One Piece : Strongest Vice-Captain Mr. 3!

Hancock stood there in a daze, her expression blank, her mouth slightly agape from shock.

If she had heard someone else talk about wanting to overthrow the Celestial Dragon and become a great hero like Fisher Tiger, she would have scoffed and laughed loudly at such a ridiculous joke.

But Mr. 3, who shared a similar fate and had once been a slave to the Celestial Dragon, stirred a different kind of understanding within her. She could grasp his unwillingness to accept his fate and his hysterical hatred for the Celestial Dragon!

"I never expected that the clever little clown Buggy would have such a crazy idea!"

After listening to Mr. 3's "grand ambitions," Granny Nyon, gripping her snake cane with one hand and placing the other behind her back, looked at him with a glint of admiration in her aged eyes.

While she might have hesitations about other pirate crews, after all, such ideas were utterly shocking, Buggy was an exception. His reputation was simply too loud to ignore.

He was a formidable figure who had walked out from the ship of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, had close ties with the Emperor Shanks, planned the breakout from Impel Down, and even went live during the Marineford War, standing against the Marines and the World Government in front of the entire world!

A man like that, regardless of his thoughts, was hardly surprising. In fact...

Even becoming a Warlord and vigorously developing a mercenary organization in the underworld could easily be just a part of his mad plan to overthrow the Celestial Dragon!

The more Granny Nyon thought about it, the more alarmed she became. The image of Buggy the Clown in her memory suddenly grew immense and unfathomable.

"This is a road that, once embarked upon, you can never turn back from…"

Hancock murmured, clearly deeply affected by Mr. 3's words.

"Even so, we are already on this path!"

Mr. 3's eyes were filled with unwavering determination, as if he were ready to face death itself.

Since they had come to such a critical moment, he naturally couldn't show even a hint of cowardice.

Recalling the malice inflicted upon her by the Celestial Dragon, the hot blood that had long been dormant within Hancock began to awaken little by little.

"If that's the case, then I… I will also…"

"Snake Princess!!"

Just when Mr. 3 thought everything was going according to plan, Granny Nyon suddenly stepped forward, placing herself in front of Hancock.

Despite feeling alarmed at the bold aspirations of Buggy's crew, she, having weathered countless storms, still possessed the sharp gaze of the former Empress of Amazon Lily.

"Mr. 3, to be honest, I do not deny your and Buggy's ambitions, nor do I look down on you in any way."

Granny Nyon stared intently at Mr. 3, her murky eyes glinting with sharpness.

"But as an old woman, I believe there's no need for recruitment. Even an alliance can achieve the same effect, right?"

For the Kuja Pirates, the most important thing at the moment was to ensure the safety of the residents of Amazon Lily and break free from the siege of the Marine Headquarters' warships.

As for how to establish a foothold in this chaotic era and challenge the World Government to overthrow the Celestial Dragons, that wasn't as urgent.

If they agreed to the recruitment, it would almost mean binding the entire fate of the Kuja to the Buggy Pirates.

The pirate crew was capable of defending itself, but the risks for Amazon Lily would be far too great!

Faced with such sharp questioning, Mr. 3 remained calm, clearly having a plan in mind.

"I understand your concerns. However, for the Kuja Pirates to join the Buggy Pirates, it is actually the safest choice for you."

Upon hearing this, Hancock and her sisters, along with Granny Nyon, cast puzzled glances at him.

Mr. 3 stood firm, extending a finger as he spoke nonchalantly, "Having only two Warlord factions is not enough to compete with the top powers of the sea. Therefore, our goal is to recruit as many Warlords as possible to strengthen ourselves!"

"Because of the unique relationship with the Celestial Dragons, I can communicate with you in this special way. But clearly, this wouldn't work with other Warlords."

"For those crafty individuals, we must use tougher and more insidious methods. If you publicly acknowledge your allegiance to the Buggy Pirates, it would serve as an invisible deterrent and pressure for them!"

This was the truth, and it was also the reason he insisted on choosing Hancock as the first recruit.

With the addition of the Pirate Empress Hancock, recruiting other Warlords would become significantly easier. Setting aside her reputation and prestige, her combat strength alone was enough to be taken seriously.

After all, Hancock had been openly praised by former Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku as "that woman is very strong"!

