The pirates who raided the town had taken over its largest tavern, a two-story building twice the size of surrounding houses, designed to host many, with a rooftop for gatherings. That's where the pirates were.
Drinking freely and feasting merrily, they were in high spirits when someone approached—a rarity, as townsfolk avoided this place. A man bound in ropes and a woman escorting him.
The pirates paused their revelry, eyeing the pair curiously as they were led by one of their own to a corner of the rooftop. There, under a parasol, sat their captain on an ornate chair.
The man lounged arrogantly, face shadowed. As the pair reached him, Nami shoved Luffy forward, making him stumble. A rubber man, he felt no pain.
Before Luffy could protest, Nami spoke, "I fought with my boss. Will you take me in?"
Her bright smile stirred the onlookers. They sensed something off but didn't suspect betrayal. Was she begging for mercy by offering her boss? Murmurs grew as they pieced it together.
Nami ignored the chatter, focusing on the captain.
Buggy the Clown, a notorious pirate whose face graced wanted posters. Rumored to have razed countless towns, he was among East Blue's elite.
Nami knew this, and the realization tightened her nerves, sweat beading despite her forced smile. She reassured herself she could pull this off, steal what she needed, and stay put.
Buggy stirred, emerging from the parasol's shade.
His appearance was unforgettable—gaudy clothes, a pirate hat, a coat draped over his shoulders. But his face stole the show, makeup overshadowed by a round, red nose, as if glued on, radiating a clownish aura straight from the wanted posters.
Nami stared, tense. She'd heard the rumors: mock his nose, and death followed.
He was sensitive about it, reportedly destroying towns over a laugh. She resolved to stay calm and win his trust.
"You want to join me?" Buggy asked.
"Y-Yes. I'm crazy for treasure, so—"
"Odd story. I heard you stole my sea chart. That's not a mistake, is it? What's your game?"
"He made me do it. I was used. But now I don't need to obey him—I caught him."
"So you want mercy."
"Y-Yes…"
His sharp gaze sparked panic. The air grew heavy, her confidence wavering. She had to stick to her lie. If Luffy spoke, she'd need to adapt. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
Unaware of her turmoil, Buggy stroked his chin, nodding. His imposing presence made her clench her fists unconsciously.
A heavy silence broke as a grin spread across his face.
"Fine, you're in."
"Really?"
"But joining me without proof? I need trust."
"Don't worry, I'll return the chart—"
"Not that. I've got something else for you."
Puzzled, Nami watched as Buggy turned to his crew, voice booming. "Someone lend her a sword. A nice, sharp one."
"Aye, Captain!"
"What? A sword?"
A pirate offered a bare saber. Nami gripped it reluctantly, a bad feeling rising. She couldn't refuse if she wanted trust.
Buggy's next words confirmed her dread. "Kill him."
"What?"
"Chop his head off. He was with you, right? Don't you want to send him off yourself?"
Buggy returned to his chair, smug. Nami's hands shook, words spilling out before thought.
"Wait—I'm done with him, but killing…?"
"He's useless to me. He'd be dealt with anyway."
"But—"
"He stole my chart. That's touching my treasure."
Nami couldn't follow. Stealing a chart equaled stealing treasure? It was absurd.
She wanted to argue but saw it was futile. Pirates were maddening—quick to take lives while guarding their own possessions like selfish children. She bit back her disgust, her sword-hand trembling.
The crew laughed, enjoying the spectacle. No one would help.
She was alone.
"I stole it, not him," she said.
"Oh? Funny, you just said he ordered you to, that you were used."
"That's true, but—"
"Then he's responsible. Pirates don't touch each other's stuff and walk away free."
"You don't have to kill him!"
"You're awfully protective. Don't want your ex-boss dead after betraying him?"
"I don't want to kill him!"
"Annoying brat. Want to die with him?"
Nami bit her lip, silenced. She couldn't die—she had reasons to live. But killing Luffy would make her no better than the pirates she despised.
Trapped, unable to move forward or back, she stood frozen.
Buggy glared coldly. "Do it."
"Ugh…!"
Kill or be killed. But killing meant becoming like them. Her shaking hand clung to the sword, unable to let go, teeth gritted.
Amid the tension, Luffy, squirming, sat up and looked at her. "Your hand's shaking."
