Buggy stared at the group of hardened criminals he had brought out from Impel Down. These were not the rookies from the lower levels of the prison; they were seasoned and powerful. Yet, how could they have such poor judgment?
Did they seriously think they were stronger than Whitebeard?
Which part of their eyes told them that?
Were they locked away in the prison for too long? They hadn't interacted with people or experienced anything in so long that their judgment, even their intelligence, seemed to have deteriorated.
Buggy, for one, knew better.
Yes, he was a former member of the Pirate King's crew, and yes, he did think he was strong. But compared to Whitebeard? Not even close. His size alone wasn't in the same league as Whitebeard.
Yet, here were his followers, pushing him into the fire, urging him to attack Whitebeard.
But Buggy couldn't just back down.
If he did, these powerful pirates—who he had freed from the underwater prison—might abandon him. And if that happened, Buggy's dreams of becoming a Shichibukai, or even one of the Four Emperors, or dare he dream, the Pirate King, would be shattered. These guys were strong, no doubt about that, and with them backing him, Buggy stood a chance of reaching new heights in the pirate world.
However, attacking Whitebeard was not an option.
Yet, if he didn't attack, his followers' expectations would be crushed. He was stuck. How could he make this situation work smoothly?
At that moment, a voice called out, interrupting his thoughts.
"Hey, red nose over there."
Buggy's face instantly flushed with anger. Nothing made him angrier than being called "red nose."
Although, yes, his nose was red.
"Who the hell are you calling red nose?! You bastard!!!" Buggy roared in response, following the voice to its source. But when he saw who had spoken, his heart stopped.
It was Whitebeard.
"Whitebeard?!!"
Buggy's mind went blank.
How? Why was Whitebeard calling out to him? Of all people, Whitebeard had taken the initiative to greet him?
Without thinking, Buggy's body moved on its own, reacting to Whitebeard's presence. He had attacked him.
It's over, Buggy thought, breaking into a cold sweat. Despair overwhelmed him as he imagined the consequences. He had provoked Whitebeard—the strongest man in the world. Surely, this was the end.
But wait!
A flicker of hope entered Buggy's mind. Whitebeard might not even know who he was!
Yes, that was it! If Buggy turned around and ran away right now, Whitebeard might just let him go. After all, how could Whitebeard chase him down if he didn't even know his name?
If Buggy ran now, there was still hope for survival.
Or so he thought.
"Huh? I thought it was someone else," Whitebeard said with a chuckle. "Turns out it's you, the little brat from Roger's ship."
The words hit Buggy like a hammer. Whitebeard had recognized him.
"You're still alive? It's been so many years. I really miss you," Whitebeard said casually.
Buggy felt his scalp tingle. Damn it. He had been recognized.
How was this even possible?
How could Whitebeard remember him after all these years? Buggy had been nothing more than a small fry during Roger's time, yet Whitebeard had recognized him at first glance.
What was with Whitebeard's memory? Did he eat the Tremor-Tremor Fruit or the Memory-Memory Fruit?!
Buggy was doomed.
Not only had Whitebeard identified him, but now there would be no escape. Even if Buggy managed to flee to the ends of the earth, Whitebeard could simply announce that he wanted Buggy's head, and there would be nowhere left for him to hide.
Despair swallowed him whole, his body trembling. How unlucky could he get?
Why had Whitebeard even spoken to him? Why had Buggy gotten involved at all? This was a nightmare!
And to make matters worse, Buggy's followers were now watching him with awe.
"Captain Buggy… he was approached by Whitebeard…"
"And Whitebeard recognized Captain Buggy immediately. That means Captain Buggy left a deep impression on him."
"Yes! I can't even remember people I met ten years ago. But Whitebeard recognized Captain Buggy instantly. He must be incredibly powerful!"
"Captain Buggy must've fought Whitebeard many times in the past."
"He's truly amazing! To follow someone as legendary as Captain Buggy is beyond our wildest dreams!"
"Look at the nostalgia between Captain Buggy and Whitebeard. They were probably rivals who respected each other."
The admiration from his followers reached a fever pitch.
Buggy wanted to scream.
These idiots were raising him up, comparing him to Whitebeard, pushing him further into certain death. They were going to get him killed!
If they actually expected him to fight Whitebeard, he wouldn't even leave behind bones.
Maybe he should kneel down and beg for mercy?
At this point, Buggy didn't care about becoming a Shichibukai or an Emperor or even the Pirate King. He just wanted to live.
