Konoha: I have a clone in One Piece.

Donghai, Windmill Village.

Inside the Makino Tavern, mocking voices drifted out.

"Huh? Mere pirates..."

"I'm a bandit with a bounty of eight million Berries! A mere bottle of liquor isn't even enough for me to rinse my mouth!"

"..."

When Suzuki arrived here with Hawkeye Mihawk and Bucky, they witnessed this amusing scene.

Higuma, a bandit from near Windmill Village, was arrogantly looking at Shanks, who was sitting on the ground, with a large group of bandits. The bottle in his hand was slowly tilted, and the wine flowed onto the head of the future Yonko Shanks.

Shanks' straw hat was soaked with alcohol, and his shirt was gradually becoming wet, making him look extremely disheveled.

But the pirate captain did not put up any resistance. Seeing this, the bandit Higuma could not help but despise the pirate in front of him even more!

"..."

Hawkeye Mihawk was stunned when he saw this.

Suzuki silently marveled to himself: The legendary mountain bandit king... he's truly terrifying!

Bucky, who was standing to the side, was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter:

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Shanks... you actually got bullied by a little bandit, how embarrassing, hahahaha..."

"Click~"

At the same time, Suzuki raised his hand and used a video Den Den Mushi to record this beautiful scene in time, and planned to find an opportunity to have Morgans publish it in the News of the World later.

The sound of cameras clicking and Bucky's loud laughter drew the attention of everyone in the tavern.

Shanks was stunned when he saw the familiar red nose, the figure in the black trench coat beside him, and the cold-blooded swordsman carrying a greatsword.

"Bucky?!"

"And... Suzuki? Mihawk?"

However, before he could even stand up to welcome him, the bandit Sig became unhappy.

"Hey, you three, are you pirates too?"

Sig, holding a bottle of liquor, tilted his head back and gave Suzuki and his two companions by the door a disdainful look. Then, he sneered and pointed the bottle at Shanks:

"You're this good-for-nothing's accomplices, aren't you?"

"You actually called me a petty bandit?"

As he spoke, Sieg's gaze sharpened, anger rising in his eyes, and a sinister smile appeared on his lips:

"Heh heh...heh heh, are you...have you had enough of living?"

"..."

Suzuki and Hawkeye Mihawk exchanged a glance, both speechless.

Buggy, unable to tolerate the arrogance of the bandit Higuma, rushed to Higuma's side and used his Devil Fruit ability to levitate his upper body, speaking condescendingly:

"Huh? You don't mean you're planning to attack us, do you?"

Do you know who Uncle Bucky is?

"You're just a lowly bandit with a bounty of eight million Berries? I, Buggy, am a pirate with a bounty of ten million Berries!"

"Ouch~ How scary!"

One of the bandits next to Sig gasped.

But soon, this bandit underling was smacked hard on the head by his boss, Sig, who angrily scolded him, "You're hopeless!"

"What's wrong with ten million Berries?"

"It's only two million more than the combined workforce, right?"

As he spoke, the bandit Sig looked at the red nose that was almost touching his face, and his anger could no longer be contained.

He raised his hand and drew the sword from his waist, then called out to his men:

"Mere pirates...men, kill this red-nosed guy!"

"yes!"

The bandits drew their swords and hammers, and charged towards Bucky.

Bucky was so angry that his eyes widened as he stared intently at the bandit Sig in front of him, spitting out each word through gritted teeth:

"What are you saying?"

The bandit Sig sneered without the slightest fear:

"Red nose? What, you can't even be criticized for looking like a clown?"

"Hmph, let me tell you, I've already killed 56 trashy pirates like you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a swift blade flashed down.

The bandit Sig cleaved Buggy in two with a single stroke, splitting Red Nose in two.

Such a terrifying scene made the tavern owner, Makino, widen her beautiful eyes in fright, and even young Luffy, who had just finished eating the Gum-Gum Fruit, couldn't help but tremble with fear.

How...how scary!

Murder... Did they really just kill someone like that?!

However, the next moment, something even more shocking happened to Luffy and Makino.

"Damn it!"

"How dare... how dare you underestimate Captain Bucky! Aaaaah, I'll kill you all!"

Bucky, who had been cut in two, bared his teeth and claws as his body slowly healed.

next moment.

