34. First Bounty

The Clown Pirates have saved a girl, her name is Ariella Jude. She is a navigator on a Merchant ship, or at least she was. 2 days ago, the ship was sailing like usual. Their destination was the Deul Kingdom, and their job was to send a lot of Spices. They're about to make a big contract with the Kingdom for the Spices.

Later that night, they encounter a very big storm. As a navigator, Jude advised the captain to return because she know their ship won't make it. However, the ship's Captain refuses because they need to reach their destination in the morning. Returning or sailing around the storm will make them late.

The Captain even sent his closest men to destroy their lifeboats to prevent anyone from escaping. They couldn't be late for such a big contract, or they won't get it. Then just like her prediction, the ship can't survive and sunk. Jude save herself by hiding in a barrel, so she survived.

"So you've floated around on the sea for almost 2 days, huh? But that's very smart of you to use a barrel as a lifeboat."-Mantis

"Well, Papa taught me to do this if the ship is in danger and I can't use lifeboat. But I can't reach any island in these 2 days, and no ship pass by before, so you really saved me."-Jude

"Then, what will you do now? Return to your father?"-Mantis

"No, Papa has died 2 years ago, that's why I work as Navigator using all the knowledge that I get from him."-Jude get sad

"Oh, I'm sorry about that."-Mantis

"It's okay."-Jude

"So where do you want to go? We will send you there."-Mantis

"I don't know, I don't have anywhere to go now. Papa has died, and I don't think that the company will take me again because they'll think that the incident is my fault as navigator."-Jude

"Hmm, then how if you become our Navigator?"-Mantis suddenly ask Jude to be their navigator

"Eh? N-n-navi-gator?"-Jude is flustered & rather scared

"No need to be that scared. We are different from the pirates that you thought of. We are just a bunch of adventure-seeking people."-Mantis

"Adventure?"-Jude

"You know, Captain wants to discover the world's mysteries. Cricket wants to find out if his ancestor's words are true or not. As for me, I want to learn cooking from all over the world. That's why we set out to the sea and search for all of those things."-Mantis

"T-then why don't you just become an explorer crew?"-Jude

"Because we can't, especially because of Captain's dream. Discovering the world's mysteries means that he will also find something that was hidden by the world. By discovering it, captain will be the world's enemy, that's why he choose to be pirate right from the start."-Mantis

"B-but pirates do bad things, Papa will be sad if I do bad things."-Jude

"Well, the only bad thing that we've ever done is stealing from the rich, but then we gave it to the poor. The rest of them are just for self-defense. If you don't want to do bad things, then you don't need to do it. Your main job is to be the navigator and make our ship safe."-Mantis

"Really?"-Jude

"Yeah, really."-Mantis

Jude gets silent and ponders about it.

"Uhm, will you guys go to Grandline?"-Jude

"Of course, we're going to see the whole world, including Grandline. After exploring the Blue seas, we will go to Grandline. Did you want to go to Grandline?"-Mantis

"Yes, Papa said that Grandline is the ultimate challenge for a Navigator. Papa had gone to Grandline in the past, but he fail to finish it. That's why I want to see if the Grandline is that scary and finish what Papa hadn't finished."-Jude

"Hmm, we're a little similar."-Mantis smile

"What is?"-Jude

"I also want to finish what my parents failed to finish. So, that means you will join us right?"-Mantis

"I-i.... C-can I think about it first?"-Jude

"Sure."-Mantis

Mantis leaves Jude to think about it and go to meet Buggy. He tells Buggy about her talk with Jude.

"Navigator, huh? That's good, I hope she'll join, so we will have a navigator before going to Grandline. Navigator is a crew's life on the sea, so she is very important. I leave her to you, Mantis."-Buggy

"Alright."-Mantis

After that, the Clown Pirates resume their journey and do their usual things. Jude watches them as they train, joke around, or even playing. She is amused by their antiques, but she is still hesitant to join a pirate crew.

