks, knives, and forks, they surrounded the building.

"Damn it, why hasn't the village chief come out yet? Could those pirates have killed him?"

"Forget it, let's charge in and avenge the village chief!"

"That's right! The village chief fought desperately for Kodia Village. We shouldn't cower behind him like cowards!"

The bearded villager at the front raised his hoe and shoved the tavern door open.

The scene before them suddenly came into view.

A pirate with hair covering half his face held a knife to Chris's head. The red-nosed pirate sat sinisterly beside the village chief, clearly up to no good.

"You rotten pirates! Let go of Village Chief Chris!"

"Damn it, they really were going after Village Chief Chris!"

"Brothers, kill these pirates!"

The villagers charged forward with all their might.

Buggy frowned helplessly. He'd only meant to tell Cabaji what to do next, but it seemed to have caused a misunderstanding.

But since things had turned out this way, he might as well practice the fighting techniques in his mind...

Buggy looked at the crowd surging toward him. "Don't get involved," he said, then charged into them like a hungry wolf among sheep. Using his Devil Fruit powers alongside his martial arts, he left the villagers completely unable to fight back.

Ten minutes later.

More than thirty villagers were battered and bruised. Some lay on the ground groaning, while others clutched their wounds and whimpered.

Of course, Buggy hadn't gone all out. He'd only taught them a lesson—pirates weren't to be trifled with.

After seeing Buggy's Chop-Chop powers, the few remaining villagers edged backward, sweat pouring down their faces as they gritted their teeth. "That guy's a monster..."

Buggy's body reassembled, and he clapped his hands. "All right, that's enough."

His natural reflexes and strength felt incredible. His soul and body were slowly growing in sync. This also showed that the original Buggy hadn't actually been that weak. He'd simply neglected his martial arts and the development of his powers, and wasted too much time searching for treasure. That was why he'd ended up accomplishing so little. He'd once been a rival of Red-Haired Shanks, someone from the same era who could have competed with him on equal terms, but in the end, they had taken two entirely different paths.

"Captain Buggy is invincible!" The pirates around them shouted again.

"So, Captain Buggy, should I kill this old man?" Cabaji was still hung up on Chris.

"Don't make trouble for me." Buggy tossed the island map to Cabaji. "Get food and fresh water ready. Rest for two hours, then set out for the red mark as soon as it gets dark. Oh... and send someone to notify Mohji. Have him find someone to pose as a bounty hunter. Ideally, they can turn that bandit in for a bounty."

"Yes." Cabaji sheathed his sword.

The battle had given Chris an even deeper sense of how powerful Buggy, a great pirate of the East Blue, was. But the fact that Buggy had held back reassured him. It seemed the pirate was telling the truth when he said he had no interest in attacking Kodia Village.

As long as the villagers stopped provoking them, the pirates would probably go to the Ancestral Ruins or leave outright.

Chris adjusted his reading glasses. Suddenly, in the lens, he saw the reflection of a dark gun barrel glinting in the light. His expression changed, and he immediately shouted, "Hey, don't shoot!"

If that gun went off, it would push the pirates into open conflict with them!

A villager standing in the shadows at the mouth of the alley froze, then involuntarily pulled the trigger.

Whoosh!

The sharp bullet shot out too fast for the naked eye to follow. Buggy tilted his head and dodged it with ease. The bullet pierced the tavern's wooden wall, sending a spark flying.

He'd noticed that man long ago, but hadn't expected him to actually fire. If Buggy hadn't reacted in time, he could have ended up in serious danger.

Buggy grabbed Chris by the collar. His eyes were hidden in shadow. "Hey, boss, aren't the villagers in your village getting a little too bold? If none of you care about staying alive, I wouldn't mind... wiping out the whole village."

The villager who had fired trembled. The gun slipped from his hands and hit the ground. His legs quivered, and he fell to his knees.

The other villagers swallowed nervously as the situation suddenly reached a standstill.

Chris frowned at the villager and said gravely, "This is a misunderstanding!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression changed. Strange noises had started up inside the tavern.

Sizzle!!

Chris immediately looked toward a barrel in the corner of the tavern. His expression stiffened. This was bad!

A spark from the bullet had landed right on the fuse extending from a barrel of gunpowder, making a faint sizzling sound.

"That barrel is full of gunpowder!" Chris shouted with all his might. "Everyone, run!!!"

Gunpowder?!

At Chris's shout, everyone present, including Buggy, looked back. Their minds went blank.

Less than thirty centimeters of the fuse remained!

Even Buggy didn't dare take any chances. From his experience in his previous life, a barrel of gunpowder could easily blow the building apart. And the place was full of barrels of strong liquor. Who knew what would happen to anyone caught at the center of the blast?

Everyone ran frantically toward the exit, as if the Grim Reaper, scythe in hand, were chasing them. The slightest delay could cost them their lives.

Boom!!

The gunpowder exploded with a roar. Buggy grabbed Chris by the collar and dove to the ground.

The massive wave of heat and force hurled everyone more than ten meters away. Fanned by the strong liquor, flames roared through the tavern. It soon burned and collapsed.