Chapter 20: Time to Run!
Amidst the ruins, the gunpowder smoke gradually dissipated.
"Cough, cough... Damn red-eyed brat!"
From within a pile of rubble and debris, a comical little thing was struggling to crawl out.
Having been hit head-on by a Great Fireball, his body had been forced to split urgently to disperse the shockwave.
Also, in an attempt to avoid attracting that red-eyed brat's attention, the 'Great Pirate' Buggy's current appearance could only be described as pathetic to the extreme.
His clothes were tattered, and that blue hair of his was burnt to a charred, curly mess.
Worst of all, because most of his body parts had been blown away...
He had now turned into a 'two-head-tall' chibi form consisting only of palms, feet, and a head.
"Curse you... damn red-eyed brat... just you wait..."
Mini-Buggy shed thick streams of tears while trying to move those short little legs, scurrying toward the edge of the ruins like a frightened crab.
Thud.
A foot descended from the sky, ruthlessly stepping on the already short red cape behind Buggy.
Buggy's whole body stiffened, and he turned his head mechanically like a rusty doll.
He saw Tatsuya looking down at him from above, those pitch-black eyes having already returned to normal.
That habitual smiling expression was on his face, but in Buggy's eyes, it was more terrifying than a demon.
Tatsuya crouched down, extended a slender finger, and gave Buggy's iconic red nose a light flick.
Boing!
"Ow, ow, ow!! What are you doing!!"
Buggy clutched his nose and rolled around on the ground, tears streaming wildly. "A warrior can be killed but not insulted! If you've got the guts, just kill me!"
"Alright then, Captain Buggy!"
The smile on Tatsuya's face widened. "I love helping people the most!"
As he spoke, he gripped a Kunai with a reverse hand, and with a flash of cold light, he stabbed toward Buggy's head without the slightest hesitation!
With this strike, he truly intended to kill.
However—
"Gum-Gum—Bazooka!!"
Bam!
Before the Kunai could strike, Luffy's elongated arms suddenly bypassed Tatsuya from behind, carrying immense impact as they slammed ruthlessly into the mini-Buggy in front of him.
Whoosh—
The Kunai in Tatsuya's hand could only barely graze a bloody mark on Buggy's face as he flew out.
"Ah!! My nose! My eyes!!"
Buggy, blasted into mid-air, let out a shrill scream, disappearing into the horizon like a meteor.
"Red-eyed brat!! Straw Hat brat!! I'll definitely come back and kill you both!!"
The voice drifted further away, eventually vanishing entirely.
Tatsuya maintained his stabbing posture, looking at the empty space ahead as the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Luffy..."
Tatsuya turned his head helplessly toward his Captain behind him, who was clapping and laughing loudly.
"Ah, he flew so high! Hee hee hee!"
Luffy laughed lightheartedly, then looked at Tatsuya with a face full of curiosity. "Hmm? What's wrong, Tatsuya?"
Tatsuya sighed, and just as he was about to say something, a system prompt suddenly sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating a special target: Buggy the Clown.]
[Battle Rating: A (Attempted finishing blow failed; though regrettable, it was a complete tactical victory).]
[Obtained Ninja Points: 800.]
"800 points?"
Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, the frustration in his heart instantly dissipating.
This was the highest amount of points he had obtained so far. Adding it to his previous gains, he now had a total of 1,450 points.
Although it was a bit of a shame he couldn't kill Buggy personally, considering that guy's cockroach-like vitality and his role in the Impel Down plot...
"So be it."
Tatsuya calmly put away his Kunai, a smile returning to his face.
"It's nothing, Luffy. That enthusiastic Captain Buggy just now said before he left that to express his apologies for bombing us earlier, he's willing to sponsor us a ship."
Tatsuya pointed toward the distant coast. "It's right at the town's dock."
"Really?!"
Hearing this, Luffy's eyes instantly went wide and round, his mouth hanging open.
"Awesome! Hee hee hee, we finally have a proper ship!"
"Hey, this stuff is too heavy, come help me!"
At that moment, Nami's voice called out.
She was seen laboriously dragging several large bags of heavy treasure, wobbling with every step. Although sweat was on her face, her eyes were squinted into crescent moons.
Luffy glanced at the mountain-like pile of bags and remarked, "Ah, there really is a lot."
Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Nami with a bright face.
"Right, Nami! Since we've fought together, you'll be our comrade now, right?"
Nami paused her movements.
She glanced at Tatsuya, who was looking at her with a smile, then turned her head away stubbornly.
