The pirates sat and forgot, and they really believed the nine truths and one lie.

The White Zetsu's transport efficiency was extremely high. Barrett and Chiringom Saint felt as if they were sinking into a warm, slippery, and rapidly flowing green tunnel. All around them were rapidly receding light and shadow and soil that were difficult to discern. The whole process was quiet and silent, with only a slight sense of weightlessness.

Just a few minutes later, the sensation of moving between the earth abruptly stopped, and the plant tissues that had been enveloping them slowly opened their leaves like blooming flower buds, expelling the three of them completely.

Barrett stumbled and steadied himself, his eyes immediately scanning his surroundings. They were in a dimly lit, enclosed space, surrounded by rough, seemingly naturally formed rock walls, with faintly phosphorescent stones providing illumination from above.

There was no sound of waves or wind from the outside world; it was eerily quiet. Clearly, they were not on a ship at sea and had been moved to some land.

"We're here~" Bai Jue chuckled as he jumped out from among the remaining leaves and stretched his body.

Just then, a series of unhurried footsteps came from the depths of the shadows. Barrett turned his head sharply, his muscles tensing instantly as he assumed a defensive posture. Although he was severely injured and weak at the moment, his fighting instincts remained.

A figure slowly emerged from the darkness. The person wore an immaculate white coat, with long, wet black hair casually draped over their shoulders, and their face was deathly pale.

What is most striking are his serpentine, vertical golden pupils, cold and filled with an inhuman rationality. He wears a chilling, ambiguous smile on his face, as if he is looking at materials rather than people.

The newcomer's gaze swept over Saint Qilingom, who was trapped by Seastone and slumped on the ground. "The operation went fairly smoothly, and we even brought back an unexpected bonus..."

His voice had a slippery quality, like a snake flicking its tongue, "These are the experimental subjects prepared for me, awakened ability users of the Mythical Zoan species. Such materials are truly rare and hard to come by."

This person is none other than Orochimaru, the most mysterious and feared scientist under the Clown Pirates.

His obsession with the mysteries of life and special abilities reached an almost perverse level; a living, awakened Mythical Zoan user was an invaluable treasure to him!

After receiving the news from Bai Jue, he rushed over almost immediately, not wanting to wait a moment longer.

Orochimaru's golden snake eyes then turned to the weakened Barrett beside him, his tone slightly more normal: "Barrett has good physical fitness. We can have a chat sometime. Now follow White Zetsu, and he will take you to see Lord Buggy."

After saying that, Orochimaru ignored Barrett. He bent down, stretched out his pale hand, and grabbed Kiringom Saint's hair, which was covered in blood and dust.

"Ugh..."

Kiringom let out a painful whimper. His weakness from the seastone, coupled with his injuries, left him powerless to resist.

Orochimaru dragged this once high-ranking Celestial Dragon nobleman across the rough, cold ground like a dead dog, heading towards his laboratory deep in the shadows.

The body of the Holy Chiringom was scraped against the ground, and flesh was torn apart from time to time. His eyes were filled with fear, and his whimpers echoed in the empty passage.

He knew better than anyone that falling into the hands of a mad scientist meant that even death would be a luxury, and what awaited him was endless torment worse than death. Orochimaru would never let Kiringom Saint die so easily.

Barrett watched all this coldly, his face expressionless. He felt no sympathy for the Celestial Dragons' plight, and even thought it was only natural. He only cared about one thing now—seeing Buggy.

"Lead the way," Barrett said succinctly to Bai Jue, his voice hoarse but firm.

White Zetsu nodded without saying anything, but made a gesture to follow him, and then skipped and hopped away in the opposite direction from Orochimaru.

Barrett, holding his breath, followed closely with somewhat unsteady steps.

Not far along, a clear, ethereal sound of plucked strings suddenly rang out in the air without warning.

The next moment, Barrett's pupils contracted slightly. He felt the surrounding space begin to twist and change strangely. The rock passage and supporting pillars in front of him seemed to come alive and began to automatically move backward or make way for him.

The ground beneath his feet transformed into a high-speed gliding platform, carrying him and Bai Jue forward at an incredible speed.

The scenery on both sides rushed past, turning into blurry blocks of color. This feeling was like riding a train over the sea and speeding across the land, which was extremely eerie.

This ability to manipulate the environment to the point of altering physical space instilled a sense of dread in Barrett; the Clown Pirates' foundation was far deeper than he had imagined.

About a minute or two later, the sensation of high-speed movement abruptly stopped. Barrett looked around and found himself in a place completely different from the dark passage he had just been in. It was a spacious and luxurious banquet hall, like a palace.

A soft, thick, bright red carpet had been laid out underfoot, and ornate wall lamps and oil paintings hung on the surrounding walls. Long tables covered with white tablecloths were laden with all kinds of delicacies and crystal-clear wines, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.

The entire lower banquet hall was deserted, with only the flickering candlelight casting a strange and eerie glow, creating a grand yet eerie silence.

Barrett's gaze was instantly drawn to the shadow on the highest seat in the deepest part of the banquet hall.

There stood an exceptionally tall chair, like a throne, about the same height as Im's throne.

A figure sat casually on it, his face painted with pale greasepaint, an exaggerated smile with blood-red lips, and his signature red nose was equally striking—it was Bucky the Clown.

Bucky rested one elbow on the armrest of the chair, his palm supporting his cheek, while in the other hand he toyed with an exquisite wine glass, the scarlet liquid inside rippling as he gently swirled his fingers.

Bucky didn't look at Barrett; his gaze seemed to be fixed on some point in the void. The clown-like smile on his lips, in the dim, flickering candlelight, appeared both comical and exuded an indescribable air of authority.

Bucky sat there quietly, the White Zetsu who brought Barrett nowhere to be seen, and the Joker became the absolute center of the entire banquet hall, and even this space.

Barrett stopped and took a deep breath, suppressing his physical weakness and the turmoil in his heart. His gaze was unwavering as he stared directly at the clown on the throne.

Once a trainee crew member on Roger's ship, even worse than Shanks, Barrett and Bucky meet again after many years. The red-nosed little guy from his hazy memories has now been replaced by the taller and more sinister Joker.