Luffy moved first. His rubber body allowed him to attack barehanded from any distance. His raised right leg stretched, whipping toward Buggy's body.
"Gum-Gum Whip!"
The kick was fast, aimed at Buggy's stomach, but Buggy split his upper and lower body, the top half flying upward, dodging the strike. Instantly, he countered, knives between his fingers, right arm poised like a gun for a stabbing thrust. Unlike throwing, launching his arm allowed mid-air trajectory changes. Buggy shouted, firing his arm.
"Chop-Chop Cannon!"
"Whoa, it's flying!" Luffy exclaimed.
The detached arm, knives in hand, soared toward him—a bizarre but expected move for a Chop-Chop Human. Luffy dodged, but the arm freely maneuvered in the air, chasing him. Realizing escape was futile, he stopped and grabbed the wrist just before the knives hit his face.
"Hmph!"
"Fool! Detach!" Buggy sneered.
The wrist separated from the arm, too close to evade, and a knife grazed Luffy's cheek, drawing blood. Luffy released the arm, stepping back. The shallow wound stung, but surviving was lucky. As Luffy regrouped, Buggy looked frustrated—his surprise attack should've ended it. Luffy's reflexes and agility were uncanny, turning his face just in time.
Both began to grasp each other's abilities. Luffy's Gum-Gum powers excelled in attack and defense but were vulnerable to cuts. Buggy's Chop-Chop nullified slashes but not blunt force. Each had strengths and weaknesses, with victory hinging on a critical moment.
"So, a rubber body? Looks like slashes work," Buggy said.
"Yup," Luffy replied.
"Idiot, revealing your weakness! Now I've got you!"
Buggy's upper body floated while his lower half tapped the ground, revealing small knives hidden in his shoes, shifting tactics. His halves rejoined, and he raised a leg, gathering force.
"Chop-Chop Cracker!"
His lower half detached, spinning like a giant boomerang with centrifugal force. Luffy calmly jumped.
"Easy," he said.
"Gotcha!" Buggy grinned.
The attack passed beneath Luffy, who was now airborne. Buggy, anticipating this, readied eight knives in both hands.
"Can't move in the air!" he taunted.
He'd planned for Luffy's dodge. Airborne, Luffy couldn't evade further. Buggy threw the knives, targeting the immobilized Luffy, who, unfazed, stretched his right arm to a nearby building's pillar, pulling himself toward it. The knives missed.
Landing unscathed, Luffy watched Buggy grit his teeth as his lower half returned. They faced off again, Luffy with just a scratch. The situation was even.
"Damn rubber, moving better than expected," Buggy muttered.
"That was close. How many knives does he have?" Luffy wondered.
Neither showed fatigue; the fight was just starting. Buggy, frustrated by Luffy's agility, sensed a real threat despite his apparent dimwittedness. Deciding to end it, he smirked, knives in hand.
"Hey, Straw Hat, I'm not playing long. I said I'd show you the Chop-Chop Fruit's power, right?"
"Yeah. So?" Luffy asked.
"Watch this—Chop-Chop Festival!"
Buggy's body split into countless pieces, floating freely, defying gravity—except his feet, stuck to the ground. A miraculous sight to any normal person, it let him evade attacks and strike from any angle. Ramming with non-weapon parts to unbalance foes, then stabbing with knives—a perfect strategy. Buggy's confidence was justified.
Luffy, awed, shouted, "Gyahaha! Look at that! You can't touch me now, but I might stab you from anywhere! Stop me if you can, rubber boy!"
"Got it," Luffy said.
Buggy's parts flew straight at him, their paths erratic and hard to predict. Luffy stood firm, bracing his legs and rapidly pumping his fists, building momentum.
"Gum-Gum—"
"Fool! Your stretching rubber's useless!" Buggy mocked.
"Gatling!"
Luffy unleashed a barrage of stretching punches, rapid and relentless. The sheer volume overwhelmed, dominating the space. Buggy's scattered parts were hard to hit, but Luffy's countless punches landed, memorizing their positions and targeting them precisely.
"Ora ora ora!" Luffy roared.
"Bugheba!?" Buggy yelped.
Pummeled for seconds, Buggy took a final heavy hit to the face, his parts crashing into rubble with a loud clatter.
"Gyaaah!" he screamed, rolling through the debris.
Luffy stopped, breathing heavily, satisfied. "There, stopped you."
Buggy, unheard, emerged from the rubble, reassembling, staggering in pain. "Damn you… that ridiculous attack!"
"Not ridiculous. Dead serious," Luffy said.
"Shut up! I'll wipe you out!"
Luffy's instincts shone in the chaos, countering with raw power. Buggy's rage grew, but he couldn't attack recklessly. Not a thinker, Luffy's instincts were sharp. Buggy scanned the area, spotting a wooden crate near the tavern's ruins—his crew's property. He knew its contents.
Grinning, he ran to it, ignoring Luffy's confusion, and opened it, pulling out a red cannonball with a red-nosed skull mark—a Buggy Ball.
"Gyahaha! Look, Straw Hat, I win!" Buggy gloated.
"Not over yet," Luffy said.
"It will be!" Buggy held up the Buggy Ball, capable of leveling a town, as Luffy had seen when it destroyed the tavern. Without a cannon, triggering it would still cause massive damage.
