After escaping Buggy's lair, the group found themselves in front of a pet food store, with a small white dog standing guard.
"Why's a dog still out here?" Nami wondered.
"Hey there. You dead?" Luffy asked as he crouched in front of the dog.
He held out his hand, and the dog went and chomped on his head. Zoro was stunned as Nami and Ariala tried to get the dog off Luffy.
"Bad doggy!"
"Hey, stop that! Quit bullying Chouchou, you whippersnappers!"
The group all looked to see an old man coming over.
"Apologies, sir, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding," Merone said.
The old man walked up to the group and handled Chouchou, who quickly calmed down.
"So who are you?" Zoro asked.
"I'm Boodle, the mayor of Orange Town...and probably the only human resident left after Buggy and his crew showed up." The old man replied. "So who are you kids? I'm guessing you're not with the Buggy Pirates."
"Got that right. If anything I'm pretty sure he wants to kill us right about now." Nami said.
"So what's with Chouchou here?" Luffy asked. "Kinda weird for a dog to be just sitting in front of a random store like that."
"He's not just standing in front of a random store, he's guarding this shop. The owner's a good friend of mine, you see." Boodle clarified.
He walked inside and came out a few minutes later with some food for Chouchou, who quickly started eating it up.
"Sadly, he's not with us anymore, so I'm here to feed Chouchou in his place."
"Was he a victim of Buggy's attack?" Ariala asked.
Boodle shook his head. "No, Hocker died three months ago, long before Buggy even laid eyes on this island. He died of illness while in the hospital, and poor Chouchou, well he's now guarding the shop in his master's absence."
"So he's been waiting for a master that will never come home..." Lithos noted sadly.
"A lot of people think the same thing, but Chouchou's a smart dog. There's no doubt in my mind that he's realized his master is dead. But this shop was Hocker's treasure, and Chouchou considers it his treasure as well. So he keeps it safe, in memory of his beloved master." Boodle said. "I've tried to get him to evacuate after Buggy's attack, but he just won't budge."
Luffy looked thoughtful for a bit, but he was shaken out of it when something caused the ground to rumble. A sudden roaring caught the group's attention.
"Oh no! That's Beast Tamer Mohji!"
Boodle quickly ran for cover, Nami right on his heels as the other six found themselves staring down the huge lion.
"Looks like one of your friends deserted you." Mohji taunted as he walked out from behind the lion.
"I dunno, I think any normal person would run at the sound of a lion. Or maybe Nami was checking to see if the old man was alright." Ferros said.
"Mohji, is it? So who's your friend here?" Merone asked. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say his name is Leo."
"His name is Richie, actually."
"Oh, sorry. Also, gotta ask...the ears on your head?"
Mohji's eye twitched. "This is just my hair, idiot! I'm not part-animal!"
"Your captain literally admitted to being born with a clown nose. For all we know the whole crew was born in a circus." Luffy pointed out.
Mohji chuckled. "You're acting so nonchalant in the face of my good buddy here. You clearly don't know about my great skill. There's no animal in this world I cannot tame!"
"Oh really? I bet you can't tame Chouchou!" Ferros smirked.
"We'll see about that," Mohji smirked as he approached Chouchou and held out his hand. "Shake!"
Seconds later, Luffy, Ferros, and Ariala were laughing as Mohji tried to get Chouchou to stop biting on his hand. Zoro, Lithos, and Merone also couldn't help but chuckle. Needless to say, Mohji was far from pleased.
"Richie, get them! Then go ahead and raid that store for your lunch!"
Richie leaped at the trio, only for Lithos to harden his skin into pure rock.
"EARTH CLOBBER!"
He landed a solid blow that sent Richie flying, much to Mohji's shock. Boodle, who had been nearby, was also completely gobsmacked.
"He knocked out that big lion in just one shot?!"
"These guys are monsters," Nami muttered, watching alongside Boodle. "Maybe they can help me with..."
"Just why did you people come to this town?" Boodle wondered as he turned to Nami.
"Well, I actually came here to rob the Buggy Pirates. And these guys..."
"We just wound up here!" Luffy said, appearing behind the two and startling them. "We didn't have a real reason to show up. Plus we needed to stop by somewhere to resupply anyway. This was just the closest island we could find."
Meanwhile, Chouchou was watching Lithos take down Richie, remembering all the good times he had with Hocker. Helping him move inventory, eating together, playing together, and even taking baths together.
