"Looks like we've run into some old acquaintances!"
Aboard the Ark Maxim, Ryuuto held a spyglass to his eye, scanning the sea. A slight smile played on his lips, a hint of amusement in his expression. After a moment, he handed the spyglass to an eager Nami.
"Aren't those the remnants of the Blackbeard Pirates?" Nami immediately recognized Van Augur and Jesus Burgess.
"Well then... Captain, let's move in!" she declared with a decisive wave of her hand, calling out to the others.
Nami's reasoning was simple. Since they had already run into them, they might as well finish the job. After all, with their captain, Teach, already slain by Ryuuto, there was no reason for Van Augur and Burgess to remain alive.
"The Blackbeard Pirates?" Crocus, Vivi, and Jean Bart grew curious, as they had never crossed paths with them before.
The Ark Maxim slowly descended, gliding toward the pirate ship carrying Van Augur and Burgess.
"Laser Cannon!"
Watching the Ark Maxim draw closer, Burgess was the first to attack. A yellow beam of light shot out from his left arm.
"What a terrible welcome."
Ryuuto calmly shook his head at the sight. He extended a finger, and in an instant, a golden bolt of lightning shot forward to meet the laser.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the two attacks canceled each other out in midair, leaving only a fading shockwave.
By now, Van Augur could clearly see Ryuuto on the deck of the Ark Maxim. He immediately moved to raise his rifle, but it was too late. With a crack of thunder, Ryuuto had already appeared on their ship.
"Van Augur, Jesus Burgess. It's been a while."
Ryuuto's tone was calm and his attitude was mild, though the two lightning spears hovering menacingly before them ruined the peaceful facade. The spears crackled with terrifying, destructive energy, the bolts of lightning striking less than ten centimeters from their faces. The slightest move would mean instant death.
"Ryuuto! It's you! I'll avenge the Admiral!" Burgess roared, stomping forward with an air of righteous fury. He was determined to be the most principled man on the sea. Even if he were to be pierced by lightning today, he would not... wait, taking another step forward would actually get him killed.
The intense, destructive aura washed over him, and Burgess swallowed hard. He quietly took a step back.
Just as Burgess was glaring daggers at Ryuuto, a voice suddenly spoke from beside him.
"I want to join you."
Van Augur's words were a complete reversal. Not only did he lower his sniper rifle, but he also took a slow step forward, bringing himself even closer to the lightning spear. He was so close that the arcing electricity had already left a bloody scratch on his neck.
"Van Augur? What are you doing?" Burgess stared, his shock mixed with confusion.
This only proved how little Burgess truly understood Van Augur. The sniper had always followed the whims of fate. He had saved Blackbeard Teach multiple times in the past only because he had believed Teach was the one chosen by destiny.
But after the Summit War...
Van Augur had a new epiphany about fate. He realized everything he had experienced was merely a prelude to meeting Ryuuto. Ryuuto was the man destined to overturn the world.
"Hmm? Van Augur, this isn't like you. I preferred you when you were proud and insubordinate," Ryuuto said with a light chuckle, mentally weighing the possibility of letting him join.
"This could work," Ryuuto thought. "I'll have him join the Buggy Pirates. It's a good chance to strengthen Buggy's crew." With that decided, the lightning spear in front of Van Augur dissipated.
"Van Augur, have you forgotten who killed the Admiral? What the hell are you doing now?" Seeing this, Burgess spun around and bellowed at his former crewmate in a furious rage.
His voice grew more agitated as he spoke.
"You don't understand. I am simply following the arrangement of fate."
Van Augur remained unperturbed by the outburst. He simply shook his head and walked calmly to stand at Ryuuto's right side.
"Hahahahaha! And what about you, Burgess? Join or die!" Ryuuto burst out laughing at the scene. He looked at Burgess with great interest, leaving the final choice to him.
Van Augur aptly turned his gaze to Burgess as well.
In that moment, Burgess's expression shifted constantly. His fists clenched and unclenched, his heart in turmoil. Finally, as if he had made a momentous decision, he slowly lowered his head and spoke in a weak voice, "I... I want to live."
With a look of immense reluctance, Burgess walked over to join the others at Ryuuto's side.
"In that case, welcome aboard!"
Pleased that he had subdued the two without much effort, Ryuuto's mood brightened. He clapped them both on the shoulder in a gesture of welcome.
Van Augur looked at Ryuuto, his thoughts hidden behind his monocle.
Burgess, however, turned his head to glare angrily at Van Augur.
"Captain!"
Just then, the Ark Maxim flew over, and Nami's cheerful voice called out from above.
After a great deal of explaining, Ryuuto finally managed to make Hancock, Nami, and the others understand why Van Augur and Burgess were now joining the Ryuuto Pirates. Although Nami and Vivi still eyed them with suspicion, they all agreed that a surface-level peace had to be maintained for now.
Leaving Crocus to watch over the Ark Maxim, the group boarded Van Augur and Burgess's crude pirate ship and set off for Hachinosu, located just over a dozen kilometers away.
Meanwhile, on Hachinosu, Buggy had been living quite comfortably lately. He had not only recruited several thousand pirate underlings but had also established a near-monopoly on the island's underworld, becoming a veritable smuggling kingpin.
Although the nominal ruler of Hachinosu was the great pirate Ochoku, anyone who wanted to gather information or trade weapons knew that Buggy was the man to see. Captain Buggy offered quality goods at fair prices, with a guarantee of honest dealings for all.
"Cabaji, how much did we make this month?" Buggy asked, lounging comfortably on a plush fur rug. Cabaji stood before him, ready to report.
"Lord Umit sent fewer weapons this month than usual, but our restaurant business has been exceptionally good. So, our total income hasn't decreased. It's about 200 million Berries," Cabaji reported formally.
