Buggy the Clown and his crew's reactions were completely unexpected to Maude.
"What are you so afraid of?"
Maude glanced at the members of the Buggy Pirates, all of whom were stricken with fear.
Though he had appeared suddenly, he had not carried any hostility or intent to kill.
Yet, the Buggy Pirates reacted with such a vivid and genuine terror.
"Of course, it's you!!!"
Buggy, a former apprentice of the Roger Pirates, was scared, but he still managed to answer Maude's question immediately.
As for his crew, they were all pressed tightly against the railing, drenched in cold sweat, too terrified to utter a sound.
If necessary, they were ready to abandon ship and jump overboard.
Hearing Buggy's response, Maude looked at him, noticing his guilty expression, and smiled. "Relax, I'm not here to harm you."
"Really!?"
Buggy looked at Maude with suspicion and hesitation.
To be honest, after witnessing Maude effortlessly slice apart the Island-Eater Goldfish, Buggy knew that even a hundred of him wouldn't stand a chance.
If Maude truly meant them harm, they wouldn't have the slightest hope of resisting.
Hearing Maude's reassurance, Buggy still felt uncertain.
Maude then asked, "Do you know Sol?"
"Huh? That old miser?"
Buggy blurted out instinctively.
"..."
Maude was momentarily speechless as an image of Sol's stingy demeanor flashed through his mind.
Buggy, seeing Maude's reaction, hesitated and said, "I do know an old guy named Sol, he's…"
"Do you know Gaban? How about Shanks? Rayleigh?"
Maude interrupted, throwing out three more names.
Hearing those incredibly familiar names, Buggy's eyes widened in shock, his voice trembling as he stammered, "Y-you… who exactly are you…?"
"I know them, and I also know your connection to them. So... you don't need to be so nervous."
"!!!"
Buggy was utterly stunned.
How could someone so young have ties to Rayleigh and the others?
And even that bastard Shanks…
Maude smiled at the comically flustered Buggy and suddenly extended an invitation.
"Buggy, want to join me?"
"What!?"
Buggy was dumbfounded.
His crew, who had been pressed against the railing, were equally shocked.
This infamous Warlord of the Sea was actually inviting Captain Buggy!
"As expected of Captain Buggy! Even a monster like him wants to recruit him!"
The crew was overwhelmed with emotion.
If they could follow a powerhouse like Maude, they'd be laughing in their sleep!
However, Buggy didn't see it that way.
As he stared blankly at Maude, an image of Shanks appeared in his mind.
For some inexplicable reason, an intense frustration welled up inside him.
"Are you kidding me!!!"
Buggy shouted, momentarily forgetting that the man before him could wipe him out with a flick of his wrist.
"I am my own captain! There's no way I'd follow you!!!"
His firm refusal left his crew weeping silently by the railing.
Captain Buggy!
The man standing before you is a terrifying killing machine with a fearsome reputation!
Even if you're going to refuse, at least be more polite about it!
His crew trembled in fear, nearly jumping ship on the spot.
Fortunately, they saw that Maude wasn't angered by Buggy's response, which slightly eased their nerves.
Maude could feel Buggy's firm stance and shrugged, a hint of regret in his expression. "Oh well. But if you ever change your mind, you can come find me anytime."
"I will never change my mind in this lifetime!"
Perhaps because Maude had remained amicable, Buggy spoke with confidence.
"Haha."
Maude simply laughed, his right hand instinctively resting on the hilt of Shusui.
His decision to invite Buggy had been impulsive, purely because he was interested in properly developing the potential of the Chop-Chop Fruit.
In his eyes, the fruit had great potential.
Yet, despite possessing it for over twenty years, Buggy's abilities remained pitifully underutilized…
Those who knew the truth could only sigh at Buggy's wasted potential.
Those who didn't might think he was some terrifyingly well-hidden final boss.
Buggy, noticing Maude's casual gesture toward his sword, broke into a cold sweat and suddenly regretted his outburst. He wished he could slap himself for being so reckless.
Luckily, Maude still seemed amicable and didn't seem to mind Buggy's attitude.
Realizing this, Buggy felt a great sense of relief.
Maude looked at Buggy again and suddenly asked, "By the way, what are you guys doing in Little Garden?"
Buggy hesitated briefly before deciding to answer truthfully. "I heard that John's treasure is hidden in Little Garden, so we came to try our luck."
"..."
Maude's eyes flickered.
All this effort just for an unverified rumor?
This guy really is something else.
Maude mused inwardly.
And to think… he was the one who spread that rumor in the first place.
Thinking of Buggy's relentless pursuit of treasure, Maude almost pitied him—but felt no guilt whatsoever.
Not wanting to shatter Buggy's dream, he suddenly placed a firm hand on Buggy's shoulder.
The unexpected action nearly made Buggy wet himself.
Luckily, it was just a pat on the shoulder.
Buggy, once again, was filled with relief.
Looking at Buggy, Maude spoke seriously, "John's treasure is indeed hidden in Little Garden."
"!!!"
Maude's words hit Buggy like a bomb, sending his heart racing.
The crew had the same reaction.
Maude withdrew his hand and casually encouraged Buggy further.
"Buggy, search for it diligently. If it's you, I'm sure you'll find that legendary treasure."
"Yeah!"
Maude's sincere encouragement ignited Buggy's passion.
"And if you can't find it, you can always come to me for answers."
With a grin, Maude left those parting words before vanishing from the deck just as mysteriously as he had arrived.
Leaving behind a bewildered Buggy and his crew.
Nearby, a group of pirates and bounty hunters watched the Buggy Pirates' ship with astonishment, their eyes drawn to the red-nosed skull emblem on the sail.
Maude had made no effort to conceal his conversation with Buggy.
So, they had all heard it clearly.
"Who are these guys that Maude holds in such high regard?"
"Never seen that flag before… They must be unknown nobodies."
"If they were nobodies, why would Maude offer an invitation? This year, among all the rookies with bounties over 100 million, the only one Maude took an interest in was Cavendish, whose bounty exceeded 300 million."
"Huh!?"
"That means…"
"Exactly. Maude's recruitment standard might be… a bounty over 300 million!"
"So that red-nosed guy… could he be a pirate with a bounty over 300 million!?"
"Very likely!"
In an instant, the gathered pirates, all of whom were at least on par with Buggy's crew in strength, looked at the Buggy Pirates' flag with deep wariness.
Some even began to consider joining them, hoping to use this connection to get close to Maude.
Little did Maude know that his impulsive actions had created such an illusion.
Nor did he expect that his casual words would cause Buggy to remain in Little Garden for a long time, tirelessly searching for John's treasure.
Until… the arrival of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Before returning to his small villa, Maude used his shadow to transmit a message, instructing the bounty hunters who had previously helped build his villa to carve some meat from the Goldfish Island Beast.
He then had them bring the meat directly to the villa, saving himself the trouble.
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