Chouchou did indeed realize that his beloved master had died, having heard it while guarding the shop. But it had been Hocker's last request, so there was no way Chouchou would let anyone damage the treasure they shared. And now here was this man, who smelled of the stone and earth itself willing to stand and fight some monster trying to break into the store and eat everything.
"This store is a treasure shared by a lone dog and his late master! There's no way you're touching it!" Lithos declared.
Mohji just stared at his pet lion, incensed that anyone would dare hurt Richie, much less be able to.
"You... Just what sort of monster are you?!"
"I ate the Earth-Earth Fruit, the Logia that harnesses the very earth we tread upon," Lithos said, forming both arms into rock gauntlets. "Your Captain's not the only person in the world with Devil Fruit powers."
"As for you..." Merone began before forming a long snake of water from her palm that grabbed Mohji before pulling him in so she could knock him out with a single blow. "We have no sympathy for someone eager to destroy someone else's treasure."
Chouchou had walked up to Lithos and was now nuzzling his leg, the Earth Manipulator chuckling as he knelt down and affectionately scratched his chin.
"These guys really aren't like other pirates. They hate causing destruction and even try to stop it." Nami whispered in amazement.
Boodle was looking at his old friend's shop with a smile on his face.
"Looks like it's still intact, Hocker. I hope you can see it from wherever you are."
"So Mohji was beaten by those Logia brats?"
Cabaji nodded. "I'm afraid so, Captain. They took out both Mohji and Richie with just one blow each. He never even ran into Zoro."
Buggy scoffed. "That Straw Hat has some crazy strong friends with him. Now I think he might be just as dangerous. He was able to slip out of the cage, after all. We can't risk it. Gather up all the Buggy Balls! We'll blow this whole town to smithereens!"
"So, who else do you think Buggy will send after us? Sooner or later we'll have to fight him directly." Ferros said, drinking a bottle of Lemon-Lime Spirit.
"How are we supposed to beat him, though? That Devil Fruit of his makes him impossible to cut apart." Nami pointed out.
"So we'll just beat the crap out of him," Luffy retorted. "It's not like he can defend against physical blows, only sharp edges."
"And in case you already forgot...we just beat up a lion," Merone added.
Nami opened her mouth and held up a finger, only to lower it and shut up as she realized they had a point. Meanwhile, Boodle was feeling angry with himself.
"Here I am unable to defend my town while Chouchou and these young'uns fight so hard. I'm the mayor, damn it! I shouldn't just sit by and watch our town get obliterated!" Tears started streaming down his face. "Forty years ago this island was nothing but a barren rock. But we all worked together, cleared the land, tilled the fields, opened stores, and built this town one building at a time. Orange Town is our treasure. Not just mine, but every citizen who lives here! I can't let those damn Buggy Pirates domineer over it anymore!"
Just then, they heard the sound of a cannon going off. Ariala gasped as she saw a Buggy Ball sailing straight into town.
"He's trying to destroy the town!"
Quickly channeling all her wind powers, Ariala formed a massive tornado that caught the Buggy Ball before sending it straight into the air, where it exploded harmlessly. Boodle was shocked and amazed at the level of skill before clenching his fist.
"That's all I can stand! I'm not about to let some random scum destroy our forty years of hard work! I will protect this town!"
He grabbed his spear and started to head out, but Nami held him back.
"Whoa there! There's no way you can beat Buggy!"
"I have to try! Even if it's reckless, there are some fights a man cannot run from!"
And with that, he broke free of Nami's grip and ran off.
"We should probably make sure he doesn't get himself killed," Zoro noted.
"No doubt about that. I admire his bravery but I don't think a man at his age would stand a chance against Buggy and whatever men he has on hand." Ferros agreed.
"Yeah, I'm really starting to like this old guy. He's a man who knows what a real treasure is." Luffy said.
Nami sighed. "In for a Berri, in for a Bushel. I guess. And we do still need to get that map of the Grand Line."
"Let's just hope this cliff has a parachute..." Ariala said worriedly.
"First shot was deflected, Captain!" The Gunner called out.
"Those brats must have had their Devil Fruits for quite some time if they could pull a trick like that..." Buggy noted.
"Come on out, Buggy the Clown! Face me like a man!"
Confused, Buggy went to see Boodle standing there, his spear in hand.
"I am Mayor Boodle of Orange Town! And I've come to protect our treasure, this very town!"
Buggy chuckled. "The old man's got guts, I'll give him that. He would have fit in with my old captain's crew. Too bad he doesn't have the strength to go with it!"
