Chapter 14: Attention from All Sides
For safety reasons, all Marines who didn't know Haki were evacuated. However, as the strongest in the Loguetown Marine Branch, Smoker had his subordinate Tashigi leave. He still didn't believe that Buggy the Clown was all that powerful.
"So you're Smoker. Interested in being my subordinate?"
Facing Marine Admiral Sakazuki's invitation—both were Logia Devil Fruit users, and their understanding of justice was quite similar. They would have more common topics to discuss together.
Akainu, who believed in Absolute Justice, had his own little agenda. Promoting a future Admiral was more of an investment, a way to strengthen the influence of the hardline faction within the Marines and balance the influence brought by the other two Admirals.
"Thank you for your invitation, but I have my own path to walk. After dealing with Buggy the Clown here, I intend to pursue Straw Hat Luffy's crew. I absolutely cannot let him grow stronger."
Smoker was used to doing things his own way; otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned to a small place like the East Blue. Moreover, he didn't want an extra boss over his head.
"I respect your decision." After that, Sakazuki didn't say much more. After all, everyone has their own ambitions, and he couldn't force him.
However, Smoker was more curious about how Fleet Admiral Sengoku planned to deal with Buggy the Clown. "Admiral Akainu, are we going to lock the Buggy Pirates in Impel Down?"
"No need for such trouble. This place will be his burial ground."
Sakazuki didn't know why Buggy wanted to go to Impel Down to find Bullet. Killing him in Loguetown would solve the problem once and for all. No matter what kind of conspiracy it was, in the face of absolute strength, it would be utterly crushed.
After the Headquarters Marines fully landed in Loguetown, such an event definitely couldn't be kept secret. The outside world also received the news. Morgans, president of the World Economic Journal, received a Den Den Mushi call from his reporter stationed in Loguetown, who reported the latest situation there.
"I didn't expect the Marines to take this so seriously, actually sending Admiral Akainu! This is definitely big news!"
Morgans, that birdman, was obsessed with news and was the undisputed newspaper king of the pirate world. He also wanted to verify the stories from the Sky Screen—whether Buggy the Clown was truly as formidable as he was made out to be.
Publishing newspapers no longer satisfied him. He wanted to do a live broadcast of this battle, which would require the full cooperation of his subordinates in the East Blue.
"President, if we do this, the Marines and the World Government will hunt us down again!"
"If I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of? I'm always the one who takes the heat for offending people. This time, let's make some big news!" Morgans' eyes gleamed. As a newsman, he couldn't pass up any opportunity to stir things up.
"As expected of our President! We'll all work overtime tonight!" If the president wasn't afraid, his subordinates were even less so. This wasn't their first time doing a live broadcast. It just remained to be seen how many signals the Marines could jam.
Any prosperous island would have screens capable of live broadcasting. The news that the Marines had sent an Admiral to suppress Buggy the Clown quickly spread, thanks to the Newspaper King, attracting the attention of all sensation-seekers.
The Four Emperors in the latter half of the Grand Line also received this news. Kaido and the others intended to watch this live broadcast personally to verify the claims made on the Sky Screen. If it was all just boasting, there would be no need to pay much attention in the future.
Onigashima, the stronghold of the Beasts Pirates.
Kaido rarely let his child Yamato out. He let Yamato come out to see the world. "It's rare to see an Admiral in action. Take a look at the gap between you. All these years I've painstakingly raised you, it's all been for your own good."
"Hmph, sooner or later I'll defeat you and escape!" Yamato sat with their biological father Kaido, both of them staring intently at the live broadcast screen. Behind them, a group of Beasts Pirates members were equally curious about how this battle would unfold.
Whole Cake Island, the stronghold of the Big Mom Pirates.
One of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin, was stuffing delicious cake into her mouth. She was also paying attention to this battle. If Buggy the Clown was truly as formidable as the Sky Screen made him out to be, making him her husband would definitely be a good idea.
"I wonder how Buggy will fare against a Marine Admiral. I'm really looking forward to it."
Katakuri was more concerned about the "Devil Fruit Liberation" mentioned on the Sky Screen. He had already achieved Devil Fruit Awakening. To protect his family, he had to become even stronger.
At this moment, the other two Emperors of the Sea, Red-Haired Shanks and Whitebeard Edward Newgate, were drinking and chatting merrily together. They didn't see eye to eye on the matter of Ace, and although their conversation hadn't been entirely pleasant, when the topic shifted to Buggy the Clown, the atmosphere on the ship became much more cheerful.
"I still remember that little brat wanted to dye my white beard into a red beard. I really don't know who gave him the guts back then," Edward Newgate recalled this joke; it represented his entire impression of the clown.
"I haven't seen Buggy for over twenty years. When I returned to the East Blue, I couldn't find him either. He's deliberately avoiding me," Shanks said, very troubled by this matter. Ever since their captain was executed, the two of them had gone their separate ways in the heavy rain that night. It truly felt like fate was playing tricks on them.
"It just so happens that fellow Morgans isn't afraid of death, so there's a live video broadcast to watch."
Phoenix Marco brought over a large screen. The scene from Loguetown in the East Blue was already appearing on it, and Admiral Sakazuki's figure could be clearly seen.
The more exciting this battle was, the more enjoyable the feast of the two Emperor crews would be. They hoped Buggy could last a little longer against Akainu and not tarnish the prestige of the former Pirate King.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The irritable Fleet Admiral Sengoku was criticizing his subordinates' work. "Are you all useless? Hurry up and cut off the live broadcast signal! Find all the Camera Den Den Mushis! That damned Morgans really knows how to cause trouble."
"That birdman, who knows where he's hiding? Even the World Government can't find him. His newspaper should have been banned long ago!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Marine Head Inspector, had no fondness whatsoever for these kings of the dark underworld. Like Doflamingo, they were all enemies of the Marines. Unfortunately, many of these people were dogs kept by the World Government, so the Marines couldn't strike hard to eliminate them.
"Are you letting Sakazuki kill that fellow?"
Vice Admiral Garp sat next to Tsuru, continuously stuffing senbei into his mouth. These were all Fleet Admiral Sengoku's private stash; this big eater had long since eaten through his own salary.
"The Sky Screen said he wants to see Bullet, but it didn't specify the purpose. We absolutely cannot let Buggy the Clown enter Impel Down. It's just one more Paramecia fruit on the seas; a latecomer like him won't be able to stir up any significant waves."
The same Devil Fruit, eaten by different people, will result in different levels of personal strength depending on how it's developed. The reason Impel Down imprisons so many pirates is to delay the reappearance of Devil Fruits on the sea, to have as few Devil Fruit users as possible, and to buy the Marines some breathing room.
But Buggy the Clown was different. According to confirmation from the intelligence department, this man was indeed a crew member on the former Pirate King Roger's ship. Most of the people from that ship had already retired and disappeared without a trace. The only one still active in the Marines' sight was Red-Haired Shanks.
This sudden appearance of another Roger Pirates crew member attracted high attention from the World Government and the Marines. The Four Emperors of the Grand Line maintained a delicate balance. If another Emperor were to emerge, who knew how chaotic things would become...