Pirate: I, Buggy, am the Emperor, the Emperor of the Clown King!

It's normal for pirate crews to be at odds with each other; they're not afraid of the Arlong Pirates just because they have a fearsome reputation.

After all, it's hard to judge each other's strength before they've fought, unless the gap is too big and one side has a notorious reputation.

But even if one side has a fearsome reputation, it's easy for some young upstarts to challenge the old man without knowing their own mortality.

Bucky didn't speak, but simply raised his chin slightly.

Mochi suddenly turned his head and looked at Nami standing at the bow of the ship.

"Hey, you little thief~" he grinned, his tone clearly mocking, "Want me to light a fire?"

Kabaji immediately chimed in, "Right, perfect timing, you're here for revenge. After all, this is your enemy, so letting you fire the first shot yourself, isn't that fair?"

There was a hint of probing in their eyes.

They don't trust Nami.

Although Captain Bucky said the woman was useful, and although she had been wandering around the ship without anyone bothering her for the past few days.

But Mochi and Kabaji were old men on the ship, veteran pirates, and they understood one thing: outsiders will always be outsiders.

What's more, this woman used to be a member of the Arlong Pirates!

Even though it was forced, so what?

Who knows if she'll turn against us at the crucial moment?

Bucky glanced at them but didn't say anything.

He could obviously see what his two subordinates were up to.

But he didn't care.

Even though Nami is indeed somewhat necessary for Buggy.

Bucky was well aware of the risks of the Grand Line, and to roam freely on the Grand Line, he definitely needed a reliable navigator.

In that case, what could be better than getting Nami?

The price to obtain Nami is merely fighting against a small group of fishmen, which is negligible and ridiculously cost-effective.

Nami turned around.

She looked at Mochi, at Kabaji, and at the pirate crew members who were smiling maliciously.

Then her gaze fell on the three cannons.

The cannon is pointed at Dragon Paradise.

Facing the place that had oppressed her for eight years.

Facing the fishmen who killed Bellemere.

Nami suddenly remembered many things.

She remembered that afternoon eight years ago, when the dragon trampled her adoptive mother, Bellemere, underfoot, and then shot her...

She remembered the agreement: one hundred million Berries would be enough to redeem the village.

She recalled the trembling of her fingers every time she drew a nautical chart over the past eight years, the pounding of her heart every time she stole money, and the faint glimmer of hope every time she thought of "maybe".

She remembered that day in the captain's cabin when Bucky said, "Your hatred is too clean."

Pure hatred will only hurt yourself.

True hatred should be like a knife.

When the time came to make this choice, Buggy's manipulation finally took effect... and once Nami began to make her choice, step by step, she could never turn back.

"A torch." Nami took a deep breath, her voice calmer than she had expected.

Mochi paused for a moment, then smiled and waved.

A pirate next to him handed him a torch.

Nami took the torch.

The flames danced before her eyes, their orange light reflecting on her face and into her eyes, which were no longer filled with fear.

She walked toward the cannon.

The surrounding crew members automatically made way for them.

Nami walked to the cannon and looked down at the fuse.

The fuse isn't very long, and it explodes a few seconds after being lit.

Nami suddenly remembered what Buggy said when he was teaching her to sense Observation Haki at the stern of the ship that day: "Looking back will make you grow old, and cowardice will only lead to death."

"There's no going back, and I won't turn back... Hehehe..." Nami laughed as she bent over.

The tip of the torch touched the fuse.

laugh!

The fuse ignited, sparks flew, and the pungent smell of gunpowder filled the air.

Nami straightened up, looking at the burning fuse, the cannon about to explode, and the building in the distance that she had seen countless times in her nightmares.

"Evil dragon," she muttered to herself, "I've come to kill you."

The fuse burned out.

boom!

The cannon shook violently, and the shell roared out, tearing through the air as it flew towards Dragon Paradise.

Then came the second gate, and then the third gate.

Boom!

Three shells, trailing long contrails, streaked across the sky and crashed into the tower.

Mochi looked up, grinned, and exclaimed, "Good! Good!"

Kabaji narrowed his eyes, a sinister smile curving his lips: "Fry it up, fry it clean."

The crew erupted in cheers.

Baji stood in the center of the deck, hands behind his back.

He didn't look at the cannonballs, but looked at Nami.

The woman stood beside the cannon, holding a torch in her hand, her orange hair flying in the sea breeze.

Her eyes were fixed on the building in the distance that was about to be blown up; her eyes were red, but she didn't shed a tear.

