Chapter 309: Probing for Information
Indeed, Ian never expected that the ship he boarded late at night would actually belong to the Buggy Pirates!
Under the silent night sky, Ian's loud shout traveled far and wide, naturally startling Buggy, who was inside the cabin. Hearing the shout, Buggy froze for a moment, then quickly ran out to see who this so-called old friend was.
However, the moment he opened the cabin door, he was knocked into a rolling gourd by Mohji!
"Mohji! What are you doing!?" Buggy, whose red nose had been bumped by Mohji, was furious. He grabbed Mohji by the collar, veins bulging on his forehead as he roared.
"B-Buggy Captain!" Mohji stammered in panic, "Th-that person is here!"
"Who's here?" Buggy asked in confusion, but Mohji seemed too terrified to explain clearly, waving his arms and legs without making sense.
Buggy had no choice but to leave him and go out to see for himself. When he reached the cabin doorway, he noticed Mohji's lion, Richie, had buried itself under a pile of canvas on the deck, its exposed rear end trembling violently.
"Useless creature! Just like your master!" Buggy cursed, kicking Richie's rear twice. "I am the great Captain Buggy! What kind of person could scare you two like this!?"
Buggy didn't believe it. He wanted to see who this so-called "old friend" really was!
Gripping a dagger, Buggy sneered as he turned around and looked toward the lit area of the deck. However, the moment he saw Ian, the smile on his face vanished.
He stood frozen in place, arms dangling, the dagger clattering to the deck. A strand of snot slowly dripped from his big red nose...
"Yo, Buggy, long time no see!" Ian greeted him cheerfully with a wave.
"Ahh!" Buggy snapped back to reality, letting out a shriek. He pointed at Ian in terror, "You... you... how did you end up here!?"
"I came back to take a look!" Ian said. "My stomach was growling with hunger, and who would've thought you guys were having a banquet? So I just showed up!"
Hearing this, Buggy wished he could faint on the spot and sleep until dawn. He never dreamed that Ian would return to the East Blue! Wasn't he supposed to be in the Grand Line!?
If it were still the Ian from before, Buggy might not have been this terrified upon seeing him. But who knew that after Ian left the East Blue for the Grand Line, he would eventually become a pirate with a bounty as high as 650 million Berries? When Buggy saw the wanted poster, he gasped in shock!
Buggy had thought that with such a high bounty, Ian's fate was sealed—he'd be caught by a Marine Admiral and thrown into Impel Down. But to Buggy's disbelief, Ian was instead recruited by the World Government and became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!
Buggy himself had returned from the Grand Line, so he understood the weight of being a Warlord better than most pirates. When news of Ian becoming a Warlord reached the East Blue, Buggy immediately decided that if he ever saw Ian again, he would steer clear!
But now, Ian had mysteriously returned to the East Blue and appeared on his ship. Buggy didn't even have time to dodge!
Seeing Buggy's reaction, Ian smirked and said, "Looks like you're not exactly welcoming me."
"N-no! Absolutely not!" Buggy quickly waved his hands, forcing a smile. "How could I not welcome you? Like you said, we're old friends! We fought and became friends!"
As Buggy said this, Mohji, hiding by the cabin door, nodded frantically. He thought the captain's words were perfect—when someone this terrifying claims to be an old friend, you don't dare deny it, or you'd be asking for death!
"That's more like it. Come, have a drink with me!" Ian said with a smile.
Seeing Buggy here actually brought back memories for Ian, reminding him of when he first set sail. Back then, he had captured Buggy purely for the bounty. But after entering the Grand Line, Ian abandoned his identity as a pirate hunter and became a pirate himself—a colleague of Buggy's. He had no reason to capture him anymore, so he could chat calmly like this.
Ian felt at ease, but Buggy didn't share the sentiment. Trembling, he sat down beside Ian, holding a glass of wine but too scared to drink, afraid Ian might suddenly draw his sword and attack.
"Come on, cheers!" Ian raised his glass, clinked it with Buggy's, and downed it in one gulp. He let out a satisfied sigh and said, "Don't worry, I'm not here specifically for you. I'm heading back to the Grand Line and just passing through."
Hearing this, Buggy relaxed a bit and forced a smile as he took a sip.
Then, an awkward silence fell between them. Ian realized he and Buggy had nothing to talk about.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "So, are you still searching for your treasure in the East Blue? Found anything?"
"No," Buggy shook his head. "Treasure isn't that easy to find!"
Then Buggy changed the subject cautiously, "I heard you fought a Marine Admiral?"
"Two fights," Ian corrected. "One with Aokiji at Mary Geoise, and later Kizaru and Zephyr chased me down for another fight."
Confirming that Ian had indeed clashed with Marine Admirals, Buggy grew even more terrified. He knew the strength of an Admiral, and the fact that Ian could walk away unscathed after such battles was astonishing.
Seeing Buggy's fearful demeanor, Ian found it odd and couldn't help slapping Buggy's shoulder. "What's wrong with you? You were once a crew member of the Pirate King's ship. Why are you so timid?"
Hearing this, Buggy's eyes widened as he stared at Ian. He covered his mouth to stifle a scream, then, once he calmed down, he put a finger to his lips and whispered, "Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Ian glanced around and saw Buggy's crew members keeping their distance. He lowered his voice with a smile, "What, afraid your crew will find out about your past?"
"It's not that..." Buggy said with a complicated expression. "The World Government and the Marines are still hunting down us former crewmates of Captain Roger. If they find out, I'll be in trouble."
After saying this, Buggy suddenly froze and asked Ian, "How... how do you know I'm..."
Ian waved his hand dismissively and said, "What's so strange about that? I met Rayleigh-san at Sabaody!"
"Rayleigh!? You met Vice Captain Rayleigh!?" Buggy's eyes widened as he stared at Ian.
"Yeah, I mentioned you once, so he told me about your identity," Ian explained.
"Is Rayleigh-san... doing well?" Buggy asked awkwardly. "How did you run into him?"
"He's in good shape. He still goes around drinking, gambling, and chasing women," Ian said. "As for how I met him, it's simple—he's my second master!"
Buggy's glass clattered onto the table. He stared at Ian in disbelief. "He... he's your master!? You... you're bluffing!?"
"I'm not bluffing!" Ian patted his shoulder. "Why would I lie to you? Oh, by the way, Whitebeard-san also mentioned you. He called you the red-nosed brat!"
Ian wasn't lying about Rayleigh—he had indeed mentioned Buggy to him. But the part about Whitebeard was pure fabrication. Ian found Buggy's expressions too amusing, so he couldn't resist teasing him.
As soon as Ian mentioned Whitebeard, Buggy's face fell completely.
Everyone Ian mentioned were people Buggy knew. Though not all the memories were pleasant, they still stirred a sense of nostalgia in him.
"So, calling us old friends isn't wrong, is it?" Ian laughed heartily, patting Buggy's shoulder.
"Alright, you're right. We're old friends," Buggy said with a bitter smile. He clinked glasses with Ian and downed his drink.
Seeing Buggy finish his drink, Ian immediately refilled it. They drank glass after glass, the atmosphere growing lively.
Buggy's crew watched dumbfounded from a distance as their captain drank enthusiastically with Ian, unable to understand what was happening.
After about an hour of drinking, Buggy was getting tipsy, but Ian remained sober—he was only pretending to be drunk.
Finally, Ian casually pulled out the Poneglyph rubbing and asked Buggy, "Do you know what this is?"
Buggy squinted at the rubbing for a long time, then said in confusion, "This... this looks like a Poneglyph..."
Ian's mind buzzed. Damn it, Buggy really does know!