June 6th, 1518, Sea Circle Calendar
"I've officially joined the Marines."
"It's a day worth celebrating. According to what my father told me, I should start as a Seaman Recruit, then advance through Seaman Apprentice, Seaman, Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Ensign, and Lieutenant. It's a long road ahead."
"But I won't give up. Come on, Yaro!"
"For Justice!"
######
October 7th
"Today I met a Marine at the base who had been doing odd jobs for three years. That makes me a little worried."
'Am I really cut out for this?'
######
August
"The weather is really nice today, and my father even came to the base to see me."
"That afternoon, the base commander announced that I would be promoted to Petty Officer."
"People look at me strangely, especially that guy who has been a handyman for three years. Is this really okay? After all, I haven't accomplished anything yet."
'Their stares... they burn right through me.'
######
August
"I've decided this is fine. After all, I worked very hard."
"Also, I got promoted to Chief Petty Officer today."
"When I spoke to my father that night, he said I was still progressing too slowly, but I didn't argue with him."
'Why is nothing ever enough for him?'
######
Bad day
"That errand boy was finally promoted to Seaman Apprentice, but he actually dared to mocked me and scolded me!"
"He said I just relied on family connections!"
"Damn it! It's obviously his fault for not trying hard enough!"
'How dare he... how DARE he speak to me like that!'
######
Good day
"The Seaman who scolded me is dead. Hahaha, he actually went after pirates and got himself killed."
"My father said I would be promoted to Ensign soon. I wonder how long this will take."
"I'll have to pressure him about it later."
'Finally, some peace and quiet.'
Time flies
"It's been almost a year since I joined the Marines."
"But there's not much to do at this base. Fortunately, my father said he would transfer me to Enies Lobby soon. That's a prestigious assignment!"
######
September 9th, 1519, Sea Circle Calendar
"I was promoted to Lieutenant, but things seem different now."
"My father has begun asking me to transport pirate captains arrested by the Marines to the Sabaody Archipelago by warship."
"Oh my God, how is this even possible?!"
"I'm just a Lieutenant, not an Admiral!"
"The judges at Enies Lobby won't allow it, and neither will my colleagues and superiors!"
'What have I gotten myself into?'
######
Later
"They allowed it."
"Besides, I'm already a Lieutenant Commander now."
'Money talks, doesn't it? Even in the Navy...'
The diary was gently closed, and the blue seagull printed on the cover had become somewhat faded and mottled from years of handling.
"Interesting story, isn't it?"
The man who had been reading the diary spoke slowly, his voice carrying an amused undertone. A charred wooden board fell beside him with a loud clatter, punctuating his words.
Buggy fished out a mirror that was still in relatively good condition despite the explosion.
He continued retouching his face while looking at his reflection, using the sharp fruit knife with surgical precision.
He scraped away skin and muscle tissue on his face bit by bit, removed his red nose, then reassembled and adjusted the features methodically to ensure they matched the young officer he had just encountered.
'If this were just for cosmetic purposes,' Buggy mused to himself, 'I'd have to be the world's best plastic surgeon.'
Perhaps Trafalgar Law, who possessed the Ope Ope no Mi, could be comparable to him in surgical skill.
The similarity between them was that Law could dissect others at will without killing them, while Buggy targeted himself with the same clinical detachment.
As for where Lieutenant Commander Yaro had gone?
With such a devastating explosion on the warship, it was perfectly normal for several Marine officers to perish. Especially in such chaotic circumstances - not to mention a Lieutenant Commander, even Commodore Brownie could only focus on ensuring his own survival first.
He didn't even have time to notice Buggy's departure from the scene.
Except for certain people who made it their business to curry favor with those in power.
BANG!
In Yaro's quarters, the iron door that had already been severely damaged by the explosion's impact finally collapsed under its own weight.
Captain Jacques stood in the doorway, frozen for a moment in surprise.
His raised right hand proved that he had been the one to give the door that final push.