"Stop talking to yourself! It's just a partnership, a partnership! Please remember that!"
"Ah, there's no difference." Luffy picked his nose.
"There is a difference! You idiot!" Nami stamped her foot in anger.
"Alright, stop arguing."
Tatsuya pulled the parchment scroll he had just acquired from his robes and tossed it casually to Luffy.
"Luffy, catch. The sea chart for the Grand Line."
"Ah!!"
Luffy scrambled to catch the chart, holding it like a rare treasure, trembling with excitement.
"Tatsuya! You're amazing! As expected of the Pirate King's Vice Captain!"
"Hmph, looks like it's all over."
A lazy voice drifted over.
Zoro walked over from a distance with his sword on his shoulder, arms folded casually. Though he looked a bit disheveled, his presence remained sharp.
Luffy held up the chart in his hand to show off. "Ah, Zoro! We not only got a ship, but also treasure, a chart, and a Navigator!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow, glancing at the treasure on the ground and Nami beside it. "Oh? Pretty capable, aren't you?"
He then looked at the unscathed Tatsuya and curled his lip.
Tatsuya shot him a sidelong glance and said with a smile:
"Too slow, moss-head. You didn't get lost somewhere again, did you?"
"Well, my apologies then... You want to fight?! You bastard!"
Veins popped on Zoro's forehead as he roared at Tatsuya.
"Hahahaha!" Luffy also laughed happily.
Nami looked at this rowdy trio. Although she voiced her disdain, a smile couldn't help but tug at the corner of her mouth.
But this warm atmosphere didn't last long.
"By the way, the Mayor..." Nami was just about to speak.
A flurry of chaotic footsteps approached.
"Hey! You guys! Are you from somewhere else?"
A group of townspeople holding farm tools and wooden sticks ran over panting, looking at the several people in the ruins with suspicion and alarm.
"Ah, what about you guys?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"We're the townspeople here. What was that explosion and noise just now? If you know anything, please tell us!"
Just then, one of the sharp-eyed townspeople suddenly looked at the ground nearby and let out a cry of alarm.
"Hey, isn't that the Mayor?! How did he end up like this!"
Everyone followed his gaze and saw Mayor Boodle lying on the ground in a spread-eagle position, a large bump on his head, unconscious.
"Mayor!!"
The crowd immediately swarmed around him in a panic.
"It must have been pirates!"
"This is too much, to beat the Mayor like this!"
"Unforgivable..."
Anger spread through the crowd, and all eyes instantly became filled with hostility, glaring fixedly at Luffy and the others.
Luffy, however, acted as if nothing was wrong, pointing at Boodle on the ground and saying honestly:
"Ah, I was the one who knocked that old guy out."
Silence.
The air froze for a second.
The next moment, all the townspeople glared at them with fury, raising their weapons one after another.
"You guys!! Why did you lay such a heavy hand on the Mayor?!"
"You're pirates, aren't you? You must be with Buggy's crew!"
"No, that's not it! There's a reason for this!" Nami was shocked and hurriedly waved her hands to explain. "Everyone listen to me, actually..."
However, Luffy gave Nami no chance to explain.
He pressed down his Straw Hat, revealing that iconic smile, and nodded:
"Yeah, we're pirates. I'm Luffy, the man who's going to be the Pirate King!"
Pfft—
Hearing this, Nami, who was about to argue, saw her vision go dark and fainted straight onto the ground in despair.
Seeing this, Zoro couldn't help but clutch his stomach and laugh out loud: "Hahahaha! That's just like you, Luffy!"
"If you're pirates, then there's nothing left to say!!"
"Get out! Drive them out!!"
The enraged townspeople roared, waving their weapons as they prepared to charge.
Nami instantly snapped awake, looking around in terror for that most reliable 'thigh' to seek help from.
"What are we going to do... Tatsuya... Hmm? Where's Tatsuya?"
Nami was stunned.
The black-haired youth who was just standing beside them had disappeared without a trace at some point.
Along with him, those large bags of treasure on the ground had also vanished.
At this moment, at an alley entrance dozens of meters away...
Tatsuya was carrying the massive treasure bags, light as a swallow, having long since made his getaway.
He glanced back at the surrounded trio, a smirk playing on his lips as he slipped away faster than anyone.
No joke, being surrounded by enraged civilians was the most troublesome thing; if not now, when else would he run?
"Hee hee hee!"
The surrounded Luffy, looking at the angry crowd, didn't get mad. Instead, he pulled his hat down and let out a hearty laugh.
"Time to run!!"