The Legend of Golden Pirate

Brook was indeed in some trouble, and now he was the only survivor among Rumbar Pirates. After parting ways with Laboon, Rumbar Pirates encountered enemies in the Florian Triangle and were attacked with poisonous weapons.

After playing a final symphony with his crew, Brook was the sole survivor. Thanks to the powers of the Revive-Revive Fruit he had consumed before his death, his soul returned to his body. Unfortunately, he got lost in the thick fog of the Florian Triangle for a year before finding his body, and by the time he found his body, it was already reduced to a skeleton.

However, his shadow was stolen by Gecko Moria, and as a result, he couldn't leave. Brook was no match for Gecko Moria either, or rather, he was no match against Ryoma, who had his shadow.

At first, Giotto didn't plan to get involved in this matter because he knew that in a few years, Monkey D. Luffy would resolve these issues. But, now that he had the opportunity to help Brook a bit, he decided to do so, especially because of his promise to Laboon.

Additionally, Aria felt sorry for Laboon, so they were both motivated to help. Rescuing someone from Moria didn't seem like a big challenge for Giotto, especially considering how powerless Crocodile was when they met in Alabasta. Giotto felt that Moria was no match for him.

Now, after convincing Laboon to stop ramming the Red Line, Giotto and Aria headed to the East Blue, as they had heard a certain rumor involving the area.

There was once a man in the East Blue known as the "The Great Gold Pirate," whose name was Woonan. It was said that he had been through countless battles, constantly plundering gold from the hands of evildoers, and his crew had gradually accumulated a mountain of gold, making the nighttime ocean bright like daylight.

However, he suddenly disappeared without a trace, and a rumor spread that The Great Gold Pirate had hidden his treasure on a small island before passing away. The only known clue was a treasure map left behind by one of his former crewmates.

Due to some circumstances, the treasure map ended up in Varia's hands, and after reporting it, it was now in Giotto's hands. At first, he didn't pay much attention to this treasure map because he didn't really remember the story about Woonan. Besides, he didn't believe that a pirate like Woonan, who only plundered from evildoers, could have possessed one-third of the world's gold.

When he thought about it, the amount of one-third of the world's gold was really something else, but he shouldn't be as rich as Tesoro, right? Additionally, Woonan's bounty was only 60 million Belly, and even though it was indeed a staggering amount of money several decades ago, it wasn't that much compared to the bounty of truly notorious pirates.

If Giotto remembered correctly, Woonan had already returned all of his gold to its rightful owners, leaving behind only his will as the legacy of the Great Gold Pirate.

So, this journey to East Blue was mostly for sightseeing, without any specific goals. However, when the word "treasure" came up in East Blue, a particular pirate would always show up.

As a result, an unusual scene unfolded in the East Blue, with a large ship following a small boat. The small ship had the emblem of Vongola Family, while the large ship flew a Jolly Roger of what seemed to be a clown.

Aria asked with a light chuckle, "Is he a friend of yours?"

Giotto responded, "Well, you could say that. That guy and I, along with Shanks, were all apprentices on the same ship during our time. But this guy has an inexplicable obsession with treasure maps and treasures. When we spoke about the island where the Great Gold Pirate's treasure is buried, he must've overheard and tagged along."

Giotto found it a bit frustrating, but he didn't want to resort to force with an old acquaintance. After all, they had a history. Besides, the current Buggy was quite different from the one in the anime. He now had a bounty of 43 million Belly, worthy of his reputation as the strongest pirate in East Blue.

The main reason behind Buggy's strength was Giotto. That push from Giotto had prompted Buggy to dedicate some time to training, even though his strength hadn't improved significantly. However, he could use Color of Arms Haki to some extent.

Now, with Chop-Chop Fruit and Color of Arms Haki, Buggy was practically invincible in East Blue, where there were no powerful opponents. Smoker, who was guarding Rogue Town, probably avoided running into Buggy at all cost, and it might get harder for Luffy to get past East Blue.

Aria couldn't help but smile as she looked at Buggy with a playful expression, a mix of confusion and amusement. She said, "I still can't believe he is part of the same crew as you and Shanks. I mean difference between you guys are just as clear as day."

Giotto explained, "He has the potential, though; he just didn't put his mind into it. If he had dedicated themselves to training like Shanks, he could've been in New World by now. But from the looks of it, he's enjoying his position as the ruler of the East Blue. I guess he'll have to wait until someone beats him up in the future to make him work harder." Giotto shrugged and said helplessly. 

He wondered whether, Luffy would be able to defeat Buggy who could use Color of Arms Haki in a few years, or if Giotto's interventions would change things up and caused some changes to Luffy.