Boodle, the mayor of Orange Town, stood in stunned disbelief at the sight before him.
The tavern's destruction was shocking. He wondered how he'd explain this to its owner. Yet, in this moment, that concern faded. He was struck by the audacity of those who challenged the Buggy Pirates and obliterated their stronghold.
Were they fearless of death?
Knowing they'd picked a fight with pirates, Boodle couldn't speak, only think.
His eyes were glued to their retreating figures.
Initially, he doubted their claim of coming to help. After talking, he felt a spark of hope, but now worry surged, making him hesitate.
Should he let them go? Yet, a part of him felt expectant.
Boodle stood frozen, forgetting to hide, captivated by the backs of these younger souls.
"Those kids… are they really pirates?" he muttered.
"Seems so. They're insane," Nami replied.
Their shared doubts and fears aligned, letting them talk without introductions.
Unlike Boodle's confusion, Nami's scowl betrayed her frustration.
She knew they'd saved her. Despite her resolve to survive alone, Luffy, who called Buggy "Red Nose," protected her, and Kiri carried her from the explosion. She should be grateful, but something held her back.
Likely because they were pirates.
Saved by the pirates she despised, and still being saved.
Yet, they didn't fit her image of pirates. Their actions were so different, leaving her heart tangled in confusion.
"Are they your friends?" Boodle asked.
"No, I just met them. What about you?"
"Same, just met. But they said they'd save this town."
"Save it?"
"Said they'd drive out those pirates. Didn't think they were serious…"
Nami's gaze snapped to the four figures, incredulous.
Why would pirates drive out other pirates? For treasure? Did they know about the Grand Line chart?
Their motives baffled her, deepening her doubts.
"Why would pirates chase out pirates? For treasure? Or the Grand Line chart?" she asked.
"They're pirate-hunting pirates, they said. Called themselves… Peacemains, I think."
"Pirate-hunting… pirates?"
She muttered, pausing. She didn't fully believe it.
After a brief silence, she turned and walked away, as if done with the scene.
"Ridiculous. Pirates are pirates. Let them fight it out."
"Girl, it's dangerous to wander," Boodle warned.
"It's not my problem. Pirates are all idiots."
Nami strode off, vanishing into an alley.
Boodle watched her go, then turned back to Luffy and the others.
They'd reached the tavern's ruins, standing still, likely waiting for enemies to emerge.
"Luffy, your hat?" Kiri asked.
"Hold onto it. Things might get wild," Luffy replied.
"Got it. Since we're all here, I'll hang back."
"What were you two doing here?" Silk asked.
"You wouldn't get it. Their brains don't work normally," Zoro cut in.
On the verge of battle, they were relaxed, chatting casually. Kiri, wearing Luffy's straw hat, grinned. Luffy stretched his arms, warming up. Silk's question went unanswered as Zoro dismissed it. No tension whatsoever.
As they waited, enemies emerged from the rubble.
Kicking debris aside, a man with a distinctive nose appeared. Buggy, seething with rage, didn't look up, stomping on wreckage. Surprisingly, he had few injuries, barely scratched.
Two others rose nearby.
One was Mohji, who'd fought Kiri earlier.
The other, a lithe man with a unique hairstyle, was Cabaji, the crew's chief of staff. His sharp eyes and muscled frame hinted at strength.
Richie, the lion, arrived late, having been farther from the tavern.
The stage was set.
Buggy lifted his head, muttering with barely contained fury.
"Well, well, you've made a hell of a mess… I'm done. Most of my crew's knocked out. This all that's left?"
"It seems so," Cabaji replied.
"Fine. You won't leave alive! You'll see my true power!"
Buggy drew knives hidden in his clothes, slotting them between his fingers, taking a stance. His crew snapped into action. Mohji grabbed a whip from his belt, and Cabaji, bizarrely on a unicycle, held a sword.
A true circus crew. Eccentric, but ready.
Luffy's group was prepared. Luffy cracked his knuckles, grinning. Kiri, still in the straw hat, held paper between his fingers. Silk drew her sword, and Zoro, smirking aggressively, tied a bandana around his head.
One spark, and the fight would erupt.
Before it began, the captains locked eyes and spoke.
"Straw Hat, apologize now if you value your life," Buggy growled.
"Nope. I'm not dying," Luffy shot back.
"You cocky bastard…! You really want to die!"
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates. Losing to you means I can't sail forward."
Buggy's rage doubled at Luffy's words.
He laughed, then roared with fury. "Talk big, fool! If you're king, I'm a god! You greenhorns don't know this sea!"
"I'll learn it. Starting by beating you."
Luffy's grin pushed Buggy past his limit.
Without warning, Buggy hurled a knife at Luffy.
"You're dead!"
"Let's do this!"
Silk stepped in, deflecting the knife with a swift swing, stopping it from reaching Luffy.
The enemy moved.
Cabaji, on his unicycle, leaped forward, balancing spinning tops on his sword.
"Captain, leave it to me. I'll execute them."
"Go, Cabaji! But leave Straw Hat to me."
"As you wish."
Cabaji pulled more tops, spinning them on his sword and launching them like bullets.
"Acrobatics: Kamikaze Top Theater!"
Over ten tops flew, spinning fiercely.
Silk braced, gripping her sword, ready to knock them down. She knew Luffy could dodge, but she'd stand her ground.
