A fierce conflict played across the captain's face.
Bro didn't know whether Buggy was telling the truth.
If Buggy's story was real—if there truly was a massive human trafficking organization operating within the kingdom—then as a soldier, Bro had a duty to expose it. He couldn't allow such an evil force to continue plaguing the kingdom.
But… if Buggy was lying, if all of this was just a ruse to trace who had ordered his capture and exact revenge, then any information Bro gave up might be used to harm someone who had taken care of him—someone he owed loyalty to. If that happened, Bro would never forgive himself. Perhaps death would be a better outcome than betrayal.
Buggy, sensing his internal conflict, calmly said:
"Don't worry. We won't act immediately. We'll let you go back to investigate for yourself. If you find that what we said was false, you can expose everything—report this entire conversation. You won't lose anything by telling us what you know."
Buggy meant what he said. If Bro spilled everything, he'd let him go. This was a calculated risk—a way to test the waters and stir up the calm surface of the kingdom. Maybe it would create enough ripples to reveal more hidden players.
Of course, if Bro turned out to be just another pawn of the corrupt—feeding them false answers to mislead Buggy—it wouldn't matter. Buggy had his judgment. He could tell the truth from lies. And even if Bro lied and was released, he was as good as dead anyway.
After all, Buggy knew the man was walking a one-way road. Even if he returned, those who sent him might view him as a failure and silence him to clean up the mess. Buggy didn't feel guilty about it. They weren't friends and had just tried to kill each other. Buggy's crew had slaughtered most of Bro's men. That wasn't something anyone could easily forgive.
Buggy simply wanted to use Bro as a stone tossed into a still lake—to create ripples that might break open a path.
Hearing Buggy's words, Bro finally made up his mind. Though they were enemies, if what Buggy said about the traffickers was true, then for the good of the kingdom, he had to speak up.
"I don't know if you're lying, or if you're doing this for your reasons. But I'll tell you this—when I return, I'll investigate for myself. If I find out that what you've told me is true, I'll keep my mouth shut. I won't breathe a word of this conversation.
"But if I find out there's nothing to it, then I'll report everything to the one who gave me my orders. And don't fool yourself… against the kingdom's full might, you won't stand a chance."
That was good enough for Buggy. The man had agreed to talk.
"You don't need to worry. I have no grudge against the Kingdom of Illusia. As for the traffickers, they were the ones who provoked me first. Once you've answered my questions, you'll be free to go."
Hearing that, Bro finally opened up. He told Buggy everything he knew.
It turned out that the man who had ordered Bro and his soldiers to apprehend (or eliminate) Buggy's crew was General Jesse, the commander of the city guard of Illusia Kingdom. His order had been simple: If they resist, kill them on the spot.
To Buggy, that was a death order in disguise. Anyone bold enough to slaughter human traffickers in broad daylight wouldn't go quietly. The "resist and kill" clause was just a formality—it gave Bro license to execute them under the guise of lawful authority.
This allowed Jesse to keep his hands clean. If the mission failed, it would all fall on Bro's shoulders.
Buggy noted something interesting: Bro's full name was Bro, and though he wasn't the only squad leader in the city guard, he was the strongest among them. He was well-known, even feared, among the city's enforcers.
That got Buggy thinking.
Maybe Jesse had ordered Bro on this mission intentionally, knowing full well that the odds were stacked against him. It was possible Jesse saw Bro's rising fame and strength as a threat to his position, and was using Buggy's crew as an unwitting hit squad to eliminate him.
Of course, there was another possibility: Jesse might've chosen Bro because of his strength, thinking he had the best chance of success. Either way, it didn't change anything for Buggy.
Whether it was a setup or a mission gone wrong didn't matter. After some final words, Buggy let Bro go.
Bro limped away, his body still healing. Fortunately, Hogback's medicine had helped him recover enough to walk. He was in a rush to get back and find out the truth, both for himself and to prevent Buggy from acting too soon.
"Captain, what now? Are we pulling out?"
It was Lafitte who spoke. From what he'd observed of the kingdom's defenses, there was no way they could infiltrate the capital again. They had achieved their main goal—recruiting Hogback—and leaving now was a sensible option.
Buggy understood what Lafitte meant. The situation was risky. With so many guards patrolling, the odds of them striking down the human trafficking organization were slim. Even he had considered retreating—if not for one thing.
In the world of One Piece, human trafficking was nothing new. Most people had long grown numb to it. As long as it didn't involve them personally, they wouldn't lift a finger. Risking your life to fight it was considered foolish.
But Buggy wasn't like most people.
"They've already crossed us. There's no backing down now. We're pirates—how could we let others step on our heads? I've made my decision. That trafficking ring is going down.
"And don't worry… I already have a plan."
Buggy had made up his mind. There was no turning back.
He wasn't just talking big—he had already mapped out his next move.