"Listen, kid, pirates need cunning, cruelty, and victory! Winners make the rules; losers are evil. No matter how dirty, the winner's king!" Buggy declared.
"Hmm. I won't lose, though," Luffy replied.
"You saw this thing's power. I'll blast you and teach you what a pirate is—"
"Enough!" a sharp voice interrupted.
Both turned. An old man in makeshift armor—Mayor Boodle—glared at Buggy.
"Who're you? Townsfolk?" Buggy asked.
"I'm Boodle, this town's mayor! You won't harm it without my permission!"
"Oh? So, if I ask nicely…" Buggy bowed mockingly. "Please let me destroy your town. Good enough? Gyahaha!"
"I won't stand for it! Get out!" Boodle roared.
"What? Rights?" Buggy sneered.
"Yes! For 42 years, we rebuilt this town after pirates destroyed it. Why should you ruin it!?"
"Because I'm a pirate, and you're powerless," Buggy spat coldly, raising the cannonball.
Using centrifugal force, he launched it at Boodle, aiming to wipe out both him and Luffy.
"Protect it if it's so precious!" Buggy taunted.
Boodle stood firm, refusing to flee, glaring at the cannonball to protect his town. His resolve reached Luffy, who leapt between Boodle and the projectile, inhaling deeply. His rubber body ballooned, belly swelling like a balloon, and caught the cannonball, bouncing it back along its path toward Buggy.
"What!? That's insane!" Buggy screamed.
Unable to dodge, the cannonball hit, exploding. A dud, its blast was smaller but still sent Buggy flying through black smoke.
Luffy, relentless, stretched both arms to nearby buildings, launching himself like a slingshot. "Gum-Gum Rocket!"
"Kid, stop!" Boodle shouted.
Luffy closed in on Buggy, stretching his arms back as far as possible. "Hey, Buggy!"
"Straw Hat!?" Buggy yelped.
"That old man wins. Give up."
Smiling, Luffy thrust both arms forward. The recoiling strike, too fast to see, slammed Buggy's stomach with a thunderous sound, sending him soaring out of sight.
Luffy, losing momentum, fell, limbs splayed, grinning fearlessly. Boodle watched, awestruck. This boy—name unknown—saved the town and him, defeating Buggy in a moment of brilliance. Boodle's clenched fist relaxed, his body lightening as he smiled up at Luffy. The town was free.
"Zoro, watch out!" Luffy yelled, spotting Zoro below.
"Huh? Idiot, what're you—" Zoro started.
Too late. Luffy crashed into him. Zoro caught him, taking some pain as Luffy, unharmed by his rubber body, landed safely. Zoro tossed him off, the impact loud but both fine.
"You moron! Why'd you drop on me!?" Zoro growled, smacking Luffy's head.
"Haha, just beat the enemy. My bad," Luffy laughed.
"No scars from enemies, but my ally gets me? Ridiculous."
"Eh, happens. Don't sweat it."
"Not happening again!" Zoro snapped, not truly angry, shaking his head.
Sitting on the ground, they acknowledged each other's victories. No need to ask the outcome—it was clear. They chatted casually in the empty street.
"Win?" Luffy asked.
"Yup. You?"
"Lame opponent. Barely a warm-up," Zoro said.
"Shishi, you're too strong, Zoro," Luffy grinned.
Zoro smirked, their tension easing post-battle. Kiri and Silk ran up, having seen the explosion and Luffy's flight. Surprised to find them sitting, they noted Zoro's unscathed state and Luffy's minor cheek cut.
"Why're you sitting in the street?" Kiri asked, exasperated.
"Not lost. Just heading back, turned right—" Luffy started.
"That's called being lost," Kiri cut in.
"Easy, you two," Silk said, chuckling, stepping between them.
The fight was over. Luffy's slight injury was negligible. They'd defeated the pirates and saved the town. Silk smiled, impressed by their strength—only a minor scratch after a tough battle.
"What now, Captain? Townsfolk might return, but restocking'll take time," Kiri asked.
"Hmm… let's leave the island," Luffy decided.
"No supplies yet," Zoro pointed out.
"It'll work out. I'm fine being Piece Main, but not a hero. We beat them 'cause we wanted to. Getting thanks feels off," Luffy said.
"Fair point," Zoro agreed.
"Crowds are a hassle," Kiri added.
The guys agreed. Kiri turned to Silk. "What do you think?"
"I'm good. Everyone's safe," she said.
"We'll restock elsewhere. Worst case, we've got survival skills for an uninhabited island," Kiri said.
"Booze?" Zoro asked.
"Steal some?" Kiri teased.
"Then Silk'd slice me," Zoro groaned.
Kiri pulled Luffy up, and Zoro stood. United, they headed to the port to slip away unnoticed.
"Zoro, which way's the port?" Luffy asked.
"That way," Zoro said.
"Nope, this way," Kiri corrected.
"Haha, Zoro, you're hopeless!" Luffy laughed.
"Shut up! You know the way?" Zoro snapped.
"Obviously, that way," Luffy said.
"You just said the opposite…" Kiri sighed.
"They're beyond help," Silk muttered.
Their usual banter filled the empty street, battle's weight gone, laughter echoing loudly.
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