Rogu turned around to look at the person who had called out to him. It was an older man, fully armed and wearing glasses. Although he clearly looked scared—his legs were shaking—he was trying his best to remain calm and composed.
His unusual appearance immediately told Rogu who he was. So, smiling slightly, he asked: "Are you the local mayor?"
"The head of the city!" the old man corrected him with a stubborn expression on his face, trying to look important.
"Oh, well, so be it," Rogu agreed. "It looks like there's no Marines in this city, huh?"
- If they were, would they have allowed you to commit such outrages with impunity?! Who the hell are you?! - the old man looked at him intently.
Rogu scratched his head slightly, looking around at the fallen pirates, and replied, "Rogu, the pirate hunter. By the way, since you're the city's leader, could you help me?"
"A... pirate hunter?" The old man was so stunned that he involuntarily sucked in a breath. He looked at the pirates lying around him and stuttered, "This... you did it all by yourself?"
Only after realizing the stranger's words did he come to his senses and quickly asked: "And how can I help you?"
- It's nothing complicated. Find me some ropes or handcuffs. Will you find something like that here? - asked Rogu.
- We'll find it! Of course we'll find it! - the mayor nodded so vigorously that he almost lost his balance, and then disappeared from sight.
"It's amazing how he's still so energetic at his age," Rogu chuckled, then began to collect the loot.
After he had captured Frott's gang, he had been left with a huge amount of treasure, which had left him with a pleasant impression. And now, looking at Buggy's bounty, which was significantly higher than Frott's, Rogu guessed that his treasure room would be overflowing.
However, when he finally found the treasure, he was disappointed. After all, Buggy's entire wealth turned out to be only a measly three million beli.
"Comparing people and their wealth is a sure path to disappointment," Rogu sighed heavily, realizing that judging pirate wealth by their rewards was stupid and short-sighted.
Finally, remembering Luffy's adventures in the later stages of his journey, he chuckled: "Was that guy rich, being one of the great pirates? He didn't even have a dime!"
Among the junk Buggy left behind, the only useful find was a map. Not just any map, but a navigation chart leading to the Grand Line.
Having hidden the map, Rogu saw that the mayor had returned, and not alone - a large group of residents was following him.
The events that followed need no detailed description. All the inhabitants of the city despised Buggy and his gang. So when they learned that Rogu was going to hand them over for a reward, they enthusiastically set to work, helping to tie up the pirates and pack them in chains. When all the bandits were under control, they invited Rogu to stay and throw a feast in his honor.
Although the offer was tempting, Rogu refused. The reason was simple: his ship now contained many pirates, including Buggy. And even with the prison section, he could not be one hundred percent sure of their safety.
Each of these pirates was worth a certain amount of money. And he couldn't afford to leave such a cargo unattended for the sake of dinner.
Rogu asked the mayor about the nearest Marine outpost, but he was confused, because he himself did not know where it was. And although they were all in the waters of the East Blue, many of the residents had never seen the sea outside their city. And what lay beyond its borders they knew only from rumors.
With the help of the locals, Rogu transported all the pirates to his ship and locked them in cells. Afterwards, he released five so that they could navigate the ship.
Standing on board, Rogu waved goodbye to the mayor and the residents. When their figures disappeared, he returned to the hold of the ship and headed to the very bottom, where the prison cell was.
Inside it was already crowded with prisoners. Frott's gang numbered fifty-six men, and with the addition of Buggy's gang, seventy-two.
Buggy, who had come to his senses by that time, was tied up with chains, making him look like a giant caterpillar. At that moment, he was writhing vigorously on the floor, and when he saw Rogu, he shouted in rage: - Damn boy! How dare you treat the great captain Buggy like that?!
Rogu froze, then glanced at him and said with a smile: "You've already been caught. Maybe you'll stop being hysterical?"
- If you hadn't turned off the light... No, you meanly distracted me, depriving me of the opportunity to see! - Buggy still could not accept defeat.
Rogu ignored him. He had no intention of arguing, and he had no intention of torturing the captives in any way. After all, they would all turn into belli sooner or later, and he had always treated money with patience and respect.
He continued walking further down the prison corridor until he stopped in front of one of the cells. Looking inside, he smiled and said: - Come out.
Cindy slowly rose from the floor, glanced cautiously at Roga, and then quickly lowered his eyes: "Captain, you're back."
"Yes," Rogu replied, opening the cell door at the same time. "Disappointed?"
Cindy froze as soon as he took a step outside. His legs buckled and he almost fell.
Trying to look as submissive as possible, he squeezed out: "Captain, I... I don't understand what you're talking about."
- Really? - Rogu smiled. - And I thought you brought me here on purpose after hearing about Captain Buggy. Or are you trying to say that this is all just a coincidence?
Cindy's body instantly tensed. Captain Buggy, a pirate with a bounty of fifteen million beli. For him, this figure had always been something distant and almost mythical. After all, in the East Blue, where the average bounty rarely exceeded three million, such a sum seemed akin to a legend.
But even a myth could be a chance, however unlikely. That's why Cindy decided to deviate from his original course and head to Orange Town. All he wanted was a try, the slightest possibility. After all, if a great pirate really did appear, and a bounty hunter was on his way, the outcome would be predictable.
But reality turned out to be cruel: the great pirate was indeed here, but instead of winning, he himself became a prisoner. And the bounty hunter, who was supposed to be the victim, emerged victorious again.
This outcome ruined all plans. But the worst thing was that Rogu understood everything.
"Buggy, meet him," Rogu said suddenly, turning to the captured pirate. "This is Cindy. A very capable man. I only found you thanks to his efforts."
Cindy opened his mouth, but no words came out. His eyes widened in horror. He turned to Buggy, who, despite his chains, was radiating rage. His red nose matched his blood-red eyes, and on his forehead was a huge lump of the same color. It was both ugly and funny.
However, Buggy's gaze was full of real menace, and no amount of "fun" in the situation could soften it.
Cindy wanted to say something, but he knew it was already useless. At that moment, his gaze slid to Frott, who was also in the cell. A shadow of thought flashed in his eyes, which horrified Cindy even more.
He remembered that before all this, Frott had asked him one question, which now echoed in his head: "You definitely added poison to it, right? Why was it so strong then?"