"You've misunderstood. We're just ordinary travelers, not pirates," Ryūjin said, facing the angry villagers and Mayor Boodle.
"Have you ever seen a pirate crew with only two people?" Nami added quickly.
Boodle and the others hesitated. They exchanged looks, then studied the two more carefully.
They didn't look like pirates.
The suspicion on Boodle's face weakened slightly.
"Mayor, I saw them come off a pirate ship," one of the villagers insisted.
"It's a misunderstanding," Ryūjin replied with a shrug. "If you don't believe me, go check the ship."
After a brief pause, Boodle nodded and sent a few villagers to investigate.
It didn't take long for them to return.
"Mayor, there's no pirate flag on the ship!"
"I clearly saw one earlier, but it's gone now."
"And there's no one else aboard, just those two."
The villagers spoke over each other, but the tension in the air faded.
Boodle's expression softened, though a trace of caution remained.
After all, the two in front of him were young, clearly still teenagers, and alone. That alone made them less threatening.
"What are you doing in our town?" Boodle asked.
"Buying supplies," Ryūjin answered casually.
There was no way he would tell them he was here for Buggy's Grand Line chart.
Boodle accepted the explanation, though he sighed.
"This town is under the control of a dangerous pirate crew. They're strong and ruthless. Once you're done, leave immediately. Don't wander around."
"Yeah, yeah, got it," Ryūjin replied, waving him off.
Boom!
A deafening explosion suddenly shook the town.
The ground trembled violently, and several houses in the distance were blown apart in an instant, swallowed by smoke and fire.
Nami's eyes widened. "What was that?"
The destructive force was absurd.
One shot had wiped out multiple buildings.
She had never seen firepower like that.
"That damn Buggy again!" one of the villagers cursed.
"This was Buggy the Clown?" Nami asked, stunned.
"Who else?" Boodle's face was filled with anger and helplessness. "He occupies the town and does whatever he wants. Those Buggy Balls of his can destroy entire sections of the village."
Nami's confidence in Ryūjin wavered slightly.
That kind of power was no joke.
Still, the villagers rushed off to deal with the damage, no longer paying attention to the two outsiders.
Ryūjin, however, had already identified the direction of the attack.
"Come on, Nami. Let's go meet Buggy," he said.
They headed straight toward the source.
…
At Buggy's base, the atmosphere was lively.
Laughter, shouting, and the clinking of glasses filled the air as the Buggy Pirates celebrated.
"Captain, those Buggy Balls are incredible!"
"One shot can sink a ship!"
"The Navy's cannons can't even compare!"
"Hahaha!" Buggy threw his head back and laughed. "With my Devil Fruit and my Buggy Balls, ruling the Grand Line is only a matter of time!"
"Captain Buggy!"
"Captain Buggy!"
Cheers erupted around him.
"That's right."
A voice cut through the noise.
The entire base fell silent.
All eyes turned toward the entrance, where a young man and woman stood.
Buggy frowned. "Who are you?"
They clearly weren't locals.
And the townspeople would never dare approach his base like this.
"Captain Buggy," Ryūjin said, his tone casual, "you'll rule the Grand Line one day. You might even become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Seven Warlords?" Buggy blinked, then grinned. "You've got good taste!"
He rubbed his chin, clearly pleased.
"Of course I'll become one. That's easy for me!"
Mochi stepped forward, narrowing his eyes. "This is Buggy Pirates territory. What do you want?"
Cabaji added coldly, "Speak clearly, or don't blame us."
"I'm Uchiha Ryūjin," he replied. "I came to borrow something."
Buggy leaned forward, intrigued. "Borrow? What?"
"The navigation chart to the Grand Line."
For a moment, silence filled the base.
Then laughter exploded.
"Borrow it?" someone shouted. "Is he serious?"
Buggy laughed loudly before his expression darkened.
"You've got guts," he said. "But how do you know I even have it?"
"I have my sources," Ryūjin replied.
Buggy's eyes narrowed. "State your purpose properly. Or I won't be so nice."
"I already did," Ryūjin said, shrugging. "If you don't like it, that's your problem."
Buggy sneered. "You really don't know when to stop. Mochi, deal with them."
"Leave it to me!"
Mochi stepped forward confidently. "There's no beast I can't control."
A massive lion emerged behind him.
Richie.
The beast towered over them, its presence intimidating.
"That thing is huge," Nami muttered under her breath.
"Go, Richie," Mochi ordered.
The lion charged.
Ryūjin didn't move.
As Richie closed in, Ryūjin simply looked at it.
His presence alone pressed down like a mountain.
The lion froze.
Its body trembled violently, fear visible in its eyes.
"Roar…"
It couldn't move.
"Richie! What are you doing?" Mochi shouted.
The lion didn't respond.
It broke.
With a whimper, Richie turned and fled, hiding behind cover and refusing to come out.
Nami stared, stunned.
"He just looked at it…"
Buggy's face darkened.
"What kind of joke is this?"
"Captain Buggy," Cabaji said, stepping forward, "leave this to me."
"Fine. Show him what we can do."
Cabaji leaped into the air and landed smoothly on his unicycle, rushing forward at high speed.
"I am Cabaji, chief of staff of the Buggy Pirates!"
He closed the distance instantly and slashed at Ryūjin.
Ryūjin lifted his hand.
Clang.
The blade stopped.
Held between two fingers.
Cabaji froze, his eyes wide.
He tried to pull the sword back.
It didn't move.
No matter how much strength he used, it remained locked in place.
Ryūjin twisted his fingers slightly.
Snap.
The blade broke in half.
Gasps filled the base.
Breaking steel with bare hands.
That wasn't normal.
Ryūjin brought his hands together.
Wood Release.
Branches burst from the ground, twisting and coiling like living things.
In seconds, every member of the Buggy Pirates was restrained.
No one could move.
The entire base was subdued in minutes.
Nami stood there, completely stunned.
She had thought he controlled gravity.
Now she wasn't sure what he was anymore.