"Pain brings growth, for better or for worse." Bucky's lips curled into a slight smile. "Weakness brings death, for better or for worse."

He suddenly remembered a saying: Hatred is the best teacher.

The words are divided into two parts.

On the other side.

In Dragon Paradise, the banquet is reaching its climax.

The huge venue was filled with food and drinks.

Dozens of fishmen feasted and made a great commotion.

The dragon sat in the main seat, holding a large piece of meat in his hand, tearing at it, his mouth full of oil.

His narrow eyes were half-closed as he enjoyed the flattery from his subordinates.

"Boss dragon! One bite from you could crush the heads of ten humans!"

"Hahaha! Those humans, their legs go weak when they see our evil dragon boss!"

"Did those guys in Cocoyasi Village pay their bills this month?"

"Dare not hand it over? Or we'll kill you!"

"Just wait, Nami will pay for them~"

"Hahahaha!"

The dragon chewed on its flesh, listening to these words with satisfaction.

This is the kind of life a fishman should live.

Humanity, equality—it's all bullshit.

Fishmen are superior to humans and should ride on their heads.

Evil Dragon touched the Sun Pirates tattoo on his left chest; it was a mark of the past.

But now he's the captain of the Arlong Pirates... Jinbe, go to hell.

"Hiccup~" Xiao Ba leaned over, holding a glass of wine. "Want a drink?"

The dragon glanced at him.

Xiao Ba, that simpleton, is quite capable, but he's never been very bright.

It doesn't matter, as long as they listen.

He was about to take the wine glass.

thump.

What is that?

The dragon's ears twitched.

Boom!Boom!

That was... the sound of cannons?

He suddenly stood up.

The noise in the restaurant continued, but the other fishmen didn't notice it.

But the dragon noticed.

No matter what, although his strength has declined somewhat, he is still stronger than the fishmen around him.

It's a cannonball.

"Shut up, all of you!"

With a roar from the dragon, the entire restaurant fell silent instantly.

All the fishmen were stunned, staring at him blankly.

The dragon ignored them, rushed out the door, and looked up at the sky.

Three black dots are flying in from the horizon.

Getting closer.

Getting closer.

The dragon's eyes widened.

Without thinking twice, he grabbed a large rock from the side and, with all his might, smashed it at the three black dots.

The stone whistled through the air and crashed into the cannonball in the middle.

boom!!!

A fireball exploded in the sky, the deafening roar making the dragon's ears tingle.

However, the other two bombs, being farther apart, were not affected by the middle one and still fell.

The first one hit the left side of the park, towards the restaurant.

boom!!!

The massive explosion overturned half of the building, sending debris flying and flames soaring into the sky.

The screams of the fish-men echoed from inside, so piercing and chilling they sent shivers down one's spine.

The second one hit the right side of the park, in the direction of the dormitories and warehouses.

boom!!!

Another loud bang, flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke billowed.

Pakistani missiles are indeed very powerful, but they are not very accurate when fired from ordinary artillery.

The dragon stood in the middle of the ruins, staring blankly at everything.

Little Ba crawled out of the pile of rubble beside him, his face covered in blood.

"What's going on..." Xiao Ba's voice trembled.

On the other side, Croobby, his face ashen, pushed away a large stone slab that was pressing down on him.

No matter how skilled his fishman karate was, it couldn't stop this kind of explosion.

Chirp poked its head out from the ruins, its protruding lips covered in ash, and it stammered, "Chirp...chirp...what happened?"

They looked around.

Dragon Paradise has been destroyed.

Most of the ordinary fish-men who were laughing just moments ago are now lying in the ruins, some still groaning, others motionless.

Blood seeped from the cracks in the rubble, forming small streams.

The dragon's pupils contracted violently.

He suddenly looked toward the port, where a pirate ship was anchored on the sea.

A pirate flag fluttered on the mast, with a striking red nose on a skull.

"Bucky..." the dragon uttered the name through gritted teeth.

Bucky the Clown.

That third brother from the East China Sea, the guy with the 15 million bounty.

How dare he?!

How dare he?!

"All of you!" roared the dragon, "Follow me—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

A voice came from the sky.

The strange laughter, "Hehehehehe...", clearly penetrated the ears of every fishman.

The dragon froze.

He raised his head.

All the fish that could still move raised their heads.

Then they saw a person floating in mid-air.

Red shirt, green pants, yellow shoes, white gloves.

The eccentric clown carries four swords on his back and wears a black and white mask on his face.