He detached his hand to strangle Boodle, only for Luffy to leap in and grab it, crushing it in his grip. Surprisingly, it turned out Buggy could still feel pain from his dismembered body parts. He looked down and saw Lithos, Ferros, Merone, Ariala, Zoro, and Nami had also arrived.
"You miss us, Clown Boy?!" Ferros called out.
"Like a bad hangover!" Buggy called back.
"We're here to kick your ass out of town!" Luffy declared. "No one gets away with destroying another man's treasure!"
Boodle was shocked at seeing the group help him out as Lithos put a hand on his shoulder.
"Might want to stay out of this one. This is going to be a fight between superhumans, so normal people are only going to get themselves hurt."
"Listen, this is my fight. You young'uns are just outsiders."
"You should just accept the help, you old coot!" Ferros said. "Risking your life for what's important to you is fine and all, but it's pointless if your dying is just going to result in your treasure's destruction anyway."
Merone nodded. "I'm sure the other villagers don't want to have to spend another forty years rebuilding everything from the ground up."
Boodle was shocked by the Children of Whitebeard's words but had to admit they had a point. As Buggy reclaimed his hand from Luffy, the Straw Hat Boy suddenly shouted out at him.
"HEY, BIG NOSE!"
Needless to say, that got every member of the Buggy Pirates' jaws dropping in absolute shock at Luffy's audacity. Buggy recovered first and grit his teeth.
"You bastard! I swear, the only reason I'm going to make your death quick and painless is that I can respect the level of flash you're showing. Fire the Buggy Ball!"
Luffy grinned as the cannon was fired, taking in a huge amount of air to blow himself up like a balloon.
"GUM-GUM BALLOON!"
Buggy was shocked when Luffy's rubber body cushioned the Buggy Ball and stopped it cold before bouncing it right back, blasting the roof the Buggy Pirates were on. Most of the crew was taken out as a result.
"Think that dealt with him?" Zoro wondered. "Not like his Devil Fruit is good against explosions."
"I doubt it. A Captain doesn't go down that easily." Ariala said.
As if to confirm her words, Buggy pulled himself out of the rubble, still alive but looking very angry.
"Not gonna lie, I can respect a man who tries to take me out flashily. But as a Captain, I can't abide you causing harm to my crew." He then turned to the rubble. "Hey! You bastards better still be alive, you hear me?!"
Mohji groaned as he picked himself up first, followed by Cabaji, who had been pinned under Richie.
"What just happened? Something took out the crew?"
"This is the biggest insult we've suffered since we hoisted our flag. Luckily Richie falling on me kept my clothes from getting dirty."
"Good to see you both still awake," Buggy noted. "How's Richie doing?"
Mohji looked over his beloved partner, but the big cat was down for the count.
"No good, Captain. He's alive but I don't think he's getting up anytime soon. Looks like I'm useless in this fight."
"Okay, then get the rest of the crew to the ship. Cabaji and I will handle these punks." Buggy then turned to Cabaji. "It's time to show them the skills of an Acrobat!"
Cabaji smirked as he leaped into the air, swords drawn. He landed riding a unicycle, juggling the swords the whole way.
"Is your whole crew just one big circus?" Nami asked.
"When you start up a crew looking like I do, you might as well run with the theme. Sometimes the only way to get people to take you seriously is to let them laugh at you." Buggy said.
"No, wait, he's got a point." Ferros realized.
Cabaji raced at Luffy, only to get blocked by Zoro's sword.
"If you're a swordsman, then your fight is with me."
"The chance to clash with the famous Pirate Hunter? It would be my honor to accept!" Cabaji smirked. "ACROBAT TECHNIQUE: OLD MAN ARSONIST!"
He launched a stream of fire from his mouth, hitting Zoro in the face. He then slashed at Zoro, but he blocked with his swords. Undeterred, Cabaji moved back and dug his sword into the ground.
"ACROBAT TECHNIQUE: MURDER AT THE STEAM BATHS!"
He started spinning his sword around to kick up a dust cloud. He tried to use it to strike at Zoro, but he easily blocked the attack.
"You really thought you could disorient me with a dust cloud?" Zoro admonished. "If you're going to use acrobatic attacks, at least make sure they use actual acrobatics."
He easily knocked away Cabaji's sword, prompting the acrobat to quickly jump off his unicycle and catch it before landing back down gracefully.
