Two days later, on Grand Line, under a clear sky, the waves crashed against a ship where a lively party was in full swing. This ship belonged to Buggy the Clown.
Buggy was laughing with his companions, boasting about his brilliant plan to capture the Straw Hat Pirates, even though he had no idea where they were. Alvida, who had become a stunning beauty thanks to the Sube Sube no Mi, a Devil Fruit that makes the skin smooth and slippery, interrupted him.
"Stop your nonsense," she said, raising her hand to bring him back to reality. "How do you plan to catch the Straw Hat Pirates if you don't even know where they are?"
Buggy, carefree, replied, "Come on, Alvida, don't spoil the mood. The party is just getting started!" But an unfamiliar voice spoke up.
"If you want to know where Luffy is, I can tell you," declared a stranger who appeared out of nowhere.
Buggy, delighted, exclaimed, "See? This guy is going to give us some information!" Then, transforming into a caricature, he shouted, "But who the heck are you?"
The boy stood up, adopting a serious and polite demeanor. "I apologize for interrupting your party," he said, bowing. "The smell of your feast drew me in. My name is Ace, please accept my apologies."
Buggy, nonchalant, replied, "No need to be so formal, we should apologize too." He watched as Ace devoured a piece of meat.
But, annoyed, he shouted, "I asked you who you are, not your name! Do you think I'm a fool?"
Another voice intervened, interrupting the argument. "If you keep shouting, no one will be able to eat or drink peacefully," said a newcomer, startling Buggy.
"Sorry for the disturbance," he replied, scratching his neck before exploding, "And you, who are you, after all?"
The woman smiled confidently, less polite. "Nice to meet you, I'm Maki Zenin. Hey, pour me some of that, it looks delicious," she said, handing her jug to one of Buggy's pirates, who, perplexed, obeyed.
Buggy, furious, shouted, "Who do you think you are, both of you?" Then, noticing Ace asleep, he yelled, "He fell asleep?!"
Cabaji, worried, murmured, "Captain Buggy, these people... They are Ace with the Fiery Fist, commander of the 2nd division of the Whitebeard Pirates, and Maki the Green Naginata, the youngest of the ten shamans of the infinite crew!" The crew paled.
Maki, drinking from her barrel, said, "Oh, you know my stupid captain? Pour me another one," she added, handing her jug.
Later, as Maki continued to eat and drink and Ace slept, Buggy, Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji were discussing in private. Buggy categorically refused his companions' suggestions.
"No way!" he cut in.
Mohji, the officer with white hair accompanied by his lion, insisted, "Captain, this is our chance to become famous in one go!"
Buggy, more serious, replied, "No. Listen carefully: we do not touch a man of the Beard. He was the only one to rival the Pirate King, Roger. He will always avenge his companions." The imposing image of Whitebeard appeared in his mind.
Alvida, intrigued, noted, "You seem to know him well."
Buggy, nostalgic, recounted, "Long ago, I crossed paths with that man on Grand Line."
Mohji, changing the subject, asked, "What about the Green Naginata, then? We could make a name for ourselves with her."
Buggy, exasperated, retorted, "No! Do you not know why he was named Emperor of the seas?"
Maki, who was eating in the background, had heard everything. In a calm voice, she stated, "Because he stood up to Kaido, the Beast King, for two days and two nights in a duel." The ignorant ones paled.
Buggy, shocked, shouted, "Were you listening?!"
Alvida, grabbing her mallet warily, asked, "And now, what are you going to do?"
Maki lowered her eyes, then replied, "You're right... Pour me another one." Buggy and Alvida collapsed, dumbfounded. "What?" she added, looking at them nonchalantly.
Ace, awake, watched Maki with curiosity, intrigued by her belonging to the crew of a Sea Emperor he had never met. "So, you're one of Gojo's shamans?" he asked, smiling, a piece of meat in his mouth.
Maki put down her jug, challenging him with her gaze. "And what about it?"
Buggy and his crew, on the sidelines, watched the scene tensely.
Ace continued, "What is a shaman doing here? I crossed paths with another one of yours recently."
Maki, with a confident smile, replied, "I want to become stronger. I am the weakest of the shamans, that's why I travel. And you, what is a Whitebeard pirate doing here?"
Ace, serious, replied, "Let's say I have some unfinished business with someone." Then, with a provocative smile, he added, "What if I tried to kill you, here, now?"
Maki, accepting the challenge, retorted, "Go ahead, try your luck. If you succeed, Captain Gojo will hunt you down to the ends of the seas, even if you are a man of Whitebeard."
Ace, amused, replied, "I like your captain." His smile became genuine.
Maki stood up, drawing all eyes. Although she had spoken about her captain's vengeance, she was ready to defend herself alone. "I must leave. Thanks for the food, red nose," she said, annoying Buggy.
"Who are you calling red nose, you cursed woman?!" he yelled, forgetting the situation.
Maki, laughing, added, "I'll put in a good word for you with my idiot captain." Buggy remained frozen, incredulous. Then, turning to Ace, she declared, "Ace with the Fiery Fist, this era bears only one name: Gojo D. Satoru." She jumped into the sea, landing on a small boat.
Ace, laughing, replied, "No, this era is called Whitebeard." Maki was already gone.
The party resumed on Buggy's ship, as if a Mugen pirate shaman had never been there. Thanks to his charisma, Buggy knew how to handle these situations. Maki continued her journey on Grand Line, determined to become stronger to deserve her rank. Buggy's pirates, on the other hand, celebrated the idea that she would speak well of them to a Sea Emperor.