8. Easy Money
Buggy return to Orange Town after finishing his business on Syrupp village. The kiss incident really surprised him, but he get his composure fast. The girls only show their gratitude, and he need to accept it.
'This is cultural difference, i need to adapt to it soon.'-Buggy
Buggy go to his apartment and put his money in the safe. Buggy decide to rest & train for 2 weeks before he start his hunting again. He is still struggling to fight a small seaking, so if a big seaking appear, he might die. That's why he need to train and get stronger.
When he train, Buggy feel that he has a big improvement. He feel he can control his devil fruit ability easier, and his levitation range has increase. Previously, it's just 20 meter, but now it's 30 meters. He know that battle is the best way to grow, but which battle?
"Hmm, the bandits didn't give me much challenge, so it must be the seaking. Hmm, now that i think of it, i fly past my range in that fight. I wasn't paying attention, but i fly further to avoid getting bitten. So i improve in the face of death, huh?"-Buggy
Buggy get excited and resume his training. He increase his training difficulty and try to surpass his limit. Rayleigh have taught him that to grow faster & reach high level of power, he need to surpass his limit. Even if his bones cracking, even if his muscle feel like it'll get torn, he need to persevere and surpass it.
Buggy's training on the hill actually attract the town's people attention. They start to realize that Buggy is really strong and now know why he became Bounty Hunter. Some kids even come to him and asked to be trained.
"Are you sure? My training is very hard and you it will hurt you."-Buggy
""Yeah, we want to be strong like you after all.""-Kids
"Well, whatever, just do as i say."-Buggy
Buggy give the kids some training that they can do. He'll play along with them for now, they'll quit after knowing how hard his training is. So now, he start to train with the kids on the hill.
Then just like his prediction, the kids start to give up after 3 days. The training is hard and they can't play around when they train. Buggy try to make his training as fun as possible and make it looks like games, but these kids get bored easily, so they quit.
Surprisingly, there is a kid that stay and continue to train even after a week. His name is Rio, 7 y.o and he's an orphan. Buggy thought he will quit sooner or later, but he didn't quit even after 2 weeks.
"You don't want to quit like your friends?"-Buggy
"No, i want to be strong, so i can be a marine."-Rio
"Marine? HAHAHAHA, so you want to be a marine. Then this will be very funny in the future."-Buggy
"Why?"-Rio
"Because i will be a pirate after 2 years of training."-Buggy
"Pirate? Why did you want to be a pirate?"-Rio is confused, and he seem to be angry
"You have a bad history with pirates, huh?"-Buggy
"My parents were killed by pirates, that's why i hate them. I will be a strong marine and catch pirates."-Rio
"Oh, well, it's your right to be whatever you want."-Buggy
"Why did you want to become a pirate?"-Rio
"Because i want to explore the world and find it's mysteries."-Buggy
"Then, you can be an adventurer rather than pirate."-Rio
"Hehe, you don't understand. Even if i become an adventurer, i will eventually become a pirate. Learning about the truth of the world is considered as taboo, and it is prohibited by the World Government. That's why sooner or later, they will put some prize on my head."-Buggy
"What? Why would they prohibit it?"-Rio seem confused
"You need to find it out yourself! You just need to know that not all pirates are bad guys. Some people just want to be free and not tied with anything. Some are forced to be one by circumstances. As you grow up, you will understand many things."-Buggy
Rio seem confused and didn't understand anything.
"Just be a marine like what you want! But don't be a fool marine who just follow order! Learn about the world and find your own way!"-Buggy
Buggy then leave Rio and go to his apartment. He will hunt again after 2 weeks of training after all. He will go tomorrow, so now he will rest to recover his stamina.
Buggy go the next morning after buying some supplies. He go to find a pirate with 5 million bounty head. His target is Jack the 'Hook', captain of Hook Pirates that operated on East Blue.
They were last seen on Cozia, raiding a small village near the port. They leave immediately when a Marine ship passing by the area. Now their location is unknown, so Buggy need to track them.
"Hmm, finding a ship on the vast sea is very hard. It's easier to find bandits as they are staying in an area. But ship is moving, and the sea is wider than land."-Buggy
Buggy think of how he will find the pirates, and he know he need information. So he will go to a town and enter the blackmarket to buy information. The best blackmarket is of course on Loguetown.
So Buggy go to Loguetown, but he meet a pirate crew on the way. He check the Jolly Roger and the crew have a bounty on it. Buggy didn't know if it's his luck or their bad luck, but he won't let this chance go.
"As i thought, the route to Loguetown is better for bounty hunting. But i can't stay there, because the Marine are working hard to find all Roger pirates now."-Buggy
Buggy go to the pirate ship that have jolly roger of bird skull with wings on it. The pirates realize Buggy is approaching them and confuse. Usually it's them who approach a ship or boat to raid it, but now it's the boat that approach them.
"Is he crazy?"-Pirate A
"Who cares, it's a good opportunity to rob him."-Pirate B
Buggy then jump to the ship and the pirates are looking at him. They laugh at him for delivering himself to them. Their captain also come out, he is a man on his 30's and didn't seem that scary.
"So you're Han the 'Ostrich', pirate captain with 10 million beri."-Buggy
"Who are you, brat? What do you want?"-Han
"Your head."-Buggy grin
"Hmph, bounty hunter, huh? You're overestimating yourself brat. Take him down!"-Han
The pirate goons laugh maniacally and take out their weapons. Buggy also draw his swords and then the fight break.
Buggy use his observation haki to dodge or block their attacks. Then he counter them with his swords, or kicks. Buggy doesn't even use his devil fruit to fight these guys. There are 30 of them, but they're not that strong, and he defeat them easily.
"Did this crew really worth 10 million? You guys are really weak. Maybe it's just because you have 30 members that make you get that bounty."-Buggy
These guys are actually decent fighters, but only on East Blue's standard. Buggy was a pirate from Grandline, apprentice of the best pirate crew. Furthermore, he have observation haki now, so they look very weak to him.
"Bastard, i'll show you why i have 10 million on my head."-Han
Han suddenly transform into an Ostrich. He is a devil fruit user, Zoan, Bird Bird Fruit, model Ostrich.
"Ooh, a devil fruit user on East Blue, how rare."-Buggy
"Huh? You're not surprised?"-Han
"I've seen more devil fruit users than you, so why should i be surprised?"-Buggy
"Then you should know how strong a devil fruit is."-Han
Han suddenly rush to attack Buggy with his beak. Buggy dodge to the side and Han use his leg to grab Buggy. However, Buggy swing his sword to the Ostrich's leg and make a cut on it's skin.
'The bone is really hard, as i thought of a Zoan devil fruit.'-Buggy
Han send a beak attack again, and Buggy parry it with his left sword. Hand spin and make a back kick with his right leg, and it almost hit Buggy. Buggy split his body to avoid the kick, and it really surprised Han.
"Y-you..."-Han
"You think that only you have devil fruit?"-Buggy
Buggy split his 2 wrists and attack the stunned Han. He stab his shortsword on Han's chest & stomach. Han come to his sense, but he have been stabbed. Then Buggy also kick his long neck as hard as he can, make Han fly and hit the ship's main mast.
Buggy slash his sword up and injure Han even further. His big injuries make Han faint on the spot immediately. Hand transform back to his human appearance, and Buggy tied him and all his crewmates.
"What an easy money."-Buggy
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