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

The rain had completely stopped by then, and a few drops of water dripped from Pakistan's hands.

Smoker naturally declined Bucky's seemingly friendly invitation.

Are you kidding me?

Smoker was simply dissatisfied with the current state of the Navy; he wasn't someone with any deep-seated grudges.

The pirate's hand wanted to pull him up?

Does that mean I have to join the pirates?

This is absolutely unacceptable!

"Don't underestimate me!" Smoker gritted his teeth and slowly rose from the pool of blood on the ground.

The only problem is that the penetrating wound in my chest, which was pierced twice, is still painful.

This damn clown is really ruthless when he gets going, which is why Smoker didn't say much back then.

He couldn't figure out if Bucky would kill him, but he was certain that Bucky wouldn't mind stabbing him a few more times.

"Huff...huff..."

The large movements caused the wound that had been blocked by the Smoke-Smoke Fruit to start bleeding again, and breathing was still difficult.

To be honest, this method of forcibly blocking blood vessels with smoke particles... it really hurts.

Smoker stood in front of Bucky, his back ramrod straight, though he was swaying precariously.

He looked at Bucky, and there was something burning in his eyes.

"...Even if I die, I'll die standing here." Smoker had no intention of giving Bucky any face, even if it might offend Bucky and lead to his own death.

He is Smoker.

He is White Hunter, Smoker.

If you lose, you lose. The worst that can happen is you die.

You can't really believe a pirate's boastful talk... right?

"Hehehe~" Buggy withdrew his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Her smile was elegant and composed, polite and courteous, showing no anger at Smoker's stubbornness.

Or rather, if Smoker hadn't chosen to fight desperately now, Bucky would have already achieved his goal—which would mean Smoker had taken his advice to heart.

Regardless of whether he will do it in the future, once he takes these words to heart, they will always remain a grudge.

In the past, Smoker might have only had some dissatisfaction with the Navy and the World Government, but now, will Smoker start to make some underhanded moves?

I'm really looking forward to it.

What will happen?

...For example, during the Summit War, he encountered that deserter king, witnessed the inaction of the Navy's high command, saw Akainu fighting alone, and Luffy trampled on the Navy's dignity...hehehe.

"Then let me tell you—" Smoker pointed his ten fingers at Buggy, dragging his swaying body, "The Navy's affairs don't need to be taught by pirates."

"Hehehe, ahahahaha!" Bucky just laughed, completely unconcerned... He admired people with such strong will.

Smoker frowned even more, unable to understand what Bucky was thinking.

Just then, the sound of hurried, chaotic footsteps came from afar.

Clearly, the navy personnel who hadn't dared to approach before were now coming over.

Unfortunately, the battle between Bucky and Smoker was beyond the reach of lower-ranking Marines; they couldn't even offer assistance.

Those plumes of smoke, those flashes of sword light, those attacks that blasted craters into the ground—any one of them would be fatal.

When the weak enter the battlefield of the strong, they are very likely to die not from the strong's killing intent, but from the aftershocks of the strong's unconscious attacks.

Only now that the fighting has stopped do they dare to approach.

Meanwhile, since the rain had stopped, Tashigi, the bespectacled girl with severe myopia, had recovered some of her fighting power and immediately spotted the heavily injured Smoker.

While the other Marines stood guard with their weapons drawn, watching Bucky with their fingers on the triggers but not daring to pull them, Tashigi drew her sword and charged forward.

"Mr. Smoker!"

Tashigi had no idea what she was thinking; all she could feel was her heart pounding wildly.

Fear, worry, dread—this is a near-out-of-control anxiety.

Although her strength cannot be considered that of the Navy's elite, she has been trained to the standards of the Navy's elite, and Tashigi is well aware of the difference between high-end and low-end combat power.

That cannot be easily compensated for by simply increasing quantity.

If Smoker is defeated by Bucky, it means Bucky could wipe out the entire Loguetown single-handedly.

Without the obstruction of experts of the same level, it's only a matter of time before the weak are wiped out.

If this powerful individual excels at wide-area attacks, then this time will be very short.

