The Secret Parchment

If people from Earth had suffered an explosion of this magnitude, they would have long since been unconscious with severe injuries. However, in this world, even the physical constitution of ordinary humans was exaggerated. Although everyone had been caught in the shockwave of the dynamite, they were only injured to varying degrees; even the most severely affected villager only had a layer of charred skin on his back and some blood on his forehead.

The villagers struggled to their feet, staring blankly at the tavern as wood chips flew amidst the flames, their faces dyed red by the flickering light of the fire.

Because Buggy had grabbed him and sprinted away before pinning him down, Chris had not been swallowed by the wave of fire, and his injuries were not serious—perhaps partly due to his own physical fitness.

Chris rubbed his aching waist and looked back at the tavern with a complex expression. This chain reaction had truly exceeded his expectations and steered events onto an unpredictable path.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I am truly sorry, Pirate-sama. This was not our intention. Please do not vent your anger on Kodia Village; this old man will offer sufficient sincerity to make up for this mistake."

Buggy's good mood was instantly ruined. He brushed the dust off his body, stood up, and scanned the surrounding pirates who had sustained minor injuries. He brandished eight gleaming daggers in his hands and said unceremoniously, "Your sincerity had better be enough to quell my rage, or I will let you know the consequences of offending a pirate..."

The surrounding pirates stared intently at the villagers, drawing their weapons and waiting only for their captain's order to launch an attack.

The villagers also gripped their farm tools nervously. If the pirates truly made a move, the bearded villager leading them would immediately fire an emergency flare to summon the village garrison for reinforcements.

The situation on the field was tense, with a brawl ready to break out at any moment.

Chris felt as if a spice jar had been overturned in his heart; a mix of emotions churned within him. With a bitter smile, he pulled an ancient piece of parchment from his robes: "Pirate-sama, this old man knows you wish to go to the Ancestral Ruins. However, it has been uninhabited for a long time, and the original paths are overgrown with thorns and weeds, making them impossible to find. This map clearly distinguishes the path to the Ancestral Ruins and even explicitly records the method to open them. This old man hopes to use this item to ease the misunderstanding between us."

"Oh?"

Buggy retracted his daggers and took the yellowed parchment. If this was indeed a map to the treasure, this accident had become much less irreconcilable.

As the parchment unfurled, a faint, special ink fragrance drifted into Buggy's nostrils. He focused his eyes on the map, which clearly marked the locations of the four villages on Gali Island, the Ancestral Ruins, a winding path, and... ancient cuneiform notes at the very bottom.

"Dos Fleur. Spinning Wind."

A voice rang out from nowhere. Two fair arms sprouted eerily from Buggy's body, pushing the parchment in his hand outward. Buggy was caught off guard, and the parchment drifted into the air with the wind.

This familiar ability was... Buggy froze for a moment and looked up.

A beautiful woman with wheat-colored skin sat elegantly on the roof. She wore a white fedora and a white coat, with a form-fitting purple vest visible underneath. She carried a small purple backpack, and her eyes reflected the burning tavern. As if recalling events from twenty years ago, a trace of unfathomable sorrow flashed through her gaze from time to time. She murmured, "What a magnificent display of fireworks..."

The beautiful woman caught the parchment drifting on the wind, looked down, and smiled. "My apologies, everyone. I think it would be more appropriate for me to keep this item."

With that, she leaped away several times and vanished from sight behind the buildings.

The parchment had been snatched away in mid-air, and everyone present thought the situation had reached an irredeemable point. Yet, to everyone's astonishment, Buggy did not fly into a rage; instead, he grinned. "Was she attracted by the sound of the explosion? What an unpredictable surprise..."

The appearance of the future archaeologist of the Straw Hat crew was something Buggy had not expected, but didn't this just prove that the treasure inside the Ancestral Ruins was of considerable value!

"Cabaji, bring over the Den Den Mushi we captured earlier."

Cabaji pulled two Den Den Mushi from his robes and handed one to Buggy.

Buggy tucked the Den Den Mushi into his robes and scanned his surroundings, taking in the expressions of everyone present. "Wait for my orders. Do not start a conflict here."

He took off his cumbersome, heavy captain's cloak and set off in pursuit of the direction the beautiful woman had left. Although Cabaji did not understand the captain's intentions, he did not disobey and waved his hand, signaling the pirates to lower their weapons.

The surrounding villagers breathed a sigh of relief at the sight and retreated cautiously. As long as the other side did not make a move, they would not go looking for trouble.

A look of shock flickered in Chris's eyes, but he quickly masked it.

The east coast of Gali Island was a flat shoal, and the villagers lived near the flat, vast eastern coastline. The west side of the island, however, was a large, undeveloped stretch of primeval forest, and the western coastline was entirely composed of steep, unclimbable cliffs.

In the forest, two figures darted rapidly, one after the other—the red-nosed captain and the beautiful woman.

Buggy followed the beautiful woman closely, though he found it somewhat strenuous. After all, she was someone who had been fleeing from pursuit since childhood; the escape skills and footwork she had honed over the years were naturally extraordinary.

The beautiful woman did not seem to want to entangle herself with Buggy. Looking at the environment ahead, she quickly set her stance. "Seis Fleur. Net."

Three pairs of arms sprouted symmetrically from two nearby trees like blooming flowers, interlocking to form a fine net. The beautiful woman stepped forward, preparing to leap toward the net.

"She wants to use the elasticity and thrust of those arms to shake me off, but how could I let her succeed?" Buggy made a judgment in his mind instantly. He stopped in his tracks, a cunning smile on his face, and shouted, "Child of the Devil, Miss Nico Robin!"

Buggy's voice caused Nico Robin's body to tremble slightly. Her footsteps faltered, and a flash of ruthlessness crossed her eyes. Then, the three pairs of arms on the trees instantly turned into flower petals.

Nico Robin's feet slid several meters across the ground, barely stopping her forward momentum. She then turned around with lightning speed, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and said with absolute determination, "Seis Fleur. Clutch."

Instantly, six arms sprouted from thin air on Buggy's body, quickly clamping onto his arms, legs, and neck, bending his body backward with force.

Crack!

It was as if the sound of bones being snapped could be heard.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch." Buggy grimaced. "If you pull that hard, my arms will break..."

As if to verify this statement, an eerie crack appeared on Buggy's arm, and then, with a snap, his left arm fell to the ground.