As Bucky had expected, his burst of Conqueror's Haki didn't cause any serious harm to Sakazuki.
Even so, it still made the admiral pause for a fraction of a second. That single instant was all the opening Bucky needed—his towering firestorm surged forward, and at the same time, he swung Flame Sun in a full-powered slash from directly above, sending a second blazing whirlwind hurtling down at Sakazuki.
Faced with this two-pronged assault, Sakazuki suddenly found himself at a disadvantage. Though he managed to block the descending whirlwind with one arm, the combined pressure forced him downward, closer and closer to the sea's surface. For a Devil Fruit user, that could mean certain death.
This had been Bucky's plan all along. He never expected these two strikes to kill Sakazuki outright—his goal was to knock the admiral into the sea. If Sakazuki fell into the water, Bucky could claim the fight as his victory.
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed as the sea drew closer. He knew the danger. If he touched seawater, he'd be powerless—an easy prey for Bucky to finish off.
Relying on his exceptional battle instincts, Sakazuki made his move. Ignoring the firestorm rushing at him from the front, he focused on the one above. His magma-coated fist stretched upward like a spear and smashed straight through the heart of the airborne whirlwind, blasting a hole wide open. Without losing momentum, the punch kept going—straight toward Bucky.
Bucky hadn't anticipated that. He'd thought Sakazuki would use everything he had to defend against the two attacks, not strike back in the middle of such a dangerous position.
The magma fist was on him before he could react. The only thing he had time for was to bring Flame Sun up across his chest.
The blow sent Bucky hurtling high into the air, and the impact knocked him unconscious instantly.
Meanwhile, Sakazuki was in even greater peril. In throwing that punch, he'd left himself completely open. Both of Bucky's attacks slammed into him in full, and the admiral plummeted into the ocean, losing consciousness the moment he hit the water.
Two warriors down.
A black shadow streaked across the sky. A massive golden eagle swooped in, catching the falling, unconscious Bucky before he could plunge any further.
It was Lafitte, user of the Golden Eagle Fruit. He had been circling above the entire time, watching the battle unfold. The fight had been far too fierce for him to intervene directly, so he'd waited for the right moment.
When it seemed Bucky fought with his hand, the sudden reversal had caught him off guard—but he didn't hesitate to dive in and catch his captain.
Glancing toward the spot where Sakazuki had fallen, Lafitte saw no sign of the admiral. Even the sea, still moments ago churned by the force of the two firestorms, had gone eerily calm, as if nothing had happened at all.
There was nothing he could do about it. As a Devil Fruit user himself, diving in after Sakazuki was impossible. And with Bucky's condition looking bad, he couldn't linger here. After a moment's thought, Lafitte spread his wings and carried Bucky toward the retreating Splendor.
Not long after he vanished from sight, a figure—its fate uncertain—slowly floated to the surface of the sea.
A week later, the Marines issued a bounty for Bucky.
The figure was shockingly high for a newcomer: 100 million Berries.
Such a number was unheard of for a pirate's very first bounty.
The notice made no mention of the Ilusia Kingdom incident, instead citing the havoc Bucky had wrought in the Kingdom of Lubni, causing irreversible damage there, and briefly noting that he had escaped from Sakazuki's grasp. These events, they claimed, justified the enormous bounty.
Alongside the notice came a title—a nickname the Marines considered mocking, though oddly fitting: "Clown" Bucky.
The news sent ripples across the world.
New World, Grand Line's first half — On the deck of a ship, a red-haired young man grinned at the bounty poster in his hands.
"Hahaha! Boys, let's throw a party! My brother's officially made the wanted list!"
It was Shanks. He and his crew had recently entered the Grand Line.
Seeing Bucky's bounty brought him no small joy—especially the fact that his first bounty was a staggering hundred million. That proved how seriously the Navy regarded Bucky and how powerful he had become. Pride swelled in Shanks' chest. This was his brother—his strong, unstoppable brother—and that was worth celebrating.
"Captain, what's got you so happy?"
"Yeah, Captain, tell us!"
"Yeah, yeah, what's going on?"
Laughter and teasing rang out from the crew.
"Hahaha! My brother Bucky's been given a bounty—one hundred million Berries! How could I not be happy?"
Beside him, Benn Beckman's brow furrowed. "You mean Bucky? The guy who was an apprentice with you on Roger's ship?"
Beckman knew of Shanks' past and had heard stories of his old crewmate. But one hundred million? That didn't match the image of the "weakling" Shanks had often teased in his stories.
Still, seeing Shanks' grin, Beckman began to suspect the truth.
"That's him," Shanks confirmed. "I didn't expect him to have grown this strong. Even that mad dog Sakazuki couldn't take him down—and the bounty proves the Navy knows it. For all we know, Sakazuki might have taken a real beating from him."
"Hahaha! Well, that's reason enough to celebrate—your brother's got some serious bite now. Party time!"
The Red-Hair Pirates broke out the sake. Later, Shanks wandered alone to the bow, looking out to sea. A chuckle escaped him.
"Haha… Bucky… that's just like you. We'll be seeing each other soon."
Sabaody Archipelago — Shakky's Rip-Off Bar
At a table, a middle-aged man in glasses with an air of refined mischief read the newspaper, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Hahaha, Shakky—would you look at that? Even that brat Bucky's come this far. These youngsters are something else."
"Old fool, I saw it already. And if you try to brag about your two little apprentices again, I swear—last time Shanks got a bounty you went on for a week. Do it again and I'll make sure you can't get out of bed for half a month."
Rayleigh wisely shut his mouth, but the smile didn't leave his face. Still, a flicker of concern passed through his eyes.
New World — On a whale-shaped ship
A massive, giant-like man studied the paper.
"Well, if it isn't that red-nosed brat. He's grown into quite something. Roger's ship sure produced some monsters."
Whitebeard's mind drifted to the past—to the image of two reckless kids charging at him without hesitation, and to the memory of the man who had led them.
New World — Whole Cake Island
Charlotte Linlin, still imposing in her maturity, eyed the photo of the promising young pirate and smiled.
After a moment, she turned to her eldest son. "Perospero, look into this boy's background. If he's worth the trouble, I'll marry Smoothie to him."
"Ma… mama… Smoothie might not agree to that."
"Did you not hear me? I said check. Don't give me useless chatter."
Faced with his mother's dangerous glare, Perospero bowed his head. "Understood, Mama. I'll find out right away."
As he hurried off, Linlin murmured to herself, "Don't disappoint me, little one."
In her hand, the newspaper crumbled to ash.
New World — Onigashima
Kaido glanced at the paper, took a swig from his jug, and muttered with regret, "Not a Zoan user? Shame. When will my Beasts Pirates finally be complete?"
With a shrug, he tossed the paper aside and kept drinking.
Countless others took notice—Moria, Crocodile, Mihawk, and the sea's many rulers.
Friends like Moria were thrilled, eager to meet Bucky again. As for the great powers, some plotted to recruit him… others to destroy him.
One way or another, Bucky's bounty had spread his name across the entire world of One Piece.