Captain, whatever you decide, we're with you. If you have a plan, we'll give everything to make it work.
Dadi nodded firmly. It was clear he understood Buggy's determination to take down the trafficking ring—and believed fully in their success.
"Cousin, I'll take them all down," Weevil added, eyes shining with loyalty.
"Captain, we're ready for your orders."
"Captain, we follow your lead."
Everyone except Hogback expressed their support. They all knew Buggy had already made up his mind—and there was no turning back. Weevil, in particular, didn't overthink it; he simply trusted Buggy completely.
Buggy outlined the plan to them.
First, they would reveal the scandal to the citizens of the Kingdom, including the existence of the trafficking ring and the implication of certain high-ranking officials.
The information would be distributed through printed flyers, showing the details publicly and fanning the flames of outrage across the capital. As the outrage grew, the kingdom would be forced to dispatch troops, but during the chaos, city defenses would inevitably loosen.
That would give Buggy's crew the chance to slip back into the city unnoticed, then—with the intelligence they'd gathered—track down and expose the true masterminds behind the trafficking.
If those guilty of corruption were working behind the scenes, the shockwave of distribution might rattle them, or even cause them to make mistakes.
With everyone onboard, they got to work.
They decided to mass-produce flyers using the ship's printing setup. Within minutes, they printed tens of thousands of flyers, ready to distribute.
They chose to wait until dawn, when city guards would likely be less vigilant, to silently slip into the capital and plant the flyers at key intersections and high-traffic streets.
Meanwhile, across the city at the capital guard headquarters, a soldier barreled into Commander Jesse's tent, breathless and alarmed.
"General, Commander Bro… he's returned injured."
Jesse looked concerned. "Where is he now? What did he say?"
"He's been brought to the infirmary. He did speak with us. He said the enemy was far stronger than imagined—he stood no chance and was overpowered. He only escaped because he could fly. He barely made it back."
Jesse replied, "If his wounds are serious, have him rest. I'll take care of everything else."
Inside a lavish manor, a high-ranking official—calm but steely—listened to Jesse's report with growing concern.
"So Bro came back… and he couldn't even stand his ground? He says he survived only thanks to the flight?"
"Yes… That's all he said."
The official frowned, troubled.
"What do you think?"
Jesse hesitated, then spoke quietly:
"Sir, I don't fully trust Commander Bro's report. From the scene investigation, I believe he might have been captured, not escaped. It seems impossible he got away clean."
He admitted this with no small risk—Bro was a valued subordinate and a possible heir. But he said it because he recognized the truth.
The official contemplated for a moment before speaking coldly:
"Arrest him. Use severe interrogation. Find out exactly what he knows."
It had become clear—Buggy's crew may have already taken Bro. There was no room for leniency.
Jesse returned to barracks in a hurry and ordered his trusted lieutenant to seize Bro immediately, under guard.
But by the time they reached the infirmary, Bro was already gone.
A nurse confirmed that after undergoing some medical treatment, Bro slipped away quietly and unnoticed.
Jesse's lieutenant panicked and ordered all available guard units to spread out, searching the entire city for Bro's whereabouts.
When he reported back:
"He's escaped, sir."
Jesse's face flushed with fury.
"Search every soldier—every patrol detail. No one relaxes until we find him."
"Understood, sir."
Jesse's voice bit with anger.
"Damn it… Bro must know something. Why did he flee? I can't let this stand."
His eyes burned with determination and a trace of murderous intent. Bro's escape had elevated from a field failure to a potential threat of exposure, and Jesse intended to ensure it didn't reach too far.