"Tashigi! Don't come any closer!" Smoker tried to stop her.

But he was powerless to stop her and could only watch helplessly as Tashigi charged over, drew her sword, and aimed it at Buggy.

Tashigi gripped the knife with both hands, like a cat with its fur standing on end. She was terrified, yet stubbornly refused to take a single step back.

"When you're weak enough, even anger is so cute~" Buggy looked at the bespectacled girl in front of him with interest, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I will protect Mr. Smoker!" Tashigi gritted her teeth, gripped the knife with both hands, and pointed the tip at Bucky's face.

"Look at you now, you're acting like a cat with its fur standing on end..." Buggy walked over to Tashigi.

Pat, pat, pat... Her gait was unhurried and relaxed, each step perfectly timed with Tashigi's heartbeat.

step.

Tashigi's breathing quickened for a moment.

Two steps.

Tashigi's fingers gripped the hilt of the knife tightly.

Three steps.

Tashigi's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

Bucky walked up to her, reached out his hand, and aimed it directly at her face.

Just as Bucky had thought, he didn't see Tashigi as an enemy at all; it was like he was teasing a cat.

Tashigi, wielding a sword, couldn't inflict any damage on Buggy using only swordsmanship.

Tashigi didn't know what to do, and rushing over to protect Smoker was just a subconscious action when her mind went blank.

So how should we protect it after it arrives?

What can I do on my own?

Ah... so I can't do anything after all.

Tashigi's pupils suddenly contracted.

So the moment Bucky's hand reached out, all her reason snapped.

fear.

anger.

unwilling.

humiliation.

All the emotions surged into his heart in an instant, transforming into one action—swinging the knife!

This is a swordsman's instinct, and it's the only thing he can do right now.

Tashigi swung her sword down, the blade flashing, aimed straight at Bucky's face.

This sword strike used all her strength, carrying a desperate and ruthless spirit that refused to admit defeat.

And then no more.

Bucky raised his hand using only one finger.

With a single right index finger, Tashigi's blade was effortlessly blocked.

Ding--

The sound of metal striking fingers was incredibly crisp.

Whether or not one possesses Armament Haki can be a decisive factor in normal physical combat.

Having Armament Haki means losing the advantage of sharp swords and blades.

What was shattered by that sound was Tashigi's heart.

Tashigi's pupils dilated as she saw her blade strike that finger, then being blocked.

Buggy's gloved fingers were covered with a layer of black Armament Haki.

"Not bad eyesight," Bucky said calmly. "And you wielded the knife quite well too."

His right hand fingers bent and jammed Tashigi's blade, remaining completely still.

"But that's all." Buggy raised his left hand, his five fingers together, the fingertips aimed at Tashigi's chest, almost touching it. "You see~ as long as I do this, I can immediately pierce your heart with my hand."

Tashigi froze, and the eyes looking out from behind the mask seemed to grow larger in her field of vision.

Bucky's fear-inducing stance began to deeply etch itself into Siki's heart.

As one of the Dark Masters, Piedmon may not have any fear-related abilities listed in his skill list, but he is inherently capable of that... just like how Piedmon can fly even without the ability to fly.

After Bucky grasped the essence of clown magic, he also wanted to try to develop in the direction of hypnosis.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work well at the moment and needs more props to assist it; simple actions, expressions, voices, and psychology are not enough.

If you're talking about hypnosis, shouldn't you at least use a small pendulum or something to shake it around?

"Bucky!" Smoker's voice this time was filled with barely suppressed anger.

Everything that just happened was too fast; it was too fast for the severely injured Smoker to stop it.

As for the relationship between Smoker and Tashigi... well, there's actually no romantic relationship between the two of them.

Strictly speaking, Tashigi was Smoker's student.

The two have a superior-subordinate-mentor/mentor/partner relationship.

It's not the typical romance trope of an arrogant boss and a clueless subordinate that some people force into a pairing.

Thinking about it this way, it seems like some people are raising their children as heirs/daughters?

If Zoro were to steal Tashigi away from me, Smoker's expression would be quite amusing, wouldn't it?

