79: Chapter 79 Rubber! The Second ExplosionHe stood in front of the building's gate, leaning on his simple spear, his chest heaving and panting heavily, clearly having run back with all his might.
He tilted his head back, and despite his old age and frailty, his eyes were unusually firm as he challenged Bucky on the rooftop:
"I am Mayor Budru!I have come to protect my precious home!"
"Let's settle this once and for all, Bucky—!"
Bucky, as if he'd heard the funniest joke, transformed the ferocity on his face into utter mockery.He pointed at the mayor and burst into shrill laughter:
"Hahaha!Are you an idiot?The so-called treasure.you mean gold and silver!Sparkling Pele!"
You're telling me this run-down town is a treasure?Don't make me laugh, you old fool!
The mayor trembled with rage, slamming his spear to the ground: "A fellow like you, who only knows how to plunder and destroy."
How could you possibly understand the significance of forty years of hard work and dedication from me and the townspeople?How could you possibly understand our feelings for our home?
"Feelings?What a load of rubbish!"
Bucky's laughter grew even more shrill.He opened his arms as if to embrace the whole world, "I'm the man who's about to dominate the Grand Line and take all the world's magnificent treasures into my pocket!"
All the world's treasures belong to me!
The world.needs no other owner of treasure than myself!
His gaze turned cold and cruel as he looked down at the town mayor."Since you value this dilapidated town so much.then let you and it.disappear from this world!"
Undeterred, the mayor pointed his spear at the rooftop and shouted with all his might, "Fight me before you talk big!I will not let you destroy this town!"
Even if it costs me my old life—!
"You overconfident old fool!"
Bucky completely lost his patience, his face filled with nothing but rage.He suddenly waved his hand and ordered the gunners, "Give me.a spectacular fire—!"
Blast him to smithereens!
"BOOM—!"
The deafening roar of cannons rang out again!
That specially made Bucky bomb, a symbol of destruction, shrieked and carried the scent of death as it left the barrel and hurtled straight toward the old mayor standing alone downstairs, spear in hand!
The shells magnified rapidly in my eyes, and a scorching wave of heat rushed towards me.
In the mind of the old mayor, Budru, flashed images like a revolving lantern of how he and the townspeople had built this town brick by brick from a barren land over the past forty years.
Children's laughter, neighbors' greetings, festival celebrations.
All the precious fragments of memory flashed by.
A single, murky tear slid down his weathered eye.
Is this the end.It's so frustrating.
Just as he closed his eyes to await death—
"Rubber—balloon—!"
A familiar yet vibrant voice exploded in his ears like a thunderclap!
The old mayor suddenly opened his eyes and saw that the boy wearing a straw hat had appeared in front of him at some point!
Facing the massive cannonball hurtling towards him, Luffy took a deep breath, and his entire body rapidly expanded as if being inflated!
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a huge, round, and extremely elastic rubber balloon!
The specially made Buggy Bomb slammed into Luffy's rubbery belly, but the expected explosion did not happen immediately!
The immense kinetic energy of the cannonball was completely absorbed by the extreme elasticity of the rubber, only causing Luffy's belly to sink deeply, forming an exaggerated bowl shape!
"Ugh." Luffy let out a muffled groan, but his face was filled with an excited smile!
The next second—"Hey!"
He suddenly contracted his abdominal muscles, redirecting all the kinetic energy contained within, along with the dangerous projectile itself, back at an even faster speed and with greater force!
"What.what exactly is that thing?"
The pirates on the rooftop stared in horror at this incomprehensible scene, their eyes practically popping out of their sockets!
Bucky was utterly terrified.He stared at the red shell that had bounced back, even faster than before, as if witnessing the most horrific sight in the world once more.His voice was shrill and distorted, filled with despair:
"He's not going to.No!Run!Run!"
His warning was drowned out by the violent explosion of the shell hitting the roof!
boom--!
A terrifying fireball instantly engulfed the rooftop, blasting away the observation post that the Buggy Pirates had temporarily occupied!
The sound of splintered wood, rubble, and screams mingled together, like a chaotic rainstorm.
The strong gust of wind nearly blew Luffy's hat off, but he quickly reached out and held the brim down.Looking at the wrecked rooftop, he grinned and said, "Alright!Fewer enemies~"
At that moment, Zoro arrived with his sword, and seeing this simple and brutal solution, he curled his lip.
"So that's how it was solved?That was.a close call."
Nami ran over, panting, and looked at the blown-up roof and billowing smoke.She asked in surprise, "Huh?Is.is it already resolved?"
Just then—"Cough.cough cough."
Amidst the smoke and dust of the ruins, the sounds of coughing and footsteps could be heard.
As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, Bucky the Clown emerged unharmed, though his face was covered in ash, making him look even more disheveled.
His hands, floating in the air, casually tossed two unfortunate subordinates, who had been knocked unconscious and used as human shields, to the ground.
Buggy crossed his arms, raised his head, and stared intently at Luffy and Zoro with his venomous eyes.His voice was chillingly cold: "How could they be so ruthless."
Nami looked at her subordinates, who had been ruthlessly abandoned by Buggy, and a strong sense of disgust flashed in her eyes: "Using your subordinates as shields.What scum!"
Meanwhile, in another direction, the animal tamer Mochi was covering his hand.With a bleeding backside, he staggered and limped over, still complaining:
"Finally got rid of that stinky dog.It really bit hard."
When he saw the ruins before him, resembling those ravaged by a meteorite, he was instantly stunned and cried out in terror:
"Huh?What.what's going on here?What happened?"
Then, his gaze fell on Luffy, who was confronting Captain Buggy, and he was terrified, his finger trembling as he pointed at Luffy:
"Ah!You.you are."
Luffy noticed him, smiled, raised his hand, and greeted him in a friendly manner:
"Hey!Hello there~"
Mochi, as if he had seen a ghost, raised his hands and screamed at Bucky in terror, "Captain Bucky!Be careful!"
He.he's also a Devil Fruit user!He's a rubber man—!
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