He looked somewhat panicked, with traces of dust and soot on his face and uniform from the explosion. His usually pristine appearance was disheveled, making him look almost human.
"Yaro-san, are you injured?"
After that brief moment of shock, Jacques quickly composed himself, straightening his posture.
The tone of his inquiry wasn't overly humble, but rather carried the anxious urgency of someone hastily taking roll call of survivors after a disaster.
He blinked his narrow eyes deliberately, trying hard to pretend he didn't notice the half-detached piece of flesh the size of a bandage hanging from Buggy's face.
'Lieutenant Commander Yaro works directly for the noble Celestial Dragons,' Jacques reasoned to himself, 'so it's acceptable for him to have some... unusual quirks.'
He quickly found a rational explanation for what he was witnessing, his mind automatically filing away the disturbing sight.
"Don't worry sir! it's just a scratch," Buggy replied while saluting, following Jacques' gaze and offering a casual explanation. "How's the situation with the warship?"
"It's bad," Captain Jacques' face fell immediately, but when he noticed Buggy's expression darkening, he quickly added, "But it's not catastrophically bad!"
"There was a massive explosion in the lower cabin.The situation here in the deckhouse is manageable, but we're taking on water from below."
"Oh, and Brownie-san - he's still trapped in the lower cabin!"
"We should...?"
He trailed off meaningfully, his posture indicating he was waiting for Buggy's lead on what action to take, probably because Yaro has connections to some higher ups.
"Where are the reinforcements from Headquarters?" Buggy asked, waving his hand dismissively.
"They've detected the explosion and are approaching at full speed now. The one leading them is Vice Admiral Onigumo!"
"Onigumo..." Buggy muttered the name thoughtfully.
Instead of continuing to trim the damaged skin on his face, he picked up a piece of white cloth and fashioned a crude but effective bandage.
Then he picked up the standard-issue rifle that every officer carried.
He grinned widely - an expression that seemed far too cheerful for the circumstances - and declared, "Let's go down and rescue them."
'Rescue them?'
Jacques was stunned into momentary silence. He had sought out Yaro specifically because this particular gentleman had powerful connections and never took unnecessary risks. Why would he want to venture into the dangerous lower cabin now? If there was a second explosion, both of them would be in serious trouble!
'Besides, your expression doesn't look like someone planning a rescue mission at all!'
Jacques' personal opinion on the matter was irrelevant, however.
He had just escaped from mortal danger, only to be immediately dragged back down to the lower levels by Buggy's insistent grip on his arm.
Like many criminals who couldn't resist returning to the scene of their crimes, Buggy possessed a somewhat similar compulsion.
Their leather boots clattered against the charred and twisted iron plating as they descended.
After taking only a few steps, both men felt a noticeable tilt developing at the ship's stern.
'The water ingress at the bottom must be quite serious,' Buggy observed with detached interest.
In the crew compartments, oil lamps had fallen and shattered, creating a continuous wall of fire that blocked the passage leading further downward. The flames cast dancing shadows on the smoke-stained walls.
"Yaro-san, are we really going down there?" Jacques asked nervously, his voice betraying his growing anxiety.
"I'm afraid Brownie-san might already be..."
"Shh, don't be so anxious," Buggy made a gesture for silence, looking down into the fiery passage with unmistakable anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
At the same time, he raised his rifle and took careful aim at the flames below.
The sound of hurried, desperate footsteps echoed from behind the wall of fire.
Whoosh!
Commodore Brownie rolled and crawled out of the sea of flames, his uniform singed and smoking. His face was blackened with soot, and his usually pristine appearance was utterly ruined.
Before he had any time to savor the sweet relief of escape from that hellish inferno, he suddenly found himself staring down the pitch-black barrel of a rifle.
Under the muzzle of that weapon, framed by the flickering firelight, was a smile that should have made him feel safe and relieved.
Instead, it filled him with inexplicable dread.
"Hello there, Brownie-san," Buggy said pleasantly, his finger resting lightly on the trigger. "Fancy meeting you here eh?."
BANG!