Chapter 18: Rubeck Island
Buggy finally get his First Mate, Mont Blanc Cricket. The guy is strong, and he have high potential. If Cricket didn't stop on Jaya and continue to sail on Grandline, he might be a big Pirate.
Buggy can think like that because Norland have reached the New World and become Tontatta's hero, so he must be strong. Cricket as Norland's descendant must have high potential to be strong too. Beside, even if he doesn't have it, Buggy will help him to grow strong together.
"So, where will we go after this?"-Cricket "Our first priority will be to find a Navigator. We need a good navigator, and by good i mean really good. If we don't have good navigator, we will die on Grandline."-Buggy
"Grandline, huh? People say that place is scary, i wonder just how scary it is."-Cricket
"You will find out in the future, there's no fun on telling you everything."-Buggy
"You've gone to Grandline?"-Cricket
"Yeah, and i'll just tell you this, Grandline is beyond your reason & logic."-Buggy
"Now i'm really curious."-Cricket
Buggy & Cricket then go to find a navigator for their crew. It's not easy to find a good navigator that didn't have affiliation to any organization. Usually big organizations will train people to be navigator, and people who are interested will join those organization that have resources.
"Cricket, if you find an interesting individual, tell me about them."-Buggy
"You want to recruit them?"-Cricket
"Maybe, if i like them, i'll recruit them."-Buggy
"Hmm, what roles that you want to get on the crew?"-Cricket
"Navigator, Cheff, and Doctor are the most important. Then we will need Helmsman, & Shipwright. I want all of them to be able to fight, because being pirate is dangerous. I also want specialist like Sniper, swordsman, or other combat specialist. Also a musician."-Buggy
"Musician?"-Cricket
"Yeah, so we can have a merry party."-Buggy smile
"Then we'll need some musicians."-Cricket smirk
"Hmm, you're right."-Buggy
""HAHAHAHA.""-Buggy & Cricket
They continue their sail while discussing of their crew's plan. For now Buggy want to explore North Blue, and Cricket agree. Their destination will be North Pole, and they'll transit on some islands to find Navigator or other crewmates.
Buggy & Cricket arrive on Rubeck Island, which is close to Swallow Island. They explore the island to find any potential member, but didn't find anyone. Instead of a new member, they find a pirate crew that made a base there.
"A pirate base, huh? They must have treasures in there. Let's get them!"-Buggy
"Just the 2 of us?"-Cricket
"Of course, or maybe you're afraid?"-Buggy
"Hah, i just didn't want you to die, but fine. Let's destroy them."-Cricket
Buggy & Cricket then walk to the pirate base and some people stop them.
"Oi you, this is Bronze Pirates base, if you love your life, then leave!"-Pirate Guard A
"Bronze Pirate? Never heard of them."-Buggy
"You're from East Blue, so you don't know them. Their Captain is worth 15 million, and the vice-captain is 5 million."-Cricket
"If you know us, then leave! Ah, but leave your valuables here!"-Pirate Guard B
"Heeh, so they're just small fries."-Buggy
"What?!"-Pirate Guard A
Buggy suddenly grab the Guard A's head and pull it down to meet his knee kick. The other guard got surprised, but Cricket punch him in the face and knock him out. Their action alert the other pirates who stand nearby.
Buggy & Cricket didn't wait and rush at the pirates. Buggy detach his wrist and spin it with the shortswords. He control them to attack the enemies on the back that use guns while he fight in close combat with his legs & elbow.
Cricket fight with his flintlocks on both hands. When some enemies come closer, he punch them with his hands, using those flintlocks' hilt. His punch is really strong that it can knock the pirates out in one punch.
The pirate captain & vice-captain also finally appear. Both of them are middle aged man in their late 40's. They arrive just to see their 18 mens getting defeated easily by Buggy & Cricket. They gave command, but their mens are just weaker than Buggy & Cricket.
"They're the captain and vice-captain?"-Buggy
"Yeah, on the left is Captain 'Bronze' Omedal, 15 million beri. On the right is 'Iron Lock' Bloke, 5 million beri."-Cricket
Buggy look at the Captain, Omedal that wear a full set of armor made of bronze, and his sword is also from bronze. It's normal, but the vice-captain is ridiculous. Bloke wear a set of clothes that make him look like a punk, but he have small iron locks all over his body.
"No wonder they're called bronze & lock. Did they have obsession with those things? And how can small pirates like them afford those things?"-Buggy
"Who cares? Do you want to fight them or not?"-Cricket
"Yeah, let's go!"-Buggy
Buggy move to attack the captain, while Cricket attack the vice-captain. Buggy clash with Omedal using his swords without using devil fruit power. Cricket also shoot at Bloke using his flintlock, and drive Bloke away.
Buggy clash with Omedal and he can't pass through the armor with his swords. This Omedal is really good at defending, and his armor almost cover all his body. Buggy can't cut a metal yet, so it's hard to land a clean hit. The only open part that open wide is Omedal's face.
Omedal strike back a few times using his sword, but of course it's useless on Buggy who can split himself. Omedal then discard his sword and choose to use fist on Buggy. It's a smart move, but he is very slow because of his heavy armor so Buggy can dodge.
While dodging Omedal's punches, Buggy is struggling to land a clean hit. His area of target is really small, it's just Omedal's face. Omedal is also really good at defending his face, so Buggy can't hit him at all.
"Damn, they should call you turtle rather than bronze."-Buggy
While Buggy fight with Omedal, Cricket fight with Bloke. Bloke use a long chain with big locks on both ends as weapon. He swing around the chain to hit his enemies, and the chain can tie them.
Cricket is shooting his flintlock at Bloke, but Bloke spin his chain in front of him to repell the bullets. Cricket try to move forward, but Bloke will use the other end of his chain to strike Cricket from afar. Cricket can evade, but now he can't get closer to attack, and his bullets are useless too.
"What a troublesome fellow."-Cricket
Back at Buggy who is still can't find an opening to attack Omedal. Buggy have tried to target the gaps between Omedal's armor, but the guy is really good at defending them. Buggy keep trying to find an opening, but didn't find it, so he will make it.
Buggy sheath his swords, then use his detached palm to grab Omedal's hand. Then Buggy spread Omedal's hands away, make Omedal unable to protect his face. Buggy then send a right elbow attack on Omedal's face.
Buggy's elbow is strong, and it make Omedal's face injured badly with one strike. However, Omedal is still wake, so Buggy send another elbow, and then a knee attack. The guy is so durable that he take 15 hit from Buggy before he faint.
On Cricket's side, the sutuation is still the same. Both sides can't hit each other. Cricket finally get enough, so he drop his pistols, and rush forward. Bloke send his chain toward Cricket, and Cricket catch the chain with his right hand. But then the chain wrap Cricket's hand.
Bloke try to pull Cricket, but he got pulled by Cricket instead. Cricket's pull is so strong that Bloke's skinny body is flying toward him. Cricket then punch Bloke with his left hand and knock him out.
"Finally."-Cricket
"Ooh, you're good. Just what i hoped from my First Mate."-Buggy come to check on Cricket
"Thanks for the praise, Captain."-Cricket
"Now, let's take the loots!"-Buggy
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I've upload Chapter 37 there. /CaptMermain
(the web didn't use _underscore_, it's to avoid censorship)