One Piece: Buggy the Clown Who Fell From Grace

"No problem, of course there's no problem!"

After a half-second internal struggle, the current warden of the underwater prison revealed a fawning smile.

"If the criminals cooperate actively, should we offer them small rewards, such as immediate release?"

He's very perceptive.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 279 Red Moss

In front of the stepped islands of the Red Earth Continent.

Faced with the Jokers, who were acting like they were on steroids, the Navy fought and retreated, showing none of the desperate attitude they displayed during the Marineford War.

Morale is very different now.

The Navy has experienced a lot in the past three years.

First, after Bucky left the Red Line for the first time, he received information from the Celestial Dragons about the event of destroying a country in three years.

This issue has been like wildfire within the Navy, constantly being extinguished and reignited.

Nearly half of the navy's current force was recruited from the global draft, and their overall quality is nowhere near that of the veterans.

Not to mention the subsequent events: the killing of the Celestial Dragons, Akainu's defection, the Eghardt incident, the auction incident...

One by one, the navy's high-end combat capabilities seem to be just passable, but outside the top ranks, the thoughts of many soldiers have changed.

The Celestial Dragons are not gods; when they are killed, they are no different from ordinary people.

The Jokers' chaos is no worse than their order, after all, the end of the world is coming.

"If any historians were to study naval history, they would likely consider the period when you and I were admirals to be a significant turning point."

The temporary base built by the navy on the island is located on a high slope of the island. The barracks are similar in structure to prefabricated houses, and the time was limited.

Having just finished dealing with the aftermath of the last war, Aokiji hurriedly began constructing defensive fortifications to deal with the Clown incident.

The fact that it has come out in this form already demonstrates the navy's profound heritage.

While munching on rice cakes, he showed no intention of participating in the ongoing wars outside.

Aokiji still carried a chilling aura, and to reduce the impact of the Sea Kings on the warship, he froze the surrounding sea surface.

This creates a vast ice layer extending beyond the red soil of the terraced island.

The sound of thumping came from the seabed.

Upon hearing Aokiji's words, Sengoku merely chuckled, his wrinkles around his eyes becoming quite pronounced.

"Either be nailed to the pillar of shame, or create a new era. Fortunately, I don't have to make such a choice."

Aokiji said indifferently, "Didn't you already make your choice?"

"Let justice reign supreme..."

A glint of light flashed on the Warring States period round-framed lens, and then he suddenly burst into laughter.

He saw his old friend looking disheveled and dejected.

"Why are you showing off like this, you old man who's about to retire?"

Garp's iron fist almost smashed into Sengoku's head.

After laughing, Zhan Guo's expression became much more serious.

When Sengoku chose the more moderate Aokiji as Fleet Admiral instead of Akainu, who valued the Navy's reputation and hated pirates, his attitude was already very clear.

Pirates must be eliminated, but that's not the whole point of the Navy's existence.

I wonder what kind of mentality the Celestial Dragons had that allowed the concept of justice to grow alongside the Navy.

The Celestial Dragons and justice are like two dyes, black and white, mixed together to form the current Navy, which has grown rapidly with the rise of pirates.

The Warring States period had long wanted to cut out the Celestial Dragons' part.

Whether it's power, money, ambition, or justice...

He had far too many reasons to overturn the entire class that was pressing down on him!

The admiral of the navy may seem to be second only to the emperor, but there are far too many people in this position!

Damn it, he has to clean up every time someone poops or pees in the world!

He's not some born with the body of a simp!

Something so decayed should have been buried in the graveyard of history long ago, becoming just another period in the writings of archaeologists!

Sengoku was unaware of how others had awakened Conqueror's Haki, but for him, once the aforementioned thoughts took root in his mind, he possessed the aura of a king.

Unlike Garp, who always talked about it, Sengoku kept these things buried deep in his heart.

"Uranus, the King of the Gods..." The white-haired old man's thoughts returned to the present moment as he combed the hair on the goat's head.

