The atmosphere in the town square was heavy. Smoke still filled the air, and the distant sounds of people in hiding carried fear and anticipation. All eyes were on the decisive confrontation between Luffy and his small crew against Buggy the Clown.
Buggy reassembled his body once more, this time appearing larger and more insane. His eyes were red with rage, and his voice thundered:
"You are nothing but ants under my feet! This town is mine now, and all the treasures belong to me!"
Luffy clenched his fist and said with a defiant smile:
"You're a silly clown... You won't touch a single treasure or person in this town as long as I'm standing here."
Zoro planted his feet firmly and raised his three swords:
"Let's get this over with quickly, my stomach's starting to complain."
Nami yelled:
"You're insane! Buggy isn't just any enemy... We need a plan, or we're all going to die here!"
Adam was breathing heavily, the system screen still visible before him:
[Upgrade Available: Strength Boost – Level 1] [Do you wish to activate it now?]
He muttered to himself:
"Now or should I wait?... If I take it now, maybe I can do something useful instead of just watching."
Then, without hesitation, he pressed it:
[Activated]
He felt a strange heat in his muscles, as if an electric current ran through his veins. His grip on the wooden staff tightened, and it felt lighter in his hand, like a real weapon.
He smiled despite his exhaustion:
"Alright... Let's see, Buggy, what do you think of the upgraded version." —
Buggy blew his body apart again into scattered pieces, directing each part towards a different person. His hands, wielding knives, flew towards Nami, his feet towards Zoro, and his head itself soared towards Luffy as he screamed madly.
Luffy stretched his rubber arms to block the head, Zoro lunged with his swords to cut at the feet, while Nami scrambled back in terror.
Adam shouted:
"Nami, get behind me!"
He leaped with his staff, striking Buggy's flying hand with all his might. It ricocheted far away, to the shock of some of Buggy's pirates.
One of the pirates yelled:
"That kid... how is he stopping the captain's attacks?!"
Adam laughed nervously.
"I don't understand it myself." —
After blocking Buggy's head, Luffy yelled:
"Zoro! Get ready!"
Zoro understood the plan instantly, planting his feet and raising his swords in a serious "Santoryu" stance.
Luffy pulled back his rubber arms with force, shouting:
"Gomu Gomu no... Bazooka!"
His blow launched into the middle of Buggy's body, scattering it into new pieces. Zoro then rushed in like a flash of lightning, cutting some of the pieces before they could rejoin.
But despite that, Buggy's laugh echoed from all directions:
"Hahaha! You can't do it! I'm invincible!" —
Adam bit his lip, then noticed the dog, Chouchou, standing at the edge of the square, barking bravely at Buggy. Something ignited inside him.
"That little dog has more courage than me... I can't just let them do everything on their own."
The system screen displayed:
[New Skill Available: Focused Strike – Can be combined with the current weapon]
Adam gripped his staff with both hands, focused all his energy into it, and then yelled:
"Hyaaa!"
He charged forward and struck one of Buggy's flying pieces with a force that made it crash to the ground instead of returning to his body. For the first time, Buggy's body couldn't reassemble quickly.
Buggy screamed in anger:
"You brat! What did you do?!"
Luffy grinned widely.
"Now's our chance!"
He leaped high, taking advantage of Buggy's confusion, then yelled:
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!"
His rubber fist slammed directly into Buggy's face, specifically on his red nose.
Buggy shrieked in hysterical pain:
"My noooose!!!"
His torn-apart body imploded as he fell to the ground, collapsing in a heap amidst the destruction. —
Silence fell over the area as the dust from the battle began to settle.
Luffy landed on his feet, smiling.
"Shishishishi! It's over, everyone!"
Zoro sheathed his swords and said:
"Finally... I was dying of boredom."
Nami wiped the sweat from her forehead, her breath catching.
"He nearly killed us... but you did it."
Adam sat down on the ground, exhausted, looking at his staff, which was now covered in cracks.
"I thought I wouldn't make any difference... but maybe this system isn't so bad after all."
The dog Chouchou approached him, licking his hand as if to thank him. Adam smiled and patted its head.
"You're welcome, hero." —
Some of the townspeople emerged from their hiding places, applauding with a mixture of fear and amazement. The old mayor approached, crying with joy:
"Thank you... you saved our town from a tyrant!"
Luffy grinned.
"Don't worry about it, we're just at the beginning of our adventure!"
Nami sighed and said to herself:
"This madness isn't over yet... and I'm still not sure if I can keep going with them."
As for Adam, he looked up at the sky and laughed bitterly.
"I just hope not every enemy is as tough as that clown."
But deep down, he was excited to find out what other abilities the system could grant him…