Within the ruins, the thick smoke gradually dispersed.
"Cough... cough... damn that red-eyed brat!"
Amidst a pile of rubble and debris, a comical little creature was struggling to crawl out. Having taken a Great Fireball head-on, Buggy's body had been forced into an emergency split to disperse the shockwave.
To avoid attracting Viktor's attention, the "Great Pirate" Buggy now looked pitiful in the extreme.
His clothes were tattered, and his flashy blue hair was singed into charred curls. Worst of all, because most of his body parts had been blown far away, he was currently reduced to a "chibi" form consisting only of hands, feet, and a head.
"Curse you... damn red-eyed brat... remember this..." Mini-Buggy sobbed "wide-noodle" tears while trying to scuttle toward the edge of the ruins on his short legs like a startled crab.
THUD.
A foot descended from above, heartlessly pinning down the short red cape trailing behind Buggy. Buggy froze, turning his head mechanically like a rusted doll.
Viktor stood looking down at him, his dark eyes returned to their normal state. He wore his habitual smile, but in Buggy's eyes, it was more terrifying than a demon's. Viktor crouched down and flicked Buggy's iconic red nose with a slender finger.
BOING!
"OW OW OW!! What are you doing?!" Buggy rolled on the ground, clutching his nose as tears streamed. "A warrior can be killed but not insulted! If you've got the guts, just kill me!"
"Gladly, Captain Buggy!" Viktor's smile widened. "I love helping people."
He flipped his kunai into a reverse grip. The cold steel flashed as he lunged toward Buggy's head without a shred of hesitation. This time, he truly intended to end it.
However—
"GOMU GOMU NO—BAZOOKA!!"
BAM!
Before the kunai could strike, Luffy's elongated arms shot past Viktor from behind, slamming into the mini-Buggy with massive force.
SWISH—
Viktor's kunai only managed to graze a thin bloody line across Buggy's flying face.
"AHHH!! MY NOSE! MY EYES!!" Buggy let out a piteous shriek as he was launched into the sky like a shooting star. "RED-EYED BRAT!! STRAW HAT BRAT!! I'LL DEFINITELY COME BACK AND KILL YOU BOTH!!"
His voice grew distant until he vanished into the horizon. Viktor remained in his thrusting stance, staring at the empty space as his lip twitched slightly.
"Luffy..." Viktor turned helplessly toward his captain, who was clapping and laughing.
"Shishishi! He flew so high!" Luffy laughed lightheartedly, then looked at Viktor with curiosity. "Hmm? What is it, Viktor?"
Viktor sighed. Before he could speak, the system prompt rang in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations on defeating a special target: Buggy the Clown.]
[Combat Evaluation: A (Attempted finishing blow failed; regrettable, but a tactical victory).]
[Obtained Ninja Path Points: 800.]
800 points?
Viktor's eyebrows shot up, and his frustration evaporated. This was the highest single reward he'd received so far. Combined with his previous earnings, he now had a total of 1450 points.
While it was a shame not to kill Buggy personally, considering the clown's cockroach-like vitality and his role in the future Impel Down arc...
"So be it." Viktor sheathed his kunai calmly, his smile returning. "It's nothing, Luffy. That 'generous' Captain Buggy mentioned before leaving that as an apology for bombing us, he's willing to sponsor us a ship."
Viktor pointed toward the coast. "It's at the town's dock."
"REALLY?!" Luffy's eyes turned into giant saucers. "Awesome! Shishishi, we finally have a real ship!"
"Hey! This stuff is heavy, come help me!" Nami's voice called out.
She was struggling to drag several heavy bags of treasure toward them, wobbling with every step. Though she was covered in sweat, her eyes were crinkled into happy crescents.
Luffy looked at the mountain of bags. "Whoa, that's a lot." He looked at Nami with a bright grin. "Hey, Nami! Since we fought together, that means you're our comrade now, right?"
Nami paused. She glanced at Viktor, who was watching her with a knowing smirk, then turned away with an arrogant huff. "Stop talking to yourself! It's a collaboration! A partnership! Please remember that!"
"Eh, no difference," Luffy said, picking his nose.
"There's a huge difference, you idiot!" Nami stomped her foot.
"Alright, stop arguing." Viktor pulled the parchment from his coat and tossed it to Luffy. "Luffy, catch. The Grand Line Sea Chart."
"AH!!" Luffy scrambled to catch the chart, holding it like a sacred relic. "Viktor! You're amazing! Truly the Vice-Captain of the King of the Pirates!"
"Hmph, looks like it's over." A lazy voice drifted over. Zoro walked up, swords slung over his shoulder. He looked a bit ragged, but his aura remained sharp.
Luffy waved the chart. "Zoro! We got a ship, treasure, a map, and a navigator!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow, looking at the treasure and then at Nami. "Oh? Pretty capable." He then looked at the completely unscathed Viktor and clicked his tongue.
Viktor glanced back and smiled. "Too slow, Marimo. Did you get lost again?"
"Why you... You want to go, you bastard?!" Zoro's veins popped as he roared at Viktor.
"Hahahaha!" Luffy joined in the laughter. Nami looked at the bickering trio; despite her complaints, a small smile tugged at her lips.
The warmth didn't last.
"About the Mayor—" Nami started, but was cut off by the sound of many footsteps.
"Hey! You! Are you from outside?" A group of townspeople armed with farm tools and clubs ran up, looking at the group in the ruins with suspicion.
"Yeah, and you?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"We live here. What was all that noise and the explosions? If you know something, tell us!"
Suddenly, a sharp-eyed resident spotted the ground nearby and gasped. "Hey, isn't that the Mayor?! Why is he like this?"
They surrounded Mayor Boodle, who was lying spread-eagled on the ground with a massive lump on the back of his head.
"Mayor!!" "It must have been pirates!" "Unforgivable... to hit an old man like that!"
Hostility spread through the crowd as they glared at the group. Luffy, acting as if nothing was wrong, pointed at Boodle. "Oh, I'm the one who knocked that old guy out."
Silence. The air froze for a second.
The next moment, the townspeople erupted in rage, raising their weapons. "YOU!! Why would you do that to him?!" "You're pirates, aren't you? You must be with Buggy!"
"No, wait! There's a reason!" Nami panicked, waving her hands to explain. "Listen to me, actually—"
Luffy didn't give her the chance. He adjusted his straw hat and gave his signature grin. "Yeah, we're pirates. I'm Luffy, the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Thud. Nami's eyes rolled back as she fainted from pure despair.
Zoro clutched his stomach and burst out laughing. "Hahaha! That's so you, Luffy!"
"If you're pirates, then there's nothing to talk about!!" "GET OUT! DRIVE THEM OUT!!"
The enraged mob charged. Nami snapped awake, frantically looking around for her "reliable" teammate. "What do we do... Viktor? Wait, where's Viktor?"
Nami froze. The black-haired youth who had been standing right there had vanished. Along with him, several large bags of treasure were gone.
At the entrance of an alley dozens of meters away, Viktor was carrying the heavy treasure bags, moving as light as a feather. He glanced back at the surrounded trio, a mischievous smile crossing his face as he increased his speed.
Surrounded by angry civilians? That sounds like a lot of paperwork.
"Shishishi!" Luffy looked at the angry crowd, not angry at all. He pulled his hat down and laughed. "Time to run!!"
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