Chapter 26: Whose Hat Is It Anyway?
♂ "Ricky!!" Mochi was on the verge of tears, looking down at the lion beneath him with grief and indignation. "I don't remember teaching you this!"
As if sensing his master's resentment, the lion Ricky finally snapped out of it and let out a fierce roar at Ian, putting on a show of ferocity.
However... Ian saw right through it all. This lion might look fierce, but it was nothing but a fool!
Although he had only exchanged a few blows with it, Ian could tell that his strength and speed were on par with the lion's. Defeating it wouldn't be a problem.
The key issue was that his sword had been bitten in half!
Despite Ian's decent physique, his hand-to-hand combat was a weakness. He hadn't specifically trained in martial arts; aside from swordsmanship, he had no other fighting methods.
Forget it, I'll use the Sword Saint Longsword. Ian thought, selecting the Sword Saint Longsword treasure in his mind to equip it.
The next second, Ian opened his hand, and a red longsword instantly appeared in his grip!
Ever since Mochi had brought Ricky to confront Ian, the pirates on the ship had been watching the fight closely. When they saw Ian's sword get bitten in half, they were thrilled, thinking the kid was done for. However, when the menacing Sword Saint Longsword suddenly materialized in Ian's hand, everyone was terrified.
"What's going on? Where did that kid pull out such a long sword?"
"He's practically naked!"
"Could it be... the power of a demon!?"
"That's right! Definitely! This kid must be like the captain—a monster who ate a Demon Fruit!"
"Shh! You dare call the captain a monster? Do you want to die?"
Not only were the low-level pirates whispering among themselves, but even Mochi and the watching Cabaji were startled. As members of the Buggy Pirates, they knew how formidable their captain was, so anything beyond their understanding, like Demon Fruits, instinctively filled them with fear.
The Sword Saint Longsword's rugged and ferocious appearance even made the lion Ricky take a step back.
Damn it, with a sword in hand, I rule the world! Ian gripped the Sword Saint Longsword, feeling a surge of confidence. Let's see if you can bite through this now!
Holding the hilt with both hands, Ian pointed the blade at Mochi and Ricky and said, "Come on, then!"
Mochi was provoked by Ian's relaxed expression. He was used to bullying others alongside Captain Buggy, so when had he ever been looked down upon by a rookie who had just set sail?
Pulling out his whip, Mochi lashed Ricky on the rear and roared, "Kill him!"
Feeling the sting, Ricky forgot the threat of Ian's longsword and lunged forward to bite him.
Ian swung the blade horizontally, preparing to meet the attack head-on, when he suddenly heard a sound of something cutting through the air from his right. He quickly tilted his head back, dodging a sudden strike!
The attacker was Cabaji, who had been silent all along. This bastard was truly despicable—not only did he sneak attack without warning, but he aimed directly for Ian's vital spot. If Ian hadn't reacted quickly, his face would have been slashed.
Because of dodging Cabaji's attack, Ian failed to block Ricky's assault. Ricky's claw struck the flat of his blade, and the immense force sent Ian stumbling backward several steps.
Seeing this, the low-level pirates cheered loudly for their vice-captain and chief of staff, as if they had already defeated Ian.
"Let's take him down together!" Cabaji finally spoke, saying to Mochi, "Otherwise, when Captain Buggy comes out, we'll all be punished!"
Mochi knew the gravity of the situation. The eight or nine crew members lying on the deck were still covered in blood. If they couldn't capture the culprit, Captain Buggy wouldn't let them off after he came out. So, abandoning any sense of honor, they began to attack Ian from both sides.
Ian still lacked experience in fighting multiple opponents, and both Ricky and Cabaji struck with deadly precision. For now, Ian could only hold his ground, fending off their attacks.
During the fight, Ian found Cabaji the most infuriating. His attacks were not only treacherous but also aimed at Ian's vital points, clearly intending to kill him.
If he remembered correctly, in the original timeline, after Zoro joined Luffy's ship, they would encounter Buggy's crew in Orange Town. It was Cabaji who specifically targeted Zoro's injured areas!
