Hidden Corners of the Island
"Damn it, why did i get dragged into such a dangerous mission?!"
In a shadowy corner of the Island, a sneaky figure peeked out nervously.
With his signature red nose and clown makeup, there was no mistaking him—it was Buggy the Clown.
After the Paramount War, Buggy had somehow stumbled into a position as one of the new Seven Warlords of the Sea. Backed by a ragtag band of escapees from Impel Down, he'd gone on to establish the Pirate Dispatch Organization. Now, in the New World, he had no shortage of manpower—or Berries.
"Ugh, I just hope I don't run into that lunatic World."
Buggy's head floated apart from his body, scanning the area independently. Seeing no one nearby, he sighed in relief.
Being forcibly sent by the World Government to intercept Brynndi World wasn't his idea of a good time. But what choice did he have? The weak don't get to argue with the strong.
"Maybe I should just stay hidden here. No one would ever know…"
His eyes darted around. The spot was perfect. Quiet. Secluded. He'd just wait it out.
Unfortunately, his plan didn't last long.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, the wall in front of him exploded, and a figure came hurtling through.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
Buggy panicked, instantly activating his Chop-Chop Fruit powers, disassembling himself midair to avoid getting crushed.
A cold voice echoed through the wreckage.
"Why are you here?"
It was Boa Hancock. She stepped out from the dust, her piercing eyes landing on Buggy with clear distaste.
Before he could speak, she cut him off. "Whatever. I'll leave this woman to you. The rest are mine."
"Wait—hey!"
Buggy tried to protest, but she was already gone.
"Tch, that arrogant woman! Leaving me with this mess—aaaaagh!"
Before he could finish complaining, Buggy let out a shrill scream. His expression twisted in pain.
His detached legs had been stomped on—hard—by a mature-looking woman in glasses.
"Well then," she said cheerfully, "since the Pirate Empress ran off, why don't you be my test subject for some traditional acupuncture?"
Buggy scattered in all directions, limbs flying in a panic.
The woman's name was Nightin. Despite her youthful appearance, she was nearly 80 years old and a master of medicine. Her pharmaceutical concoctions allowed her to temporarily restore her youth.
Unfortunately for Buggy, she was anything but gentle with her experiments.
---
Hancock vs. Gairam
Elsewhere on the ship, Hancock faced off against World's last remaining officer: Gairam.
Gairam possessed the Cube-Cube Fruit, which allowed him to reshape objects into cubic forms. But age had dulled his edge. His strength had waned over the years, and against Hancock, he was hopelessly outmatched.
Within minutes, she crushed him with ease.
---
Final Confrontation
At the ship's highest level, Brynndi World stood waiting.
"Lulululu… so you've made it."
He laughed madly as Hancock stepped forward, her expression calm but eyes blazing.
"Those fools didn't last five minutes," he sneered.
"Hmph."
Hancock didn't waste time. She raised a hand and fired.
"Pistol Kiss!"
Biubiu! Biubiu!
Pink bullets launched from her fingertips, flashing toward World. Seemingly harmless, each one carried the devastating power of her Love-Love Fruit—a single touch could turn a person to stone.
"More 10x Shotgun!"
World crushed a nearby wooden plank and hurled it forward.
Amplified tenfold by the More-More Fruit, the shattered wood transformed into a deadly barrage of high-speed projectiles.
They collided midair, a chaotic clash of force and power.
At his peak, World had been strong enough to make the World Government tremble. Even after years of frozen confinement, his might remained formidable—on par with the Admirals.
Against Hancock, the fight was evenly matched.
---
Hancock closed the gap. Her long, toned legs struck out in rapid flurries, wrapped in pitch-black Armament Haki.
Thanks to unique Amazon Lily training methods, the warriors there mastered Armament Haki more easily than most. Hancock, after years of refinement, wielded it with surgical precision.
World wasn't far behind. His arms also glowed with hardened Haki, and he met her strikes head-on.
BOOM!
The clash sent World skidding backward several steps. Hancock's power had caught him off guard.
"Moa:Tenfold Speed Boost!"
Activating his fruit again, World vanished in a blur and reappeared behind her, fist cocked back for a crushing blow.
But Hancock had already anticipated it.
Her Observation Haki flared, and she twisted midair to dodge, delivering a high-speed counter kick to his head.
World narrowly evaded, his own Observation Haki alerting him at the last moment. He sidestepped, and Hancock's heel smashed into the wall instead.
CRACK!
Chunks of stone exploded outward.
"Tch…"
Her eyes flashed with fury. Without pause, she spun on her heel and reengaged him.
"Lulululu… your strength is impressive," World admitted. "But it's not enough to defeat me."
He grinned as he blocked her next strike and fired back with a swift kick.
Whoosh!
Wind howled as his foot carved through the air.
Hancock arched back gracefully, evading the strike, and retaliated with a rising kick toward his jaw.
Her heel gleamed under the dim light—one solid hit would be devastating.
But World wasn't reckless. He leaped back just in time, barely avoiding her deadly counter.
The battle escalated into a flurry of motion—kicks, punches, and waves of Haki crashing midair.
Both were masters of physical combat, their movements blindingly fast and lethal.
The ship groaned under the pressure of their duel, planks splintering, walls crumbling, neither warrior giving ground.
To declare a victor now would be premature.
This was far from over.
---