He smirked, unfazed by the danger.
Nami stared, baffled by his calm. "Half-hearted resolve gets you in trouble with pirates."
"Resolve? You mean killing easily? That's a pirate's resolve?"
"No."
His intense gaze held hers. "It's about risking your own life."
Speechless, Nami swallowed hard.
Luffy turned to Buggy, smile gone, genuinely curious. "Hey, you."
"Huh? What's with the attitude?"
"Weird nose."
The air froze.
He'd said the forbidden words, effortlessly. The crew paled, and Nami snapped back to reality. Luffy didn't know the consequences.
Buggy stood still, veins bulging on his forehead, gripping the chair too tightly. After a brief silence, his voice dripped with ice. "What… did you say?"
"Is it fake or real?"
"You saying it's weird if it's real?"
"Yeah, weird. But not bad, Red Nose."
"Who're you calling Red Nose!?"
Buggy kicked over his chair, storming toward Luffy, rage focused solely on him.
"You're a real joker. Your punishment's set—dragged through the streets, crucified, stabbed, then beheaded! Nobody touch him—I'll kill him myself!"
"Sorry, but could you untie me? I'm not ready to die."
"You mocking me!? I'm gonna slaughter you!"
Luffy's words poured oil on the fire. Furious, Buggy kicked his head, but the rubber man felt no pain.
Instead, his straw hat flew off.
"Damn it! Shut your mouth!"
"No way."
The kick sent the hat to the ground. Buggy, panting, noticed it and shifted his gaze.
Luffy's expression changed instantly. "Don't touch it!"
"Huh?"
"That hat's my treasure! Hurt it, and I won't forgive you!"
Seeing Luffy's new intensity, Buggy smirked, then laughed mockingly, approaching the hat. "Treasure? Treasure's gold and jewels. This old hat? Stop joking!"
"Don't touch it! Shanks entrusted it to me!"
Buggy's hand froze mid-reach.
A moment's pause. He picked up the hat, turning to Luffy, shock in his eyes. "Shanks' hat? Don't lie, kid."
"It's true. He gave it to me in Foosha Village."
"His hat… Then this was Captain Roger's—"
Buggy stared at the hat, lost in awe.
Luffy, calming slightly, said, "Give it back."
"Back? You know who this really belongs to?"
"Shanks. He entrusted it to me."
"Tch, Shanks. He just inherited it."
The crew and Nami were lost as the conversation continued. Buggy had no intention of returning the hat, hardening Luffy's gaze.
"Listen, Shanks and I were apprentices on the same ship. This was our captain's hat. It's not yours or Shanks'!"
"But Shanks gave it to me."
"He had the nerve to wear the captain's hat!"
"You said he inherited it."
"Shut up! I never liked him."
Closing his eyes, Buggy reminisced. "Long ago, he stole a fortune from me. I took a treasure map from an enemy ship, planned to gather riches from land and sea. Then he—"
"Captain!" A door burst open, revealing Mohji, injured and frantic.
All turned. He'd been in town.
"What's wrong, Mohji? I'm about to punish this clown."
"No time! Enemies are defying us—"
"Excuse me." Kiri snatched the hat from Buggy, placing it on his head with a grin. "Luffy gets mad if this gets damaged."
"Kiri!" Luffy shouted.
"That's him, Captain! He took out me and Richie!"
Attention shifted to Kiri.
Ignoring the uproar, he approached Luffy, shrugging. How could someone be so relaxed, bound and surrounded? What happened in his absence? The stunned girl nearby caught his eye, but Luffy came first.
"Your hobbies changed fast. What's going on?"
"I'm being used. Untie me."
"Used and laughing? Impressive."
"Stop ignoring me!" Buggy roared.
The two turned, their boyish gestures making them seem harmless.
What was with these people? Buggy thought. He'd dominated the town, yet rebels kept appearing. His anger surged, face darkening.
"What're you here for?"
"We're pirates, too. We want you out of this town."
"Out? Why should we listen to you? That's laughable! Laugh, men!"
The crew roared with laughter, sides splitting.
Nami glanced around, anxious and frustrated. Escape seemed impossible. The pirates' confidence showed their advantage.
Kiri sliced Luffy's ropes with paper, freeing him. Luffy stood happily.
But the situation remained dire, surrounded by armed pirates.