Although Ian had often teased Zoro in Shimotsuki Village, there was still a bond between them. Having spent so much time together, Ian already saw Zoro as a younger brother. The thought of Zoro being kicked repeatedly in his wounds by that bastard Cabaji made Ian's blood boil!
Cabaji, of all people, must not be forgiven!
With that thought, Ian made his move. Dodging a swipe from Ricky, he suddenly stepped forward, leaning his body in, and swung the Sword Saint Longsword in a diagonal slash. The blade traced a massive arc in front of him, aimed at Cabaji, who was about to strike.
Although Cabaji tried to block, it was futile. Ian's longsword was infused with a large amount of Nen, and this single slash cut through Cabaji's ridiculous rapier, leaving a huge wound across his chest.
Cabaji stared at Ian in disbelief, only to see the coldness in Ian's eyes. He couldn't understand why Ian harbored such intense killing intent toward him.
With a bang, the door leading to the cabin swung open, and Buggy rushed out, shouting, "D... damn it, this hat..."
Before he could finish, Buggy saw Cabaji collapse to the ground, blood spurting from his chest.
Buggy's eyes turned bloodshot. While he didn't care much about his low-level underlings, his two executives were different. Both Cabaji and Mochi were the foundation of his Buggy Pirates. Cabaji, in particular, with his cunning nature, suited Buggy's taste perfectly, which was why he had been given the position of chief of staff.
But now, his chief of staff, Cabaji, had been cut down right before his eyes by a naked kid wielding a red longsword...
"Kid! Who are you!?" Buggy roared. "You dare kill Cabaji!? Are you tired of living!?"
After delivering that satisfying slash, Ian naturally noticed Buggy's arrival. Instead of being intimidated, he sneered, "What kind of talk is that? You, with your big red nose, had your men steal my things, and now you dare to bite back!?"
This was a world filled with pirates, but pirates varied greatly. There were those with ideals and conscience, and there were those who committed every evil deed. Clearly, the Buggy Pirates belonged to the latter!
So Ian wasn't about to be polite with Buggy. Cutting down Cabaji was done without hesitation; he wouldn't show mercy just because of Buggy's presence.
"Don't call me Big Red Nose!" Buggy snarled fiercely, then suddenly realized something. "You say we stole something from you? What is it?"
"My clothes, my hat! And the Den Den Mushi inside the hat!" Ian snorted. "It just happened. You're not going to deny it, are you?"
Buggy held up the Bear Ear Hat and asked, "You mean this hat!?"
"Yes!" Ian nodded.
Buggy was dumbfounded. The reason he had thought the hat looked familiar and rushed back to the cabin was to verify his memory. As a pirate, besides avoiding Marine pursuit, he also needed to stay informed about his peers. So, in his cabin, he kept old newspapers with wanted posters.
This was to avoid running into trouble with powerful rivals later. The Bear Ear Hat that seemed so familiar reminded him of some great pirate. Buggy had dashed into the cabin to search through these wanted posters and figure out who it belonged to.
He found it. But after seeing the photo on the wanted poster, Buggy began to tremble all over!
It was Bartholomew Kuma, who had been recruited by the World Government two years ago to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, with a bounty of 296 million Berries, known as the "Tyrant"!
Buggy looked at the photo, then at the Bear Ear Hat in his hand. No mistake! This hat was identical to the one worn by Tyrant Kuma!
In that instant, Buggy turned pale. He thought that the small boat his men had looted belonged to one of the Seven Warlords—Kuma!
I'm doomed! Buggy felt like his entire life was about to be ruined by this moment of greed. Although he had once been a crew member on Pirate King Roger's ship and had fought alongside Roger against Whitebeard, things were completely different now. He was sailing alone, without Roger as a backing, and his crew was full of idiots. Facing a formidable opponent like Bartholomew Kuma, the outcome was already clear...
That was why he had rushed out in a panic, intending to have everything returned immediately, hoping to make amends.
But as soon as he came out, he saw Cabaji cut down and heard Ian claim the hat was his. Buggy's mind struggled to process this.
A look of utter bewilderment was plastered on his face, paired with his big red nose—the scene couldn't have been more ridiculous...