Escaping was impossible, and he would surely die if he tried to hide. The only option left was to beg for mercy and hope for a miracle.
But Whitebeard spoke again.
"You brought all these prisoners with you… planning to take my head?"
Buggy paled. His followers had indeed loudly cheered about taking Whitebeard's head. Whitebeard must have heard it.
While Buggy himself wasn't a threat, the prisoners he had brought from Impel Down were no joke. Many of them had consumed powerful Devil Fruits, some of them being Logia types, or other rare fruits with tricky abilities.
Whitebeard, focusing on fighting the navy and rescuing Ace, didn't want to waste time dealing with them.
Buggy was utterly dumbfounded.
Whitebeard, the mighty Whitebeard, was showing what seemed like... fear? And not just any fear—fear in front of him, Buggy the Clown?
It didn't make sense.
Whitebeard's more apparent tone of weakness completely threw Buggy off. The once indomitable man was speaking with hesitation, even suggesting an alliance to get rid of the navy first before they discussed his head.
As the luckiest man in the pirate world, Buggy's mind worked in mysterious ways. His extreme luck had carried him through the harshest of circumstances, often with him barely understanding why. Now, his judgment—clouded by that same luck—led him to an incredible conclusion.
Whitebeard wasn't afraid of him, per se.
He was afraid of Buggy's followers!
Buggy could hardly believe it at first. But then, it all clicked. Of course! The prisoners he had freed from Impel Down were some of the most dangerous individuals in the world. Some of them had rare and terrifying Devil Fruit powers, and even Whitebeard—the strongest pirate in the world—must have his concerns about fighting such a group while also dealing with the navy.
This realization filled Buggy with an unexpected burst of confidence.
For the first time in this chaotic situation, Buggy felt like he was actually in control.
Whitebeard, showing this rare moment of weakness, made Buggy's chest puff up with newfound bravery. He straightened his back, put on his best smug face, and, with the confidence of someone who had completely misjudged the situation, said:
"That's right!! I haven't seen you in a long time, Whitebeard! Our grievances go back a long way! You should be prepared!"
His sudden boldness wasn't pure foolishness. Buggy had a plan—sort of. If a fight did break out, he wouldn't need to do anything. His prisoners would battle Whitebeard's crew, and if they won, Buggy would claim all the glory. If they lost, Buggy could slip away in the chaos. It was a win-win for him.
In his mind, Buggy had already envisioned the outcome. He could almost see his name spread across the world as the pirate who took down Whitebeard. His prestige would rise to unimaginable levels.
He was just about to order his followers to prepare for a fight when Whitebeard's next words stopped him cold.
"It doesn't matter if you want my head," Whitebeard said. "But after killing me, what are you going to do about the navy?"
Buggy blinked, caught off guard.
Whitebeard continued, his voice calm but serious. "There are 100,000 elite navy soldiers here. Do you think they'll just stand by while we fight? This is a headache for me... and I imagine it is for you, too."
Whitebeard paused, looking directly at Buggy.
"We're both pirates, and we've known each other for many years. How about we work together and deal with the navy first? Once they're gone... then we can talk about my head."
Buggy was stunned.
He stood there, frozen, not sure how to react. His followers, who had been hyping him up moments ago, fell silent, equally as shocked.
Was Whitebeard really... suggesting an alliance? With Captain Buggy?
The group of prisoners around Buggy started whispering to each other in amazement.
"Captain Buggy... Whitebeard is afraid of him?"
"Whitebeard is offering to team up with Captain Buggy?! That means he sees Captain Buggy as an equal!"
"I knew Captain Buggy was strong, but this... this is beyond anything I imagined!"
Buggy's ego swelled to new heights. His followers' admiration only fueled his belief that Whitebeard was genuinely afraid of the combined strength of his group. Whitebeard's offer of alliance seemed to validate everything Buggy had been thinking.
What Buggy didn't realize was that Whitebeard was simply playing the game, buying time to focus on the real threat—the navy—and hopefully avoid a pointless fight with Buggy's band of troublesome prisoners in the process.
But to Buggy, this was his moment. His rise to power seemed more real than ever.
He looked at Whitebeard, trying to keep the act going, and responded, "Alright, Whitebeard! Let's take down these navy dogs first... then we'll settle things between us!"
Buggy's followers cheered, convinced their captain had just secured an alliance with one of the most legendary pirates in the world.
And Buggy, lost in his delusions, began to believe it too.