Chapter 97 – Shanks’ friend?

"Oh, do you want me to show off my smooth skin properly?"

Alvida placed her hand on her collar, acting as if she was about to pull it down.

"No, thanks, I don't want nightmares."

Arton waved his hand and patted Uta on the back amidst Alvida's conflicted gaze:

"Uta, that Buggy once stayed on the same ship as Shanks."

"If you want to know about Shanks' younger days, you can ask him."

"Maybe he knows some of Shanks' embarrassing secrets."

"When you meet Shanks again, you can use those secrets to mess with him and get back at him for abandoning you."

Hearing this, Uta nodded and was about to speak.

But Buggy quickly turned and stepped up.

"What? You were abandoned by Shanks?"

"That guy actually abandoned his own daughter?"

"See, I knew that guy was a bastard!"

Buggy said angrily.

"Right? Shanks is really too much."

"Buggy, let me tell you, at that time he..."

Perhaps because Buggy was cursing Shanks for abandoning Uta, this time Uta didn't blame Buggy but instead joined in criticizing Shanks.

Gradually, the two got more and more excited as they talked.

When it came to Shanks' embarrassing past, Buggy was more than happy to share with Uta.

But when the topic turned to Roger, Buggy glanced at Alvida and the others who were paying attention to him.

After thinking for a moment, he led Uta to the other side of the ship.

Although his crew knew about his past relationship with Shanks, he didn't want them to know about his connection to Roger.

If the Navy learned about his connection to Shanks, that would already be dangerous enough.

If it came out that he was a member of Roger's pirate crew, Buggy felt he might have to consider retiring to Impel Down.

However, what Buggy didn't expect was that, though he wanted to keep his ties with Shanks and Roger a secret, Arton's diary would reveal his identity to the world.

"Don't mind me, I'm just taking a walk. You can continue with whatever you were doing."

Arton said, glancing at Alvida, who seemed eager to approach, and then decisively turned towards Kaya.

Compared to staying with a "beauty" like Alvida, Arton preferred to be with a natural beauty like Kaya.

Alvida cast a resentful glance at Arton but ultimately didn't dare to continue speaking to him. Instead, she turned around and started organizing the supplies for the banquet with the pirates.

In Alvida's view, since these people were not to be trifled with, it was best to treat them well no matter what.

[Photo: Alvida after consuming the Slip-Slip Fruit!]

[Image: Alvida before consuming the Slip-Slip Fruit!]

Vivi: "What's this? Wait, are these two the same person?"

Nojiko: "You can't tell it's the same person at all. The Slip-Slip Fruit? Did it make her look like this?"

Nami: "I can't believe there's a Devil Fruit like that. If we had it, it would fetch a good price."

Gion: "Is Arton planning to invite another lady on board?"

[Encountering her at sea, it's really a bit complicated.]

[The Slip-Slip Fruit, truly a cosmetic fruit, can turn such an ugly woman into her current appearance.]

[It's a pity that if this Devil Fruit were given to Carina, Kaya, or Uta, it would be great.]

[Once Uta and the others have smooth skin, maybe I could even go ice skating on them.]

Carina: "What is this man thinking?"

Kaya: "Ice skating? That doesn't seem right..."

Black Maria: "Arton seems to be quite dismissive of this one. Is he not planning to invite her on board?"

Vinsmoke Reiju: "Even if this Devil Fruit doesn't provide strong powers, it would still be very appealing to many women."

Kalifa: "This man is really... However, his behavior suggests he hasn't drawn any doujinshi of Alvida. Does she still have a diary copy then?"

As if Arton had heard Kalifa's question, he soon provided an explanation in the diary.

[She might be the only character from the manga and anime with some storyline that I haven't used for my own creation.]

[It's just that every time I think of creating something, her original appearance comes to mind.]

[Thinking about that makes it hard to find inspiration.]

Hina: "No doujinshi, does that mean no diary copy either?"

Doll: "This is interesting. If Arton doesn't invite her on board, it might prove she doesn't have a diary copy."

Belo Betty: "So, it's not just about being beautiful. If someone wasn't pretty initially, even if they become beautiful by some method, it might not inspire Arton to create."

Gion: "If a person becomes ugly due to aging, would that also cause Arton to lose his desire to create?"

[If I had Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit ability, I might extract the Slip-Slip Fruit from Alvida and let my companions use it.]

[After all, Alvida isn't exactly a good person.]

[Unfortunately, I can't extract other people's Devil Fruits like Blackbeard can.]

