"It seems this guy has more secrets than he lets on…"
Kuro adjusted his glasses, the thought flashing through his mind as he studied Buggy.
If there really was a monster backing him, then following Buggy might not be a bad move. The seas ahead were destined to fall into chaos.
Even a noble title couldn't guarantee safety in the coming storm unless you lived under the shadow of Navy Headquarters or in the Holy Land of Mariejois itself. Both, of course, were impossible.
In that case… choosing a man with powerful backing was the safest path forward.
"Not to mention…"
Kuro's lips curved faintly, eyes glinting behind his lenses as he glanced at Buggy, who was still laughing with his mouth wide open.
"This guy isn't exactly clever. He'll be easy to manipulate."
"So, Rain," Buggy said through the Transponder Snail, puffing his chest out with complete confidence,
"I'll leave this to you. Get rid of that annoying organization for me."
He leaned back, waving his hand dismissively, then turned toward Kuro. "What was their name again?"
"The Donquixote Family," Kuro replied smoothly. His glasses caught the light, flashing white.
"And if possible, I suggest annexing them or at the very least, cooperating."
"…Hah?" Buggy blinked. "Didn't you just say we should wipe them out? Why the sudden change of heart?"
Kuro smiled thinly. "Because their channels are valuable. If we control them, we won't just dominate the first half of the Grand Line we'll become key players in the underground world."
"Perhaps even… emperors of the underworld itself."
Buggy's eyes widened. Then, in an instant, his face lit up. "I get it! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
Without hesitation, he turned back to the Transponder Snail, parroting Kuro's entire plan to Rain as if it were his own idea.
"It seems Buggy's found himself a decent strategist," Rain remarked with a small sigh after hearing the conversation.
He hadn't expected Kuro to end up serving under Buggy of all people.
But then again, Buggy's ridiculous luck wasn't something to be underestimated.
That clown was practically a "child of destiny."
"The Donquixote Family, huh? Understood. I'll go pay them a visit."
Rain nodded, already settling the matter in his heart.
"Good, good! Then I'll be waiting for the good news!"
Buggy immediately relaxed, grinning ear to ear. In his mind, it was just another mafia family.
Against Rain and the monsters at his back, they'd be flattened instantly.
All he had to do now was prepare his men to receive the Donquixote Family's network once it was taken.
Kuro, however, frowned as he watched Buggy preen. "Boss… isn't this a little premature? What if things don't go as smoothly as you expect?"
"...Kuro."
Buggy's expression suddenly shifted. The cigar smoke curled around his face as his eyes hardened, unusually serious.
"Have you ever been to the New World?"
Kuro blinked, caught off guard. "No. This is my first time even in the Grand Line. You brought me here from East Blue, remember?"
"If not for you, I'd probably still be scheming in some backwater, building up a little gang until retirement."
He answered honestly, though curiosity stirred within him. What exactly was Buggy trying to say?
"I've been to the second half of the Grand Line," Buggy said slowly, his tone deliberate.
"And even then… I never came close to the final island."
"What?!"
Kuro's eyes widened, disbelief etched across his face. For a moment, Buggy's ridiculous figure seemed… mysterious.
Buggy smirked at the reaction. That's right… be shocked. This is exactly what I want you to feel.
"Kuro… how strong do you think the world's top powerhouse really is?"
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming. To secure someone like Kuro, a genuine talent, he had to shake him to his core, make him believe following Buggy was the only path.
"The world's top… powerhouse?"
Kuro frowned, thinking it through carefully. With his own ability, he could slaughter hundreds of marines with ease. If he pushed himself… perhaps even thousands.
"…A true monster should be able to wipe out five thousand marines alone. And sink a fleet of Navy warships," Kuro finally answered, exaggerating what he thought was the limit.
"Bwahahahahaha!"
Buggy roared with laughter, slapping his knee.
"…Did I say something wrong? Are they stronger than that?" Kuro asked, utterly confused.
Buggy's eyes sharpened. He straightened in his chair, leaned forward until his face was inches from Kuro's, and spoke in a low, heavy voice:
"Kuro… let me tell you what true power looks like."
His tone carried an uncharacteristic weight memories burned into him from the days of Roger's crew.
"The world's strongest don't kill five thousand marines. They could erase one hundred thousand… with a single glare.
"Dozens of warships? They can slice them all apart with a single swing of their blade.
"One punch could summon a tsunami big enough to swallow fleets whole.
"They can lift entire islands into the sky… then drop them like hammers.
"You see this city beneath our feet, the Queen City of Spring? An island this size could be shattered to dust with a single strike."
Buggy leaned back, spreading his arms wide, letting the words hang in the air.
"So tell me… in front of monsters like that… what chance does some North Blue mafia, freshly arrived in Paradise, really have?"
"...This—"
Kuro's mind spun. It was too much to take in. His chest tightened as he tried to picture the scale Buggy described.
One hundred thousand marines… an island destroyed with a punch…
Buggy watched his stunned expression and smirked proudly.
"Demo," he thought smugly, "let's see if that didn't scare you half to death."
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