Luffy and Zoro, after meeting Nami, learned from Mochi that Kaito Sakamoto had joined the Buggy Pirates. To clarify the situation, they took care of Mochi and Ritchie, and followed Nami and the town mayor to the tavern where the Buggy Pirates were stationed. They were expecting a battle, but instead, they saw Kaito casually leaning against the rooftop, holding a cocktail and watching them with a relaxed expression.
"You guys are a bit late," Kaito said, his tone light.
This peaceful scene was a stark contrast to what had happened an hour earlier...
An hour ago, just after Mochi had left the tavern's rooftop, Buggy spoke grimly.
"Alright, time to deal with the useless ones."
"We don't need useless people in the Buggy Pirates!" he sneered.
The three men who had been freed by Zoro and Luffy had just relaxed, but the fear was quickly creeping back into their chests, and cold sweat began to pour down their faces. Who else could Buggy be talking about if not them?
"Captain Buggy!" they cried, trembling. "We're sorry! We were wrong! Please spare us, Captain Buggy!"
Buggy turned, his oversized red nose nearly touching their faces.
"Who am I?"
"A pirate... Clown... Buggy-sama," the three replied, shaking.
"Ha ha ha!" Buggy laughed. "Good! Now you know! I'm the Clown Buggy!"
"My ship doesn't allow useless people!!"
Buggy stood up straight, laughing maniacally. The three men, seeing their fate sealed, scrambled to escape, desperately running for their lives.
"Run? Do you think you can escape? Ha ha ha!!"
Buggy laughed and with a flick of his arms, grabbed a rope and flew toward them, tying them up tightly in the blink of an eye.
"Still trying to escape? Brave, aren't you? Let's send you off with a special Buggy Bomb! Ha ha!!"
"Men! Load the special Buggy Bomb into the cannon!"
Buggy ordered, controlling his arms to drag the three men in front of the cannon. His crew obeyed and loaded the specially made Buggy Bomb into the cannon.
"No! Please, no! Don't do it!!"
"Captain Buggy, please spare us!!"
The three men stared at the dark barrel, their hearts sinking, but they still foolishly hoped Buggy would spare them, begging for mercy.
Kaito, sitting and eating his steak, casually wiped his mouth with a white cloth. He sighed. "Ugh, even eating in peace is impossible around here."
The crowd was cheering, eagerly waiting for the "fireworks show," but Kaito suddenly spoke up, breaking the tension with a sentence that didn't fit the mood.
"Hm? Finished eating?"
"Perfect. You can light the fuse, Kaito," Buggy said with a sinister grin. Kaito didn't seem bothered as he continued wiping his mouth.
"What? You scared?"
Kaito put the cloth down and smiled. "What's there to be scared of?"
He walked over to the cannon and took the torch from the crew. The three men, shaking their heads in fear, begged Kaito not to light the fuse, but there was no mercy in his eyes. He lit it without hesitation.
The three of them stopped struggling, accepting that they would face their death with some dignity.
As Kaito watched the long fuse burn, he couldn't help but think about how foolish the person who designed it must have been. He didn't really care though.
With the fuse lit, the crowd resumed their cheers.
Kaito, however, felt more certain now than ever: not all pirates were like Luffy and his crew. Pirates' hands would inevitably be stained with blood. He hoped he would never become one of those who killed for fun.
The crowd cheered, waiting for the cannonball to launch, ready for a grand "firework" display. But with one swift move, Kaito suddenly kicked the cannon, causing it to spin. The barrel turned, and now it was aimed directly at Buggy and his crew. The fuse was still burning.
"!!!!"
The faces of the cheering crowd immediately turned to panic.
"What are you doing, Kaito?!"
Kaito shrugged and shook his head. "Let's make one thing clear: I'm not discriminating against you. I just really hate red noses."
Buggy's eyes widened, his emotions shifting from rage to panic in an instant.
And just as Kaito finished speaking, there was a loud boom! The cannonball was fired, flying toward Buggy and his crew with intense heat.
"Get down!!"
Panic overtook Buggy's anger, and he was the first to dive to the ground.
The explosion sent thick black smoke into the air, and in one shot, a third of the Buggy Pirates lost their fighting ability.
In the smoke, Buggy's figure slowly stood up, no longer panicked, but seething with anger.
"Kill him!!!"
Buggy screamed, his voice now high-pitched with fury.
Kabaji, without hesitation, mounted his unicycle and charged forward at Kaito.
Swords clashed.
In a flash, Kabaji appeared behind Kaito, slashing with his sword. Kaito, however, was swiftly cleaved in half and fell to the ground.
"Haha... wait, what?!"
Buggy was about to laugh, thinking Kaito was some important figure, but he stopped when he realized something was off. Kaito's body didn't even bleed. Could it be... was this like his own fragmented powers?
"Kabaji!" Buggy shouted.
Kabaji turned, and without warning, flames shot from his mouth.