Chapter 43: Land of Storms, An Unexpected Encounter with the Buggy Pirates

Words : 1144 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Who knows what kind of expression the Straw Hat Pirates would have after seeing the message he left on Skypiea? Roy had already set sail again. "Dad, where are we heading next?" Loxus asked. "To keep looking for Ace," Roy replied. "Oh." "What's wrong?" "N-nothing!" "You want to go to Skypiea, don't you?" "No! Sky islands aren't rare in the New World—it's not like I've never been there. I just think that group of people is really interesting." "There are plenty of interesting people out there. Finding Ace comes first." "Right." The father and son set off, following the direction of the Vivre Card, completely parting ways with the Straw Hat Pirates. Whether the Straw Hat Pirates would still follow their original story arc from this point onward, no one could say for sure. The Grand Line was, after all, the Grand Line; its weather was unpredictable. Even with the Vivre Card, the two were repeatedly forced to stop due to sudden storms. "Dad, how much longer will this storm last?" Loxus looked up at the sky. The storm was so fierce that their ship couldn't move, trapping them on an island for over ten days. "I asked the locals. They said it usually lasts about twenty days," Roy said helplessly. They were sailing in a straight line, ignoring the usual island routes of the Grand Line, and happened to hit a fixed storm system, forcing them to land. Each island had a different magnetic field, calling them "islands" was almost an understatement; they were more like miniature planets. Water Seven had the Aqua Laguna(Water God), while the island they were stranded on had the "Storm God," a massive tempest that arrived once a year and lasted over twenty days. The buildings on the island were almost entirely destroyed, so the inhabitants lived in caves. According to the locals, their ancestors had all arrived here due to shipwrecks. Over time, more and more survivors settled, and the population gradually grew. They even asked Roy and Loxus if they wanted to stay. The island has no magnetic connection to others, making it an isolated place, even pirates don't bother coming. "Twenty days... that long?" Loxus looked utterly hopeless at the thought of waiting that much longer. Roy looked up at the storm. In this sea, the greatest danger isn't the people, it's the sea itself. No matter how large a ship is, it's still just a leaf in the face of monstrous waves. "Maybe it's just fate." He stared at the sky filled with lightning and thunder, completely helpless. His navigation skills were limited. There was no way he could safely sail through such a violent storm with his son, unless they were willing to risk their lives. They had no choice but to wait. After a few more days, the storm finally subsided. The island was in ruins, but the locals cheered in celebration. Roy and Loxus didn't understand why they were so happy and followed them out of curiosity. "This is..." Roy finally realized why the islanders endured such fierce storms year after year instead of leaving. The annual tempest brought destruction, but it also brought them hope for survival. Just as the Aqua Laguna left behind salt with a unique flavor, the storm left behind treasures from the ocean depths, countless seashells, each containing exquisite black pearls. These black pearls were their livelihood, sold to nobles and the wealthy. "Now that you two know our secret, you must stay with us," the island's hundreds of residents surrounded the father and son. "Dad, what do we do?" Loxus asked nervously. "It's your call. Or do you want to live here?" Roy grinned. "No way! I still have to find Commander Ace!" Loxus shook his head. "Then it's your show." Roy smiled. The islanders now saw them as enemies. Unless they agreed to stay, the only way out was death; such was human nature. This little experience was rather amusing. Loxus drew his sword and fought the islanders. Among them were descendants of pirates and ordinary people, all united by shared interests. Some were quite strong, giving Loxus a good workout. After over ten minutes, the battle ended, and he had single-handedly defeated dozens of grown men. Meanwhile, Roy helped himself to a pile of black pearls. "Dad, what do you want those for?" Loxus panted, watching his father loot the pearls. "You blockhead. You might not want them, but your mom does. I'm going to make her a black pearl necklace." Roy smiled, carrying off a whole box. They were pirates, after all, pirates don't leave empty-handed. "Ohhh!" Loxus nodded in understanding. The father and son set sail again. Seeing that Ace's Vivre Card was still intact, Roy sighed in relief. If his interference meant Teach and Ace never crossed paths, that would be ideal. They were halfway there, just a bit further to Sabaody. "When I find him, I'm going to break one of his legs," Roy said with a grin. Loxus silently mourned for Ace. The two did encounter other pirates along the way. At one point, they came across a drifting pirate ship just as they were running low on supplies. "Captain!!!" When they boarded, they found the crew looking extremely depressed. "Hey, what's wrong with you guys?" Loxus, who had been ready for a fight, hesitated. These people looked downright pitiful. "Our captain was captured by the Marines," a man in a wool vest sobbed. "Boo hoo hoo!!" A lion beside him cried as well, though Roy could hear its true thoughts—it just wanted meat. "If we can't save the captain... I'll have to become the new captain." A man wearing a blue-and-white checkered scarf declared. "I'm the first mate! I should be the next captain!" the wool vest guy snapped. "I'm the strategist! I'm the one who should be captain!" the scarf-wearing man glared back. "I'm the captain!" "No, I'm the captain!" The two started arguing, on the verge of throwing punches. "Enough! By the way, who are you?" A tall, beautiful woman stepped forward, resting a spiked club on her shoulder as she interrupted the fight and eyed Loxus. "I'm Loxus, from the Whitebeard Pirates. I'm looking for my commander, Fire Fist Ace," Loxus introduced himself. "Loxus?" "Never heard of him!" "Wait..." "Whitebeard Pirates?" "Fire Fist Ace? You're Fire Fist Ace's comrade?" "You know Captain Ace?" "Of course! Fire Fist Ace is our captain's good friend! Our captain was captured by the Marines—can you help save him?" "Huh?! Who's your captain?" "The almighty CAPTAIN BUGGY THE CLOWN!!" .... If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead. [email protected]/DaoistJinzu

Chapter 43: Land of Storms, An Unexpected Encounter with the Buggy Pirates

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