"I didn't earn a feared reputation by simply picking on weaklings, I made sure to only target the strongest pirates and bandits across the Blue Seas. All to improve my sword techniques and become the world's strongest swordsman." Zoro said. "It's too bad your captain wasn't able to injure me earlier. You could have used the handicap."
"You think I need a handicap to beat you? I'm the Chief of Staff of the Buggy Pirates!" Cabaji scoffed. "You don't get a position like that without having some serious skill on your side!"
As this was going on, Merone and Ariala moved to Nami and silently caught her attention, letting her know now was a good time to steal whatever she wanted from the pirates.
"Make sure you guys don't lose. There's a favor I'd like from you and Luffy later." Nami whispered.
"Duly noted."
The Navigator quickly slipped off into a nearby alley as Merone and Ariala returned their focus to the fight at hand.
"ACROBAT TECHNIQUE: THE DANCE OF 100 KAMIKAZE TOPS!"
Cabaji had now launched several exploding spinning tops at Zoro, who easily dashed and cut through the obstacles in his way. However, Cabaji was far from done.
"ACROBAT TECHNIQUE: A HIKE ON THE MOUNTAINS!"
He rode his unicycle right up the side of the nearby building, ready to come down on Zoro with his swords at the ready. Meanwhile, Buggy smirked as he aimed his fist at Zoro.
"CHOP-CHOP CANNON!"
He fired his hand off, planning on pinning Zoro down as Cabaji finished the job. But Luffy put a stop to that by stomping on the hand, causing Buggy to cry out in pain. As a result, Zoro was able to dodge Cabaji's downward strike.
"Stay out of Zoro's fight!" Luffy scowled.
"What's the matter? Can't beat me without your captain's help?" Zoro taunted Cabaji. "Honestly, I'm getting sick of your acrobatics. How about you show me some real swordplay?"
Cabaji growled. "So you want me to use my real sword skills, huh? Fine then... You asked for it!"
He charged at Zoro with his sword pointed at him, but Zoro was readying his own swords.
"ONI GIRI!"
All Cabaji saw was the light flashing off three sword blades. But the effect was clear enough, as he spat up blood while falling off his unicycle, three large gashes appearing across his chest. Buggy was completely flabbergasted when he saw this as Zoro smirked while sheathing his swords.
"That's the gap between us. The only reason you lasted longer is because of those crazy moves of yours."
Meanwhile, Nami snuck into the basement of Buggy's base. Inside was a locked door.
"Looks like it got busted from the blast. Makes things easier for me."
She took out her staff and struck off the lock. When she headed inside, she was nearly orgasmic at the sight of the large stash of gold Buggy had stored away.
"So much treasure! And now it's all mine!"
She then noticed a sword being pointed at her. Turned out one of the pirates had come to and spotted Nami's lamp.
"Just what do you think you're doing with our treasure?"
Luckily for Nami, the guard was completely drunk and more focused on his empty bottle. As such, she feigned being in pain, waiting for the right moment until the guard had dropped his guard, allowing her to knock him out for real. She then noticed the ring of keys around his neck, one which opened the chest containing the chart she was looking for. Her eyes lit up when she unfurled it.
"Here it is! The map of the Grand Line!"
Meanwhile, Buggy was annoyed at seeing Cabaji get taken out as he pulled out several daggers that he held between his knuckles.
"Looks like I'll have to finish this myself." He then realized something. "Oh wait, I think I know why those Logia brats look familiar; they remind me of that Newgate guy...or is he called Whitebeard these days?"
"Wait a minute...now I think I recognize you!" Ariala perked up. "Daddy mentioned you! You were part of the Roger Pirates!"
Buggy gawked. "Wait...you're Whitebeard's children?! I didn't even know he had a lover!"
"Well, he's very good-looking for his age..." Lithos pointed out.
"And speaking of familiar memories..." Buggy turned to Luffy. "That straw hat you're wearing is also familiar. Something about it just irritates me! Last time I saw a hat like that, it was being worn by that cheeky red-haired man!"
Luffy paused. "Hold on... Do you know Shanks?"
"I do, as a matter of fact! Why do you ask?"
"Do you know where he is right now?" Luffy asked.
Buggy scoffed. "Hardly. We haven't been in contact for years. Not that it'll matter to you in a few minutes! I'll be killing you right here and now!"
Luffy grinned. "Shishishishi! How about you give it a try? I'm a lot stronger than I look."
