One Piece: Buggy the Clown Who Fell From Grace

His Excellency the Baron transferred to him a property in District 36, which was said to be a rather large manor.

Hmm, I wonder how he compares to the richest man in Gotham City?

Bucky quickly withdrew the idea.

Calling the building in front of us a manor would be a stretch.

A slightly larger villa?

This description is quite apt.

The house is a bit old, with many of the red tiles on the three-story roof falling off, making it look somewhat forlorn under the slanting orange sunlight.

Not far from the Soap Bubble Park, you can see crowds coming and going in the distance.

Fortunately, Pakistan is not picky.

I also felt that I probably wouldn't stay for long.

A gravel path, no more than four meters long, connects the front gate to the stone steps in front of the house.

The furniture inside wasn't old; at least the doorknobs were still shiny.

It's quite strange, actually.

When Bucky stepped into the house that was nominally his own, he felt a distinct flutter in his heart.

So he split his chest open and held it up to his eyes.

Look at it carefully.

They would cheer and rejoice at owning such an asset.

This is not the kind of reaction he should have had.

Bucky's feet touched the soft carpet, and he took off his shoes to see his reaction.

My heart rate didn't increase.

But as I passed a gold ornament, my heart suddenly started beating even faster.

This is a gold dish mixed with some silver and copper.

It's just a plate.

Bucky felt that his nerves weren't touched, but his heartbeat couldn't be faked.

Gold.

A multitude of images suddenly popped into his mind.

He discovered a rich treasure in a dark cave, bright enough to illuminate the surroundings, and found himself surrounded by this vast treasure!

Another image is,

He returned to his small town in the countryside and used the money from selling gold to build a bright and spacious three-story house for his family, which made his grandmother, who always sighed, overjoyed.

He called back his childhood friends.

They ate and drank together.

Those friends

Bucky suddenly recalled a memory of himself and a red-haired boy running around among a group of adults with wine glasses.

A guy with a curled mustache looked at the two of them and laughed heartily.

There was also a middle-aged man wearing round-framed glasses who looked somewhat refined.

During that period,

He could feel that he was very happy.

"Perhaps I've neglected you all for too long," he murmured.

The sunlight outside shone through the intricately patterned enamel glass, casting half of his face in light and half in shadow.

Half of it was greedy joy, and the other half was extreme indifference.

"gentlemen!"

The gray-haired butler had just come in from outside.

He had some flowers and grass on him, and he had just trimmed the small patch of grass outside the house, which had been neglected for a long time.

The room was not well lit, and he could only see half of the face and the conspicuous navy uniform.

But that's enough to prove that this is his employer.

"There's a guest outside looking for you," he said softly, not approaching too closely.

Before you know the new owner's personality, it's a good idea to maintain proper etiquette and manners.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Bucky turned his head, a gentle smile on his face, his chest seemingly back in place at some point.

No one would think he was a madman who had just been discharged from a mental hospital or a pirate.

The old butler even felt that he had met a good new master.

Outside.

Arne, holding a camera, hesitated in his steps.

"Sir." He always felt that this form of address was a bit awkward.

"The news agency has agreed to accept me as a contract reporter." But his smile still revealed a happy feeling.

Not long ago, he was a slave ready to give up his dignity and be sold. Now that he can be a reporter, it's not so bad.

What surprised him even more was that the branch manager in charge of the interview, a guy with a pointed face and monkey-like features, did not discriminate against him after hearing about his pirate experience; instead, he looked pleasantly surprised.

Pirates, pirates are great!

The pirate supernovas of Sabaody Archipelago are the biggest news of the year for us!

He still remembers the expression on the branch office manager's face when he said those words.

Pirates who dream of being swordsmen, cooks, or navigators are common, but those who dream of being reporters are quite rare!

Even Bucky was somewhat surprised.

He was already prepared to ask Jacques for some money.

“Not bad,” he said softly.

Arne felt a little strange about the gentle attitude.

how to say

The Bucky he knew before was like a jagged, thorny thorn.

Now, the sharp spikes actually feel somewhat gentle.

illusion!

Arne shook his head. He wasn't surprised that others would change, but not this clown.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

"However, the branch office also assigned me a task."

"The Heart Pirates, who have been recognized as one of the Supernovas, are currently active in Area 30. They want me to go and interview them."

-

Area 1.

The towering mangroves were dotted with scattered neon bubbles.

The roots, winding like stone veins, intertwine on the sea surface, creating flat land resembling island land.

The human auction venue was located in an open space about the size of a plaza, surrounded by many mangrove trees.

It is a tall, semi-circular building complex.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the auction hall, a high-level meeting of the auction hall's management was being held.

"Are we really going to let that kid get a share of the profits?"

Diouf made no attempt to conceal his identity; his white naval uniform stood out starkly in the dimly lit auction hall.

The man in the main seat, wearing a tall hat and sporting long purple hair, chuckled softly.

"Hehe, isn't this great?"

"Wouldn't it be a major blow to their own family business if Lux's illegitimate son became one of us?"

"Besides, the resources that kid has access to are exactly what we need."

"What's the point of having so many pirate slaves?"

Another man in a suit said dismissively.

Training pirate slaves takes much longer than training normal slaves.

"I'm glad our distinguished guest is happy," the purple-haired man retorted indifferently.

"The adults may not agree with your plan."

"As you know, the profits generated by the venue are decent in the archipelago, but compared to your other industries, they are just marginal."

"That's why we need to be even more proactive!"

The purple-haired man's face was full of resentment.

"As long as we take over the auction house in District 4, we can get even more pirate slaves!"

"That way you can better please that lord, do you understand?!"

“I have another idea,” Diouf said, tapping the long table in front of him.

"If Auction House No. 4 also lacks a channel for supplying pirate slaves, wouldn't we still achieve our goal?"

(End of this chapter)