"You can call yourselves pirates, but that name demands resolve. Think you can defy me and live?"
"Yeah, we do," Luffy said.
"Don't mock me, Straw Hat! I'll show you my terror!"
Buggy waved dramatically. "Men, prepare the Buggy Ball!"
"Aye, Captain!"
Pirates moved swiftly, hauling a cannon to the rooftop's edge, loading a red cannonball marked with their symbol. They shifted, blocking the door, aiming at the trio.
Preparations complete, Buggy grinned. "I'll tell you how I terrorized this town. One Buggy Ball's explosion wreaks havoc. A single shot erased part of this town. Guess what happens if it hits you?"
"Probably die," Kiri said.
"Yeah, dead," Luffy agreed.
"Not the time for that!" Nami smacked Luffy's head, the sound sharp but harmless. He didn't care.
The danger was real. Nami dropped the sword, trembling, scanning for escape.
"What do we do? A cannon at this range is unavoidable!"
"Luffy, who's she?"
"Our navigator. Just recruited her."
"No! And not the time!"
Nami fumed, but the boys stayed calm, infuriating her and Buggy, whose patience snapped. "You're mocking geniuses! Even I can't hold back now! I'll blast this town to bits!"
"Told you!" Nami snapped.
"What's her name?" Kiri asked.
"Nami. Hates pirates, apparently."
Ignoring their banter, Buggy shouted, "Fire the Buggy Ball! Blast these kids!"
The fuse was lit. Kiri swung his arm, paper bursting from his sleeve and chest, defying the wind to block the cannon's muzzle in seconds. As pirates gaped, Kiri grabbed Nami's hand, sprinting toward the rooftop's edge. Luffy followed.
"What the—!?" Buggy yelled.
"This way!" Kiri called.
"Huh—ah!"
The pirates tried peeling the paper, but it stuck fast, unyielding to hands or blades. Hard as iron, it sealed the muzzle. The Buggy Ball, designed to explode on impact, would detonate inside the cannon.
Panic spread. Pirates clawed and slashed, but the paper held.
"Idiots! Do something!" Buggy shouted.
"It's too tough!" a pirate cried.
"Cut the fuse! Put it out!" Buggy screamed.
The fuse vanished, igniting the charge.
Kiri, carrying Nami, leaped off the rooftop, Luffy beside him. The blocked cannonball hit the paper, exploding inside the cannon.
The blast was colossal, engulfing the tavern in flames, a scorching wave altering the sky.
Kiri and Luffy, blown forward by the heat, struggled to stay balanced. Luffy inflated his stomach like a balloon, bouncing with a comical "boing." Kiri cushioned his landing with paper, softening the impact.
They'd been flung far—over a hundred meters.
Unharmed, they acknowledged the Buggy Ball's devastating power, capable of leveling a town.
Kiri set Nami down. "Can you stand?"
"Y-Yeah… thanks."
"Man, that was some explosion. Thought we were done," Luffy said.
They stared at the collapsed tavern. Were the pirates dead? Even if some escaped, they wouldn't be unscathed. The unexpected power matched Buggy's boasts.
Had they won? It felt too easy.
"Over?" Luffy asked.
"Maybe. Got most, but not all. They're a notorious crew—some might get up," Kiri said.
"I'd prefer that. Didn't do much this time," Luffy replied.
"Then Buggy's yours. He's probably alive."
The moment felt dreamlike. Nami, unable to process it, stared at their calm faces. How were they so composed? Was this their norm? Their ease and Kiri's smile baffled her.
She stood frozen, overwhelmed.
A voice came from behind. "Unbelievable…"
Turning, they saw Zoro, an old man, and Silk, stunned by the tavern's ruins.
Luffy grinned. "Zoro, Silk! We're all here."
"More strangers, huh?" Kiri noted.
"Luffy, Kiri, what happened?" Silk asked.
"You guys can't stay out of trouble," Zoro sighed.
Silk and Zoro approached, Luffy shrugging.
He turned to the enemy. "It's on. Let's take them down."
"Aye!" the others responded.
Luffy led, followed by Kiri, Zoro, and Silk, weapons ready, fearless.
Nami, speechless, watched them, thinking: These guys aren't normal.
Thus, a pirate duel was set to unfold in the town.