“Well, well, if it isn’t Moss Head.” Sanji, hands tucked in his pockets, suddenly spotted a familiar green-haired figure in the crowd and smirked.
“What happened?
Got lost again?”
“I did not get lost!” Zoro snapped irritably.
“I was looking for you idiots, alright?!”
“And I found you, didn’t I?”
There was absolutely no way he had gone the wrong direction.
“Looks like you managed to buy three swords.” Usopp leaned closer curiously, eyeing the two new blades hanging at Zoro’s waist.
“Yeah.” Zoro patted the hilts proudly.
“They’re good swords.”
“Cursed blades?” Kai asked casually.
Zoro looked surprised.
“How’d you know?
You’re not a swordsman.”
“The magnetic field around them feels strange.” Kai adjusted his glasses calmly.
“But judging from the way they react to you, you’ve already subdued them.”
Zoro’s own presence completely overwhelmed the sinister aura of Sandai Kitetsu.
“That’s obvious.” Zoro recalled the gamble where he risked his arm against the cursed sword and grinned.
“A swordsman should always tame his blade.”
Otherwise, the blade would turn on its owner sooner or later.
Kai nodded thoughtfully, staring at the cursed sword again.
Why did cursed blades carry such distorted energy?
Could it be that the swordsmen who died from them had their minds influenced by that strange force?
“Hey!
There’s something happening at the square!”
“What is it?”
“Buggy the Clown is publicly executing Straw Hat Luffy!”
“What?!
Seriously?!
Hurry, let’s go watch!”
“Hah, pirates killing pirates.
Sounds entertaining.”
Hearing the chatter around them, Sanji’s expression darkened.
“Luffy got captured?”
That was definitely not good news.
“Let’s move.” Kai immediately turned toward Nami and Usopp.
“You two head back to the ship first.
The three of us will rescue Luffy and meet up with you afterward.”
“Oh, and take these.”
Kai handed Nami three small metal spheres.
“If you run into enemies, just throw one.”
“Got it.” Nami nodded without hesitation and turned to leave.
“Come on, Usopp.” She glanced up at the sky nervously.
“A huge storm is coming soon.”
Her instincts about weather were never wrong. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
They needed to get back to the Going Merry as fast as possible.
“A storm…” Usopp looked toward the darkening clouds in the distance and immediately believed her.
As expected of their navigator.
“Let’s go.” Kai looked at Zoro and Sanji.
“We save Luffy and get out of here fast.”
“Right!”
…
“Hahahaha!
Straw Hat brat, I finally caught you!” Buggy stood proudly over Luffy, who was trapped beneath the execution platform.
“Now there’s nowhere left for you to run!”
“I’ve been waiting for this moment!”
Buggy’s eyes flickered strangely.
Let me see, Shanks…
Was your choice right or wrong?
Pirate King?
Kid, not just anyone can become Pirate King.
“Sorry…” Luffy said sincerely.
“I won’t do it again.”
“Please save me.”
Buggy: ???
“Who the hell would save you, idiot?!” Buggy nearly lost his mind.
“I’m your enemy, you moron!”
Who begs like that?!
“Hmph.
This is what happens when you oppose us,” Cabaji sneered coldly.
“So the man I fancied only amounted to this much.” Alvida sighed dramatically.
“Well, if he dies here, then I guess he wasn’t all that special after all.”
Buggy’s gaze drifted toward the straw hat.
His feelings were complicated.
But there was no turning back now.
“Got any last words?” Buggy asked.
“After all, you’ve got such a big audience watching.”
When Luffy stayed silent, Buggy clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“Tch.
Whatever.
Whether you talk or not, you’re dying anyway.”
So he’s scared speechless?
For a brief moment, disappointment rose inside Buggy.
Then suddenly, Luffy shouted words powerful enough to shake the entire world.
“I’m going to become the Pirate King!!”
Buggy’s pupils shrank violently.
That brat…
He said the exact same words as Captain Roger.
And in the exact same place.
“What a legendary scene,” Kai muttered as he arrived at the square, tossing a tiny robot from his pocket.
“Stop standing around and save him already!” Zoro and Sanji charged toward the execution platform without hesitation.
Still, his eyes remained fixed on the stormy sky above.
“Let me see whether this is fate… or Dragon’s doing.”
His glasses shifted into full analysis mode.
After a long silence, Buggy suppressed the strange feeling in his chest and looked down at Luffy again.
Then let me test you.
Will this man die here…
Or survive?
Come on.
Let fate decide.
“Time for you to die.”
“Rubber idiot.”
Buggy slowly raised his blade.
“STOP RIGHT THERE!” Zoro roared furiously.
“If you touch him, I’ll cut you down myself!”
“And I’ll kick your head clean off!” Sanji snarled.
“Zoro!
Sanji!
Kai?!” Luffy’s eyes lit up in surprise when he saw them appear.
“You guys came to save me!”
So maybe he didn’t have to die after all.
“Hah.
So you showed up.” Buggy sneered at Zoro.
“Too bad you’re already too late!”
“Watch carefully!”
“Watch your captain die right in front of you!”
“Hahahahaha!”
Come on…
Show me!
Buggy swung his sword straight toward Luffy’s neck.
Realizing his friends wouldn’t make it in time, Luffy calmly accepted death.
“Zoro!
Sanji!
Kai!
Usopp!
Nami!”
“Sorry…”
“I’m gonna die.”
Even while facing death itself, Luffy’s face never lost its smile.
“What?!”
“Don’t say stupid things like that!”
“Damn it… did something go wrong?!” Kai stared up at the sky.
Lightning was already flashing among the clouds, but it might not arrive in time.
Kai slowly raised his hand.
If the lightning failed…
Then he would blow Buggy sky-high himself.