Chapter 24: The Lucky Day of a Unlucky Guy
"Wha... what the hell!? Where are my clothes!?"
When Ian finally caught a strangely shaped big fish from the sea and climbed back onto the boat, his eyes nearly popped out of his head!
At first, he thought some mischievous seabird had snatched his clothes away, but when he spotted the pirate ship of the Buggy Pirates in the distance, along with a small boat that was moving away, he immediately understood what had happened. He felt utterly violated.
Damn it! Getting caught in a storm last night was bad enough, but now, out on this vast ocean, someone had actually stolen his stuff? Was this karma for not checking the almanac before leaving?
Tossing the caught fish into the boat, Ian grabbed an oar and started paddling furiously toward the distant pirate ship.
From far away, he couldn't yet make out which pirate crew's ship it was, but Ian was burning with rage. Among the stolen items were not only his clothes but also the hat Kuma had given him and the Den Den Mushi he had kept inside that hat. All of it was gone!
Without the Den Den Mushi, how would he contact Zoro to ask about Kuina's situation? Without the hat he had grown used to wearing, his head felt bare and uncomfortable. And without clothes, things were even worse—if he ever made it to shore, he'd have to run around naked!
Unforgivable! Ian was about to explode with anger. He put all his strength into rowing, the two oars spinning like crazy.
Meanwhile, the few pirate grunts who had been sent to check Ian's small boat had already boarded the Buggy Pirates' ship. Seeing them come up, Buggy asked casually, "So? Any loot?"
"Reporting, Captain Buggy!" one grunt, wearing a circus hat, stood at attention and replied. "We searched it—no money, no treasure! Just a few pieces of clothing and a hat. Oh, and there was a Den Den Mushi inside the hat!"
"Oh?" Buggy was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected much from that small boat; he had only sent them to scavenge on the off chance there was something worth taking. Who knew there would actually be something?
A Den Den Mushi was still a fairly rare item. He hadn't expected to find one on that little boat.
"Bring it here! Let me have a look!" Buggy said lazily, lounging in his chair.
"Yes, sir!" The grunt with the circus hat quickly handed over Ian's hat, flattering him, "The Den Den Mushi was inside this round bear-ear hat..."
But before he could finish, Buggy suddenly interrupted, "What did you say? Say that again!"
"The Den Den Mushi was inside this round bear-ear hat..." the grunt repeated, confused.
Buggy immediately flew into a rage. One of his hands detached from his body, flew over, and grabbed the grunt by the throat. "Who are you calling a round, big nose!?"
"I... I didn't!" The grunt was on the verge of tears. He knew his captain had misheard him again!
Because Buggy was very sensitive about his round, red nose, he hated it when anyone mentioned it. The mere mention would set him off. Over time, he had become hypersensitive. On the Buggy Pirates' ship, all the grunts knew their captain's taboo: never mention the words "round," "red," or "big"—not even words with similar meanings.
But knowing the rule and avoiding mistakes were two different things. This grunt had just thought Ian's bear-ear hat looked cute and endearing and couldn't help but describe it. But... the bear ears on the hat were round!
For an uneducated pirate, he couldn't find any other word to replace "round"!
Ignorance is terrifying, and ignorance leads to punishment! Captain Buggy was furious. Even his own subordinates dared to speak ill of him. If he didn't teach them a lesson, how could he maintain his authority as captain?
So Buggy said without turning his head, "Prepare the cannon!"
"Huh? Oh! Yes, sir!" The grunts shuddered but didn't dare disobey. They quickly stood at attention and complied.
Buggy the Clown was actually quite ruthless with people. Cannon execution was a staple on his pirate ship, and his grunts had seen it many times. So, even though they were flustered, they went through the motions very skillfully.
"Sp... spare me!" The grunt, whose neck was being squeezed as he was lifted into the air, could barely breathe. He desperately tried to pry Buggy's hand off. Maybe because he wasn't thinking clearly, he was still holding Ian's hat.
Buggy noticed the hat and froze for a moment.
The next second, Buggy's hand released its grip. The grunt fell to the deck, staring blankly at his captain, Buggy, not understanding why he had suddenly let go. Had he changed his mind?
But Buggy ignored him. His hand flew over, picked up Ian's hat, flew back, and reattached to Buggy's body. Holding Ian's bear-ear hat, Buggy muttered thoughtfully, "Huh? Strange... I feel like I've seen this hat somewhere before?"
Then, as if remembering something, Buggy turned and ran into the cabin with the hat, leaving the bewildered grunts behind, unsure whether they should continue with the execution.
Technically, since Captain Buggy had ignored the grunt, he should have been spared. But before he could feel relieved, the man sitting on a unicycle with a black-and-white checkered scarf around his neck approached. He was Cabaji, the chief of staff of the Buggy Pirates. With one eye hidden by his hair, he said darkly, "Hang him! Continue the execution! This is Captain Buggy's will!"
"Yes, sir!" The grunts quickly responded and, working together, tied up the unlucky guy and hung him over the side of the ship.
Then, they brought over a cannon, aimed it at the unlucky guy, raised a torch, and were about to light the fuse.
But just then, someone jumped up from the side of the ship and landed on the deck with a thud.
The crew stared blankly at the sudden figure. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of shorts, his body naked and dripping wet. His black hair was tied back, and he held a samurai sword in his hand.
That's right, the one who had arrived was Ian. That unlucky guy hanging there was incredibly fortunate. First, Buggy had let him go, and now, just as he was about to be blown away by the cannon, Ian had boarded the ship, drawing everyone's attention and saving his life again.
Today must be his lucky day.
Ian didn't care about the tearfully grateful look the hanging guy was giving him. As soon as he jumped onto the ship, he roared furiously, "Who stole my clothes and my stuff!? Step forward!"
The grunts on the ship exchanged glances. They realized what was going on. So, the person on that small boat hadn't been there earlier—he had been away! Judging by how wet he was, he must have jumped into the sea at the time.
Once they understood, the grunts suddenly burst into laughter, holding their stomachs.
This guy was an idiot! It was understandable to be angry about having his things taken, but actually chasing after them to demand them back? That was beyond stupid! Didn't he see how many people were on his side versus theirs?
"Kid! Didn't anyone teach you to recognize a pirate flag?"
"Haha, this is hilarious! You didn't even look before jumping onto this ship!"
"Looks like a rookie who just set sail!"
Even though the grunts were trembling in front of Buggy, when facing outsiders, they showed the typical cruelty of pirates, sneering at Ian with fierce expressions.
By this time, Ian had also gotten a good look at the people on the ship. At first, he found it a bit strange. This group of pirates didn't look like pirates at all—they looked more like a circus troupe. Just look at what they were wearing!
Hearing the pirates' mockery, Ian instinctively looked up at the sail. When he saw the round, red nose pattern, he froze.