Buggy D Clown

During the War of Wanokuni, the Emperor's Alliance deployed a total of 130,000 troops. Out of those, more than 40,000 lost their lives in the conflict. The majority of casualties came from the slave army, with over 20,000 of the fallen being slave soldiers.

Additionally, more than 70,000 troops were rendered ineffective in battle, with over 10,000 captured. Most of those either killed or incapacitated were victims of Buggy's Birth of Tree World, which drained their life force and left them in a weakened state, barely clinging to life.

Many others fell victim to the intense skirmishes between higher-ranking cadres, contributing to the 40,000 casualties. The remaining 10,000 soldiers, having lost control of the battle or unable to compete at that level, sought refuge in the lower halls of Onigashima. By pure luck, they avoided the devastation that destroyed the upper dozen floors of the island.

Those survivors were spared intentionally by Buggy. Had it been otherwise, even more, would have perished. Although the newly-formed Crimson Empire, led by Buggy and the Sand Crocodile, boasts two God-tier infrastructure specialists, the need for a slave population in certain delicate areas of development remains.

Buggy offered a way out for these enslaved war criminals. If they served the Crimson Empire for fifteen years, their previous crimes would be forgiven, and they could become ordinary citizens. In truth, this arrangement was quite lenient. However, for those who consumed the artificial Devil Fruits made by the SMILE Factory, it was likely that some wouldn't survive long enough to complete their sentence. This showcased the stark contrast between Caesar Clown and Vegapunk in their achievements in manufacturing Artificial devil fruits.

For slaves who were severely injured and unable to continue fighting, Buggy had an efficient way to heal them and restore their bodies. This came from the combined powers of Princess Mansherry's healing abilities and the energy-packed food from the Boin Islands. With these two trump cards, Buggy was able to quickly replenish the workforce needed for his empire's infrastructure.

During the recovery period Buggy and Crocodile showcased the incredible power of their infrastructure abilities, shocking the citizens of the Crimson Empire. This also helped many realize the immense benefits of using Devil Fruits to serve the people.

While Buggy planted trees to purify the toxins spread across the empire, he directed Crocodile to construct roads. Crocodile even demonstrated his awakened Sand-Sand Fruit techniques Suna Tsurugi, Jōka Suna, and Suna Dōro to cut stones, removing impurities from sand, making it suitable for construction and constructing roads for smooth transportation—a truly impressive display of his abilities.

With a simple slap of his golden hand on the ground, a solid gravel road materialized. No matter what rocky terrain lay ahead, all it took was a raise of his hand and a press, and a road leading straight to the nearest city would emerge. Most of these roads stretched directly ahead, creating a brutal yet effective transportation path!

Starting from the area around the Flower Capital, five- or six-story stone buildings quickly sprang up. The dilapidated wooden villages surrounding the Flower Capital transformed into sturdy, three-bedroom stone houses, protecting from the elements. This wave of construction by Crocodile immediately garnered cheers and admiration from countless citizens of the Crimson Empire.

The reaction made Crocodile's typically sullen, scarred face appear much more approachable, and he began to smile more frequently. Observing this scene, Buggy couldn't help but smile knowingly. Although Crocodile often complained about the work being annoying and boring, he enjoyed the attention and recognition from the people, which motivated him to work even harder.

It was a pity that the new user had not yet fully developed the capabilities of the Stone-Stone Fruit; otherwise, the structures could have been built even taller! He had entrusted the stone fruit to the CP9 Kumadori, whose control over the Life Return technique was superior to everyone's, except Rob Lucci. Therefore, their speed in developing the fruit's potential should be much faster!

After Buggy confided in him about the burdens of his future, he dedicated his days to exercising on the Boin Islands, eating when he was hungry, and working out afterward. He was determined to return to peak condition!

Buggy was very pleased with the progress being made. Lastly, he gifted Fukurou the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Saber Tiger, which had been stripped from Who-Who's, one of the Tobiroppo.

With this, all members of CP9 possessed a Devil Fruit, significantly enhancing their combat power. Upon discovering that Buggy had revealed the secret of Eternal Life Surgery to Blueno and Kalifa, the entire team became even more motivated, not wanting to betray his trust.

Rob Lucci experienced the most significant breakthrough. In the past two days, it seemed he was on the verge of awakening his Zoan fruit, practicing against Bullet daily. Despite being thoroughly beaten by Bullet, Rob Lucci remained resolute and determined.

While Buggy and Crocodile focused on infrastructure construction, every member of the Buggy Pirates continued their training, showing unwavering dedication to their growth.

