One Piece: Marine to Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Chapter 97

"Morgan? Of course I’m talking about ’that’ Morgan, who else would it be? I just can’t believe that kid got himself caught, like this." Sengoku continued, settling down his suspicions believing Garp was just ssing with him.

"Calm down, calm down. I’ll swing by and pick the kid up on my way back." Hearing questions about his previous comnts Garp said, "About that? Bwahaha! I was just pulling your leg!"

"Alright, that’s enough. I’m hanging up! Don’t worry, I won’t forget."

*Click, clack...*

Garp set down the Den Den Mushi and glanced at the crew staring at him before bursting into another hearty laugh. "Whew, that scared

for a second! For a mont there, I thought they were coming to arrest , too."

He said he was scared to death, but his tone was completely carefree as he kept right on picking his nose.

He looked over at Mock and waved a hand. "Don’t you worry, your Boss wasn’t arrested. Still, I can’t believe how corrupt the East Blue is. Crooked Marines everywhere! Ah, well."

After a dramatic sigh, he snapped back to his usual self and gave Mock a puzzled look.

"So Dante taught you Tekkai, too? He’s not just handing out Rokushiki techniques to everyone, is he? But then, how co I’ve never seen you use it?"

"The Boss told

not to use Tekkai," Mock said, scratching his head. "He said it’s a good way to get

killed. And if I absolutely had to use it... he told

to run for it right after!"

"Using Tekkai to run away?" Garp paused, a bag of rice crackers halfway to his mouth. "What is that kid thinking? Tekkai is a defensive technique. Why would anyone use it to escape? You can’t even move when you’re using it, so how are you supposed to run?" He seed genuinely bewildered for a mont, but then shrugged it off with a grin. "Ah, whatever. Since you know Tekkai, you can help

finish hamring down the rest of these trees."

"I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Boss Garp!"

"I’m a Marine. What guidance?" Garp waved his hand dismissively. "You’re just a kid hamring trees on your own. Don’t you dare go saying I taught you anything."

"Don’t worry, I’m the most tight-lipped man on the seas! My lips are sealed."

"That’s the spirit! Bwahahaha!"

"..."

Watching the two of them, one who would say anything and the other who would believe it, Bogard sighed. "By the way, Vice Admiral Garp," he spoke up, as if rembering sothing. "What should we do with the pirate we have in the ship?"

The situation had been so unusual that after locking the man up, Bogard had simply instructed the other Marines to leave him be.

As a result, over the past few days... it seed they had all but forgotten the man existed.

"That pirate? Which one?" Garp asked, looking at Bogard with genuine confusion. "Isn’t Mock right here?"

"I’m right here!" Mock added helpfully.

"Not Mock." Bogard’s eye twitched as he realized they had genuinely forgotten. "The clown. The one who was captured alongside him."

As soon as he said it, Mock seed to rember. He slapped his forehead. "Oh, no! That’s my little bro, Buggy! I forgot to hand him over to the Boss!"

--**--**

"Anyone there? I’m still in here! Can anyone give

sothing to eat? And so water too! Atleast give

so water!"

"Damn Marines... don’t tell

you’ve forgotten all about , the great Captain Buggy!"

"That... that bastard Mock! I’ll never forgive him! I’ll haunt him from the grave!"

In the warship’s prison, Buggy was slumped weakly against the bars, having not eaten in days. He wailed at the door, his voice hoarse. "Is anybody out there? Please! At this point, just take

to be judged! I don’t even care anymore!"

*Creeak~*

The cabin door, which had been shut for days, was pushed open.

Buggy’s eyes, previously dull, snapped open. A jolt went through him, and so of his old fire returned. ’Like hell I will!’ he thought. ’I won’t surrender that easily!’

Two figures walked in.

As light spilled into the cell, Buggy recognized one of them clearly. "Mock? You’re not dead?"

"Dead?" Mock looked at him, confused. "Why would I be dead?"

"Weren’t you taken to be judged? Ah, forget it. It’s none of my business. Even if you get captured again, it has nothing to do with ." Buggy waved a dismissive hand and eyed the Marine standing beside Mock. "Hurry up and get

sothing to eat. You didn’t just forget about

and plan to let

starve in here, did you? You damn Marines."

"You’re right," Mock nodded earnestly. "We did forget about you, little bro!"

’Is that really the important part right now?’ Buggy’s face reddened matching shade of his nose as he stared at the so-called East Blue Overlord. "Just cut the chatter and get

so food!"

"Food? There’s none left on the warship," Bogard said with a deadpan expression. "We’re not getting resupplied for a while."

"What do you an, no food? A while?" Buggy looked utterly devastated. "I think... I think I’m actually about to starve to death!"

