On the rooftop terrace of a bar in Orange Town—the stronghold of the Buggy Pirates.
"Oh! My minions! Let us give a warm welcome to Nami for joining our crew! Gah-hahahaha!"
The red-nosed Buggy the Clown held his glass high, letting out a shrill, piercing laugh.
"OHHH—!!" Below him, pirates brandished cutlasses and raised tankards in a festive frenzy.
In the center of the terrace, a massive iron cage stood out like a sore thumb. Luffy was locked inside, but he lacked any semblance of being a prisoner. He had stretched his rubber arm through the bars, desperately trying to reach a plate of roast chicken on a nearby table.
"Meat... that's my meat..." Luffy drooled, his fingers just centimeters away from the plate.
Nami stood beside Buggy, a stiff, fake smile plastered on her face while her mind raced. Just endure a little longer... once they're drunk, I'll steal the Grand Line map! And maybe all the treasure this red-nose has hoarded for years...
"Oh! My minions! I am simply too happy today!" Buggy suddenly interrupted her thoughts, jumping onto a high platform and waving his hand grandly. "To celebrate our new navigator Nami, prepare the Special—Buggy Ball!!"
"Yes, Captain Buggy!"
Several burly pirates grunted as they pushed forward a large cannon painted with a clown face. They carefully loaded a bright red cannonball emblazoned with a skull into the muzzle.
Nami blinked. "What... what is that for?"
Buggy's face twisted into a sinister grin. "Watch closely. This is what happens to those who defy me! Light the fuse!"
As the fuse burned down—
BOOM—!!!
An earth-shattering blast nearly burst everyone's eardrums. The red projectile screamed through the air, leaving a terrifying trail of red light before slamming into a row of houses in the distance.
CRASH! RUMBLE—
There was no fire, only pure destructive force. The entire row of sturdy brick houses was leveled instantly, turned into a wasteland of dust and rubble.
Nami's jaw dropped, her glass nearly slipping from her hand. This power... it was like a natural disaster!
"Minions! Look at that magnificent destruction! Gah-hahahaha!" Buggy laughed, spreading his arms wide.
On the other side of town.
The five-man group racing through the streets skidded to a halt.
"What was that noise?" The three pirate lackeys were so terrified their legs turned to jelly. They pointed at the rising mushroom cloud, teeth chattering. "That... that's Captain Buggy's secret technique... the Buggy Ball! It's a power that can destroy a whole town!"
Zoro frowned, his hand dropping to the hilt of his sword. "That's quite a racket."
Viktor looked at the rising smoke, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Looks like the party has already started. Zoro, pick up the pace."
"Yeah, yeah, Vice-Captain."
Back on the terrace.
"Gah-hahahaha!" Buggy pointed at the ruins, gloating to Nami. "With these Buggy Balls and my Chop-Chop powers, I will definitely conquer the Grand Line! Right, Nami?"
Nami suppressed her terror, nodding palely. "Y-yes, Captain Buggy."
"Hey! Red-Nose!"
A blunt voice broke the mood. Luffy, having finally given up on the roast chicken, chimed in from the cage. "What are you talking about? The one who's gonna conquer the Grand Line and become King of the Pirates—is me!"
The air froze. Buggy's face turned the color of a bruised plum, veins throbbing on his forehead.
Nami nearly fainted from fright, quickly trying to smooth things over. "You... you suicidal idiot!!"
"Gah-hahahaha! King of the Pirates?" Buggy's anger turned into a venomous laugh. His eyes darted between Luffy and Nami. "Listen, Nami. I see why you can't stand this fool. So, I'll give you a chance to prove your loyalty."
He pointed at the smoking cannon, grinning wickedly. "I'll gift you a Buggy Ball. Use it to blow him to smithereens!"
"OHH! BLOW HIM UP!" "DO IT! DO IT!"
The pirates jeered as they adjusted the cannon, its black maw pointing directly at Luffy in the cage.
"D-do it?" Nami looked at the burning match thrust into her hand, her whole body shaking. "Uh... how about we skip it? It's a party, let's just drink..."
"DO IT!!" Buggy's smile vanished, replaced by cold murderous intent. "This is the rule of my crew! If you don't kill him, you're a traitor!"
Nami swallowed hard. She looked at Luffy in the cage, then at the savage pirates surrounding her. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Was she really going to light it? One shot and that straw-hat boy would be ash.
"Hey, why are you shaking?" Luffy asked calmly from the cage. "It's because you have a half-hearted attitude. You don't have the resolve."
"Resolve?" Nami turned, screaming hysterically. "What nonsense! Is taking someone's life so easily what you call resolve?!"
"No. It's the resolve to put your own life on the line," Luffy said simply.
"Hey! Newbie! Stop stalling!" A burly pirate lost his patience and snatched the match from Nami. "Don't even have the guts for this? Watch, this is how you light a fuse!" He struck a fresh match, a cruel sneer on his face. "Die, kid!"
Watching the flame approach the fuse, the string of logic in Nami's mind snapped.
"I won't... I won't do it!" Nami suddenly pulled two wooden sections from her thigh and snapped them together.
THWACK!
Just as the match was about to touch the fuse, Nami slammed her staff into the back of the pirate's head! The man didn't even groan; his eyes rolled back as he slumped to the ground.
Silence fell over the terrace. Every pirate was stunned.
"Crap... my body just moved on its own..." Nami's face was deathly pale.
"NAMI!!" Buggy roared in fury. "What is the meaning of this! There's a limit to making a fool of me!!"
"I'm sorry!!" Nami bowed instinctively.
"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT!!" Buggy's detached hands shook with rage. "Minions! She's a traitor! Kill her grandly!!"
"KILL HER!!" A dozen pirates brandishing scimitars surged toward Nami like a tide.
Nami gripped her staff, watching the snarling faces approach. Her fear was at its peak, but her grip remained firm. "I won't... even if I die... I will never become a cruel pirate like you lot!!"
"Then die, brat!" The lead pirate raised his blade.
Just as Nami closed her eyes in despair, the temperature in the air skyrocketed. A clear voice, accompanied by the sound of rapid, complex hand seals, rang out from the edge of the terrace.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
WHOOOOOOSH—!!!
A terrifying heatwave erupted from the roof beside Nami! A massive, orange-red fireball over five meters in diameter screamed past her with the momentum to incinerate everything in its path, slamming directly into the charging pirates!
BOOM—!!
The flames exploded!
"AAAGH!!" "IT'S BURNING! HELP!" "WHAT IS THIS?! FIRE?! HOW IS THE FIREBALL SO BIG?!"
The lead dozen pirates were instantly swallowed by the flames, screaming as they scattered. The dense formation collapsed into chaos.
Nami felt the heat scorching her cheeks. She opened her eyes in shock, staring at the magical scene before her.
"Looks like... I made it just in time."
A voice tinged with a smile came from above. Nami looked up instinctively. On the wall nearby, a black-haired youth held a single-handed seal. His crimson Sharingan eyes, reflected in the firelight, looked hauntingly beautiful and mysterious.
Viktor looked down at Nami and smiled slightly.
"Beautiful young lady, do you need some help?"