Since the battle was about to begin, Bucky changed his clothes, intending to wear them in battle.

Sunlight streamed down from behind Bucky, casting his shadow on the ruins and on the faces of the terrified fish-men.

Bucky hovered there, a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth beneath the mask.

The sea breeze blew across the sea, ruffling the hem of his clothes.

Flames were burning on the ruins, and thick smoke was rising.

The dragon stood still, looking up at the figure towering above it.

His teeth were grinding together.

But for some reason, he found himself unable to speak.

It's not that I don't want to talk about it.

It was more of a strange sense of awe.

Those eyes.

Those eyes, behind the mask, were looking at him.

Like a hunter eyeing its prey.

Like a cat watching a mouse.

picture……

It was as if death was watching him.

"You..." the dragon finally managed to squeeze out the word.

At first, he thought it was Conqueror's Haki, but then he realized it wasn't.

It's just a feeling that simply evokes fear.

Bucky paid no attention to the dragon on the ground.

Sometimes, the ability to fly makes all the difference.

The sound of laughter echoed through the ruins, lingering for a long time.

Nami stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the figure floating in mid-air in the distance.

She knew that was Bucky, her current captain.

But she still couldn't help but hold her breath.

Because at that moment, she suddenly realized something: this man was even more terrifying than she had imagined.

It's not the power that's terrifying.

It's the kind of terrifying thing that's taken for granted.

It was as if the world was meant to kneel at his feet, a dark king who made people fall into an abyss.

Just like those fishmen, those fishmen who had oppressed her for eight years, in his eyes they were nothing more than fish waiting to be slaughtered.

Nami remembered what Buggy said when he taught her Observation Haki: "Looking back will make you grow old, and cowardice will only lead to death."

Nami didn't know what Buggy meant by those words, but no matter how she thought about it, it sounded like a threat: you have no chance to regret it now.

And as everyone watched, Bucky began to descend slowly.

"Should we do it ourselves?" Nami gripped the torch in her hand tightly.

The torches have gone out, but the fire of hatred in our hearts is burning fiercely.

Bucky descended from the sky, slowly landing at the highest point of the ruins.

It was a tilted piece of wreckage, which was probably the spire of the Dragon Paradise tower.

The smoke and dust dispersed at his feet.

The firelight flickered behind him.

Bucky watched the group of disheveled fishmen, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his mask.

His smile was elegant, appropriate, and polite, like a gentleman who had just entered a high-class banquet.

"Nice to meet you~" Bucky said, his voice unhurried and even slightly languid and magnetic. "I am Bucky the Clown."

He bowed slightly, performing a perfectly standard gentleman's bow.

Please take care of me.

There was a moment of silence over the ruins.

The only sounds were the crackling of flames, the splashing of falling pebbles, and the howling of the sea wind in the distance.

The dragon stood still, staring at the strange figure.

His chest heaved violently, his jagged nose trembled slightly with rage, and his narrow eyes burned with a murderous intent that seemed to spit fire.

"Buggy the Clown?" the dragon uttered through gritted teeth, his voice low and menacing like a wild beast's roar.

"Bucky the Clown... are you fucking kidding me?!" He raised his hand and pointed to the surrounding ruins.

It points to the fishmen lying in pools of blood.

It was directed at those companions who were still groaning.

Pointing towards the towering flames and thick smoke.

"Look what you've done!!!" The dragon's voice suddenly rose, shaking the surrounding rocks.

"My paradise!"

"My friend!"

"My home!!!"

"You bastard—"

The dragon could no longer roar, for anger had choked him.

His eyes were wide open, almost bursting, his blue skin turned purple from blood stasis, his teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding, and his whole body was trembling violently.

Next to him, Croobi's face was also frighteningly pale.

He looked at his dead compatriots, at the fishmen who could no longer stand, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.

"Bucky..." His voice was low, suppressing an emotion about to erupt, "Do you know what you're doing?"

Chu's protruding lips were tightly pursed, and her eyes flashed with a cold light.

He had just lifted his head from a barrel of liquor, his mouth already full of liquid, ready to launch at any moment.

"Why waste your breath on him?" The sound was squeezed out of his throat, muffled but filled with murderous intent. "He blew up our homes and killed our compatriots, so he should pay with his life."

Xiao Ba was the last to crawl out of the ruins.

All the knives in his six hands were drawn, and his honest expression had completely vanished, replaced by a ferocious and murderous look.

"Buggy—" Hachi roared, waving all six arms at once, "I'm going to cut you into pieces!!!"