"Hehehe~" Buggy didn't kill Tashigi. "This is a bonus of mercy outside of the bet~"

He withdrew his left hand and then kicked out.

Even so, Bucky's kick was quite powerful.

Tashigi's body arced through the air before crashing to the ground some distance away, rolling twice, and finally coming to a stop against the wall.

"Cough...cough cough..." She lay on the ground, clutching her stomach, coughing a few times, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

Bucky turned around and looked at Smoker.

"Be thankful, I didn't kill her."

"Actually, I'm quite curious about your bottom line principles, how long can you stick to them?"

"Your protection, your safeguarding, your justice... If you truly wish to uphold your own justice—then heed my advice."

It certainly wouldn't be good advice; it would be a mirage-like illusion.

When they cannot realize their ideals, some people will compromise and first achieve the theoretical process.

He desires world peace, but his own lifespan is nearing its end, so he prioritizes extending his lifespan... and in the pursuit of lifespan, he forgets his former ideals and becomes a demon who only wants to live.

Bucky would say something like that, of course.

Language and weapons can both harm people, and fallacies and heresies can also be a form of power.

Smoker looked at Bucky without saying a word; he had no idea what to do.

For the first time in his life, Smoker felt so helpless, so frustrated, so desperate.

If he were all alone now, Smoker would choose to fight to the death.

But this is Loguetown, and my beloved subordinates are all around me. I absolutely cannot let them die because of me.

This is exactly the kind of person Smoker is in that Buggy needs. Even if Smoker thinks it's only natural for Marines to die fighting pirates, he would never use that standard to judge ordinary people.

"Don't expect combat to have aesthetics."

"Don't demand that death conform to virtue."

"Don't just focus on satisfying your own selfish desires."

Bucky now thinks the words of a certain trash talker and hair gel guy are very fitting; that bespectacled guy really does talk trash.

"If you want to protect what is worth protecting, then kill the enemy who should be killed from behind."

Buggy's gaze seemed to pass through Smoker's body and see something else: the root of Smoker's depression—the Celestial Dragons, the source of the Navy's incompetence.

Smoker's pupils contracted slightly; he understood.

It wasn't just the surface meaning, but something deeper, something Bucky didn't say aloud—a knife to his colleagues who hid behind the guise of justice while committing evil.

Smoker clenched his fists, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say anything.

"Mr. Smo...G..." In the distance, Tashigi stood up from the wall, trembling.

My hands and feet are shaking, my whole body is shaking.

But she still picked up the knife and forced herself to walk over.

"Mr. Smoker..."

This is Tashigi's subconscious obsession with protecting Smoker, but it's also something Buggy wants to exploit further.

Those you have someone to care about are the easiest to exploit; deep and sincere emotions are the most effective weapon.

At this moment, Tashigi's performance will undoubtedly bombard Smoker's heart like a cannonball, leaving an indelible impression.

Bucky glanced at Tashigi, a slight smile playing on his lips.

—As expected, keeping this little girl around makes it easier to sway Smoker's mind.

—It was the right decision not to kill this guy. This is Smoker's weakness, and the kind he carries with him at all times.

"Let's call it a day then." Bucky's voice sounded languid, and it had returned to its usual polite tone.

"I hope that when we meet again, you will be a completely different person."

"Well then, everyone, please enjoy the final clown performance!"

Then Bucky pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket.

Smoker's pupils contracted sharply. Bucky had used this very handkerchief to turn Alvida into a doll.

"Clown Magic: The Great Disappearance." Bucky raised his handkerchief and then waved it wildly. The handkerchief rapidly enlarged as he waved it, covering Bucky as he turned.

Then the handkerchief fell to the ground, but Bucky was gone.

All the surrounding marines looked at each other in bewilderment, and even Tashigi, who was forcibly supporting herself, was stunned.

"..." Smoker slowly walked over and picked up the handkerchief.

The handkerchief didn't look special; it was just an ordinary white handkerchief.

"Clown Magic: The Disappearing Person?"

Smoker repeated the word Bucky had just said in a low voice, completely baffled as to what ability Bucky was using.

