"Nanananana... Nani!!!"
"Pirate King??? Me!?!"
Hearing Orin's words, Buggy's first reaction was to think he was joking. He opened his mouth wide and laughed exaggeratedly.
"Hahahahaha, don't mess with me, Orin!"
But as he laughed, Buggy's smile gradually stiffened… and then disappeared entirely.
Because he noticed that Orin was simply staring at him quietly, his expression calm but strangely serious.
"I'm not joking, Buggy."
Orin silently poured himself another glass of fresh-looking orange juice, swirling it gently.
He watched the ripples forming on the surface of the juice.
"Anyone can become the Pirate King. Why can't it be you? As far as I know, Captain Roger never said it had to be Shanks who goes after the One Piece treasure."
"…"
Hearing this, and seeing Orin's serious expression, Mihawk frowned deeply, lost in thought.
Buggy's little underlings, however, were practically boiling with excitement. They stared wide-eyed at Orin and their captain, their faces flushed, trembling with the effort of holding their voices back. The scene looked almost comical.
If not for the tension in the air, they would have shouted their answer for Buggy already.
Hey, hey, hey!!!
This is about the One Piece!!!
Roger's treasure!!!
The treasure said to contain everything in the world!!!
With Orin—the "Black Emperor"—backing them, becoming Pirate King didn't seem so impossible anymore!!!
But Buggy just stared blankly at Orin.
To be honest, having gotten used to being a small-time pirate, hearing Orin say this out of nowhere felt surreal and unrealistic.
Could he, Buggy, really be qualified for something like that?
It wasn't that he doubted Orin.
It was just that, right now, Buggy hadn't gone through the kind of life-changing events that would shape him. Psychologically, he was still immature.
In the original timeline, the Buggy who shouted, "Don't your lives scream!?" was someone who had wandered through the Grand Line, gained tremendous fame and influence, and—after being suddenly provoked by Shanks—finally resolved to stop compromising with his weakness and inferiority. He risked everything to compete for the One Piece.
But right now, Buggy was only twenty, having spent most of his time hiding out in the small corners of the East Blue.
And now, out of the blue, Orin told him to go become Pirate King.
Buggy still felt undeserving. Borrowing someone else's influence? Sure, that he could handle. But replacing Orin—the one person he believed was truly qualified to be the next Pirate King? That was harder to accept.
He fell silent, deep in thought.
Orin, watching this, didn't push him.
"Don't be in such a hurry to decide, Buggy." Orin patted his shoulder, showing an encouraging smile.
"There's plenty of time. If you ever change your mind, you can always come find me."
There was no need to rush.
Everyone was still growing. Even future Pirate King Luffy was just a little kid right now.
One way or another, Buggy would come around eventually.
...
After staying for a few more days, Orin finally said goodbye to Buggy, carrying a small barrel of orange juice with him.
When he heard Orin was leaving, Buggy's eyes instantly filled with tears.
"You're leaving already? But you've only been here for a few days… Orin…"
"Don't be sad, Buggy. You're always welcome at the Sabaody Archipelago anytime. And besides, the sea is vast. We'll definitely meet again someday."
Waving goodbye, Orin and Mihawk disappeared into the distance along the shore.
Up in the sky, as the island shrank into a tiny black speck, Mihawk turned to look at Orin.
"So… what's your plan next?"
"My plan, huh?"
Orin stroked his chin, seeming to think about it seriously.
"I guess… the first thing is to settle the Seven Warlords of the Sea situation. After all, I don't like leaving things half-finished."
"The Seven Warlords?"
Hearing this, Mihawk immediately frowned.
He still remembered how he had joined this unheard-of organization in the first place—solely because of Orin.
"With the power you already have, you don't need something like this to boost your reputation. Why bother?"
The world claimed that finding the One Piece meant gaining everything, but Mihawk didn't believe that.
In his mind, the one who truly possessed Orin possessed everything.
Wealth, power, fame…
Orin himself was like a walking, living One Piece. There was no need to build up these flashy organizations just to make his influence more impressive.
But Orin clearly had his own plans.
"It's not really about purpose. I just find it interesting. And besides, I should thank you for cooperating, Little Hawk."
"…"
Mihawk went silent.
Because "just for fun"—that was a very Orin-like reason.
"So, who are you going after first?"
"Kuma? Moria?"
"Moria."
Kuma was one of the members of the Revolutionary Army—an organization Orin fully funded and indirectly controlled. Whether now or in the future, even if Kuma became a puppet of the World Government, Orin still held his leash.
The only one worth playing around with… was Gecko Moria—the man who once stood beside Orin and watched Captain Roger's execution.
However…
That guy was stubborn as hell. Figuring out how to tame him would be tricky.
"Gecko Moria, huh?"
Mihawk recalled the information he'd heard about him.
He had the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, which allowed him to steal and control other people's shadows. But after losing his battle against Kaido, he became a recluse, hiding away in the Florian Triangle aboard his Thriller Bark.
Meanwhile…
Both Orin and Mihawk, deep in thought about the Seven Warlords, completely overlooked one particularly important member.
Deep beneath the sea—
Impel Down.
Level 6: Eternal Hell.
Clang… clang… clang…
With each subtle movement, the chains dragging along the floor clinked softly, producing sharp metallic echoes.
Crocodile's clothing, unlike the other prisoners, was not the black-and-white striped uniform. She still kept a last shred of dignity.
But that was all she had left.
Freedom stripped away, wrists bound in chains, no cigars to smoke…
Compared to her days of indulgence on the Sabaody Archipelago, this was a brutal fall from grace.
Sitting on the cold prison bed, Crocodile silently read the latest newspaper, doubts swirling in her mind.
Why?
Why hasn't Orin come to get me out yet?
Isn't that guy a Celestial Dragon?
Even though she was frustrated, trapped inside Impel Down, there was no way to reach Orin. All she could do was read the papers day after day.
Tap… tap…
Suddenly, slow and deliberate footsteps echoed from outside the cell. Crocodile lifted her head, her gaze falling upon a figure cloaked in a Marine cape.
"Crocodile, have you reconsidered?"
The figure's voice was calm, but carried weight.
"About joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea."