Davy Jones had once said that where Alvida chose to guide him and his ship, the Terror Ghost, would determine whether she was qualified to become one of his crew.

Beyond that, Davy Jones needed to see Alvida's ambition. He needed her to choose of her own will to step aboard and become one of his crew.

She had done both.

Alvida was overjoyed.

But for Buggy, who now existed as just a disembodied head being held by Davy Jones' tentacles, the scene before him felt entirely different.

He hadn't heard the full conversation. Instead, based on what he had overheard and his own wild imagination, he arrived at a shocking conclusion:

Even if he finished crafting 100 Buggy Bombs, he wouldn't be allowed to leave!

This plump woman had apparently made the right choice.

Otherwise, why would that terrifying freak say, "You've passed my final test"?

If he foolishly tried to leave after completing his mission, wouldn't he be silenced on the spot?

A cold sweat rolled down Buggy's forehead. Thank goodness that woman set an example, he thought. Otherwise, I'd be dead meat!

Davy Jones, unaware of the panic swirling inside the head he held—or simply not caring—led Alvida downstairs with Buggy's head still in his grasp.

As they reached the first floor, they ran into a group of pirates who had just returned from the docks.

"C-Captain Buggy? What happened to you?!"

Seeing the terrifying man carrying their captain's head, the pirates instinctively raised their weapons in alarm.

They had good reason to be on edge. At the docks, they had confirmed that both Mohji the Beast Tamer and Cabaji the Acrobat were truly dead. The invaders had wiped them out with overwhelming force.

They had even tried to board the black ship, but were immediately driven back by its self-firing cannons—which had claimed more lives before they could even get close.

In desperate retreat, the survivors had returned to Buggy for guidance—only to find him literally in enemy hands.

So… the Buggy Bomb hadn't worked?

They looked at one another, uncertain what to do next.

At that moment, Buggy's head, still dangling from the tentacles, suddenly flared with anger and roared:

"What are you all standing around for?! Out of my way!"

"B-But, Captain Buggy—"

"OUT OF MY WAY! The Buggy Pirates are officially disbanded! I'm going with Captain Davy Jones to the Grand Line!"

The pirates were stunned. They had never imagined things would escalate this far.

Davy Jones said nothing and simply kept walking.

As the monstrous figure drew closer, the pirates slowly lowered their weapons and made way, watching helplessly as their captain's head was carried off, followed by a fat woman and Buggy's body.

"…What now?"

"What else can we do? The captain's gone, the vice-captain and strategist are dead… It's over. We disband."

"…I guess that's the only choice. If even they couldn't beat that monster…"

And so, the Buggy Pirates made their decision.

Back aboard the Terror Ghost, Davy Jones confirmed the fear he'd harvested from this incident, receiving a rating of:

"Bone-Chilling."

Tossing Buggy's head onto the deck, he allowed Buggy's body—which had followed up the gangplank—to joyfully reattach it.

Afterward, Davy Jones absorbed the fear into himself for reinforcement. As a result, his left crab claw gained a new ability:

Charged Strike – after storing power, his next attack would deal significantly increased damage.

He also reinforced the Terror Ghost, granting it a temporary Ghost Ship State—allowing it and all aboard to phase through islands and become immune to most physical attacks.

---

Publicly Available Data:

"Dread Lord of the Deep" Davy Jones

1. Crab Claw (Left Hand)

As hard as iron

Charged Strike

2. Tentacles (Right Hand)

Two extending/retracting tentacles

3. Pistol (Right Hand)

Single-shot

Fires a bullet condensed from fear

4. Instant Movement

Short-range teleportation

Can teleport one other person

5. Undying Regeneration

All wounds (except the heart) regenerate

Accelerated healing speed

6. Fear Harvest

Increased fear absorption radius

Amplified fear-based strengthening

Can allocate fear to self or to ship

7. Terror Ghost (Ship)

Mind-controlled navigation

Devours other ships for materials

Storms follow in its wake

Hidden auto-firing cannons

Increased sailing speed

Enhanced hull durability

Expanded cargo space

Temporary Ghost Ship State

---

While controlling the Terror Ghost via thought, Davy Jones turned to look at Alvida and Buggy.

Alvida understood the look and walked over.

Buggy, still taking in the ship's design, froze at the feeling of being watched. Seeing Alvida move, he quickly followed.

Davy Jones glanced at the two and asked plainly,

"Tell me—if I wanted a Devil Fruit, how would I get one?"

In truth, he wasn't seeking one for himself. After seeing Buggy's Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit) ability, he was curious whether he could give Alvida a similar power to strengthen her.

Alvida, unaware of his motives, answered honestly:

"Devil Fruits are incredibly rare. Most are in the hands of the World Government, or traded on the black market. They're not easy to find."

While it seemed like the Grand Line was full of Devil Fruit users, that was simply because most who gained such powers headed there to make names for themselves.

Natural Devil Fruits were still exceedingly rare.

"Ahem." Buggy scratched his iconic red, round nose.

"She's right. But, Captain, if you're interested, I know a few black markets. We could check there. Plus, I'll need to buy materials to make more Buggy Bombs."

Davy Jones nodded.

"Very well. Then let's go to this black market."

Buggy hesitated slightly.

"…It's just, um… Devil Fruits and materials—both cost a lot of Berries…"

Berries were the world's currency.

"No problem," Davy Jones said, drawing a puff from his pipe.

"If we need money, we'll plunder passing ships. And if that's not enough… we'll take what we want directly from the black market."

Alvida and Buggy were both taken aback—but then it hit them.

Of course. We're pirates.

If they lacked anything, they could just steal it.

With someone like Davy Jones at the helm, even the Navy wouldn't be much of a threat. This was their chance to reap some real rewards.

---

Two Days Later...

A small boat arrived at the docks of Orange Town.

"C'mon, join me already!"

A boy in a straw hat stood at the stern, hands on his hips.

"Zoro, become my crewmate!"

"I've told you this a dozen times already."

With short green hair and three swords strapped to his side, Zoro shook his head.

"Luffy, we're just splitting travel expenses because we're headed the same way. I have no intention of joining your crew."

"Aw, don't be like that! I helped you when you got lost in town, remember?"

"You call that helping? I walked around for half a day and still didn't reach my destination!"

"That's because you kept turning in circles!"

"How could it possibly be my fault?!"

Zoro's forehead twitched in irritation—he had an oddly unshakable belief in his own sense of direction.

Just then, Luffy's stomach growled loudly.

Rubbing his belly, he pouted:

"Okay, okay—let's argue later. Zoro, let's go find some food?"

Zoro, also feeling hungry, nodded.

"Fine. I came to this town to gather supplies and intel anyway."

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