"Buggy the Clown... judging by that stance, you intend to use me as a stepping stone huh? Fufufu."
Donquixote Doflamingo sat cross-legged atop a pile of rubble, looking down at the red-nosed pirate with an air of supreme, terrifying confidence.
His feathered coat rustled in the stagnant air of Mock Town.
"Gyahahaha! What a coincidence!" Buggy stood with his hands on his hips, his white captain's coat billowing behind him.
"I just came to this island to restock supplies, and who do I run into but the Heavenly Demon himself!"
Buggy matched Doflamingo's arrogance beat for beat.
After all, they were figures from the same golden era; Buggy had sailed with the Pirate King while Doflamingo was still a child playing mafia in the north blue.
"How about we exchange a few moves? Joker!"
"Oh? No trash talk and straight to violence?" Doflamingo's grin widened. "I might have underestimated you, Buggy."
Seeing Buggy's reaction, Doflamingo put away his contempt.
This wasn't the behavior of a weakling testing the waters; this was a man confident in his survival!
"Hmph. Let's give it a try then."
As he spoke, Doflamingo's fingers twitched slightly.
"Parasite."
Invisible threads shot out, latching onto Buggy's limbs.
Instantly, the Clown felt his body stiffen.
Under Doflamingo's manipulation, his right hand jerked upward, fingers hooking into a claw to throttle his own neck.
The onlookers watching from the shadows gasped.
"He's already controlled?"
"Tch, the fight is over before it even began."
"Buggy the Clown... a 300 million berry bounty pirate, but it seems like it's all talk."
Hearing the crowd's disappointment, Buggy revealed a confident, jagged smile.
"Joker, if this is all you've got, you're looking down on me."
POP.
The moment Buggy finished speaking, Doflamingo felt the tension in his threads snap.
"Fufufufu~ It seems Sengoku wasn't exaggerating too much. You're not completely useless."
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Buggy the Clown had suddenly split into segments.
His head, torso, and limbs separated, causing Doflamingo's control threads to slip off harmlessly.
A split second later, he reassembled half a meter behind his original position.
"It seems we can't determine a winner just using our abilities," Buggy noted, cracking his knuckles.
"Gyahahaha! Strictly speaking, my ability counters yours!"
Doflamingo didn't deny it.
His Ito Ito no Mi was terrifying against solid opponents, but against a man who could split his atomic structure at will? The strings found nothing to cut.
"But Buggy... do you think I've managed to establish myself in the New World relying solely on a Devil Fruit?"
Buggy shook his head. He knew better.
"Let's try again. If you're not strong enough, I'll use your head to claim a Shichibukai position!"
"Fufufufu! You might die trying, former crewmate of the Pirate King!"
Almost simultaneously, their fists turned obsidian black, coated in heavy Armament Haki.
BOOM!
The clash was cataclysmic.
The shockwave blasted the surrounding buildings into dust, forcing the onlookers to scramble for their lives.
No one knew the exact details of the fight that followed.
Only the ruined town remained as a testament to their earth-shattering confrontation.
In the end, Doflamingo didn't take Buggy's head, and Buggy didn't become a Shichibukai that day.
Perhaps their strength was too evenly matched.
Or perhaps, like apex predators circling each other, they both decided it wasn't yet time for a fight to the death.
...
One Week Later, on the Grand Line.
The Going Merry cut through the waves, the figurehead gleaming in the sunlight.
The Straw Hat Pirates had fully adapted to life back on the Blue Sea.
Well, except during training hours.
Luffy spent his free time roughhousing with Usopp, Chopper, and Chouchou, a tangle of rubber limbs and fur.
Sanji and Zoro were fighting as usual—at least once a day—though the frequency and intensity had noticeably increased.
Each time Nami tried to stop them, they would insist, through gritted teeth, that they were just 'conducting combat training.'
Nami and Robin were glowing.
The skincare products from Sky Island were working miracles.
Nami had regained her original creamy skin tone, shedding the harsh tan of the Monster Mountain Range.
Robin had become two or three shades fairer, her complexion become radiant.
As for Ray, he stood near the helm, his mind was elsewhere.
Aside from training the crew, he spent his time meditating and clearing his thoughts.
The upcoming battle was crucial.
It would directly determine whether the Straw Hat Pirates could survive the inevitable Marine siege.
He continued to build his strength, his Haki expanding outward like a radar, keeping an eye on the world.
...
It was high noon, with the sun blazing overhead.
Suddenly, a hardworking News Coo appeared on the horizon, flapping its wings against the updraft.
Usopp, perched in the crow's nest, adjusted his goggles.
His Observation Haki had developed beautifully; even before his eyes spotted the dot in the sky, his senses had locked onto its presence.
"RAY!" he shouted down. "There's a News Coo nearby. Should we take it down?"
Hearing this, Ray, who was currently engaged in light sparring with Luffy, hesitated slightly.
Usually, fresh meat was the priority.
But today...
"First, see if this bird will deliver newspapers to us," Ray called back. "If it tries to avoid us, then take it down."
"Roger that!"
Luffy, however, had other ideas.
"Meat..." he drooled. "News Coos fly all year round... their meat is super chewy!"
Even Sanji paused his kick practice. "I have to admit... among all the birds I've cooked, News Coo meat currently ranks in the top three for flavor."
Although the Straw Hat Pirates hadn't experienced food shortages recently thanks to the gold exchange, old habits died hard.
The crew sighed collectively at the sight of their captain already preparing a fork and knife.
"Fine," Ray relented, seeing the hunger in their eyes. "We've eaten so many along the way anyway—one more won't make a difference."
Usopp nodded, raising his newly modified slingshot.
It was enhanced with various Dials from Sky Island, a lethal weapon in the hands of a sniper.
He drew a bead on the bird.
According to the perception of the crew's Haki users, the News Coo was flying steadily toward them, unaware of its impending doom.
"Um..." a soft voice interjected. "Maybe we should let it go?"
Robin stood by the railing, looking up at the bird with a gentle expression.
She had a soft spot for these hardworking little animals who connected the world.
Seeing Robin's expression, Luffy blinked.
He swallowed his saliva, the gluttony fading instantly. "Okay! If Robin wants to let it go, we let it go!"
Ray watched this interaction, his expression calm, but inwardly, he smiled.
'It seems Robin has truly opened up.'
When a person who has lived in loneliness for twenty years starts making small requests or showing mercy, it means they genuinely trust the people around them.
They feel safe enough to be soft.
Whether a mere News Coo lived or died didn't matter to Ray.
Trust and cooperation among comrades were what mattered most.
From a selfish perspective, a cohesive unit was less likely to hold him back.
But Ray knew his motivations were shifting.
The ratio of selfishness to genuine care was changing.
He wanted them to be happy.
Thus, this bird became the first News Coo to leave the Straw Hat Pirates alive since they set sail from the East Blue.
An absolute honor—the overlord of lucky birds.
The bird landed on the railing.
Robin placed 100 Belly into its pouch, took the newspaper, and gently sent it on its way.
"Let's see what's happening in the world," Nami said, leaning over Robin's shoulder.
Robin unfolded the paper.
Her eyes scanned the front page, and her breath hitched.
[MAJOR SHAKEUP AMONG THE SHICHIBUKAI!]
[STRAW HAT PIRATES REFUSE WARLORD TITLE—WORLD GOVERNMENT HUMILIATED!]
[MARINE HQ MOBILIZING? A SIEGE IS IMMINENT!]
Seeing the bold black letters, the relaxed atmosphere on the deck vanished instantly.
Everyone's hearts tightened.
The training was over.
The war was coming to them.
--------
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