Bucky's body was fully restored. He pulled two sharp daggers from his chest and looked at the bandits before him, a cold glint in his eyes:

"I should be the one saying that!"

"I, Buggy, have lost count of how many pathetic bandits like you I've killed!"

Upon seeing this, the bandits' eyes widened in shock, and panic and fear instantly overwhelmed them.

"How is that possible?"

"Is this guy a monster?"

"Why isn't he dead even after being cut in half?"

"Boss..."

The bandits all looked at their leader, Sig.

"No...it's nothing, this must be a trick of his!"

The bandit Sig didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of his underlings, so he suppressed his shock, waved his hand, and said with a ferocious expression:

"Chop him into mincemeat!"

"Okay...okay...I got it, boss!"

At their leader's signal, the bandit henchmen trembled as they surrounded Buggy.

"Don't be afraid! Fight!"

"Come at me!"

Seeing that his underlings dared not make a move, the bandit Sig gritted his teeth and charged forward to slash at Buggy once again.

When the bandits saw their leader make a move, they quickly raised their swords and hammers and rushed over.

"kill--"

"Go!"

"Chop that red-nosed guy into mincemeat!"

In an instant, an incredibly fierce battle broke out!

The sounds of banging echoed continuously inside the tavern.

With his Paramecia-type Chop-Chop Fruit ability, Buggy weaved through dozens of bandits, constantly brandishing his dagger. He ignored all the sharp swords and blades that came at him, only dodging when a heavy iron hammer came crashing down.

Its slender figure sometimes stands on one leg like a golden rooster, and sometimes suddenly splits its body apart, showing extreme agility.

However, there were also quite a few bandits wielding hammers and wooden clubs. Even the bandit leader, Sig, figured out Buggy's fighting style during the battle and switched his long sword for a hammer. For a time, the battle between the two sides became a stalemate!

"..."

At the entrance, Suzuki and Hawkeye looked at each other for a moment, then wisely decided not to disturb the fierce battle.

Soon, the two arrived beside Shanks.

Suzuki looked at Shanks, who was still sitting on the ground, and reached out to help him up.

"Thanks."

Shanks leaned against the bar, looking at Suzuki and Mihawk, who were slightly disguised, and laughed:

"Hahaha, it's been a long time! If I hadn't used my Observation Haki to confirm your presence, I probably wouldn't have recognized you."

"But you still recognized me, didn't you?"

Suzuki smiled, stretched out his right hand and gently tapped the air, and a vortex appeared.

He then pulled three chairs out of the vortex, took out some fine wine and food, and sat down at the bar with Shanks and Hawkeye, enjoying the battle between Buggy and the bandits while drinking and chatting.

"Hmm...this wine is really good, delicious! Is there any more?"

"Yes, here you go."

"Haha, thanks, Beckman, here you go!"

"Congratulations, Mihawk, you've become the world's greatest swordsman."

"..."

aside.

Watching the fierce battle between Buggy and the bandits, and then glancing at the leisurely attitude of Shanks, Suzuki, and Hawkeye, the tavern owner, Makino, opened her mouth, wanting to speak but then stopped, hesitating to speak.

However, Luffy, who is straightforward, is not as conflicted as she is.

Watching Buggy narrowly escape the bandits time and time again, and seeing the Red-Haired Pirates and Suzuki and Shanks indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun, Luffy stormed up to Suzuki and Shanks, pointed his little finger at Buggy, and shouted angrily:

"Your companion is being bullied!"

"Why can you all drink and eat meat without any concern?"

"Hurry and help him!"

The three people who were chatting and laughing suddenly stopped.

Suzuki glanced at Luffy, whose cheeks were puffed up and whose little face was angry, smiled slightly, picked up his wine glass, and continued to sip.

Hawkeye Mihawk didn't even glance at the brat in front of him, remaining elegantly seated.

Red-Haired Shanks patted young Luffy's head helplessly, then turned to look at Buggy's battlefield and explained earnestly:

"It's not that I don't want to help, Luffy."

"Sometimes, you can't just blindly get involved in your comrades' battles."

As he spoke, Shanks pointed to the few remaining bandits and laughed:

"And look, many of those bandits have already fallen."

Ahead, the battle between Buggy and the bandits intensified, and the small tavern could barely contain the fierce fighting. They even forced Beckman and the others from the Red-Haired Pirates to move their tables outside!