"Most Devil Fruit users are, but every Devil Fruit has its weakness. Like how rubber can easily stop kinetic energy, but can still be cut apart by blades."
As Buggy said this, he revealed hidden blades in his shoes before winding his body up.
"CHOP-CHOP RICE CRACKER!"
He leaped into the air and sent his lower body spinning, but Luffy just stood there, taking a stance as his skin seemed to visibly harden.
"TEKKAI!"
Buggy was shocked to see Luffy stopping his blades as he quickly reattached himself.
"So you know Rokushiki? Looks like I underestimated you."
"You have no idea!" Luffy grinned. "GUM-GUM PISTOL!"
He launched a stretching punch but Buggy smirked as he detached the part of his body hit as soon as Luffy's fist made contact.
"You think I wouldn't be prepared in case someone tried to strike me with a physical blow?"
However, what Buggy didn't realize was that Luffy was expecting that.
"GUM-GUM SICKLE!"
Buggy was shocked when Luffy pulled himself toward him, aiming to hit him with a flying clothesline strike.
"CHOP-CHOP QUICK ESCAPE!"
Buggy quickly detached his head so Luffy went flying past him. However, the Straw Hat Boy righted himself so he landed on the tree he had grabbed earlier.
"You're pretty good with your powers!"
"I've had years to master them, not to mention I've gotten such a high bounty that plenty of would-be hunters have tried slicing to me to ribbons, giving me plenty to work with." Buggy pointed out as he aimed his fist with the daggers still held. "CHOP-CHOP CANNON!"
Luffy barely managed to dodge the high-speed hand, but then noticed his hat had gotten knocked off. To his shock, it had been slightly torn from the blades.
"Awww shit...!" Ferros cursed. "Whelp, he's dead!"
"You bastard! This hat is my treasure!" Luffy roared. "Anyone who damages it will pay!"
Nami happened to be returning with the bagged-up treasure when Luffy said this.
"Wow, I didn't think there was anything that could phase Luffy and he was just a happy-go-lucky guy with romantic dreams of being a pirate. Guess he's more human than I thought."
"So your hat is that important to you, is it?" Buggy smirked as his severed hand lifted up behind Luffy to throw a dagger at him. "Then you should protect it better!"
"SORU!"
Before Buggy could even throw the dagger, Luffy had somehow vanished as if he had teleported. Suddenly, his blood ran cold when he heard Luffy's voice behind him.
"You've done enough damage already."
Buggy quickly turned around, his eyes white with fear and his jaw dropped in shock.
"This is the hat that Shanks and I swore over!" Luffy declared.
Buggy snapped out of his terrified state as he fully processed what his opponent had just said.
"Wait... Are you saying that's Shanks's hat? I was wondering why it seemed so familiar." The Clown-esque pirate said in a thoughtful tone. "He was given that hat by our captain shortly before we sailed into the Grand Line, just as Roger was starting to come into his own as a legendary pirate."
"That's right!" Ariala realized. "Shanks used to sail with Gold Roger!"
Buggy chuckled. "Funny thing is, the two of us used to be bosom buddies. A couple of humble Cabin Boys on the same crew. Hell, we were so close that even now I wouldn't say no to sharing a drink with him for old time's sake."
"Someone like you couldn't possibly deserve to be comrades with Shanks!" Luffy snapped. "Not when all you do is cause mayhem and destruction!"
Buggy sneered. "Time has a funny way of changing people, kid. Back then Roger wouldn't suffer any chaotic pirates on his crew."
"Then what happened?!" Luffy demanded. "Why do you suddenly hate Shanks so much?!"
"I'll tell you. But I guarantee you'll think it's stupid. The reason I hate Shanks so much... Has to do with how I got my Devil Fruit powers in the first place."
"Wait, what?"
"Years ago, I had found a map with treasure located at the bottom of the ocean. We had just been in a big battle with some enemy pirates and Shanks had found a Devil Fruit on their ship. I made a big show out of eating a fake Devil Fruit I made but when Shanks came, I ate the real thing and ended up losing the map! I tried to get it back and almost drowned for my troubles!"
"Sounds like it was just an accident. Why be so petty?" Merone asked.
"See, I told you you'd think it was stupid! That treasure could have set me up for life and let me retire peacefully. Something I could have used after everything I went through in the Grand Line!" Buggy snapped. "Admittedly, suddenly gaining Devil Fruit powers did prove useful in the long term, which is why I'm not so mad that I've blocked out all the good times we used to have. And even if I wasn't able to obtain the treasures of the sea, I figured I could settle for obtaining any treasure I could find on land instead."