Seeing Granny Nyon and the others lost in thought, weighing the pros and cons, Mr. 3 continued to assure them.

"Moreover, if the Kuja Pirates join the Buggy Pirates under the guise of a subordinate, the Marine Headquarters will focus more attention on the Buggy Pirates, thereby reducing their scrutiny of Amazon Lily."

"Although this might be bad news for our captain Buggy, rest assured, that guy is tough enough to handle it."

With these words, the tense and serious atmosphere began to ease.

"Pfft, who would play themselves like that?" 

Sandersonia, with her long, snake-like tongue, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. 

Hancock and Grandma Nyon also relaxed their serious expressions. 

Seeing this, Mr. 3 let out a heavy sigh of relief in his heart. 

If all goes well, recruiting Hancock shouldn't be an issue, especially since they didn't have much time to weigh the pros and cons!

"Lady Snake Princess! Grandma Nyon! Trouble! A navy warship has arrived off the coast!" 

Just as they were hesitating, a panicked report came from outside the palace, delivered by a member of the Kuja Pirates. 

Before Hancock could give any instructions, a loudspeaker blared from the sea, echoing across the entire island. 

"Boa Hancock! Immediately hand over Mr. 3, a core member of the Buggy Pirates who has infiltrated the island! If not, for safety reasons, we will have to take necessary action!" 

"Boa Hancock! Immediately hand over Mr. 3, a core member of the Buggy Pirates who has infiltrated the island! If not, for safety reasons, we will have to take necessary action!" 

…

Hancock, her sisters, and Grandma Nyon were all taken aback, looking toward Mr. 3 in unison. 

Mr. 3 was also startled, his brow furrowed as he muttered, "I hid my appearance as much as possible; I didn't expect the Navy to still catch on to me." 

"Damn you, Koby, you're not so easy to fool after all…" 

But in reality, Mr. 3 was secretly relieved, thinking to himself, "Finally, they're here!" 

When the Navy patrol discovered him, he had pretended to offer a bribe by presenting gold and jewels. After being rejected, he had even casually scraped some wax from a candle on the ship to hand over, fully acting like someone who had lost his mind out of fear. 

However, this action was part of a larger scheme. 

This would become a crucial clue that could lead the Navy to trace him back through the information point of the "candle," quickly identifying Mr. 3, who possessed the Wax-Wax Fruit powers! 

As a result, fearing the two Warlords would make contact, the Navy would undoubtedly take action at the first opportunity, possibly even launching an assault on Amazon Lily ahead of time, forcing Hancock to make a swift decision! 

Despite some unexpected turns, it must be said that the Navy's actions came at a rather timely moment! 

Is this the effect of the S-class luck bonus from Buggy the Clown's crew? 

Mr. 3 couldn't help but let out a mocking thought in his heart.

"Time is tight; make a decision, Hancock." The old hag raised her head to look at Boa Hancock.

She didn't say much more; her attitude was already quite clear.

Hancock nodded and stepped forward, coming face to face with Mr. 3, her expression extremely serious.

"Since that's the case, Mr. 3, I can agree to join the Buggy Pirates, but…"

She paused for a moment before continuing, "I want to make it clear that we reserve the right to refuse any unreasonable orders from Captain Buggy based on our own interests, and we can choose to withdraw at any time!"

"Absolutely no problem; I can assure you on behalf of Captain Buggy!" 

Mr. 3 responded readily.

After all, he only needed to ensure a successful recruitment to earn his mission rewards and become more handsome and powerful. As for the various agreements and additional conditions that followed, that was something Buggy should worry about!

"Then, on behalf of the core members of the Buggy Pirates, I welcome your joining, Boa Hancock!" 

Mr. 3 reached out his hand to Hancock with a mischievous grin.

"Let's skip the unnecessary formalities and move the island's residents quickly," Hancock said, flicking her cape behind her with a look of disdain.

"Of course, but before that…" 

With his ulterior motives in mind, Mr. 3 reluctantly withdrew his arm and scratched his head.

"Hmm? Is there something else?" Hancock asked.

Mr. 3 hesitated for a moment, and after serious contemplation, he decided to speak up.

"In line with the style of the Buggy Pirates, all new members must call me 'Dear,' what do you think…"

"Love-Love Beam!" 

Bang!

A stone statue plummeted to the ground with a thud!

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