What surprised Buggy the most was that Robin took the initiative to ask the Hancock to teach her Haki, and to his astonishment, the Hancock agreed! He couldn't help but wonder how the two women got along. Perhaps little Hancock played a role in bridging the gap, as she had developed a good relationship with Robin.

Then there was Enel, who had been disappearing frequently lately. Buggy had no idea what he was up to, but he didn't feel inclined to investigate.

Throughout the past week, he and Crocodile had nearly traveled across all six parts of the Crimson Empire, making significant changes along the way. The improvement in Buggy's reputation was remarkable.

Currently, the main cities of the Crimson Empire were connected by roads, stone houses were well established, and the toxins around these cities had largely been cleared by the Tree World! To be honest, this relentless tree-planting effort had become quite exhausting for Buggy. Crocodile even mentioned wanting a day off, and Buggy wholeheartedly agreed. After all, there was no need to push themselves too hard—the progress they had made was already astonishing!

The Crimson Empire was now a completely different country compared to the former Wanokuni. On the day Buggy decided to take a break, a fleet bearing the NEO Marine flag arrived at the diving port outside the Crimson Empire.

Buggy couldn't help but be stunned when he heard the report from his subordinates. With a grin, he headed towards the submerged harbor. Crocodile, who was also taking a break, noticed Buggy rushing out and followed him out of curiosity. Knowing it was the NEO Marine and that the visitors were no ordinary guests, he decided against resting. As he instructed others to spread the word, he trailed behind Buggy toward the diving port.

This diving port served as an access channel beneath the waterfall outside the former Wanokuni Island. It featured a karst cave entrance tens of meters high, concealed by the waterfall flowing hundreds of meters down from the island. The people of Wanokuni later developed this entrance, making it the only normal entry point for boats into Wanokuni.

The NEO Marine seemed to be aware of this as well. A fleet of twenty large ships was already anchored in front of the waterfall.

On the bow of the leading ship, Zephyr, Ain, Shuzo, and Binz stood in a row. As they gazed at the unmoving waterfall, Ain voiced her concern:

"Sensei, is it safe for us to come here so suddenly? We didn't send any information and brought over 3,000 troops with us. It would be disastrous if the God Slayer Pirates thought we were here to start a war. Should I go up and report first?"

"Need not!" Zephyr waved his hand dismissively. "If they lack even this basic vigilance, then I'd truly be disappointed! Governing a Kingdom isn't just a game for pirates! Especially not in Wanokuni, which has been enslaved by Kaido for over twenty years; it can't handle any more turmoil."

Shuzo, listening nearby, expressed his doubts. "Sensei, Buggy doesn't seem like the kind of man who would torment ordinary people."

"Of course, he's not that kind of guy," Zephyr replied, rolling his eyes. "However, governing a Kingdom is different from being a Marine or a pirate. An ill-conceived policy or action can lead to citizens suffering immensely. Ironically, your original intention may have been to help them. There are plenty of kings like that all over the world."

"Pfft! The Sensei cares about Wanokuni's people," Ain suddenly said, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Hey-hey!" Binz grinned in agreement. "The Sensei has a stone face but a soft heart. Buggy's ideals are truly admirable. I can't wait to see how Wanokuni thrives under his leadership!"

Zephyr didn't respond, but his silence spoke volumes. He acknowledged Buggy's dream; otherwise, he wouldn't have come here to mentor this young man, stressing that running a country is no simple task.

If Zephyr were optimistic about Buggy, he wouldn't have brought all the belongings of NEO Marine. All three of his students understood this point, and it could be said that everyone in NEO Marine recognized it as well!

Suddenly, the water flow of the waterfall came to a halt, and a massive gate began to rise slowly from below the sea level. As the gate fully opened, a bright underground harbor was revealed.

In front of Zephyr and the others stood a man clad in a white cloak, dressed in a white suit with clown makeup on his face, waving at them.

Seeing this, Zephyr, standing on the bow of NEO Marine, couldn't help but smirk. "Hmph! He's sure is vigilant enough."

Ain, Binz, and Shuzo exchanged glances and laughed in agreement.

As Zephyr and his group disembarked from the boat, Buggy smiled and extended his hand to Zephyr. "Welcome, Admiral Zephyr, to the Crimson Empire."

Zephyr was momentarily taken aback; he hadn't expected such a greeting from Buggy. Shaking hands with pirates was unheard of for him—whenever a pirate dared to stand in front of him, he usually just punched them!