"Did Umit say why the weapon shipments are getting smaller?" Buggy sat up straight upon hearing this and pressed Cabaji for more details.
"It seems that a large number of their ships have been diverted to transport food. Apparently, some country suffered a major flood," Cabaji said, trying his best to recall the details.
"So that's it. How's our new courier business doing?" Buggy asked, turning his gaze to Alvida, who was standing nearby.
Alvida now carried a formidable air about her. When Buggy, Foxy, and their crew had first arrived on Hachinosu, an island teeming with vicious pirates, they had suffered greatly. Every day was a constant battle for survival. It was only after leveraging Ryuuto's fame as a new Emperor with a 3-billion-Berry bounty that they slowly began to expand their influence and build their thriving enterprise.
"Not well! Captain Foxy constantly runs into troublesome characters who disrespect him," Alvida said, her expression turning sour.
"Is this Ochoku's doing?"
Hearing this, Buggy slowly stood up, his face grim.
"He's an old man and rarely shows his face, but he has a horde of lawless, vicious pirates under his command," Cabaji added in a somber tone. As the Buggy Pirates' main liaison, he was well-informed.
"And there's something else to be aware of. A rumor has been spreading that the legendary Op-Op Fruit will appear on Hachinosu. Because of this, more and more unfamiliar faces have been showing up on the island lately," Cabaji added as a reminder.
"Hehehehehe, now this is a true pirate island. Let the madness begin!" Buggy whispered maniacally, using his Chop-Chop Fruit powers to fit his entire body inside a giant coat.
"Lord Buggy!"
Seeing this, the crowd of pirate underlings in the distance erupted in cheers. These were the followers Buggy had gained on Hachinosu.
"Captain, the style here seems a bit different!" Vivi remarked as she conjured a dragon made of sake to bind a pirate who was about to charge at them.
"I'm surrounded by disgusting gazes," Hancock said coldly, her head held high in disdain.
Countless pirates were already captivated by Hancock's beauty. They screamed and made exaggerated expressions, pink hearts popping from their eyes.
"So beautiful!"
"She's the most beautiful woman on Hachinosu!"
"My goddess, my heart beats only for you!"
"You are my queen!"
Ryuuto's group had become the center of attention. As they walked, the streets on both sides were filled with crazed, screaming pirates. Many more were poised to attack, waiting for an opportunity. This was a place where the strong devoured the weak, where only the powerful deserved to possess anything. They sized up Ryuuto's crew, looking for a chance to take a bite.
Of course, these men were all mad. Some didn't recognize Ryuuto, while others did.
"Indeed. This isn't what I imagined, either." Ryuuto's voice was exceptionally cold, a vein twitching at his temple as his anger mounted.
Just as Van Augur blew a pirate's head off with a single shot...
Vwoom!
Suddenly, a powerful wave of pressure exploded into the air. Countless arcs of black and red lightning erupted, altering the very atmosphere.
Boom!
The immense pressure struck the pirates' minds like a physical blow, as if they were facing a terrifying beast. Those with weak wills fainted instantly. Soon, a large swathe of pirates had collapsed, leaving the street suddenly much emptier.
"It's Conqueror's Haki!" someone recognized the power Ryuuto had just unleashed.
"The 3-billion-Berry man, 'Black Dragon' Ryuuto! Let me test your strength!" Even so, one pirate still roared at him.
The man had dark skin and a long, flicking tongue. With a shout, he reached into his stomach and pulled out a machine gun, aiming it at Ryuuto's group and opening fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Countless bullets sped toward them.
Whoosh!
In that instant, Jean Bart moved forward, his towering figure shielding the others. With a shimmer of light, he transformed into his obsidian form, and all the bullets harmlessly bounced off him.
"Armament Haki?"
Caribou paused for a moment at the sight, then roared, "Coribou, charge!"
At the same time, the swamp beneath Caribou's feet began to move, and a rhinoceros formed from the mud rose from within it.
"Clay Rhino!"
"Right, brother! Take this! Gummy Press Hammer!"
In a flash, the green-clad Coribou transformed his right fist into a jelly-like substance. He leaped into the air and brought his hammer-fist down on Jean Bart.
Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. This was somewhat unexpected.
"Don't tell me Ochoku is going to show up right after we deal with the Caribou brothers," Ryuuto thought with a sigh.
As it happened, on a tall, yellow building nearby, a man with a similarly long tongue was observing the scene below.
Seeing the attack, Burgess reluctantly raised his right elbow, coated it with Armament Haki, and charged toward Caribou's Clay Rhino.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jean Bart and Coribou clashed, black lightning crackling between them. As the user of the Jelly-Jelly Fruit, a Paramecia, Coribou could turn his body into jelly, giving him both extreme elasticity and stickiness.
Meanwhile, Burgess shattered the Clay Rhino and lunged at Caribou. But Caribou was clearly prepared. Watching Burgess approach, he calmly pried open his stomach, and a torrent of objects he had swallowed spewed forth—splintered planks, broken swords, and mostly, common stones from the roadside.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Burgess shielded his face with his left arm, smashing through the debris.
"I see you. Have a taste of my bullet!"
Seeing that Burgess was making little headway, Van Augur decided to show off for Ryuuto. He raised his sniper rifle and took aim at Caribou.
Boom!
A bullet coated in Armament Haki shot from the barrel. Thanks to Van Augur's warp ability, it traveled through space, appearing instantly in front of Caribou and tearing through his shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air.
The force of the shot sent Caribou stumbling backward.
"He's so strong!" Nami and Vivi exclaimed in surprise, looking at Van Augur.
At that moment, Burgess finally broke through the wall of debris and reached Caribou.