"By pillaging from other people's towns? That's not what Roger would've wanted." Lithos pointed out. "And speaking of which, I think your ill-gotten gains are leaving you right now!"
Hearing this, Buggy just now noticed Nami sneaking off with the bag containing all his loot, and suddenly saw red.
"Get your hands off my treasure!"
He split off his upper body and dashed at Nami with his blades at the ready. Just as he closed in, he froze in midair, his voice squeaking and his eyes completely blank.
"Uh...what just happened?" Nami asked after uncurling herself from her protected position.
As it turns out, Luffy had slammed his foot right into Buggy's crotch, just hard to cause pain without crushing his unmentionables. Buggy's upper body dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks.
"How could you...? I'm not even in a position to bend over and hold them..."
"That's what you get for taking your eyes off the fight!" Luffy said.
Buggy grumbled as he started to pick both his halves up. Suddenly, he split into multiple pieces, all of them flying around in a tornado.
"CHOP-CHOP FESTIVAL!"
"Jeez, how many people have tried chopping him up?!" Ariala wondered.
Ferros noticed Buggy's feet walking on their own instead of flying with the other pieces so he turned his own foot into lead and stomped down hard on Buggy's foot.
"Knock it off!" Buggy snapped.
"How about you knock it off?!" Nami called out, slamming the treasure bag right into Buggy's head.
The clown grinned as he managed to grab the bag using his dismembered hands, prompting a tug of war between him and Nami. Buggy tried to launch his hands with blades in them, only for Luffy to kick Buggy's head right into the ground. All of his parts wound up dropping to the ground in an instant.
"You really need to refocus your priorities. Money can always be regained, so it's not a real treasure. A real treasure is something that's irreplaceable."
"Alright, Straw Hat, you want me to focus on the fight?! Well, you're gonna wish I stayed distracted!" Buggy snarled.
He pulled himself together, but something was wrong. Somehow only his hands, feet, and head wound up together. The Children of Whitebeard couldn't help but laugh at the sight, and it wasn't long before Zoro and Boodle began laughing as well.
"Consider this my contribution," Nami smirked as she finished tying up the rest of Buggy's parts.
Luffy grinned. "Nice job, Nami! Now to finish this!"
Luffy flew toward Buggy, who panicked as the Straw Hat Boy stretched both his arms back before snapping them forward in a powerful double-palm thrust.
"GUM-GUM BAZOOKA!"
Buggy could do nothing but scream as he was sent flying off into the horizon. Ferros held his hand over his eyes to see how far he went before laughing.
"And he's outta here!"
Nami smiled. "Well, all's well that ends well. And we got the map, plus I got a ton of treasure."
"Shoot, that reminds me. The rest of the townsfolk were waiting for me this whole time." Boodle said.
"Where are they all?" Zoro asked.
"At a campsite that we set up to wait until Buggy's crew moved on. I told them I had to go feed Chouchou." Boodle explained.
As if on cue, the villagers all showed up at once, looking in shock at the scene before them. Chouchou also approached, happily nuzzling Merone as she crouched down and stroked his head with a small smile.
Later Boodle offered the budding crew a larger boat.
"This is the largest schooner we have. Should be enough for you and all your supplies."
"Thanks for your help, Mayor Boodle. A shame this town isn't big enough for a full-sized ship." Lithos said.
"You might be able to find what you need at the Gecko Islands," Boodle suggested. "The archipelago has several skilled shipwrights and likely even a few large ships for sale."
Nami sighed in frustration. "That means I'll need to give up a little of the treasure to help us along."
"Easy come, easy go!' Ferros shrugged playfully.
"Besides, if we're going to call ourselves a crew, we need a proper ship." Merone pointed out.
Boodle smiled fondly as the group of seven got on the schooner.
"Thanks for everything you've done for us. I was prepared to die defending my town, but you made that unnecessary. You restored the hope we've built up over the last forty years. Whatever the world may say about you, you'll always be considered heroes here in Orange Town."
Luffy smiled as they cast off, leaving the island behind them.
"Take care, Old Man! Let Chouchou know we say goodbye!"
Boodle smiled and nodded.
"Those kids have a bright future ahead of them. I just hope nothing causes it to dim."
And so Buggy the Clown has been vanquished but all you One Piece fans out there obviously know this isn't the last we'll see of him!