Then at noon, they see a news coo, and Cricket buys a newspaper. They open it and are surprised by the news headline. It's about them, well, Buggy who destroy T-Bone's crew so easily, alone. Then a paper falls from the newspaper and they take it.

"Captain, it's your bounty poster."-Mantis

"Buggy the 'Clown', dead or alive, 50 million beri."-Buggy grin

Buggy's bounty picture is actually just a photo of his head. It was when his head fly and he laugh excitedly while fighting the marines.

"That's a high first bounty, and it also places you on the high position on North Blue pirates."-Cricket

"HAHAHA, THAT'S GOOD, LET'S CELEBRATE THIS!"-Buggy

The Clown Pirates then have a small party to celebrate their crew's first bounty. Buggy is happy with his first bounty because it's really high. It is rare to get such a bounty for a non-Grandline pirate.

Marine gives him such bounty because of his feat to defeat T-Bone's crew. His battle with them also make Marine realize that the Clowns were the ones who destroy the Red Axe Mafia Gang. With these 2 known feats, 50 million is reasonable for Buggy.

Buggy's first bounty didn't just alert the North Blue residents, but also those on the other seas.

~East Blue~

"Buggy? So he has started his crew too, huh?"-Shanks

"You know him too, Captain?"-Yasopp

"Yeah, I know him very well, but 'too'? Have you met him, Yasopp?"-Shanks

"Yeah, he saved 3 girls from my village 2 years ago, and I met him there. I don't know much about him though, but I won't forget that Red Nose."-Yasopp

"Hahaha, that's his most noticeable trait. Well, we were apprentices on Roger Pirates."-Shanks

"Then, he must be strong too."-Ben

"Yeah, I'm sure he is strong now. Although I don't know how strong he is currently. We haven't met since Captain Roger's execution 2 years ago. But I guess we'll meet soon on Grandline."-Shanks

"I can't wait for that."-Yasopp

"Alright, we can't lose to him, let's get our bounty too."-Shanks

~Sabaody, Shakky's bar~

"Ray-san, I found interesting news."-Shakky

Shakky places a newspaper and Buggy's bounty poster in front of Rayleigh who drink at the bar.

"Ooh, Buggy, so he is safe, I'm glad. North Blue, huh? Wasn't he on East Blue before?"-Rayleigh

"Maybe he wants to roam around the Blue Seas first before coming to Grandline."-Shakky always know everything

"Hmm, maybe he wants to find treasures on every sea. But he sure has gotten stronger now, 50 million bounties prove his threat to Marine."-Rayleigh

"He is the highest bounty holder on North Blue now, although their crew's total bounty is not the highest."-Shakky

"It doesn't matter, what matters is he will reach a higher stage than the others. I can't wait to meet him & Shanks again."-Rayleigh.

~East Blue, 40th Marine Branch~

"I'm glad that you're safe, B. Still, I won't forgive you if you break our promise, and I will catch you if you dare to come here when I'm still a marine."-Bellemere smile

Bellemere secretly put Buggy's bounty poster in her pocket. She wants to save it, but she needs to hide it from her colleagues.

~~~

Buggy's bounty poster isn't world-shocking news, but it creates different reactions from those who know him. The people on Orange Town are happy to see that Buggy is doing well, although they still disagree with his pirate profession.

His former bounty hunter team is also happy to see him doing well. People who are saved by him are also happy by this news. Roger pirates' ex-members are amused by this news and can't wait for the other news about their young apprentice.

However, the news of his bounty didn't reach the high-rank officers on Marine HQ. If it reaches them, surely his bounty will raise, because Garp, Sengoku, or those who've fought with Roger pirates will know him and raise his bounty, just because he was Roger pirates' member.

Well, it doesn't matter though, because sooner or later, they will know him as himself, a strong pirate, not Roger pirate's apprentice. This is just the beginning of the story about the majestic Lord Buggy.

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