"Clown" Buggy had been wallowing in self-pity almost daily ever since he was captured by the Marines.
That was until Dampier burst into the prison where Buggy was held. Seeing the familiar figure walking down the corridor outside his cell, Buggy's eyes welled up with tears as he shouted, "Dampier, did you come here just to rescue me?!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Dampier was momentarily stunned. He approached Buggy's cell, only for Buggy to become even more animated, chattering incessantly, "I never thought you valued my talents so much, risking such danger to come back to this city just to save me. But alas, I'm a free pirate like the wind, chasing only treasure and wealth—I can't work for you."
Standing nearby, Edmond nearly doubled over with laughter at Buggy's words. "Stop flattering yourself, fool. We're here on William's orders to rescue someone."
After speaking, Edmond didn't spare Buggy another glance. He walked to another cell, drew the sword at his waist, and with a single slash, broke open the iron cell door.
Inside the cell, Nezumi, trembling with excitement, stepped out. Having overheard the earlier conversation, he looked at Edmond in disbelief and asked, "William sent you to save me? Is William okay?"
William wasn't particularly fond of Nezumi, and to be honest, Nezumi wasn't especially talented either. But Nezumi had ended up in this predicament because he had worked for William. Even if it was just for appearances, William couldn't abandon him.
Most of the prisoners in this facility were connected to William in some way. They were either garrison soldiers captured during the battle at the port, the manager of the textile factory in the slums, or unlucky individuals like Buggy.
Edmond and the others proceeded to free all the prisoners, including Buggy. Shortly after, Buggy, with the help of his recently freed first mate Cabaji, managed to locate the key to the Seastone shackles on his wrists.
While Cabaji was searching for the key, Buggy learned about the current situation in Kalmar City from the others.
Buggy was impressed by William's methods but politely declined Dampier's invitation to join their next actions. From what he could gather, the whole "Tequila Wolf" situation in the Bridge Kingdom was clearly Dampier's ploy to deceive the hapless pirates of the East Blue. This gave Buggy a new understanding of Dampier's cunning. Moreover, just thinking about Garp's reaction to the events in Kalmar City made Buggy's heart race with fear. He was certain that William would soon be relentlessly hunted by Garp, forced to flee and hide. Unless he had a death wish, Buggy had no intention of staying anywhere near William.
If Buggy were to see Gin following William, and realize that he had been manipulated by Dampier, he would likely despise Dampier even more. In the future, he would keep as far away as possible from both Dampier and William.
After freeing the prisoners, Dampier led his team to the palace to meet with William.
Upon seeing Gin, Edmond ran up and gave him a bear hug, slapping him repeatedly on the back.
Although Aramis wasn't as exaggerated as Edmond, his cherubic face was full of genuine smiles—different from his usual, somewhat insincere smirks. He seemed to want to say something but ultimately settled for patting Gin's shoulder repeatedly.
Watching his old companions from the dojo reunite and reminisce, William smiled. Then, when no one was paying attention, he discreetly called Dampier and Harden aside and gave them some private instructions.
The news of William's release was causing ripples throughout the city. Even the slums were showing signs of unrest. Furthermore, there was still a squad of Marine soldiers who hadn't been captured. Upon hearing this, William immediately took Edmond and a few other key members, along with the garrison and guard troops, to maintain order and hunt down the remaining Marines, preventing the chaos from escalating.
After William left, Harden, Dampier, and Aramis, along with the Morgan Pirates and a militia led by Krieg, departed the palace. They headed to the noble district, sealing off all entrances and exits to the area.
Yasopp was the sniper of William's crew. Despite being an important member of the group, he never considered himself a leader. He always took a hands-on approach, whether it was sniping during missions or conducting reconnaissance.
The city still had a squad of Marines, and with the shock of William's release, the residents of Kalmar City were feeling a mix of emotions—some were jubilant, while others were anxious about the future. The entire city was in a state of mild chaos.
Yasopp didn't join the main group heading to the palace to welcome William. Instead, he climbed to the top of a tall building in the slums to observe the city's surroundings. When his gaze fell on the noble district, he noticed what seemed to be a fire.
His heart sank. To see flames from such a distance meant the fire must be significant. Yasopp quickly grabbed his sniper rifle, peering through the scope toward the noble district. Sure enough, several mansions were ablaze, and the fire seemed to be spreading.
Leaping down from the building, Yasopp hurried toward the scene. On a small path leading from the slums to the noble district, he encountered members of the militia standing guard, which caused him to pause.
"What's going on in there?" Yasopp asked.
The two militia guards recognized Yasopp but hesitated, unsure of how to respond or whether they should stop him.
Seeing their hesitation, and hearing the occasional screams and gunfire from deeper inside, Yasopp grew suspicious. He bypassed the guards and rushed into the noble district.
The moment he entered, Yasopp froze in his tracks. His pupils contracted, and he couldn't hide his shock. The streets were littered with corpses and blood. The clothing on the bodies was made of fine fabrics, clearly marking them as residents of the noble district.
Nearby, the front door of a mansion burst open with a loud crash. A middle-aged man in a formal suit, complete with a gold pocket watch, stumbled out. Behind him, a man in a slightly yellowed white shirt gave chase, cutting him down without hesitation.
Furious, Yasopp recognized the pursuer as a member of the Morgan Pirates. His face darkened as he strode forward in a few quick steps, knocking the pirate down with the butt of his rifle.
The pirate, dazed from the blow, collapsed to the ground. Yasopp planted his right foot firmly on the man's chest, pressing the rifle's muzzle against his forehead. His voice was cold and angry as he demanded, "William's been gone for a while, and you've already lost your minds? Who gave you the guts to do this?"
Yasopp didn't mind killing, but only when it came to enemies—not civilians. He knew very well that William had explicitly forbidden such actions in the past.
"Yasopp? What are you doing here?" A raspy voice sounded from behind him.
Yasopp turned, his expression grim, and stared at the speaker. "Harden, you're here too? Don't tell me you're the one behind all this. Have you forgotten William's orders? Or have you lost control of your own men?"
Harden tilted his head slightly. "Civilians?"
As he spoke, a panicked woman dressed in gold and silver ran past. Clearly wealthy, she looked every bit the part of a noble. Harden glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, drew his pistol, and shot her without hesitation.
Yasopp's face darkened further.
"They're not civilians. Do you have any idea what they've been up to while William was in prison?" Harden sneered, seemingly indifferent to Yasopp's reaction. "They're nothing but pests—annoying, disruptive, and constantly causing trouble. Now that we have the chance, we're putting them down one by one."
"Does William know about this?" Yasopp asked.
"William went to the slums to maintain order. We only started after he left," Dampier said, emerging from a nearby mansion.
(End of Chapter)
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