Zephyr ignored the teasing glances from his subordinates and students as he shook hands with Buggy. He nodded at him and said, "How can you dare to establish a new country here, right after taking over Wanokuni, which has been enslaved by Kaido for over 20 years?

"Have you resolved the administrative system? Have you addressed the people's basic needs for food and clothing? What about the toxins in Wanokuni's water, land, and forests? And have you dealt with that blight, the SMILE Factory? If you haven't taken care of these issues and still attempt to build a nation, what you'll bring to Wanokuni and your Crimson Empire will only be destruction!"

Surprisingly, Buggy was not angered by Zephyr's questions; in fact, he felt a sense of joy. Zephyr's clear understanding of Wanokuni's situation indicated that he had thoroughly investigated it! Coupled with the tracking of the submarine fleet they had found underwater near Wanokuni, Buggy realized that this submarine force must belong to Zephyr's NEO Marine. Perhaps they hadn't anticipated how quickly the battle would begin, escalate, and conclude! They hadn't even figured out a way to reach the island yet, making their assistance unnecessary at this point.

This also explained why Zephyr felt a bit regretful for bringing all his belongings. As long as Buggy wasn't the kind of person who engaged in various evils, Zephyr decided to align himself with Buggy's forces and help ensure that he didn't stray off course.

"Why don't you come with me to take a look?" Buggy suggested, avoiding a direct answer to Zephyr's concerns and raising his hand instead.

"So confident, are we?" Zephyr frowned.

"If I didn't have this much self-confidence, how could I possibly dare to announce my kingdom to the entire world?" Buggy replied, not backing down. At that moment, he exuded the confidence of a leader of the Crimson Empire.

"Let's go!" Zephyr agreed, not saying much more. Seeing Buggy's determined expression eased his mind considerably. At the very least, the people of Wanokuni should not be suffering too greatly. As long as Kaido was gone and Buggy didn't create further chaos, they could gradually improve. Humans are incredibly adaptable!

As long as there is no persecution or interference, the region will soon thrive and prosper. Just as more than 3,000 people from Zephyr disembarked from the port, they noticed five massive ships docked on the opposite side. These large vessels could easily rival the Marine's warships.

Zephyr's keen eyesight quickly identified the origin of these ships. "Deep Ocean Current Umit?"

"Did you recognize it, Zephyr?" Buggy asked, not surprised. As a 73-year-old Marine Admiral with decades of experience, how could he not know the ten kings of the underground world, including Shipping King Umit?

"It's the banner of the king of the underground world; it's hard not to recognize it," Zephyr said, narrowing his eyes at Buggy.

Buggy, seemingly oblivious to the implications of Zephyr's words, continued walking for a moment before casually stating, "I paid a large sum of gold and secured enough food from him to last the people of the Crimson Empire for three years."

The crowd of NEO Marine members erupted in astonishment. What did it mean to provide free food and drink for three years? The price tag for such an endeavor must have been astronomical—at least tens of billions of Baileys!

Did this man truly spend such a colossal sum so easily to buy food?

Even Zephyr was taken aback by Buggy's audacity. It was hard to believe that Buggy, who could spend tens of billions without a second thought, could be real.

"It seems I still underestimated your courage!" Zephyr admitted, not wanting to lose face. He took a deep breath and glanced at Buggy with a cold snort. "But governing a country is about more than just feeding the people! You should be aware of what has happened to the people of Wanokuni. If they're just given food without proper preparation, there will likely be problems…"

Buggy smiled again and interrupted, "Are you suggesting a cash-for-work program?"

"Huh? Relief for work?"

Zephyr was taken aback for a moment, then immediately began to ponder the four words Buggy had said. For a brief period, he forgot to move forward. After a while, he clapped his hands and exclaimed, "That's a brilliant idea! Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

Ain stood by, speechless. Shuzo remained silent, while Binz just stared, wide-eyed.

Everyone in NEO Marine covered their faces, thinking, Forget it, Sensei. Buggy is not the kind of careless king you think he is. The people of Wanokuni will certainly not fare well under him.

Just as they all emerged from the harbor with this thought in mind, they were stunned. The subterranean port connected to the upper area, which was the capital of flowers and the most prosperous part of the Crimson Empire at that moment.

As soon as the members of NEO Marine stepped out of the passage, they were completely dazzled by the scene before them. Zephyr suddenly removed his sunglasses, rubbed his eyes, and gasped in shock, "Impossible!"

Just before anyone could react, a thunderbolt flashed beside Buggy, followed by Enel's eager voice, "Captain Buggy, I think I've found a Fuwa Fuwa no mi!"

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