"Grrruuumble—!"
The sound echoed through the air like a drumbeat.
Lily's face flushed red. She lowered her head and stayed silent.
Including their escape, it had been almost a full day and night without food. Of course they were starving.
Sago stared down at the ocean beneath them and sighed.
"Well, I guess I—"
Whoosh!!
"AAAHHH!!"
Before he could finish, a streak of white smoke suddenly shot across the sky, tearing through the clouds with an ear-piercing screech.
"A bird?" Sago's eyes lit up with delight.
Perfect. No need to dive into the sea anymore.
With a step, he shot upward into the air. His free hand reached up and snatched the object mid-flight—a round, high-speed blur—yanking it out of its trajectory.
"Hm?"
The moment his hand made contact, Sago frowned.
Something was off.
It wasn't feathers.
And the color...
"Red?"
"Who are you calling red-nosed?!"
A furious voice erupted from the front. Two gloved hands flailed wildly in midair. Below them, where Sago's grip landed, was a giant red nose. And below that... a human face. Dangling beneath that was a tiny body, grinning through clenched teeth.
It was a man.
He wore an orange captain's hat and a red-and-white striped outfit. But his body proportions were wildly off—his head and limbs were huge, but there was no visible torso. He looked like a floating head with arms and legs... and one ridiculously oversized nose.
That face and that unmistakable nose...
"Buggy?" Sago asked, uncertain.
He remembered it from a bounty poster.
Fifteen million Berries. Clown Buggy.
"You know who I am?!"
Buggy yelled, eyes wide. "Then let go already! That nose hurts like hell!"
"Oh—"
Sago loosened his fingers.
Buggy pulled back with a grunt, planting his feet in midair (somehow), puffing up proudly.
"That's right! I'm the great Captain Buggy of the legendary Buggy Pirates! You—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Something felt... off.
The wide blue sky stretched endlessly above. Ahead, the faint curve of the sea's horizon shimmered in the sun. A cool wind rustled the wheat-shaped tassel on his hat, sending a chill down his spine.
He didn't dare look down. Instead, his stubby feet scrambled in the air. A string of snot dangled from his nose.
He blinked and looked at Sago. "Are we... in the sky?"
Sago nodded.
Buggy gave him an awkward but polite smile. "Would you mind... helping me down?"
Thump!
The second he said that, his entire body dropped like a rock.
Below them was the ocean. If he fell in... that was it. Game over.
Splash.
Right before impact, a hand shot out and grabbed his collar, yanking him back up.
Buggy gasped for breath, drenched in sweat. And right beside him—also being held up by one hand—was Lily.
She flashed her teeth in a silent greeting.
"Yo, hi there!"
Lily: "…"
Sago gave Buggy a lift upward and squinted at him. "So... this is what you really look like? Doesn't feel right."
Buggy gritted his teeth. "Of course not! I wouldn't look like this if it weren't for that damn Straw Hat!"
If that brat hadn't tied his body up and blasted it away, he wouldn't be stuck like this!
And to make things worse, after he finally cobbled together a raft, a giant bird swooped down and swallowed him! The damn thing spat him out just because he tasted bad!
"Anyway, thanks for saving me!" Buggy declared. "To show my gratitude, I'll throw a grand banquet in your honor!"
"You should've shown up earlier."
Sago clicked his tongue. "If I'd bumped into you two days ago, my life would've taken a whole different turn. Fifteen million Berries…"
"Huh?"
Buggy's nose twitched.
Then it hit him.
His eyes widened. "Don't tell me... you're one of those damn bounty hunters?!"
Suddenly, his hand detached from his wrist and flew at Sago like a missile. Lily's eyes widened in shock.
But before it could even reach him—
Thud.
Sago let go.
…
"Wait, wait! It's a misunderstanding!" Buggy flailed as he was caught by the neck again. "I wasn't trying to attack! Honest!"
He flashed a desperate smile. "I've got a Devil Fruit ability! I ate the Chop-Chop Fruit—I'm a Chop-Chop Human! My body can split apart at will! It was just a demonstration!"
"I'm not a bounty hunter anymore."
Sago said plainly, "I'm a pirate now. Just like you."
"Oh!"
Buggy's eyes lit up. He visibly relaxed.
"A pirate, huh? Why didn't you say so sooner! Sorry for the... you know, sudden attack. So, what are you guys doing in the sky? You don't have a ship?"
"We just became pirates," Lily chimed in, eyeing him curiously. "No ship yet. But... a Devil Fruit? I've heard the rumors. I thought they were myths. So it's real, huh? Is that why your body's so weird? And your nose is really—"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING RED-NOSED?!"
Buggy rolled his eyes and snapped. "Say that again and I'll gut you!"
Shiiing!
Lily's face went cold. Her sword was out in an instant.
Sago pulled the corner of his mouth. "Alright, enough. When you were flying, did you see any land? Or ships?"
"Hmm…"
Buggy rubbed his chin. "On my way here, I did spot a few islands in that direction."
"Thanks."
A rare smile flickered on Sago's face.
Finally.
A direction. A chance.
Buggy, meanwhile, looked them over and made an offer:
"You guys just started out, right? Want to join my crew?"
He glanced between them.
That woman aside, the guy seemed strong. Did he just use Geppo? And he could stay airborne for this long? That wasn't normal.
Not to mention... he'd just saved his life.
"I don't take orders from anyone," Sago replied flatly. "Forget it. And looking at you... maybe you should stop making those kinds of offers."
His dream wasn't to be someone's errand boy.
He wanted to own land. Be rich. Exploit others, not the other way around.
"I see."
Buggy didn't take offense. He grinned. "Well, either way, you saved me. That makes us brothers now! I'll never forget this debt! Once I find my crew again, I'll throw you the biggest feast you've ever seen!"
Sago raised an eyebrow.
If he remembered correctly, this guy had some pretty damn good luck.
Taking him along... might actually help them find people.
Better than heading to some random island with no food.
But first...
"Lily. Get ready to dive."
"...Huh?" A question mark floated above her head.
Without warning, Sago stomped downward, carrying the two of them straight toward the ocean.
Geppo could only hold them up for so long. After an entire day, even Sago had reached his limit.
Any longer and he'd drop like a stone. Better to dive now and control the fall.
"Let's hope your luck's as good as they say!"
With a final burst of air, Sago dove toward the water, tossing Lily into the sea ahead of him. He kicked a few times midair, then plunged into the ocean with Buggy in tow.
"I CAN'T SWIM, DAMMIT!!" Buggy screamed as they went under.
A moment later, Sago's head broke the surface. He raised one arm, yanking a half-drowned Buggy out of the water—and in his other hand, gripped a thrashing fish.
A fish!
A fresh, living fish, squirming wildly in his palm.
Sago's eyes sparkled with joy. He looked from the fish to Buggy, then back again, a slightly crazed glint in his eye.
Buggy began to sweat.
"Wh-what is it?" he stammered. "L-look, my body's still missing—there's no butt attached! And even if there were, I don't swing that way—blub blub blub!"
A vein popped on Sago's temple.
He reached out—
(To be continued...)