Luffy was skeptical of Shanks' words, but soon...

Wow...so strong!

Is this what pirates are like?

As Luffy watched the bandits fall one by one, and as Buggy moved freely through the crowd, a glimmer of light gradually rose in his eyes.

Not long after.

The dozens of henchmen brought by the bandit Sig all lay down, but he himself remained standing, still holding his iron hammer!

Seeing the red-nosed clown in front of him, the bandit Sig's expression hardened, and he quickly pulled a smoke bomb from his pocket and threw it to the ground.

bang~

Thick black smoke instantly filled the tavern.

"Damn it! Using a smoke bomb, how cunning! Where are they? Where are they?"

Bucky brandished his dagger as he wandered aimlessly through the thick smoke, searching for Sig.

"ah--"

"What happened? What happened? What did I step on?"

Soon, because his vision was obstructed, Bucky accidentally stepped on a barrel that had rolled to the ground during the fight, and immediately lost his balance, rolling forward like a clown while standing on the barrel.

good chance!

Seeing this, the bandit Sig grinned maliciously, gripped his iron hammer, and charged out of the smoke:

"Go to hell!"

"You damn red nose!"

"Stop yelling! You're the one who deserves to die, you worthless bandit!"

Bucky's eyes widened, and he swiftly flung the sharp dagger in his hand.

But perhaps because he lost his balance while standing on the barrel, his originally exquisite 'throwing knife' missed by a hair's breadth and grazed past Sieg's ear!

Oh no! I...I'm going to die?

Bucky's pupils constricted as he watched the massive iron hammer hurtling toward his head.

"what!"

Luffy, who was watching from the sidelines, exclaimed in surprise.

Suzuki raised an eyebrow slightly, and paused involuntarily while drinking.

Hawkeye Mihawk's eyes suddenly turned sharp.

Red-haired Shanks narrowed his eyes, reached for the scabbard at his waist, and prepared to strike.

however……

next moment.

Just as the bandit Sig was about to smash the red-nosed man in front of him into mincemeat with a ferocious expression.

Bucky's dagger, which he had thrown earlier, inexplicably struck Makino's metal cocktail glass placed in the corner, and then bounced back at an unbelievable angle.

The tip of the dagger emitted an astonishingly cold light, instantly piercing through the chest of the bandit Sig!

bang~

In his panic, Buggy slipped off the rolling barrel, and his red pirate hat slowly fell to the ground.

Then... he stepped on the head of the fallen bandit Sig!

At this moment...

The audience was shocked!

"..."

Shanks breathed a sigh of relief, and his hand, which had been resting on the hilt of his sword Griffin, slowly fell.

Was it luck... or was it intentional?

Hawkeye Mihawk's eyes narrowed slightly, his interest in Bucky growing stronger.

Is this... Conqueror's Haki luck?

Suzuki smiled and lowered his head to taste the wine in his glass.

Soon, the smoke dissipated.

"Wow...that's amazing!"

Looking at Buggy, who was standing on the head of the bandit Higuma, surrounded by the fallen figures of other bandits, Luffy was filled with shock!

"Ah...hahahahaha..."

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Bucky quickly recovered and burst into wild laughter:

"Hmph, how could mere bandits possibly be a match for Captain Buggy?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

As Bucky spoke, he stomped harder on the bandit Sig's head, then put his hands on his hips, tossed his flowing blue hair, and struck a perfect pose.

"So...so cool!!!"

Luffy's eyes instantly lit up with stars.

Soon, the sharp-eyed Luffy spotted Buggy's red pirate hat on the ground, quickly ran over, picked it up, and presented it to Buggy, his little face filled with admiration as he said:

"Captain Bucky... Captain Bucky!"

"Your hat."

Bucky glanced at the hat, now covered in dust, and felt a pang of disgust. He tossed it aside and casually remarked:

"Here you go, kid."

"R-really???"

"Okay, take it."

"!!!"

Luffy's eyes widened.

She looked down at the hat in her hand, then looked up at the dashing and handsome Buggy, and then hugged the red pirate hat tightly as if she had found a treasure.

"Hehe...hehehe..."

Little Luffy chuckled foolishly.

At that moment, his young heart was filled with the peak of his worship of Bucky!

"..."

Suzuki watched this scene with a strange expression.

