Cocoyasi Village, East Blue
"Nami, you are my nakama!"
Luffy's declaration echoed across the ruins of Arlong Park, his voice carrying absolute conviction. The orange-haired navigator, now wearing his precious straw hat, collapsed to her knees as tears of relief streamed down her face. He'd actually done it—this rubber-brained fool had defeated Arlong with his bare hands and freed her village from eight years of terror.
The sight of Captain Nezumi fleeing with his tail between his legs, forced to return Nami's hard-stolen treasure, brought additional satisfaction. That corrupt Marine would never dare exploit Cocoyasi Village again—crossing someone who could demolish the Arlong Pirates was career suicide for a mere Captain.
With their navigator officially joining the crew, the Straw Hat Pirates prepared for the next stage of their journey. Unknown to them, a red-nosed figure was making his own preparations in Loguetown, anticipating the future Pirate King's arrival.
Loguetown, East Blue
Buggy the Clown paced furiously across the deck of his ship, his segmented body language betraying barely contained rage. After his humiliating defeat at Orange Town, he'd finally reassembled himself and recruited new allies for revenge. The indignity of being scattered across half the town still burned in his memory.
"I'm gonna slice that rubber brat into confetti!" Buggy's voice cracked with vindictive glee as he gestured wildly with his detached hands. "And that damned hat—how dare such a precious thing end up on some nobody kid's head!"
He carefully avoided mentioning the hat's connection to Red-Haired Shanks. That particular humiliation remained too personal to share, even with his own crew.
Mohji, draped in his signature white fur vest and gnawing on a massive turkey leg, nodded enthusiastically. "Captain Buggy's plan is absolutely foolproof! That Straw Hat punk won't know what hit him!"
Cabaji balanced expertly on his unicycle while chugging directly from a wine barrel, his acrobatic skills on full display even while drinking. "I'll personally handle that three-sword freak," he declared between gulps. "My circus combat techniques are far superior to his barbaric style!"
Alvida reclined elegantly against the ship's railing, her post-Devil Fruit transformation having turned her from obese terror into stunning beauty. The Sube Sube no Mi had done more than smooth her skin—it had polished her vanity to a mirror shine. "Captain Buggy, you're also a Devil Fruit user. Think you'll make it onto the Sky Screen's list? I'd love to see that day."
Her tone carried subtle mockery. Despite joining his crew for revenge against Luffy, she harbored no illusions about Buggy's actual capabilities. Bullying East Blue weaklings was hardly Sky Screen material.
"Don't be ridiculous, Alvida!" Mohji protested indignantly. "Captain Buggy doesn't rely on his Devil Fruit—he wins through superior intellect and strategy!"
The assessment wasn't entirely wrong. Buggy's use of the Bara Bara no Mi was frustratingly limited. While his torso and arms could separate and fly freely, his feet remained grounded, creating a critical weakness. Beyond a certain range, control became impossible, and even basic combat required careful positioning. For a Paramecia-type fruit, the restrictions seemed particularly harsh.
"Mohji's got the right idea," Buggy preened, puffing out his chest. "Brute force is for mindless animals. Real pirates use their brains!"
His mental plan was already crystallizing—lure Straw Hat Luffy to Loguetown's execution platform and personally end the successor to his greatest humiliation. The symbolism would be perfect: where the Pirate King died, the next pretender would follow.
In the corner, Richie the lion lazily devoured a massive haunch of meat, his once-proud mane now disheveled with grease and wine stains. Defeat at Orange Town had shattered his fighting spirit, reducing the former beast of battle to an oversized house cat who lived for his next meal.
"Raise your glasses, you flashy bastards!" Buggy commanded, his own mug sloshing with cheap rum. "Soon we'll face our enemies!"
"Long live Captain Buggy!"
"The Captain is invincible!"
The drunken cheers of his subordinates swelled Buggy's ego like a balloon. Having such devoted followers would make future treasure hunting infinitely easier. After executing Luffy, he planned to leave this backwater sea behind and seek Captain John's legendary hoard. The title of Pirate King held no appeal—too much responsibility, not enough profit.
Commotion erupted on deck as one of his less intoxicated crew members stumbled inside, face pale with shock. "C-Captain! The Sky Screen—it's showing—the Sky Screen is—"
Buggy's patience snapped instantly. His right hand detached and seized the stammering pirate by the collar, yanking him forward with sudden violence. "Spit it out, you moron! What's got you babbling like an idiot?"
"Captain Buggy," the subordinate gasped, "you're on the Sky Screen! Your image is displayed for the whole world to see!"
Silence crashed over the ship like a tidal wave.
Cabaji's unicycle wobbled to a halt. "Eh?"
Mohji's turkey leg dropped from slack fingers. "What?"
The entire Buggy Pirates crew stared in collective disbelief. "WHAT?!"
Alvida actually choked on her wine, elegant composure shattered by pure shock.
Marine Base, Loguetown
Captain Smoker crushed his latest cigar between clenched teeth as he studied the wanted poster in his hands. A 30 million berry bounty for a rookie's first offense was unprecedented in East Blue's recent history.
"New pirates these days have no shame," he growled, smoke curling ominously around his weathered features. "Thirty million berries for this 'Straw Hat Luffy'? What kind of chaos did this kid cause?"
Seaman First Class Tashigi stood at crisp attention, her report delivered with professional precision. "The bounty was issued by Nezumi following his defeat at Cocoyasi Village. According to medical reports, he's still recovering from his injuries."
"Pathetic." Smoker's contempt was palpable as he touched his cigar to the wanted poster, watching Luffy's grinning face curl and blacken in the flames. "I'll handle this brat personally when he arrives. No rookie with that kind of potential enters the Grand Line on my watch."
As a Logia-type Moku Moku no Mi (Smoke-Smoke Fruit) user, Smoker represented an insurmountable wall for most East Blue pirates. His assignment to Loguetown was effectively a death sentence for ambitious crews—without Haki, no physical attack could touch his smoke-transformed body. The graveyard of pirate dreams he'd created spoke to his ruthless efficiency.
Local merchants had mixed feelings about his presence. Clothing shop owners praised his efforts, describing how Loguetown's security had dramatically improved since his arrival. Pirates no longer rampaged through the streets with impunity, and honest citizens could conduct business without fear.
Conversely, Ipponmatsu of the weapon shop complained bitterly to Tashigi about lost revenue. Smoker's iron grip on pirate activity had devastated his customer base—fewer pirates meant fewer weapon sales, and his family business was suffering accordingly.
A Seaman burst through Smoker's office doors without ceremony, his usual discipline forgotten in excitement. "Captain Smoker! You need to see the Sky Screen immediately! There's a pirate featured on the display!"
Smoker's perpetual scowl deepened. Since the Sky Screen's appearance, he'd exhausted every conceivable method of destroying or disrupting it. Artillery bombardment, smoke attacks, even Seastone weapons—nothing left so much as a scratch on the ethereal projection. For a man accustomed to absolute control, this untouchable anomaly represented a personal affront.
At this point in his career, Smoker's arrogance remained largely justified. His future struggles against increasingly powerful opponents were still years away. Here in East Blue, he was genuinely untouchable—a natural disaster in human form who'd never met meaningful resistance.
"Come on, Tashigi," Smoker commanded, rising from his desk with predatory grace. "Let's see what the future supposedly holds."
"Yes sir, Captain Smoker!"
They emerged from the Marine base to find crowds gathering in the streets, all eyes fixed on the Sky Screen's massive display. The projection stretched from horizon to horizon, visible from every corner of Loguetown.
There, unmistakably featured in living color, was the red-nosed visage of Buggy the Clown.
Smoker's expression shifted from annoyance to outright bewilderment. Even turned to ash, he'd recognize that ridiculous nose anywhere. But Buggy? That cowardly, incompetent pirate who preyed on defenseless civilians and ran from any real challenge?
"What kind of joke is this?" Smoker muttered, smoke rising from his coat collar in agitated wisps. "That pathetic clown couldn't threaten a marine recruit, let alone qualify as a 'world-changing' Devil Fruit user."
Either the Sky Screen was malfunctioning, or the future held surprises that defied all logic and reason.