"Like Luffy?"
"Bara Bara no Mi?"
Nami and Zoro echoed Bai Ye in unison. Nami looked over at Luffy, who happily stretched his cheeks into a ridiculous grin.
"I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit — I'm a rubber man," he announced proudly.
Nami: What a freak.
Bai Ye smiled and gave them a quick primer on Devil Fruits, then answered Zoro's question.
"Right. Buggy ate the Bara Bara no Mi — the Chop-Chop Fruit. It lets him split his body apart however he likes, and because he can separate himself, slashes don't actually kill him. That's why people call him 'unkillable.'"
"Sounds awesome!" Luffy's eyes shone at the idea.
"Immune to slashes?" Zoro's tone turned sober. If I fight someone who can't be cut down, how do I win? Such powers were a swordsman's nightmare.
Nami was surprised Bai Ye knew so much. "You actually know about this stuff?"
"It's not hard to learn," Bai Ye said modestly. "I've seen a bit more of the world."
He glanced at Luffy and Zoro. "Since the captain already decided—let's set course. Destination: Orange Town."
—
Orange Town, an East Blue island, had been rebuilt on the ruins of a village razed by pirates decades ago. The townsfolk eked out a living from their orange groves — peaceful, until the day a new pirate crew arrived.
"Are we here already? This is boring." Luffy flopped on the deck, sulking. He hated the long stretches at sea.
"We wouldn't have made it so quickly without Miss Nami," Bai Ye said, standing at the bow and watching the island draw near. If not for Nami, he'd have been asking Lieutenant Brian's base for more help — Brian was the one who'd told him Buggy's approximate location.
"Look — that pirate ship over there should be Buggy's," Zoro said, pointing. The ship flew a clown skull flag: the Big Top — Buggy's vessel.
Bai Ye turned to Nami. "Want to go ashore and take a look?"
"Huh? Who asked you?" Nami snapped. "I'm not going!"
"Oh?" Bai Ye stroked his chin. "I thought if you helped us loot Buggy's treasure, I could pay you a cut."
"AAA! Take me with you!" Nami's eyes flashed dollar signs at the mention of treasure.
"Then let's go." In no time they boarded Buggy's ship.
Luffy immediately barreled into the galley like he understood "treasure hunt"; Nami bolted straight to the treasure room. Zoro wasn't interested in trinkets — he checked the armory for a better blade. Bai Ye headed to the captain's cabin.
If Buggy really had a 15 million-berry bounty, his cabin should reflect it. And indeed — Buggy's captain's room dwarfed Alvida's quarters. Buggy looked like a lucky schemer: flashy, loud, and somehow always somewhere fortune favored him.
Bai Ye rummaged through crates and piles of charts. No Grand Line map at first, but tucked away he found a small notebook. Not a diary — who would write one? — but pages filled with training notes on Kenbunshoku Haki and Busoshoku Haki.
Surprising. Whoever wrote it clearly knew Haki. Judging by the folds and stains, Buggy had never bothered to actually read it much. What a waste. Bai Ye flipped to the last page and paused — a line made his pupils tighten:
"In the face of this vast world, your dreams are the compass that drives you forward." — Gol D. Roger
A note penned by Roger himself? Bai Ye murmured, heart brightening. This is a fine relic indeed.
After searching further, he rejoined the others. Nami came out with a huge sack, glowing like she'd found treasure; Zoro carried a newly acquired sword; Luffy looked stuffed and content. Bai Ye checked with them.
"No map, then?" he asked.
"Huh? We were looking for a map?" Luffy blinked, late to the realization, and patted his belly. "But the food was good."
Before anyone could respond, explosion concussions rolled over the island. Smoke billowed over Orange Town.
"It's Buggy's bombs," Nami said, her face hard. Word was Buggy had a particularly powerful bomb. "He must be in town."
"Then let's go." Luffy sprang up, as ready as ever. The four of them — captain, swordsman, daoist, and thief turned ally — hurried ashore.
Orange Town wasn't wealthy, but its orange trade kept things comfortable. No Marine garrison, and that kind of prosperity attracts pirates. A few days earlier, Buggy had shown up; at first his crew accepted tribute. But then Buggy declared someone in town called him "red-nosed." Chaos erupted. Buggy threatened to blow the town flat. The mayor hustled everyone into the hills, saving lives — but houses were already scorched by the bombs.
As the four ran toward the smoking square, the ruined streets and burning rooftops made one fact clear:
This was actual piracy — not petty theft, but terror, and it was monstrous.
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