"It’s okay, I’m here to get you out!" Mock patted his chest reassuringly. "Don’t worry, I’ll take you for a good al. It’s my treat, since I’m the big brother!"

"You? Take

out?"

Buggy stared at him, still trying to process what he was hearing.

*Click.*

The lock on his cell door sprang open. Then the shackles on his feet were undone.

His mind went blank.

Led by Mock, a thoroughly confused Buggy was walked out of the prison. He just kept walking, right past the guards, up onto the main deck, and under the watchful eyes of all the Marines, he stepped right off the warship.

Buggy was utterly bewildered. ’What was happening? Weren’t these Marines going to do anything?’

Buggy turned his head in a daze to look at Mock, who was swaggering along beside the stoic Marine. He leaned in close and whispered, "What the hell is going on?"

As he spoke, sothing seed to click. His voice dropped to a shocked whisper. "Wait, did that ’Boss’ you ntioned co and rescue you? Who exactly is this guy?"

To be able to spring a pirate from the grasp of the Hero of the Marines...

"The Boss? Nah, it wasn’t him." Mock scratched his head. "I almost forgot about you, too. Just be careful in a minute and don’t say the wrong thing."

"Say the wrong thing? Who are we seeing? Your Boss?"

"I already told you, it’s not my Boss!"

"Then who is it?" Buggy was still lost, but the idea that soone could get a pirate away from Garp himself made him intensely curious. After a mont’s thought, he decided to play along. He desperately wanted to run, but he didn’t understand the situation and was starving. It wasn’t the right ti to make a run for it.

With a flick of his eyes, Buggy fell into step beside Mock and walked on.

Soon, they arrived at a bar in a small village.

Rubbing his rumbling stomach, Buggy slled the aroma of grilled at and ale and was about to ask if they could eat here.

Suddenly, Mock shouted toward the front of the bar. "Boss Garp! I brought the guy!"

The mont the words left his mouth, Buggy froze.

The words hit Buggy like a physical blow. His brain completely short-circuited. He slowly lifted his head and looked toward the counter. Sure enough, there was the man himself, drinking heartily.

It was the Hero of the Marines, Vice Admiral Garp.

But what had Mock just called him? ’Boss Garp’?

’What the hell!’ Buggy’s mind raced. ’Didn’t you say we weren’t going to see your boss? So your boss is Garp, the Hero of the Marines? No wonder you wouldn’t say who it was! The man behind the biggest Pirate in the East Blue (after

ofcourse!) is a Vice Admiral? This sea... it’s completely corrupt!’

Seeing that familiar face, Buggy forgot his hunger entirely. He quickly lowered his head, trying to shrink into the background.

"You’re here? Bwahaha! Is the kid not starved to death yet?" Garp’s loud laughter bood through the bar.

Then his eyes fell on the hunched-over Buggy. Garp blinked. He held a mug of beer in his right hand and stroked his chin with his left, squinting. "Hey, you, lift your head. You look familiar. Have I seen you sowhere before?"

’Oh no, he’s going to recognize !’ Buggy thought in a panic. He raised his head with a weak, fawning smile. "You must have

confused with soone else, sir!"

"You’re that brat from back then! Bwahahaha!" Garp roared with laughter. "I never forget a face! You were that kid with the red nose who was always hanging around Roger. I can’t believe you were hiding out here in the East Blue!"

"Roger? Who’s Roger? That’s not ..."

"If it’s not you, then I guess I’ll just have to cut you down."

Knowing it was useless, Buggy looked up at Garp, who was watching him with narrowed eyes, and forced another grin. "To think you’d actually rember !"

"Bwahaha! I knew it was you!" Garp laughed triumphantly before his expression turned curious. He stroked his chin again. "So how did a kid like you end up with Mock?"

’You’re asking ? I’d like to ask you that!’ Buggy scread internally. But as he looked at Garp’s thoughtful expression, and then at Mock, who was already sitting beside the Marine Hero and happily drinking, he felt like he finally understood everything.

’He’s forcing my hand,’ Buggy realized. ’Even a veteran pirate like

has to admit... this is corruption on a whole new level!’ And Mock should have just explained things sooner! If he had known the Hero of the Marines was the real boss, he...

He would have surrendered a long ti ago.

If he hadn’t learned this secret, he might have gotten away with a 15 million berry bounty. He wouldn’t necessarily be executed. But now that he knew, his choices were to die or to play along.

Thinking of this, and seeing Vice Admiral Garp still staring at him, Buggy knew he had to declare his allegiance. With a silent apology to his old captain, his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees without a second thought. "Boss Garp! If you’ll have , I’d like to follow you, too!"

"Follow ?" Garp echoed, mug in hand. He looked at Buggy with genuine confusion before his eyes lit up in realization. "Oh! So you want to be a Marine?"

’Wait, who said anything about wanting to be a Marine?’

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