"Rain, let's go find that little mouse now, shall we?"
Mira grinned, tugging Rain by the hand as she led him toward the underground palace.
"…It's actually Buggy?"
Rain's expression turned strange the moment he recognized the familiar aura.
Of all people, it had to be the red-nosed clown. He hadn't expected to stumble across someone with such absurd luck.
But was it luck… or misfortune?
"Still… if it's Buggy, maybe this is the perfect chance to start my plan."
With that thought in mind, Rain followed Mira into the tunnels.
Underground Palace
After realizing the earlier tremors were nothing but the shockwaves from above, Buggy calmed down considerably. In fact, he was overjoyed.
He had combed through the entire palace, pulling every chest and gem into one spot until he had a small mountain of treasure.
"Rich! I'm rich!" Buggy's eyes sparkled as he danced around the piles of gold.
"See? Choosing treasure hunting instead of sailing around as a miserable pirate was the best decision of my life! Smartest choice I ever made!"
He puffed out his chest proudly, patting himself on the back.
But his celebration didn't last long.
"Buggy, you really are good at finding treasure, huh?"
A calm voice drifted from behind him.
Buggy froze. Slowly, he turned around only to see Rain standing there, arms crossed, gaze sharp.
"How many treasures is this? All real?"
Mira crouched beside the pile with childlike curiosity, scooping up a golden goblet and weighing it in her hand.
"Y-You two…"
Buggy's lips twitched. He clenched his fists, trying to hold back, but finally exploded.
"Oi, oi, oi! Can you not?! Who gave you permission to just touch my treasure?! And what's with the attitude like we're close?! I don't even know you people!"
His eyes bulged, his red nose trembling in fury.
Why… why do they feel so much like Shanks?!
The shameless grin, the casual tone, the way they acted like they owned everything… it was exactly the same. Buggy felt cursed.
"C'mon, Buggy. Why so stingy?" Rain said with a chuckle, clapping him on the shoulder.
"We're such good friends. Isn't your treasure also our treasure?"
"Friends my ass!" Buggy snapped. "Who even are you?! This is my treasure, not yours!"
"…Hm?"
Rain's smile didn't fade, but his hand slipped to the hilt of his saber. With a soft rasp, the blade slid halfway free, glinting in the dim light.
In that instant, Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, pressing down like an invisible storm.
"Say that again, Buggy."
The underground chamber fell silent.
"You… you… you—!"
Buggy's teeth chattered, his body shaking uncontrollably. That suffocating aura… that overwhelming pressure… it was exactly like the Captain's.
The same Powerful Haki.
His voice cracked as the words slipped out.
"W-Who the hell are you…?!"
Monster… this guy's definitely a monster.
Buggy's heart trembled as the crushing pressure of Rain's Conqueror's Haki weighed down on him.
At his age, to have Haki that strong… what kind of future will he have?
For the first time in years, Buggy's mind was filled not just with fear, but a strange flicker of awe.
Rain's eyes narrowed. Seeing Buggy still dazed and uncomprehending, he let his gaze sharpen to a cold light.
Armament Haki wrapped around his blade, Ace, the steel gleaming ominously in the dim underground.
"Cough! Cough!"
Buggy nearly choked on his own breath.
Inside, he was screaming in terror, yet outwardly he forced a grin so wide it almost split his face.
"Hahaha! W-What are you saying? Our relationship is so close! Closer than brothers, even! Isn't my treasure your treasure?"
He puffed out his chest as if magnanimous, but his eyes brimmed with tears.
"Very good."
Rain nodded, satisfied with his sudden 'loyalty.' Turning his attention to the mountain of treasure, he tilted his head and asked casually:
"Buggy… can you estimate how much this haul is worth?"
"Eh?"
Buggy blinked, then smirked with a flash of pride. "If you're asking that, you're talking to the right guy. I'm a professional."
He got to work immediately, inspecting each pile with surprising precision gauging craftsmanship, age, even historical value.
Finally, he straightened up and crossed his arms.
"In short… this batch of treasure is worth about one billion berries. Give or take fifty million."
He spoke with the utmost seriousness.
But in his heart, he was sobbing uncontrollably. Damn it… I worked so hard to find all this, and now it's just going to be taken away from me…
"Then let's call it one billion."
Rain's calm voice echoed through the chamber. He smiled faintly, then fixed his gaze on Buggy.
"Buggy, how about I use this one billion to hire you?"
"Eh?"
Buggy froze, staring blankly. "Hire me? What… what the hell are you talking about?"
Rain's smile didn't waver.
"I've heard you have excellent business instincts. So I want to make you my partner."
"This treasure will be your salary. In return, you'll build me a business empire."
"…A b-business empire?!"
Buggy's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
Even Mira was caught off guard. She blinked in shock, holding up one of the jewel-studded crowns.
"Wait—Rain, you're giving him the treasure? As his salary? And telling him to build an empire? Who even thinks like that?!"
This was beyond unconventional. Even for Rain, it was ridiculous.
Mira could only stare between him and Buggy with disbelief.
"This is… too much, isn't it?"
"Do you… take me for a fool?"
Buggy finally snapped out of his daze, glaring at Rain with suspicion in his eyes.
Hold on. I'm not an idiot, right? So why does this guy sound like he's trying to scam me?
"I'm serious. Not joking," Rain said evenly, his expression calm but firm.
"…"
Buggy stared at him like he was the fool instead.
"Why the hell should I cooperate with you?!"
Buggy jabbed a finger at himself indignantly. "I was going to start my own company anyway!"
"Because you have no capital."
Rain pointed casually at the towering pile of treasure, his expression completely natural, as if the answer was obvious.
"…!"
Buggy's mouth snapped shut, his retort caught in his throat.
"And most importantly…" Rain's eyes narrowed slightly and then delivered a heavy blow.
"…Your strength is far too weak."
He looked at Buggy the way one might look at a helpless sprout in a field... something fragile, easily bent, and easily harvested.
A little leek.
Buggy's face turned red, then blue, then purple.
Damn it… why is he right?!
--------------------------------------
Wanna read ahead? Check out my Patreon!
→ patreon.com/Arthorain — 50 advanced chapters waiting + spicy R-18 content!
Daily Updates: 7 chapters a week — no breaks, just constant heat!
💎 Power Stone Goals:
Every 100 stones = 1 extra chapter
The harder you vote, the crazier the updates get!