Above Loguetown, lead-grey storm clouds silently gathered, like a heavy curtain slowly drawing closed, gradually devouring the once scorching sunlight.
The air became heavy and oppressive, seemingly portending an approaching storm.
In the center of Loguetown's plaza, beneath the famous execution platform symbolizing "the end," the crowd was stirring and seething.
On the execution platform, the East Blue's newest and most notorious villain—the rising Straw Hat Luffy—and the infamous Buggy the Clown were causing a commotion, attracting everyone's attention.
Tomioka finally arrived here, surveying the chaotic scene, confirming his destination.
"We're here."
He instinctively turned his head, but there was no one beside him; Zoro, who had been there moments ago, was nowhere to be found.
The tip about "Lost?" from the [Interpersonal Communication Manual] silently flashed through his mind.
'…It really is true.'
For a moment, Tomioka felt an inexplicable fondness for the manual that had accompanied him these past few days.
His gaze refocused on the execution platform, where a black-haired youth wearing a Mugiwara was restrained by a red-nosed Clown using a wooden guillotine.
Tomioka no longer hesitated and began to move silently towards the front of the crowd.
On the execution platform, Buggy the Clown stood with his feet apart, arms spread wide embracing the sky, and loudly declared in a theatrical tone:
"The criminal Monkey D. Luffy is guilty of the crime of [offending this great me through insolence]!"
"Sentenced to death!!!"
"Make some noise, you brats! Hahahahaha!"
The pirate underlings below immediately brandished their swords, fired their guns into the air, and responded with fervent shouts.
"Monkey D. Luffy…" Tomioka murmured the name. The "interesting Mugiwara kid" the tavern owner spoke of must be him.
The whispers and fearful trembling of the surrounding commoners reached his ears.
"That guy… that guy is the Captain of the Buggy Pirates!! Buggy the Clown! The legendary demon whose body can split into a thousand pieces!"
"How terrifying, it's that Buggy the Clown. Husband, let's go quickly."
"No, he just said to stand still. If we move, he'll definitely kill us."
"Then let's wait for Captain Smoker."
"Right… right! If Captain Smoker comes, he'll definitely arrest them all!"
'His body can split into a thousand pieces? A demon?'
Tomioka's gaze narrowed slightly. There were no demons in this town, but there were beings called "devils"? He began to lightly rest the fingertips of his one arm on the nichirin blade's tsuba, pushing forward steadily through the crowd.
"Now, public execution—death penalty!!!"
Buggy's voice once again echoed through the plaza. At the same time, the overhead storm clouds completely enveloped the area, and the sky quickly darkened.
"Do you have any last words? It's rare to have so many spectators." Buggy looked down at Luffy mockingly.
Luffy was silent for a moment, then suddenly took a deep breath, and with all his might, shouted to the entire plaza:
"I am!!!"
"The man who will become the Kaizoku-ō!!!!" [Pirate King]
If you don't like Japanese-style terms such as Kaizoku-ō or Mugiwara, leave a comment and I'll change them.
Whoosh—!
These words instantly caused the crowd to erupt.
"Kaizoku-ō?!"
"To say such a boastful thing in a place like this?!" "Trapped in a guillotine and still dare to say that!?"
And Tomioka, at this moment, finally pushed through the crowd, standing at the very front, clearly seeing everything on the platform.
"Oh?" Buggy's attention was immediately drawn to the suddenly appearing cold-faced swordsman. "You! I just said no moving! Are you taking the words of Lord Buggy lightly?!"
His gaze fell on Tomioka's empty sleeve, and his playful expression suddenly turned grim: "Ah~ how infuriating… it reminds me of a certain annoying Red Hair bastard! Then I've decided, today you'll be buried with this Mugiwara!"
Before he finished speaking, one of Buggy's arms suddenly detached from his body, fingers clutching several cold, gleaming throwing knives, which whistled like arrows from a bow, shooting towards Tomioka!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Tomioka's eyes showed no ripple; his nichirin blade didn't even need to be drawn.
He merely flicked his wrist with a slight force, precisely and swiftly blocking the attacking arm, which was holding the throwing knives, with his scabbard.
Clang clang clang!
The throwing knives were all deflected, scattering across the ground. And the detached arm quickly flew back to Buggy's body.
"Hahahahahaha!" Buggy laughed, feigning composure, "I am a Chop-Chop Human who ate the Chop-Chop Fruit! Slashes are useless against me! My apologies!"
However, he was inwardly startled: 'This guy… the force from that block just now numbed my arm to the core!!'
Tomioka's gaze passed over Buggy and landed on Luffy.
