Chapter 813: Digging Traps Is an Innate Skill
Just as Ian and Ace were sighing in amazement, they suddenly heard a loud wailing sound coming from behind them.
Turning around, they saw that it was none other than Buggy the Clown.
At this moment, Buggy was crying his heart out, sobbing while pounding the ground and shouting, "Again! Again!"
Ian and Ace exchanged a glance, and for some reason, they both felt like laughing.
Ian could understand Buggy's feelings. Over the years, Buggy had dug up so-called treasures countless times, but always came back empty-handed. Every time he was full of hope, but every time he was met with disappointment. After finally building up his luck for so many years, he managed to get his hands on a real treasure map, only to dig up something that wasn't the gold and silver he wanted, but a broken ship from hundreds of years ago!
If this broken ship were made of gold, it would at least be a consolation prize, but damn it, it wasn't, which was just awkward.
What the hell was he supposed to do with this pile of scrap metal?!
Ian thought Buggy was incredibly lucky, but Buggy didn't see it that way. He just felt that heaven was unfair to him, and he couldn't hold it in anymore, sobbing loudly.
Cabaji and Mohji, as Buggy's most trusted subordinates, pretended to share his pain. The three of them hugged each other and cried out loud, putting on a show of brotherly affection. Richie the Lion also pretended to wipe away tears nearby, but in his mind, he was thinking, "Is it time for dinner yet?"
Ian flew back, landed in front of Buggy, crouched down, and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Alright, alright, Buggy, don't be so ungrateful. Do you even know what you've dug up?"
"Whatever it is, I only want treasure!" Buggy snorted, blowing out a snot bubble.
"This ship is worth more than all the treasure in the world combined! Why can't you see that?" Ian said with a smile. "This is the Ancient Weapon Pluton that the World Government and the Celestial Dragons have been desperately searching for. If you sold it to the World Government, you could get hundreds of billions of Berries!"
Hearing this, Buggy immediately looked up and stared at Ian, asking, "Re... really?! You... you're not lying to me?"
"Of course it's true!" Ian nodded firmly. "But if I were you, I wouldn't sell it."
"Wh... why?" Buggy widened his eyes, looking at Ian with a thirst for knowledge.
"It's simple!" Ian said. "If I were you, I'd find a way to get this ship out of here and have it repaired. Then, with the Ancient Weapon Pluton in hand, what use would being a Warlord be? I'd go straight for Emperor! Then, not just hundreds of billions, you could get as much money as you want!"
Buggy gasped sharply and slapped his fist into his palm, saying, "Ri... right! Why didn't I think of that!?"
Ian continued to coax him, "And don't you think this is the perfect opportunity? I took down Big Mom to rise to power. Now Kaido's crew is completely wiped out. Even if he escapes back, he'll be all alone. Then, you just have to sail the Pluton, blow him away with a single cannon shot from afar, and you'll become the second person to take down an Emperor. With Shanks as your brother, Whitebeard as an old acquaintance, and me, your fellow countryman, three Emperors backing your claim, no one could stop you!"
This speech made Buggy's heart bloom with joy. Right, being a Warlord was nowhere near as cool as being an Emperor. Although Warlords were allowed to plunder by the government, Emperors were feared even by the World Government. The status of the two was incomparable.
Buggy had ambitions too. The thought of having a chance to become an Emperor made his breathing heavy.
Even Cabaji, Mohji, and the rest of the Buggy Pirates were stirred by the bright future Ian described. Their eyes turned red. They had joined the Buggy Pirates for the title of Warlord, and now they had a chance to rise to an Emperor crew!?
"Let's do it, Captain Buggy! We support you!" one pirate suddenly shouted.
"Yeah! Captain Buggy, let's do it!" the other pirates quickly chimed in.
Seeing his men's support, Buggy immediately stood up, spread his arms, and shouted, "My men! Tell me, who am I?!"
"You are Emperor Captain Buggy!!!"
The pirates, who understood Buggy's mind perfectly, immediately showered him with flattery, starting to praise him.
Buggy laughed heartily amidst the flattery.
When he had laughed enough, Ian continued in a calm tone, "And speaking of which, I happen to have someone who might be able to repair the Pluton!"
"Really?" Buggy quickly grabbed Ian's hand and asked eagerly, "Who?"
"Don't rush!" Ian said with a smile. "First, let's get this straight. I can help you, but you have to help me in return!"
Buggy was anxious now, so upon hearing this, he slapped his chest and said, "Of course! Didn't you say it? We're both from the East Blue. Whatever help you need, just say it!"
Ian smiled and said, "Good, you've agreed. I haven't thought of anything yet, but when I do, I'll contact you. Don't back out on me!"
Buggy's eyes rolled, and he turned to the Buggy Pirates, shouting loudly, "Alright! My men, bear witness here! When my good friend, Emperor Ian, needs my help, I, Buggy, will not hesitate!"
"Not hesitate! Not hesitate!"
The pirates cheered in unison, secretly feeling smug that Captain Buggy was so awesome that even Emperor Ian needed his help. This was the top-tier powerhouse who had taken down Fleet Admiral Akainu! It was such a boost to their pride!
Only Ace caught on and whispered in Ian's ear, "Ian, you're not planning to have Buggy bring the Pluton to help us take down Uranus, are you?"
"Shh!" Ian signaled him to keep his voice down. "Don't let him hear. That coward would chicken out if he knew I was planning to drag him into fighting Uranus. We'll tell him when it's time to act. By then, he won't be able to back out!"
Ace looked at Ian with admiration and gave him a thumbs up.
When it came to digging traps, I wouldn't trust anyone else but you...
Buggy was still basking in his glory, completely unaware that Ian had just dug a pit for him. They had known each other for so long; shouldn't Buggy know Ian's cunning nature? But the allure of the Emperor's throne had made Buggy's IQ plummet, and he had completely forgotten about that...
So, under Buggy's orders, the Buggy Pirates began figuring out how to get the ship out of the cave.
Ian also helped. He could swim and dive, so he went underwater in the cave lake and found that the lake bottom was actually a huge tunnel connected to the sea outside the island.
He was right. The Pluton was actually a submarine. Perhaps after losing the battle against Uranus, the operators had driven the Pluton underwater, found this cave from the sea, and stored it here. Since it disappeared underwater, no one had ever found the exact location of the Pluton's resting place because no one had witnessed it.
However, the massive damage at the stern might have been temporarily patched up with materials at the time to allow the ship to sail in seawater. But now, Ian and the others had no way to fix it. Under the erosion of time, the damage at the stern was beyond their ability to repair. If they tried to go through the underwater tunnel, the ship would probably sink.
"It looks like we have to go from above!" Ian looked up at the cave ceiling. "Let's blast it open and find a way to lift the Pluton up."
Without further ado, Ian and Ace worked together. Black and white flames intertwined, and with a single City-Destroying Flame, they melted and blasted through the island surface above, creating a two-kilometer-wide hole above the Pluton!
No debris fell because all the rocks were melted and vaporized by the high-temperature flames before they could fall.
This display of power left the Buggy Pirates and the Kuja Pirates stunned. Buggy also began to feel a sense of unease.
Damn it! If Ian and Ace were this powerful, what couldn't they handle?
What kind of help did they want from me!?
Thinking this, Buggy almost didn't want the Pluton anymore, but the glittering words "Emperor" in front of him were too tempting...