He's balding a bit.

"What exactly is that thing? What makes you so afraid of it?"

Sengoku smiled at Aokiji's question, realizing there was no need to keep it hidden any longer.

After all, this guy is a marshal.

His face showed a slight bitterness: "Pluto is a giant warship developed by the Great Kingdom and built by the artisans of Water Seven, while Neptune is an unexpected result of a genetic modification project during the Great Kingdom period."

"Even now, the Celestial Dragons are trying to replicate that project, and that's how the Jade Scale appeared."

The world government has very strict control over this type of patient; the last one to escape was a woman named Ginny.

During his time as marshal in the Warring States period, he came into contact with far more secretive individuals than even a scholar like Vegapunk, who was already viewed with suspicion.

World governments have tried every means to cover up this history, and the Navy is part of that cover-up.

But gradually, the navy, which was responsible for covering it up, became the force that knew the most about this history.

“Only the Heavenly King…” Sengoku paused, “is not a product of our world.”

“Those are treasures left behind by allies of the Great Kingdom, lunar colonists; they call them—Motherships.”

"A mothership?!"

Aokiji muttered a few words but didn't reply. After the clown used the Holy Mother's Flame to attack Mary Geoise last time, he lost contact with the navy stationed in the Holy Land.

The Celestial Dragons didn't even want a single admiral left to guard the area.

Mary Geoise is now like a black box to them; nobody knows what's going on.

Except... that figure.

The military camp was very close to the site of the Ark's direct impact; so close that he only needed to look up to clearly see the Joker walking leisurely toward Mary Geoise.

He will open the black box.

How the Navy should conduct itself will be determined by this.

.........

.........

"What's that saying?"

After passing through the battle-damaged city walls, Bucky arrived at Mary Geoise once again.

A place that's exceptionally fun to visit...

He stroked his chin, unsure of what words to use to describe the scene before him.

I felt like an ant, crawling up to a potted plant. The plant inside was also strange, like some kind of moss.

The moss is the same color as the red soil and is difficult to distinguish when mixed with the mud. Only when the underlying soil is turned up and exposed to sunlight can the two be slightly distinguished.

"Born by my mother!"

Bucky nodded, thinking that the moss was like capillaries densely covering the red earth.

Where did this thing come from?

Was it always there?

Bucky burrowed into the ground of Mary Geoise, but the light was too dim underground for him to distinguish the substance from the soil.

However, one thing is certain: his and Zephyr's plan failed.

The cavern where Fishman Island is located was blown up, and the holy site above it was bombed. The combined effect of these two events resulted in a scene resembling a landslide.

Instead of what they had expected, it would directly blast a breach in the Red Line.

The key to this difference is the red moss, which clings tightly to the soil, supporting the main body of Mary Geoise.

His current location is somewhat like halfway up a mountain. The city gate has slid down during the collapse, so the view is not very open.

Only some rounded corners of the roof can be seen emerging from the red soil.

Baki walked up the red slope and pressed on the red moss. The moss was as red as blood and glowed when he pressed it.

It seems similar to the light I saw underwater…

Sun Tree Eve?

Or perhaps... this was formed by the spread of the sun tree's root system?

Bucky didn't bother to investigate these things. Only after climbing the high slope ahead could he see the full view of Mary Geoise, or more accurately, its ruins.

Buildings were mixed with red moss, and the streets and roads looked like they had been turned upside down, with all the soil sticking out.

It's not the inverted pyramid shape from before; the closer you get to Pangaea, the more red moss is unearthed from the soil.

The iron disc seen in the video of the Holy Mother's Flame was also on the site of the original Pangaea City ruins.

Here, the red moss intertwines with the round iron disc, shimmering like a conduit for transmitting energy.

Is this why Mary Geoise had to be built here?

Good morning, gentlemen.

Bucky saw the remaining four of the Five Elders in front of the disc. The four old men were a cane and a wheelchair. Only Saint Nassuro and Saint Maz could not see anything.