Hearing that Luo Chen knew who the Vice Admiral behind the scenes was, Genzo, Nojiko, Nami, and the others were all eager to find out. But Luo Chen never revealed the information. He was worried that they would do something foolish if they knew. The massacre of the Cocoyasi villagers already weighed heavily on his conscience. Luo Chen really didn't want anything to happen to Genzo, Nojiko, and the others.
So, he shook off the pestering Genzo and the others, took some money, and fled to the coast with Nami.
Living on an island, a boat was a necessity. Luo Chen and Nami chose a small boat, raised the sail, and set out to sea.
On the shore, Genzo, Nojiko, and a dozen or so villagers waved goodbye, their eyes filled with tears. They didn't know if this separation would be their last.
Luo Chen and Nami would be wanted and hunted by the Marines. They would also be heading to an unknown island to live. Whether they would encounter pirates along the way was all unknown.
...
The sea was a vast expanse of blue.
Standing on the deck of the small boat, Luo Chen gazed into the distance, feeling a sense of openness. In his previous life, he had never seen the scenery of the open sea.
From the cockpit, Nami's voice, tinged with a smile, came through. "Captain, where are we headed?"
Luo Chen thought for a moment and replied, "To find some rich pirates."
Nami poked her head out of the cabin, a look of confusion on her face. "Aren't we running? If the Marines are after you, they'll definitely come to the East Blue, right?"
"We're not running. Even if we leave the East Blue, we could run into the Marines at any time. The wanted posters are worldwide."
Luo Chen said, "We'll just go find some rich pirates. By fighting them, I can get stronger quickly."
He made up a casual excuse.
Nami sighed. "Alright, but rich pirates are usually very strong. I'm a coward, so I won't be of any help if we run into danger. You'll have to rely on yourself in a fight, Captain."
Luo Chen smiled.
If she were really a coward, she wouldn't have had the courage to go to sea with a wanted man like him.
"Nami, you know which pirates in the East Blue are the richest, right?" Luo Chen asked.
"Of course. I still have many targets I haven't stolen from yet."
Nami smiled confidently. "The closest one is Buggy the Clown in Orange Town."
"He's a major pirate with a bounty of 15 million Berries, only 5 million less than Arlong."
She wasn't worried about Luo Chen's strength. After all, that Headquarters Captain who claimed to have defeated more than ten pirates with bounties over 50 million Berries was no match for Luo Chen. A mere 15-million-Berry Buggy was nothing special in Nami's eyes.
Luo Chen rubbed his chin and smiled. "Alright, let's go find Buggy."
A familiar character. He knew his background. And with Buggy's greedy nature, he was bound to have amassed a considerable fortune. He was a very suitable target.
...
Organ Islands, Orange Town.
The entire town was deserted, the houses dilapidated. It was clear that no one had lived there for a long time.
"Orange Town was taken over by the Buggy Pirates. The villagers all fled," Nami said in a low voice. "In the Great Pirate Era, examples like this are everywhere."
Luo Chen nodded. He was, of course, aware of the deep and widespread harm that pirates inflicted on ordinary people. This was also why he hadn't planned on becoming a pirate in the first place. Pirates were the kind of thing everyone despised; not even a dog would want to be one. Yet, he had been forced into it.
Nami held a map and led Luo Chen straight to the town's tavern. She had investigated the Buggy Pirates before; their base was located inside the tavern building.
However, when the two of them arrived at the tavern, they found it empty. There was no sign of the Buggy Pirates.
Nami scratched her head, puzzled. "Did the Buggy Pirates move?"
"They were still here a few days ago."
She was a little embarrassed, not expecting to have led Luo Chen here on a wild goose chase.
Now that Luo Chen was wanted and hunted by the Marines, every second was precious. Nami couldn't help but blame herself for not being able to find Buggy.
Luo Chen shook his head, signaling her not to worry about it.
Buggy the Clown's strength was always average in the story. But his luck stat was maxed out. Not only could he turn every disaster into a blessing, but he also made amazing gains from crises. He was jokingly referred to as the sole possessor of "Luck Haki." If it was indeed his "Luck Haki" that had kicked in and helped Buggy avoid him, then there was nothing to be done.