Luffy has already eaten the Nika Fruit, so Shanks will most likely still try to give him his straw hat.

But... Bucky gave him a hat in advance, so what will happen to this little guy?

Does he wear Shanks' straw hat for sun protection during the day and Bucky's hat to sleep at night...?

……

Not long after.

The members of the Red-Haired Pirates moved the table back, helped Makino tidy up the messy tavern, and, at Shanks's suggestion, compensated the tavern for the damage to the tables, chairs, and drinks caused by the battle.

Soon, Suzuki, Hawkeye Mihawk, Shanks, Luffy, and others were drinking and chatting in the tavern.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Shanks laughed as he patted Bucky on the shoulder.

"Hey, Shanks, what are you laughing at?"

Bucky was immediately displeased and casually slapped Shanks' hand away, saying:

"I saved you! What's so funny?"

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even known to fight back when that bandit bullied you."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Shanks chuckled, then nodded, gave his friend whom he hadn't seen for over a decade a big hug, and earnestly replied:

"Yes, I know, thank you, Bucky!"

"Get out of my way!"

Buggy pushed Shanks away, his face flushed, and ran to the other side to play with Luffy.

The two have very compatible personalities—they're both goofy.

Despite the significant age gap, Buggy quickly became friends with Luffy, who idolized him.

"Kid...you're pretty good. Want to come aboard my ship?"

"Huh? No way, Captain Buggy, I'm going to become the Pirate King!"

"The Pirate King? Hmph... The old man Buggy standing in front of you was once a member of the Pirate King's crew~"

"Really? Really? Captain Bucky, that's amazing..."

"..."

Under Buggy's subtle influence, Luffy seemed to gradually become his shape.

"hehe."

Shanks chuckled, then quickly looked at Suzuki and asked with some confusion:

"By the way, Suzuki, what brings you to Windmill Village?"

Suzuki glanced at Luffy and Buggy, who were playfully fighting nearby, a smile appearing on his face, and slowly said:

"Isn't my nickname 'The Traveler'?"

"So I'm here to check in."

"???"

Ignoring Shanks's bewildered expression, Suzuki and Hawkeye Mihawk clinked glasses and began to savor the fine wine.

"I'm going to become the Pirate King!"

"I want to find all the treasure!"

"I want……"

Inside the tavern, laughter and chatter continued unabated as the intoxicated patrons freely expressed their inner dreams.

……

……

The next day.

It was early morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Many of the people who got drunk last night are still fast asleep.

But two figures had already arrived at the beach on the shore of Windmill Village.

Red-haired Shanks asked the swordsman beside him:

Why didn't you leave with him?

Hawkeye Mihawk gazed calmly at the boundless azure sea, sighed, and replied:

"He walked too fast."

"...Is that so?"

Red-haired Shanks held down his straw hat, his eyes beneath the brim filled with profound depth.

……

……

The sun rises.

The gentle sea breeze blew and blew, reaching the orange-producing area of ​​Cocosia Village in the East China Sea.

On the shore of the small island, a little girl with orange hair sat on a rock, holding a book in her hands and reading it intently.

The waves occasionally wet her swaying, fair feet, but they never disturbed her engrossed reading.

Until a gentle and polite greeting rang out.

"Hello, what's the price of your oranges?"

Hearing voices, Nami's face panicked. She quickly stuffed the stolen books into her clothes before answering:

"Fifty pelies a pound."

"Really? That's pretty cheap. I'll buy your oranges. Here's the money. Kids, don't steal the books!"

As the sound rang out again, the small boat gradually drifted away from the shallow sea.

Then, a money bag landed on the rock where Nami was sitting.

Just as Nami was filled with confusion and bewilderment, Bellemere's shout rang out:

"Nami...Nami, come back for dinner!"

"Here you are!"

On the shore, Nami decisively dismissed her doubts, happily picked up the money bag, and then quickly ran home.

……

……

A few days later.

Naval Headquarters, Office of the Fleet Admiral.

Sengoku, who had become a naval admiral, was sitting in a chair, carefully processing documents.

Suddenly the office door was pushed open, and a navy officer walked in looking panicked, shouting:

"marshal--"

"marshal--"

"The traveler...the traveler has appeared!"

"!!!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku's pupils constricted, and he abruptly stood up! (End of Chapter)