A grand welcoming ceremony was taking place aboard the Red Force, and the guest of honor was none other than Clown Buggy.
Shanks, holding a bottle of sake in one hand, threw his other arm around Buggy's shoulder and laughed heartily.
"You've really got some nerve, Buggy! I heard from my brother that you almost pulled off a prison break!"
Buggy crossed his arms and turned his head away in irritation.
"What do you mean 'almost'? I was seconds away from pulling it off! If it weren't for you, those prison guards wouldn't have even noticed me!"
As it turned out, after Buggy's capture, things played out similarly to the original events. He managed to slip past the initial inspections at Impel Down and was thrown into the easiest level, LEVEL 1, without being shackled with Seastone Cuffs.
Seizing the opportunity, he used his Devil Fruit abilities to sneak out of his cell. Just as he was making his escape, however, Warden Magellan received a top-priority order from the World Government—he was to grant a special pardon to a particular prisoner. That prisoner was Buggy.
When Magellan first heard the order, he was utterly baffled. Who the hell was Buggy, and why would the World Government care about him?
Compared to Shanks, Buggy had barely made a name for himself over the years. Magellan had no idea that such an insignificant prisoner even existed in his facility. But since the order came directly from the World Government, he had no choice but to take it seriously. Still sitting on the toilet, he hurriedly pulled up his pants and immediately commanded his subordinates to locate this 'Buggy' character.
The reports that came back left Magellan completely dumbfounded—Buggy was just a low-level inmate from LEVEL 1.
Before he could even wrap his head around the situation, another guard rushed in, reporting that Buggy's cell was empty. Buggy had escaped!
A cold sweat ran down Magellan's back as he personally mobilized the entire prison to hunt down Buggy.
And so, Buggy received VIP treatment—just as he was making his getaway, the Warden himself came after him.
Thinking he was doomed, Buggy braced for the worst. But instead of punishment, Magellan's next move left him utterly bewildered—acting as though he was ridding himself of a plague, Magellan had Buggy packed up and shipped out of the prison immediately.
Dazed and confused, Buggy found himself sailing through the Gates of Justice on a small boat. He hadn't traveled far before he ran into none other than Shanks, who had been waiting nearby.
Shanks, clad in a black cloak and traveling alone on a small boat, barely gave Buggy a chance to react before knocking him out with the hilt of his sword.
When Buggy regained consciousness, he was already aboard the Red Force.
...
Shanks let out a loud burp reeking of alcohol near Buggy's ear, making him jump up in frustration.
"Damn it! You're still as annoying as ever, Shanks!!"
Shanks grinned and took another swig from his bottle. "Don't be like that. We've known each other for decades now. Let's not dwell on the past. We're practically family!"
Buggy's face turned red with anger, but after a moment, his shoulders slumped as he picked up a barrel of sake and took a long swig.
Deep down, he knew the truth. Without Shanks, his escape attempt would've had close to zero chance of success. He might've even lost his life in the process.
But knowing that and actually thanking Shanks were two entirely different things. Buggy would rather choke on his drink than admit gratitude, so he simply sulked in silence, drinking away his frustration.
Shanks, understanding him all too well, just smiled knowingly. He sat beside Buggy, eyes closed, savoring his drink.
Amidst the rowdy celebrations, their quiet presence stood out.
Lucky Roux, holding a massive slab of roasted meat, waddled over and said,
"Captain, it's so dull over here. Wanna come join our donut-eating contest? That guy Katakuri is seriously no joke—I can't even beat him!"
Shanks chuckled and shook his head. Seeing this, Lucky Roux didn't press the issue. He took a giant bite of his meat and eagerly returned to his 'battle' with Katakuri.
Buggy glanced at them from the corner of his eye before casually remarking, "Looks like you've found a crew that suits you well… A bunch of carefree idiots."
Shanks laughed. "Of course! Life at sea would be boring without a crew like this."
Buggy scoffed. "That's your idea of fun. For me, nothing beats the thrill of finding treasure! That's what being a pirate is all about!"
"Then I guess you've found quite a few treasures over the years, huh? Must be rolling in riches now."
"Of course! But now I finally understand why you, of all people, don't care about treasure."
"Oh? And why's that?"
"Are you seriously asking me?! You bastard, you're a Celestial Dragon! What treasure could possibly compare to the wealth of Mary Geoise?! And that big shot Celestial Dragon—he's your brother! I told you back then that something was off about you two!"
Shanks tilted his head slightly. "But back then, I really didn't know about my heritage… And Buggy, let's be honest—my brother protected you, too. He's the reason the World Government issued your pardon to Impel Down."
"Hmph. I don't want any ties to people like that." Buggy crossed his arms and huffed. "Still… My instincts were spot on. Sticking around you really does guarantee survival."
Shanks could only offer a helpless smile. To Buggy, however, that smile was infuriatingly smug.
Slamming his empty barrel onto the table, Buggy wiped his mouth and snapped,
"Enough of this. Find me a place to get off—I don't want to stay on your ship!"
"No need to rush, Buggy. Since you're here, why not stick around? Let's go find the One Piece together."
Buggy's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Did you just say One Piece?! I thought you didn't care about that anymore!"
"Who said I didn't? I just wasn't interested at the time. I said it was temporary."
"You bastard! Now you bring this up again?! Do you have any idea what I—"
Buggy suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his expression darkening as he lowered his head.
What he had wanted to say was that, back then, he had truly believed Shanks would become the Pirate King.
Shanks gazed at Buggy in silence before speaking in a quiet voice.
"I'm sorry, Buggy. I must've let you down."
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+230 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg