Throughout the pirate world, many recognized the immense value of such a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki. Though in the second half of the Grand Line—the New World—pirates wielding Conqueror's Haki weren't exactly rare, the statement that they were "as common as fish in a river" was a gross exaggeration. Those who possessed truly top-tier Conqueror's Haki could be counted on two hands, and both Whitebeard Edward Newgate and Red-Haired Shanks stood among that elite number.
"I didn't expect this brat would come this far," Whitebeard rumbled, his massive frame leaning forward with newfound interest. "The Conqueror's Haki that Buggy just unleashed... it's no weaker than yours, Shanks." The World's Strongest Man hadn't anticipated being so thoroughly wrong in his assessment. Anyone who had sailed with the Pirate King deserved more respect than he'd given.
Shanks stroked his beard thoughtfully, his usually relaxed expression turning contemplative. "His performance surprised me too. A Devil Fruit user who shows no fear of seawater or Seastone..." He paused, shaking his head in disbelief. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never believe such a thing possible."
The red-nosed Buggy displayed in the broadcast felt like a stranger to him. Despite knowing the man for decades, Shanks had never witnessed this untamed, almost regal side of his former crewmate.
Most members of Roger's crew had deliberately avoided Devil Fruits. The strongest among them refused to burden themselves with such glaring weaknesses. Red-Haired Shanks had inherited and developed this philosophy further—Devil Fruit users were scarce aboard the Red Force.
But now someone was demonstrating that consuming a Devil Fruit carried no side effects whatsoever. Even a powerhouse like Shanks felt tempted to seek out a fruit that might complement his abilities, creating a synergy where one plus one truly equaled more than two.
"Next time I get the chance, I'll invite him aboard for drinks," Whitebeard declared with a booming laugh. "Wonder if this brat would be willing to become my son, gurararara!"
Shanks couldn't suppress an eye roll at the older man's words. The old fool really had some nerve—not everyone suffered from daddy issues like Ace. Perhaps Whitebeard had simply been drinking too much sake again.
"Buggy-sama, you've grown so tall! Your entire presence has completely transformed," Alvida purred, still marveling at the change.
"You're so powerful that even lava can't touch you," another crew member added in awe.
Alvida maintained her characteristic haughtiness even now. Moments earlier, Buggy had helped her crush the Seastone handcuffs binding her wrists. "Captain Buggy," she had said with mock reproach, "if you'd emerged any later, that lava would have ruined my beautiful skin."
At this moment, Buggy's height had reached an imposing 4.2 meters. His original clothes, far too small for his transformed frame, had torn completely apart. Rather than diminishing his image, the destruction revealed powerful, corded muscles beneath. Even the painted smile and makeup adorning his face had shifted, bringing him closer to that future image glimpsed in the Sky Screen's revelations.
The Grand Tale System really went all out with this transformation, Kaito thought behind Buggy's altered features. Though I have to admit, this new look is definitely more intimidating than the old circus clown aesthetic.
"The main issue is that you're all too damn useless," Buggy growled in response to their praise. "If I hadn't stepped in, every one of you would've died rotting in that prison."
A massive magma fist plummeted from the sky like a meteor. Buggy raised his right hand with casual confidence, Devil Fruit power surging through his transformed body. "Bara Bara no Net!"
An invisible grid materialized above the Buggy Pirates' heads. When the molten projectile generated by Sakazuki's Ryusei Kazan struck the barrier, the thousand-degree magma was instantly shredded apart. The attack split and disintegrated at the molecular level, transforming into harmless smoke and ash that dispersed into the air.
Still can't believe how broken this ability becomes with proper application, Kaito mused. In the original timeline, Buggy never realized he could affect matter at the atomic level.
Sakazuki observed the entire process with barely contained fury, barking orders to the surrounding Marine ships. "Gunners, prepare for coordinated bombardment! All ships, fire!"
Hundreds of cannons erupted simultaneously from the Marine flotilla. The thunderous roar of artillery filled the air as shells streaked toward the Buggy Pirates' position. Not every shot would find its mark, but as long as they could drain Buggy's stamina, the ammunition would serve its purpose.
Currently, aside from Captain Buggy himself, the rest of the crew posed minimal threat. They simply couldn't withstand bombardment from multiple warships and would ultimately require their captain's protection—exactly the kind of tactical disadvantage Sakazuki intended to exploit.
"Admiral Sakazuki is willing to destroy the entire Marine branch like this?" one officer muttered nervously. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku won't be pleased with the collateral damage."
The initial volleys landed relatively wide of their target, but after range corrections, the Marine gunners found their mark with impressive precision. Their mathematical training showed—the Marines' educational standards far exceeded those of typical pirate crews.
"Bara Bara no Bunkatsu!" (Split Split Partition)
Hundreds of incoming shells fractured into countless microscopic fragments mid-flight, denied even the chance to explode as they crumbled into debris that rained harmlessly to the ground.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Another wave of bombardment followed immediately. Buggy repeated his multi-dimensional fission technique, but this war of attrition couldn't continue indefinitely. God only knew how many shells this "magma dog" had brought to bear. It was humiliating for pirates to endure such one-sided Marine bombardment.
Time to go on the offensive, Kaito decided. Let's see how much a Marine warship costs the World Government.
Buggy vanished from the Marine's sight in the blink of an eye. His speed was so tremendous that in less than two seconds, he materialized less than five meters from the Marine formation.
Concentrating his Devil Fruit's splitting ability into a space no larger than his fists, Buggy prepared his counterattack. Compressing the power this way allowed his disintegration technique to reach targets with far greater speed and precision.
"I won't let you succeed! Meigou!" (Hellhound!)
Admiral Sakazuki intercepted Buggy's advance, one arm transforming into scorching magma as he collided directly with the pirate's devastating technique.
The splitting ability clashed against endless torrents of molten rock, creating a stalemate that defied conventional logic. Sakazuki's basic attacks were trading blows evenly with what should have been an ultimate technique. The Admiral's mastery over his Magu Magu no Mi was genuinely abnormal in its scope and power.
Sakazuki employed his Hellhound with both arms in rapid succession, forcibly countering Buggy's incredible decomposition ability through sheer volume and intensity.
The collision between Buggy's concentrated splitting power and the Admiral's Hellhound eventually devolved into a contest of pure Armament Haki. Thick, black-coated fists hammered against each other, producing metallic ringing sounds with each devastating impact.
His Armament Haki is definitely Admiral-level, Kaito noted, but I've got advantages he doesn't expect. The original Buggy never trained his Haki properly—that's my edge here.
Sakazuki realized he had severely underestimated Buggy the Clown. A man who had developed his Devil Fruit to such extremes also possessed excellent physical combat skills. The Admiral held no advantage in terms of Observation Haki either. After a brief exchange of more than a dozen rounds, he found himself unable to definitively overcome this pirate.
"I will absolutely keep you in Loguetown! Daienfukai!" (Great Eruption!)
Massive quantities of magma erupted from Admiral Sakazuki's right fist like a volcanic explosion. The thousand-degree heat seemed capable of melting anything in existence, instantly engulfing the space directly in front of Buggy.
Same old Sakazuki—always going for overwhelming firepower, Kaito thought with grim amusement. Too bad for him that raw power isn't everything.
"You really underestimated me," Buggy declared with unwavering confidence. "Bara Bara no Sekai!" (Split-Split World!)
The volume of magma resembled a small volcanic eruption, yet against the power of the Bara Bara no Mi, it couldn't even singe Buggy's clothing. The molten assault split into hundreds of smaller streams, all dispersed and divided away from the pirate's position, completely negating its original destructive force.
Sakazuki had wielded his Magu Magu no Mi for decades, but this marked the first time he'd encountered an ability capable of decomposing magma itself. Every previous opponent had chosen to endure his attacks through superior Armament Haki. For the first time, he truly understood that Devil Fruit development determined a person's ultimate ceiling of strength.
Former Admiral Zephyr had criticized current Admiral Borsalino for relying too heavily on Devil Fruit power. Now it seemed that assessment wasn't entirely accurate. Was the age of Haki supremacy coming to an end?
"Sakazuki," Buggy's voice carried across the battlefield with predatory satisfaction, "let me teach you about Conqueror's Haki infusion."
Buggy's towering form broke through the lava blockade, his fist wrapped in crackling Conqueror's Haki as he drove it directly into the Admiral's face. Though Sakazuki had attempted to transform into his elemental state preemptively, the technique proved too fast for him to fully avoid.
His entire face bore the complete imprint of Buggy's knuckles, his nose bridge shattered from the devastating impact. Yet this man, as a Marine Admiral, refused to lose consciousness despite suffering such severe trauma.
Conqueror's infusion really is the game-changer, Kaito reflected. In the original timeline, only the absolute strongest could use it. But with the Grand Tale System's enhancements and my meta-knowledge...
"Meiou no Hashira!" (Dark King's Pillar!)
Sakazuki grasped Buggy's attacking fist, his entire body transforming into a sphere of blazing magma. The molten mass formed a pillar more than ten meters high, completely engulfing both combatants in a towering column of superheated rock...