The tavern owner's words echoed in his mind— "If it's him, I believe he can definitely break through."
His objective was clear and precise.
"You cannot kill that man wearing the Mugiwara."
Buggy bared his teeth, his smile turning ferocious: "Your arrogant demeanor is becoming more and more like that guy, which makes me extremely displeased! But—" He suddenly raised the scimitar in his hand, "I'm going to slaughter this Mugiwara right now! What can you do?!"
"You brats!" He roared at the crowd below, "Don't let this one-armed bastard take another step forward!"
"Yes! Captain Buggy!"
A group of pirates immediately clamored and surrounded Tomioka. Meanwhile, Buggy raised his scimitar behind his head, the blade aimed at Luffy's neck, ready to strike.
"Stop right there!!!"
A familiar roar suddenly came from the back of the plaza. Tomioka glanced sideways; it was Zoro, who had gotten separated earlier, and beside him was a man with golden hair and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Both were desperately rushing towards them. The terrified crowd parted to clear a path for them.
But Buggy's pirate subordinates immediately split off some men, howling as they tangled with Zoro and the blond-haired man.
Left in front of Tomioka were only an acrobatic swordsman on a unicycle juggling swords and a slender woman carrying a huge spiked club.
"Our Captain said not to let you take another step, you know~" the acrobatic swordsman cackled. "Any further, and we'll put you in a guillotine trick too!"
Tomioka looked at the execution platform, where Buggy's scimitar was fully charged and about to descend.
There was no time.
His eyes instantly sharpened.
"Water Breathing, Second Form Modified: Water Wheel!"
His sole arm instantly swung his nichirin blade, his body rotating like flowing water. It wasn't a slash, but rather a precise strike with the hilt and scabbard, swift yet non-lethal, hitting the necks and heads of the two blocking his path.
Bang! Bang!
The two unlucky pirates blocking his way didn't even realize what had happened before their vision went black, and they collapsed limply to the ground.
'If slashes are truly ineffective against him... then I'll destroy the entire platform first!'
Just as Tomioka put force into his legs, preparing to charge towards the base of the execution platform—
Luffy's shout came from the execution platform, his voice strangely mixed with apology and pure frankness, cutting through the din:
"Zoro!! Sanji!! Usopp!! Nami!!"
"Sorry!! I'm going to die!!"
Tomioka's heartstrings felt inexplicably plucked by something. But he didn't hesitate for a moment; the air in his lungs was maximally compressed, and power surged into his legs.
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust - Warp!"
His figure transformed into a blue streak of light speeding close to the ground, aiming directly for the weathered wooden base of the execution platform! The tip of his nichirin blade gathered cold water vapor, as if truly drawing water.
And almost at the exact same instant—
The sky was completely torn apart by a pale white lightning bolt!
Boom!!!!!!
Deafening thunder swallowed all sound in the world!
Under everyone's horrified gaze, the swordsman's resolute thrust and the thunder of an enraged god struck the execution platform almost simultaneously!
A violent explosion occurred! Wood splinters, sparks, and charred fragments flew wildly everywhere!
That execution platform, which held the legend and end of the Kaizoku-ō, under the combined force of nature's power and human resolve, collapsed with a crash, turning into a burning ruin!
Tomioka's figure narrowly leaped backward an instant before the explosion, and hot debris, like raindrops, flew past his haori.
He landed steadily, standing with his one arm holding his blade amidst the heavy rain that had begun to fall, gazing at the ruins.
'How could it be… such a coincidence?'
For a moment, he was even in a trance, unsure whether the lightning that had just descended from the sky was a pure coincidence or if someone had deliberately controlled it.
When destroying the execution platform, he looked up and saw clearly that just as the blade was about to touch the Straw Hat's neck, the lightning from the sky immediately struck Buggy the Clown with precise accuracy.
Amidst the ruins, Buggy the Clown lay sprawled on the ground, eyes rolled back, clearly stunned by the lightning strike.
And the black-haired youth in the red vest—Monkey D. Luffy—stood up from the ruins as if nothing had happened, brushed the dust off himself, picked up the Mugiwara that had fallen nearby, and skillfully put it back on his head.
"Hahahaha!" He let out his characteristic laugh, filled with the pure joy of surviving, "I'm still alive!"
Then, he suddenly turned his head, his eyes shining as he looked at Tomioka, who stood with his blade not far away, his face filled with the wonder and excitement of discovering a new world, and he shouted loudly:
"Your move just now was so interesting! I saw it! How did your sword spray water like that?!!!"
[Power Stones Required]