NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 37: Ilisia Kingdom
The Clown Pirates have arrived on West Blue. Now their destination is the Ilisia Kingdom that located rather close to their position. Their priority right now is to find updated information on West Blue and try to find Robin's location.
They train their haki while moving to the Ilisia Kingdom. They'll prepare themselves fully before sailing on Grandline. Buggy didn't want to rush like Straw Hats, just to get his crew broken apart like that. He won't rely on luck and will rely on his own power. So Buggy decide to move slowly on West Blue & South Blue while strengthening themselves.
They arrive in the Ilisia Kingdom in the afternoon and they dock their ship on a rural coast like any other pirates. They go to the town with their own task and agenda. Well, Buggy lets them do what they want as long as they collect information and avoid making any trouble.
Buggy himself goes to find a black market to buy information. He walks around the town and finally sees a black market mark on an alley entrance. The mark is just a butterfly picture with some number & alphabet around it. The normal person won't realize the mark's meaning, but for those from the criminal circle, the mark indicates a location of the Blackmarket entrance.
Buggy enters the alley, wears a blank mask, and knocks on the only door there. Someone open the peeking hole of the door and didn't say anything. Buggy gives the man a purple card and the man takes it. Then the man opens the door for Buggy, so he enters and takes the purple card back.
The purple card is an underworld identity cardmember. It is applied all over the world and it also shows the holder's rank in the underworld. The rank decides what kind of information or how deep they can get access in the underworld. If Buggy just wants normal info, then some bars would be able to provide it, but he wants a lot of info in private.
The ranks from the bottom, based on the card's color are: white, green, purple, red, and black. In every rank, there are 5 levels too, marked by a number, with 5 as the highest level. Buggy's rank is currently purple level 5 (P5). He climb the rank in his days as a bounty hunter.
Buggy walks through a corridor and enters a small room. In the room, there is a counter, and Buggy immediately goes there. He places his card on the table, and the man behind the table checks it before nodding.
"What'd you need?"-Man
"General information of West Blue, and major news in the world, also, Nico Robin."-Buggy
"I understand, please wait for a moment."-Man
The man enters a door behind him and returns after a few minutes. He carries a stack of papers and gives them to Buggy. Buggy read through the papers while the man also narrate some info.
"Nothing major happened on West Blue lately, except Ohara's destruction last month. After that incident, West Blue's underworld organizations reduce their activity, knowing that WG & Marine are trying hard looking for Nico Robin. Bounty hunters are also looking around for her these days."-Man
"Where is she currently?"-Buggy
"She was last seen on Toroa 3 days ago, but she must've been escaped from there."-Man
"Hmm, did you know the reason why WG destroy Ohara?"-Buggy
Buggy asks the man, but the man just stays silent.
"They've shuush you, huh? Well, whatever, it's not important anyway. What about Happo Navy? Are they on West Blue?"-Buggy
"Yes, they're on their territory and have just returned from Grandline. They're not very active since Don Chinjao lost to Marine 'Hero' Garp"-Man
'So Chinjao have lost his drill some years back, I don't know it. Well, it's not like I want to know about him before.'-Buggy
Buggy read through the information papers and find a familiar name.
'Capone Bege, I forget that he was a mafia before being a pirate. So he's from West Blue, huh? Should I recruit him? No, there's no way someone like him wants to be a subordinate. I don't want someone that might try to assassinate me in my crew.'-Buggy smirk
Buggy read through the papers and find a piece of information about Lafitte. That guy is a good navigator, and Buggy has considered recruiting him. However, he has Jude as a candidate now, he doesn't need 2 navigators.
After reading through the papers, Buggy pays the man and returns the papers. Those who buy information, aren't allowed to take the papers out. It is to keep the information secret and avoid leakage.
Buggy then leaves and goes to walk around the town. He tries to find something unusual in the Kingdom that sounds interesting. After walking around for some time, Buggy really finds an interesting thing.
Buggy heard some people talk about a mysterious cave on the mountain. It's a legendary cave in this Kingdom, and people said that demons live there. Many people went to the cave, but no one has returned until now.
"Demon's den, huh? Sound interesting."-Buggy
Buggy decides to check the cave later with his friends if they want. He walks around again before receiving a call from Mantis. She tells him to have lunch together in a restaurant that she found. Buggy goes there and meets his crewmates + Jude to have lunch.
"U-Uhm....."-Jude want to talk before they eat
"What is it?"-Buggy
"I-I've decided to join your crew."-Jude
""!? REALLY?""-Buggy & Cricket
"Y-yes, M-Mantis have told me many things about this crew, and I have been with your f-for a few days. I-i think you guys are not bad like other pirates, so I decide to join."-Jude said shyly
"HAHAHA, THAT'S GOOD. Now we have a real navigator."-Cricket
"EVERYONE, I HAVE A NEW MEMBER IN OUR CREW, SO WE'LL CELEBRATE IT. DRINKS ON ME!"-Buggy say to everyone in the restaurant
""YEEEAAAAH!""-People
"Ah, but it's just for drinks, and no take away!"-Buggy
"Hahaha, they know it already."-Mantis
"Sigh, you just don't know that some people are really shameless."-Buggy
They celebrate it and have a drinking party with the people there during lunch hour. These people didn't know that Buggy & co are pirates and just enjoy the party. After the small party, they return to their ship and Buggy tells them about the cave.
"D-D-DDDD-DEMON!?"-Jude get scared & hide behind Mantis
"Yeah, sound interesting isn't it?"-Buggy
"Ooh, that certainly sounds interesting."-Cricket
"I don't believe that there is a demon who lives there, but I believe that the cave is dangerous. Did you really want to go there?"-Mantis
"Of course, it's a mysterious place, who's on the right mind that didn't want to go there?"-Buggy
"..... Everyone on their right mind won't even get close to that place."-Mantis
"Well, whatever, who want to follow me there?"-Buggy
"N-no, I don't want to go."-Jude
"I'll go, sound interesting."-Cricket
"I'll stay on the ship with Jude, and try to cook something that I learned today."-Mantis
"Fine, let's go, Cricket! We'll try to find the cave before it gets dark. Mantis, bento!"-Buggy
"Yes, yes."-Mantis
Buggy & Cricket prepare everything that they might need later. After finishing their preparation and get their bento, they go to the cave located on the mountain. They search it using the clues that Buggy gets from town's people.
They explore the mountain forest for 2 hours, but they haven't find the cave. They want to ask someone, but there's no one here. Suddenly, a big white tiger appears and attacks them. Buggy didn't want to waste time, so he cover his right hand with haki, and punch the tiger's head from the left, knocking it out.
"Oi, wake up!"-Buggy slap the tiger to wake it up
"Rawr?"-The tiger wake up and look around, it gets confused, but then it gets scared seeing Buggy
"I won't kill you, but you need to show me the cave that everyone is scared of! You know it don't you?"-Buggy
"R-rawr."-The tiger nod and try to act friendly
"Good, now show me the way, and I'll let you go."-Buggy
The tiger then walks away, so Buggy & Cricket follow it. They follow the white tiger for a few minutes until they finally find a cave.
"Are you sure this is the right place?"-Buggy
The white tiger nod frantically and it stays away from the cave. It seems even the beasts here are afraid of the cave, not just the humans. Buggy let the tiger leave, and it run really fast from there.
"Even the beasts are afraid of this cave, just what lies in here that make them really afraid of it?"-Cricket
"We'll find it out, let's enter it!"-Buggy
Buggy & Cricket enter the mysterious cave.
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