Chapter 34: A Phone Call!
(Author's Note: Hmm, a reader left a comment asking about harem issues. Well, I didn't really want to talk about this early on, but I'll just mention it: having a few more women on the ship doesn't necessarily mean anything.)
1508 was also an extraordinary year. There was one major event that shook the world: the completion of Tom's Workers' Sea Train, the "Puffing Tom." This signified that ships were no longer the sole means of transportation between islands.
When spring arrived, Old Tom had Daz Bonez call Buggy. One reason was to thank Buggy for the help he had sent (Daz Bonez himself), and the other was to invite Buggy to a celebration banquet.
This celebration banquet was held privately by Old Tom, specifically to thank those who had helped him. No personnel from the Marines or the World Government were invited, so even if Buggy went, he wouldn't have to worry about any trouble.
Although Buggy also wanted to go, he ultimately politely declined Old Tom's kind offer. He couldn't help it; his ability practice had entered a critical period, and Buggy wanted to take advantage of the increasingly familiar feeling to complete the mid-stage goal of the first phase in one go.
As time flowed by and the number of splits accumulated, Buggy finally completed the mid-stage goal of the first phase after autumn arrived.
Feeling the new ability that he could now use with complete proficiency, Buggy truly wanted to continue his seclusion and make a dash for the late stage of the first phase.
But that could only be a thought. Whether it was a few years ago or a few years later, Buggy could cast everything aside and continue his seclusion. However, this particular period was an exception.
September 2nd of next year would be Hancock's 18th birthday, the time she officially came of age. Buggy had to prepare a sufficiently surprising gift for her before then.
Of course, just this alone wouldn't require Buggy to set off right now. The reason for Buggy's departure stemmed from a phone call, a conversation with Gloriosa three hours ago.
Just thinking about this call gave Buggy a bit of a headache.
Three hours ago, Buggy was consolidating the partial dissipation of his body when the Den Den Mushi beside him suddenly rang.
"Moshi Moshi, is this Buggy? This is Gloriosa." With a slightly rushed tone, Gloriosa identified herself right away.
"It's Elder Nyon, isn't it? Is there something special?" Hearing her rushed tone, Buggy immediately became serious.
"A day ago, in the arena in the city, Hancock encountered a very strong opponent. Hmm, it was a captain from the Queen's personal guard. The two fought, and then Hancock won." Gloriosa paused here.
"That's great news! I didn't expect Hancock's strength to improve so quickly. Elder Nyon, you truly have a way of teaching!" Buggy said happily.
"If it were only that, it would certainly be good news. You should hear me out. In Kuja Castle, the captain of the Empress's personal guard actually has another identity: the reserve Empress. In Amazon Lily, the Empress is always chosen from the strongest warriors. Although a national martial arts tournament is held by custom after the current Empress abdicates, the final victor usually comes from the personal guard, and the captain of the personal guard has the highest chance of winning. Of course, the position of the personal guard captain isn't fixed once chosen; anyone who wins twenty or more consecutive matches in the arena every two years can get a chance to challenge."
At this point, even if Gloriosa didn't continue, Buggy understood what was going on.
It was simple: Hancock had won twenty consecutive matches in the arena. After gaining the chance to challenge, she defeated the current captain of the personal guard. Her current situation should be that she had replaced that captain and become the candidate for the reserve Empress.
Alright, it had to be said that the inertia of history was powerful. Even though Buggy had interfered and changed the early experiences of the Hancock sisters, in the grand scheme of things concerning the Empress, the inertia of history hadn't deviated at all.
"Elder Nyon, if Hancock becomes the captain of the personal guard, she can no longer leave Amazon Lily, and thus cannot accept my invitation. That's what you mean, right?" Buggy asked in a deep voice.
"Yes. Actually, when fighting that captain of the personal guard, Hancock accidentally disobeyed my instructions and used Conqueror's Haki. She knocked out more than half of the spectators on the spot. It can be said that she has basically been recognized by the entire country. Even if she has no experience in governing, if the current Empress abdicates today, she can directly ascend the throne tomorrow." Gloriosa's tone was clearly filled with pride when she said this.
"Is there still a chance for a turnaround?" Buggy realized the seriousness of the problem.
"It's very difficult. If Hancock hadn't stubbornly refused to serve as the captain of the personal guard, and given that she hasn't come of age yet, the Empress might have already prepared to announce her abdication," Gloriosa said, shaking her head.
"Uh, why is that Empress in such a hurry to abdicate? Is she rushing to get married?" Buggy genuinely didn't understand this point.
"Don't talk nonsense. Her desire to abdicate is also out of helplessness. A few years ago, when she participated in an expedition, she encountered a formidable opponent, and the Empress was seriously injured. Although she has mostly recovered her health after treatment, her strength has declined considerably. In the last two years, she hasn't even taken the initiative to go on expeditions unless domestic resources are tight. Now you know what Hancock's performance means, right?"
After hearing Gloriosa's words, Buggy immediately understood the severity of the situation. Indeed, given the current Empress's condition, anyone who saw Hancock's aptitude would absolutely not let such a successor go.
In the anime, Conqueror's Haki was definitely an important reason why Hancock was able to become the Empress.
"What do I need to do to achieve my goal?" Buggy asked very directly.
"I had already met with the Empress before calling you and told her about the promise between you and Hancock. Her meaning is very clear: she is absolutely unwilling to let go of a possessor of Conqueror's Haki, because that would be tantamount to betraying the country. Actually, if Hancock herself weren't so insistent on your promise, to the point where the Empress doesn't have many good options, I wouldn't have needed to say so much to you. Two conditions. If you fulfill them, there's room for discussion."
Hearing Gloriosa say this, Buggy knew she had definitely put a lot of effort into this matter.
"Elder Nyon, please speak," Buggy said calmly, with a hint of gratitude in his tone.
"The first condition is two sufficiently powerful Devil Fruits. The Empress has already made her stance clear: even if Hancock ultimately leaves, her two younger sisters must stay behind. The next Empress will definitely be one of them. The second condition will only be revealed to you after you can fulfill the first one. Hmm, there's one point you need to pay attention to, Buggy, and that is the time limit. If you cannot complete the first condition before Hancock comes of age, which is before September 2nd of next year, you will lose your chance," Gloriosa instructed, word by word.
(End of this chapter)