Hina: "Is Hina seeing things? The Dark-Dark Fruit can extract other people's Devil Fruits?"

Black Maria: "It's truly surprising. The Dark-Dark Fruit has such an ability?"

Stussy: "I see, so this is why Blackbeard betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit."

Gion: "This matter is extremely important. The ability of the Dark-Dark Fruit needs to be reassessed."

Whitey Bay: "Damn Teach!"

[Anyway, Carina and the others are already beautiful enough.]

[And as they train, the bloodlines within them from Yae Miko, Elizabeth, and Tsunade will gradually awaken.]

[Judging by the current trend, they will only become more beautiful in the future.]

[Whether or not they use the Slip-Slip Fruit doesn't matter.]

[And they are naturally beautiful women, the Slip-Slip Fruit might not even have an effect on them.]

[Speaking of which, eating a Devil Fruit turns you into a hammer in water. Uta is already a Devil Fruit user, so it doesn't matter for her.]

[But Carina and Kaya probably wouldn't want to become unable to swim just for a cosmetic fruit.]

Carina: "Indeed, I don't want to lose the ability to swim."

Kaya: "I still want to enjoy playing in the water."

Gion: "Bloodline awakening, it could be seen as a form of Devil Fruit awakening. I wonder what kind of powers they will have after fully awakening."

[Photo: Red-Nosed Buggy.]

[Forget it, there's nothing much to record about Alvida. After all, she's just a pirate who became beautiful thanks to a cosmetic fruit.]

[The noteworthy record for today is this one, the future big-shot pirate Buggy.]

[Perhaps it's fate. I didn't intend to find this guy, but before entering the Grand Line, I ended up encountering him, Pirate Buggy.]

[This one is truly remarkable. Though he's currently just a small-time pirate in East Blue with a measly 15 million Berries bounty.]

[In the future, his achievements will be no less than those of Blackbeard Teach.]

Tashigi: "This is... Buggy, the captain of the Buggy Pirates. He will become a figure like Blackbeard in the future?"

Charlotte Smoothie: "Oh, this red-nosed guy being compared to Teach by Arton is quite remarkable."

Black Maria: "Does this mean that, like Blackbeard, this guy has been keeping a low profile for decades, and the 15 million bounty doesn't reflect his true strength?"

Kujaku: "Teach will become a Warlord of the Sea in the future. Will this guy also become a Warlord?"

[Who could have thought that a pirate who has been lurking in East Blue for over twenty years could be someone who calls Red-Haired Shanks a friend?]

[Just right, let Uta talk to him. If she can learn some of Shanks' embarrassing past, perhaps one day I can use it to coerce Shanks into giving his daughter to me.]

[No, even if that guy doesn't agree to let me marry Uta, he can't stop me from being with her.]

Uta: "..."

Hina: "Red-Haired Shanks? Calling each other friends? Hina is very surprised!"

Stussy: "Shanks' daughter is in East Blue, and his friend is also in East Blue? Could it be that Buggy stayed in East Blue to protect Uta?"

[Like Red-Haired Shanks, Buggy also spent time on Roger's pirate crew. A member of the Pirate King's crew, tsk tsk, it would be fun to expose this identity now.]

Kalifa: "You're joking, right? This ordinary red-nosed pirate was a member of the Pirate King's crew?"

Gion: "This is truly incredible intelligence."

Whitey Bay: "That red nose is here, it brings back some memories."

[Hmm... Not yet. Exposing Buggy's identity now might make this already different world even more different.]

[For now, let's keep his identity a secret.]

[If this guy can't even become a Warlord in the future, the world might lose some of its fun.]

Boa Hancock: "He will also become a Warlord?"

Shyarly: "Will there be two Warlords replaced in the future?"

Perona: "It won't be Moria-sama, it definitely won't be Moria-sama."

Monet: "A friend of an Emperor, a member of the Pirate King's crew, this Buggy is very dangerous. We must make sure the Young Master treats this man with caution."

Nico Robin: "Another pirate who will become a Warlord in the future? The possibility of Crocodile being replaced is getting higher. It seems I should also prepare myself early."

Gion: "At least two Warlords will be replaced. Is it because of the Marineford War?"

At this moment, Gion's mind was filled with questions about the Marineford War.

Meanwhile, Monet, Perona, and the other women who relied on the Warlords were becoming increasingly anxious, eager to hear Arton accurately predict who might be replaced as a Warlord.

***

Enjoyed the chapters? Read 20 chapters ahead on Patreon

PATREON.COM/METARLN

500 power stones = 1 extra chapter