Before she could act, Zoro charged in, dual swords flashing, deflecting every top effortlessly.
Silk's eyes widened. He'd done what she thought difficult with ease.
"Sorry, I'm taking this one," Zoro said.
"Zoro," Silk muttered.
It'd been a while since he faced a skilled foe. Zoro grinned, brimming with intent.
Cabaji's expression shifted, recognizing him. "Let's test a real pirate's strength."
"Roronoa Zoro, I presume," Cabaji said.
"So what?"
"Thrilling. Facing the famed Pirate Hunter. I thought you were a bounty hunter."
"Doesn't matter. This is between us."
Zoro crouched, dual swords ready.
Cabaji smirked, leaping on his unicycle, charging. The swordplay was a blur, metal clashing, neither landing a hit. Their duel shifted, clearing a path for Luffy.
Next came Mohji and Richie, the lion lunging ferociously.
"A lion!?" Silk gasped.
"Damn it, another loss and I'm done for…! You're going down!" Mohji shouted.
Silk froze, overwhelmed by the lion's bulk.
As it descended, a wolf-shaped mass of paper slammed into it, scattering with a flutter, sweeping Mohji and Richie away like a tidal wave.
Silk turned to see Kiri approaching, smiling casually.
She'd been saved again. She'd meant to protect Luffy, but Kiri beat her to it.
Frustrated, she stood beside him, re-gripping her sword.
"No need to rush. One step at a time," Kiri said.
"Right… I'm fine. I'll pull my weight."
"I'm counting on it. I believe you can."
Their shift opened a clear path between Luffy and Buggy. Neither moved, letting their crews clash.
Luffy grinned; Buggy seethed.
Their standoff held, their crews' fights drifting farther. Buggy spoke, rage at its peak.
He saw them as rookie pirates, fresh to the sea, daring to defy him. Only Zoro, the "Pirate Hunter," stood out. The rest were kids. Buggy, "Clown of the Sea," with a 15-million-berry bounty, was East Blue's elite.
They weren't equals.
His pride wounded, Buggy glared from the rubble.
"Kids, you've got some skill. That blond's a Paramecia user, huh? And dragging along the Pirate Hunter. Impressive."
"Giving up?" Luffy teased.
"Shut it! You think that evens the odds? You're nowhere near my level."
"Doesn't matter. I won't lose."
Luffy swung his arm back, aiming at Buggy from a distance.
Buggy frowned, skeptical. No punch could reach from there. He stood, watching.
"Gomu Gomu no—"
"Idiot. Think a punch can hit from there?"
"Pistol!"
Luffy's fist shot forward, his rubber arm stretching, speeding toward Buggy's face. The impossible range stunned Buggy.
He wasn't normal.
Yet, Buggy smirked, unshaken.
As the fist neared, Buggy didn't move. His head detached, floating upward with a pop, dodging the punch.
Luffy's arm snapped back with a slap, leaving him stunned as Buggy's head hovered, sneering.
"Gah!? Your head's flying! And you're alive! What's that!?"
"Gyahaha! You're a Devil Fruit user, too? But so am I. I ate the Bara Bara no Mi—I'm a Chop-Chop Man!"
Buggy was a Devil Fruit user, able to split his body apart—a bizarre ability, even compared to Luffy's rubber powers. Its full danger was unclear, but it excelled at evasion, dodging Luffy's strike. No fluke, it showed skill.
Luffy straightened, eyeing him.
Surprised but intrigued, he regained his composure. "You're a Devil Fruit user, too? Chop-Chop Man's pretty cool."
"Hmph, cool? Eating this fruit was my downfall. And becoming a hammer, all because of that damn Shanks…!"
"Shanks?"
"If he hadn't called out to me, I'd have had treasure and sold the fruit for a fortune. It's all his fault!"
Recalling the past, Buggy trembled, distracted mid-fight.
Luffy, unfazed, watched the floating head, curious.
He'd heard Shanks' adventure tales as a kid, but not his apprentice days. A friend's past piqued his interest, rare for him.
"You know Shanks. Were you buddies?"
"Buddies? More like a cursed tie. Thinking of him pisses me off."
"Why hate him? Shanks is great."
"Great!? You mocking me!? You know nothing! Fine, I'll tell you. Back when we were apprentices on the same ship—"
"Eh, doesn't really matter."
"You just asked, you moron!?"
Luffy's flip infuriated Buggy further.
He wasn't just at odds with Shanks, but Luffy, too.
His rage peaked, face twisting as he re-gripped his knives. Luffy raised his fists.
Talking was pointless. They'd never understand each other.
Pirates both, they saw no need to hesitate with violence.
Buggy's killing intent surged, but Luffy's grin held, unshaken. With his treasured straw hat safe with Kiri, he could move freely. Stopping him was no easy task.
Unaware, Buggy growled, "You and Shanks are insufferable. I'll shred you so you never speak again."
"No way you'll beat me. I'm returning this hat to Shanks."
"Talk's cheap. I'll show you the Bara Bara no Mi's true power—"
They locked eyes, the sounds of their crews' battles echoing. They paused, tension or excitement coursing through them.
Breathing slowly, they readied, shoulders set differently but both unwavering, focused on the enemy.
-------------------------------------------------------
🚀 Want more?
📖 Unlock 20+ early chapters on my Patreon!
💖 Support me here: patreon.com/Greyhounds
🔓 Get ahead of the story today!