One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

"Why is there so much treasure? Did I dig in the wrong spot before?"

The Golden Dragon stared blankly at the hollow below, where heaps of gold, weapons, and treasures gleamed brilliantly.

Right beside this trove lay a dozen chests of gold, but in comparison, they looked pitifully meager.

"Hahaha, I've struck it rich! I'm finally rich! All of this... treasure!"

Buggy couldn't believe his luck. His bumbling accident had led him to an unimaginable treasure trove!

The combined value of this enormous pile of treasure far surpassed those mere dozen chests of gold.

Clearly, the gold chests were a decoy, meant to mislead treasure hunters and conceal the real treasure trove.

After all, anyone who found those gold chests would likely never suspect there was another hidden hoard nearby.

It was the classic case of hiding something in plain sight.

Had it not been for the Golden Dragon's attack that broke the surface by accident, these treasures might have remained buried forever.

The navy soldiers watching from a distance gasped in astonishment at the sight.

Had it not been for their discipline and loyalty, they might have charged forward to seize the treasure for themselves.

"Buggy the Clown, also known as the Thousand-Slice Pirate, correct?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

Hearing someone call his name, Buggy's demeanor instantly turned cold. Hands on his hips, he looked down at the Golden Dragon with disdain.

"You might not be famous, but you're not weak either. How about we split the treasure? You can take the dozen chests of gold, and I'll take everything else. Fair deal, right?"

"Fair deal my foot!"

Buggy flew into a rage upon hearing the Golden Dragon's shameless proposal.

"Fair? Then let's make it truly fair—everything here belongs to me!"

"You red-nosed clown, you're courting death!"

"I said... DON'T CALL ME RED-NOSE!!!"

Fuming, Buggy charged down in a fury at the Golden Dragon.

With a flick of his hand, he launched several needles, piercing the Golden Dragon's underlings. They collapsed on the ground, instantly falling into a deep sleep.

"Heh heh, this is my special anesthetic formula. Once it enters the bloodstream, even a bull would fall unconscious!"

Buggy was a master of odd inventions, and this anesthetic was clearly one of his newer creations.

He then lunged at the Golden Dragon, but quickly discovered that the enemy's sheer physical strength far exceeded that of his lackeys.

Buggy's needles couldn't even pierce the Golden Dragon's tough skin. If he wanted to win, he'd have to fight with extreme caution.

Realizing this, Buggy's expression darkened.

One look at the Golden Dragon's muscular build, and Buggy knew that close combat was out of the question—he'd be smashed into pulp.

"Red-nose! Once I catch you, you're dead meat!"

The Golden Dragon roared furiously, firing continuous laser beams from his mouth.

A user of the Sonic-Sonic Fruit, the Golden Dragon's ability amplified the power and speed of his lasers the louder he yelled.

With his relentless attacks, Buggy had no choice but to evade mid-air, but fatigue was quickly catching up with him.

Buggy's stamina was notoriously poor, and flying consumed energy at twice the rate of running. Meanwhile, the Golden Dragon showed no signs of tiring, his stamina seemingly endless.

Buggy began to despair.

"Help! Somebody help me! Please, anyone!"

The Golden Dragon's lasers pursued him relentlessly, forcing Buggy to cry for help, completely disregarding his dignity.

The navy soldiers below wanted to assist, but the Golden Dragon's devastating laser blasts left them unable to act.

If even Buggy couldn't withstand the lasers, they stood no chance.

"Red-nose, prepare to die!"

The Golden Dragon roared louder than ever, channeling all his strength into his most powerful attack yet.

A colossal laser, nearly half a meter in diameter, erupted from his mouth with an unstoppable force, heading straight for Buggy.

"It's over! I'm done for!"

Facing the enormous laser, Buggy shut his eyes, resigning himself to fate.

He couldn't outrun the attack and could only hope he'd somehow survive.

Yet, as the wind brushed past his face, the pain never came.

Opening his eyes cautiously, Buggy saw Karl's reassuring figure standing before him.

Tears streaming, Buggy rushed to embrace Karl, his savior, but Karl grabbed his shoulder and held him in place.

"Buggy, I've heard everything from them. Now, I need you to act in a little play for me."

Before Buggy could respond, Karl tossed him into the treasure trove below.

"Pirates daring to cause trouble on navy territory? Seems like you've got a death wish!"

Karl smirked, glancing at Buggy, who lay on the ground pretending to be unconscious. Then he turned his gaze toward his men.

Understanding his unspoken command, the soldiers quickly gathered the treasure and fled, dragging Buggy with them.

Karl then shifted his attention to the Golden Dragon.

"So, you're the Treasure Hunter Golden Dragon, under Admiral Crete, right?"

"Hmph! A mere navy grunt dares talk big? You know who I am, yet you still haven't fled?"

Golden Dragon snarled, trying to intimidate Karl into retreating.

He despised dealing with the navy and was wary after seeing Karl block his laser with one hand.

It was clear that this man was no ordinary opponent.

"Using a pirate's reputation to threaten me, a navy officer? Bold move."

Without hesitation, Karl vanished and reappeared before the Golden Dragon. Before the latter could react, Karl drove his sword, Kitetsu, into his heart.

With ruthless efficiency, Karl eliminated the remaining pirates, ensuring that Buggy and the others' cover wouldn't be blown.

"All clear! You can come out now!"

Karl called out to his men as they emerged from hiding.

"You, load all the treasure onto the ship. Buggy, come here—I need to talk to you privately."

After issuing his commands, Karl led Buggy aside.

"So, I hear it was your idea to pose as a pirate to buy time?"

"Karl, sir, I was wrong..."

Buggy immediately dropped to his knees, trembling under Karl's stern gaze.

Karl shook his head, yanking Buggy to his feet by the hair.

"Don't apologize; you weren't wrong. In fact, I have a plan that needs your help—if you're willing."

"What plan?"

"You'll return to your roots. Pose as a pirate treasure hunter to draw out that cowardly Admiral Crete and make him come after you!"

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