As Benson stepped onto the rooftop, the atmosphere was filled with joy. Everyone held up their wine glasses, happily watching a performance, completely unaware of his presence.
Buggy sat in the main seat, laughing as he raised his own glass of wine.
His infamous red nose was large and unmistakable. Benson even felt an urge to go up and touch it, just to see if it was real or fake.
But eating was more important. Without hesitation, Benson found a seat and began devouring the food. At first, someone handed him a glass of wine, and he accepted it without noticing anything amiss. After all, in this place, there was only Buggy's crew; no outsiders were present.
As Benson continued eating more and more, people began to sense that something was wrong, especially Buggy.
Everyone followed Buggy's gaze and stared at Benson. Suddenly, the festive atmosphere quieted. But Benson remained oblivious. After quickly finishing the food on one table, he moved to the next, and then the next...
The entire crew exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of how to react.
That is, until Benson reached Buggy's table, ate all of Buggy's food, and even grabbed the large chicken leg from Buggy's hand...
"You!" Buggy finally snapped. He jumped onto the table and shouted, "Who the hell are you?" Buggy thrust his face forward, glaring at Benson.
When Benson looked up, he saw Buggy's big red nose right in front of him.
Just when everyone expected Benson to run away in fear...
"Eh?"
To their astonishment, instead of fleeing, Benson reached out and grabbed Captain Buggy's red nose!
"It's real!" Benson said in disbelief, pinching Buggy's nose. The texture was unbelievable!
"Omae…"
Buggy's face darkened, and the crew quickly backed away, sensing their captain's fury.
They knew their boss never tolerated anyone touching his nose. But today, someone had dared to take advantage of it!
And pinched it!
"Ah, sorry. My hands are greasy. My bad." Benson casually wiped his hands on Buggy's clothes.
Buggy was now livid. He kicked the table over in one swift motion. Benson leaped back, landing gracefully on the floor, all while finishing the chicken leg in his hand.
"Thanks for the meal," Benson said nonchalantly, ready to head for the stairs.
"You don't think you can just leave after disrespecting me!" Buggy roared, moving to block Benson's path at the stairs. "Do you even know who I am?"
"Does it matter?" Benson asked.
Buggy sized up the ragged, thin man before him. He wasn't on any wanted posters, just some no-name vagabond. But to think this homeless guy had the audacity to humiliate him?
Yes! He pinched his nose, making him a laughingstock!
"Boys, kill him!" Buggy shouted to his crew.
The pirates immediately dropped their drinks, grabbed whatever weapons were at hand, and rushed at Benson.
"Die!" The leading pirate swung his sword at Benson. By this point, more than thirty pirates had surrounded him.
If this had been before, Benson might have panicked, but not anymore!
Benson grabbed the leading pirate and hurled him like a rag doll into the others, knocking out a dozen of them on his right.
"Argh!"
The pirates screamed as they were thrown to the ground.
Benson then kicked the nearest pirate, sending him flying and taking five or six more with him down the stairs.
"Ugh..." The ones who were kicked downstairs groaned, their own weapons nearly stabbing them as they tumbled.
"That's the fourth floor... They're probably crippled," muttered a pirate standing at the edge. He swallowed nervously as he looked down at his fallen comrades, motionless below.
The rest of the pirates, though armed, stopped in their tracks, hesitant to approach Benson.
"Out of the way!" A lion suddenly charged forward from behind Buggy's seat, with a man covered in fur riding on its back. It was Mohji, Buggy's first mate and animal trainer.
The lion, Richie, lunged at Benson, claws extended. Benson swiftly ducked to avoid the attack and then stood up, delivering a punch to Richie's stomach.
"Ugh..." Richie's stomach churned, and he collapsed to the ground, with Mohji tumbling off him.
Benson hadn't even used the full power of his modifier, only about 20% of his strength.
"Richie!" Mohji scrambled to his feet, rushing to his lion's side, looking utterly devastated.
"Do I really have to deal with this?" A new figure emerged from the shadows, riding a unicycle. It was Cabaji, Buggy's chief of staff.
Before Cabaji could make his move, Benson stepped on his unicycle halting him mid air.
Benson turned to face the remaining pirates,
who immediately took a few steps back, shaking in fear. None of them dared to advance.
After all, both the vice-captain and the chief of staff had been taken down with a single blow. Who would be foolish enough to try their luck now?
"What a pathetic crew." Buggy growled
as he watched his men fall one by one.
Furious, he cursed at them for their
Cowardice. But even Buggy had to
admit that the guy in front of him had
Some serious st rength.
Still, none of that mattered against
Buggy's Devil Fruit powers!
"Are you sure you still want to fight me?" Benson asked, turning to Buggy. "I was going to let you off the hook since you treated me to dinner, but you've been rather rude."
"Die!" Buggy shrieked, and in an instant, one of his hands—clutching four knives—launched itself at Benson from behind.
Benson, already familiar with Buggy's Bara Bara no Mi powers, had noticed the missing hand earlier. With ease, he sidestepped the attack, allowing the knives to pass harmlessly by. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed Buggy's detached hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Ah! It hurts! It hurts!" Buggy howled in agony. Despite his body being separated, the pain still coursed through his nerves, sending waves of torment throughout him.
Benson tightened his grip, looking calmly at the frantic Buggy. "Strange, isn't it? You can split your body into pieces, but the pain... it's still very real."
Buggy's eyes bulged in pain and anger, unable to break free from Benson's iron grasp.