Although Bucky kept complaining that the Joker Magic's combat power was too low, it was as if Bucky wanted to praise the Joker Magic's comprehensive effect mechanism.

This thing is really useful.

Bucky can't teleport people away directly with this move right now, but he can do it in a sleight of hand.

Create a brief, distorted layer of light around yourself, drawing everyone's attention through the white cloth, while quietly leaving the blind spot.

Smoker threw the handkerchief on the ground and looked up toward the harbor.

The pirate ship, the Giant, has sailed far away, but a pirate flag can be faintly seen fluttering in the wind.

"Mr. Smoker..." Tashigi finally reached Smoker's side. "Are you...are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Smoker's attention was entirely on Bucky at the moment, so his voice was a little low as he answered, and he didn't seem to care much.

What Bucky did before also affected Tashigi.

Tashigi looked at Smoker's back, which was still straight, still tall, still like a mountain.

But she always felt that something was different.

I can't explain it.

Bucky's clown magic hypnosis does have some effect, although it's not very useful.

But what great use might this small psychological guidance have in the future?

"Mr. Smoker," Tashigi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "You...you don't really believe that pirate, do you?"

"No need to be nervous... I won't believe a pirate." Smoker felt that no matter what, he was a professionally trained marine and a cultured person. How could he be easily swayed or fooled by Buggy's words?

Tashigi watched Smoker's retreating figure, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't say anything.

She looked down at the white handkerchief that Smoker had thrown away on the ground.

The handkerchief lay in the puddles, its white fabric soaked through with mud and water, turning a dull gray.

But there really was nothing on it.

Tashigi bent down to pick up the handkerchief, then looked up at Smoker's back... She felt that there was something missing in Smoker's voice when he said that.

Tashigi felt that Smoker had changed a little.

Just a little bit.

But that tiny change, like a seed, has been planted in Smoker's heart. One day, it will take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree.

When that day came... Tashigi dared not think any further.

She clutched the white handkerchief in her hand and followed Smoker toward Loguetown.

Tashigi wasn't sure if her feelings were right or wrong; she needed some time to calm down and think things through carefully.

Behind the wall at the very edge of the Roggetown dock, a figure emerged from thin air.

Baji stood there, watching Smoker and Tashigi's departing figures, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He pulled a small chibi-style doll, Alvida, from his pocket.

Bucky can sense fear from Alvida's doll.

Very good, that's very good, excellent.

Fear is the cheapest form of rule... but also the riskiest.

"Don't rush~" Bucky put the doll back into his pocket. "When you understand what real fear is, you can come out."

Buggy won't release Alvida so quickly, unlike Nami.

Alvida's personality isn't like Nami's, and the ways she won over the two women were different, so naturally she received different treatment.

As for a ruthless female pirate like Alvida, the first thing to do is to shatter her self-awareness... and then piece her back together as you want her to be.

And the small, dark room that can't be moved... is the best place for someone like Alvida with a weak will.

Seeing that the marines had all withdrawn, Buggy flew towards his pirate ship, the Giant.

If you're going to show off, go all the way.

[Clown Magic - Disappearance] The current invisibility time is too short.

They just left in such an enigmatic way, they can't possibly be discovered halfway through their flight, can they?

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, he starts to feel a bit self-conscious about his image; Bucky finds himself becoming more and more concerned about his reputation.

Smoker stopped at the edge of the square in Loguetown.

He turned around and looked towards the dock.

There was nothing there.

There were only rows of empty mooring stones and the boundless sea.

"Mr. Smoker?" Tashigi stopped and followed his gaze. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Smoker turned back and continued walking.

But Bucky's words kept echoing in his mind.

Smoker closed his eyes.

I can't forget it, I just can't forget it!

Even if you try not to care, it's impossible not to care. You hear some things and then you start to think about them.

"Oh, right, Tashigi." Smoker suddenly stopped in front of Tashigi.

"What's wrong, Mr. Smoker?" Tashigi snapped out of her reverie.

"A true strong person is not one who never fails, but one who is never afraid of failure." Smoker said this to Tashigi, but also to himself.

"Hmm..." Tashigi nodded.

—. —