Luo Chen smiled. "Let's go to the neighboring Gosa Village to buy some supplies. We'll continue our journey and find another target."
He and Nami looked around the tavern building. The Buggy Pirates hadn't left any treasure behind. This trip was a complete waste of time.
The two of them walked deeper into the island. Orange Town was a port city on the Organ Islands. There were other towns with residents deeper inland.
After Luo Chen and Nami arrived in Gosa Village, they went to a tavern first to get some drinks and rest.
However, when Luo Chen saw a large lion squatting outside the tavern, his eyes lit up.
"What's wrong?" Nami asked, puzzled.
She could tell that Luo Chen seemed very interested in the lion. Though she was also curious as to why there was a lion at the entrance of a tavern. And a chained one at that. Otherwise, Nami wouldn't have dared to get close to this tavern.
Luo Chen smiled. "Let's go in and take a look."
If he remembered correctly, this lion looked exactly like the one from the Buggy Pirates.
The two of them pushed open the door and entered the tavern.
Inside, the lighting was dim and the place was crowded. The smell of men's sweat and women's perfume mingled in the air. Laughter and conversation filled their ears.
Luo Chen's eyes scanned the room, carefully observing everyone in the tavern. Finally, in a corner, he saw three figures in black cloaks, their forms obscured.
He narrowed his eyes and clearly saw, as the person in the middle seat turned their head, a round, bright red nose. It looked just like the red ball a clown would put on their nose.
'This has to be Buggy...' Luo Chen signaled Nami not to speak rashly. He led her to a seat behind Buggy.
"Bartender, two glasses of juice," Luo Chen called out.
At that moment, the cloaked person next to Buggy turned and glanced at him.
Luo Chen pretended to meet his gaze unintentionally and was basically certain of the identities of the three. It should be Buggy and his two subordinates. The one who had just looked at him had white hair styled like a doll's wig; he was the beast tamer for Buggy's large lion.
Luo Chen didn't rush to make a move.
Buggy was a user of the Chop-Chop Fruit and had some strength. Moreover, the guy liked to develop some incredibly powerful cannonballs. It was inevitable that he would be carrying some on him.
There were many civilians in the tavern. A rash fight could result in casualties.
He prepared to wait until Buggy and his two men left before taking them down.
From behind, the sound of Buggy and his subordinates' discussion could be heard.
"Captain Buggy, how long are we going to hide in Gosa Village?"
"We can go back to our base once that guy Smoker returns to Loguetown where he's stationed," Buggy said, taking a sip from his cup.
He seemed a little drunk and said dejectedly, "Damn that Smoker! Instead of staying put in Loguetown, he's actually heading in our direction! He must be coming to capture me."
Because he was drunk, Buggy's voice was not quiet. Nami could also hear him clearly.
Curiosity appeared in her eyes.
'Who is this Smoker? To make a pirate with a 15-million-Berry bounty like Buggy the Clown run and hide.'
Coincidentally, the beast tamer, Mohji, asked, "Captain Buggy, who exactly is this Smoker? Is he really that strong?"
Buggy nodded and slammed his cup down on the table.
"It's not that I'm afraid of him, I just find him annoying. Smoker is a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. You can't kill him!"
"A Logia-type Devil Fruit?" Mohji was surprised. "Zoan, Paramecia, and Logia. Among the three types of Devil Fruits, Logia is widely recognized as the strongest."
Buggy nodded again. "Yeah. That damn elementalization. My Buggy Balls are no threat to him at all."
His tone was a little annoyed. "That guy Smoker is a Headquarters Captain, not some trashy Branch Captain. Since he's been stationed in Loguetown, no pirate has ever been able to break through his defense and enter the Grand Line."
"I'm not afraid of him, but to protect you guys, I decided to temporarily avoid him. Got it?"
Mohji nodded perfunctorily.
He could, of course, tell whether Captain Buggy was afraid or not.
After learning about Smoker's background, Nami looked at Luo Chen with worried eyes.
'A Marine Captain from Loguetown. He must be here to capture Luo Chen, right?'
'It's just that Cocoyasi Village and Orange Town are in the same direction, which is why Buggy misunderstood.'
'A Logia-type fruit user. Can Luo Chen beat him?'
Nami felt uncertain.
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