The fight raged on, the town square a chaotic battlefield of fists, blades, and cannonballs. Buggy's crew had numbers, but we had something far more dangerous—determination, unpredictability, and in my case, a growing mastery of my skills.
Buggy stood at the center, grinning like a clown straight out of a nightmare. "You brats think you can just walk into my town and defeat me? I'm Buggy the Clown, you fools! I sailed with—"
He stopped himself, biting his tongue. I noted that slip-up. Interesting. In the manga, he had only ever boasted about Shanks, never about who he sailed under. A pirate's pride, huh?
Whitebeard's Ship – Reactions to the New Manga
On the Moby Dick, tension hung in the air. Several members of the Whitebeard Pirates gathered around as the newest additions to the literary world, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and Naruto Vol. 3, made their rounds among the crew.
Marco leaned back against the rail, flipping through Attack on Titan. His usual lazy expression was gone, replaced by something more thoughtful. "Man… a world where humans are just cattle for some big-ass monsters. That's kinda messed up, yoi."
Jozu crossed his arms, frowning. "The fact that they don't know the truth from the start… makes it worse. Like, they live their lives behind walls, not realizing they're trapped."
"That's a heavy metaphor," Vista added, stroking his mustache. "Freedom being an illusion… That's got weight to it."
Whitebeard chuckled, the sound like rolling thunder. "Gurarara… The one who wrote this must've seen the world for what it really is."
Ace, who had just started reading Demon Slayer, whistled. "This Tanjiro kid… he's got guts. Fighting demons to avenge his family and save his sister?" He shut the book with a grin. "I like him."
"That breathing technique…" Thatch muttered. "If that were real, imagine the possibilities. Enhancing swordplay with breathing? It's insane."
Whitebeard grinned at that. "You think too small, Thatch. It's not about techniques—it's about the will to fight. The fire in your soul."
Then, they flipped open Naruto Vol. 3 and landed on the fight against Zabuza.
Silence settled over the ship as they read.
Zoro's words echoed in their minds: "A real shinobi is one who endures… No matter what gets in his way."
Marco exhaled, flipping the page. "Damn… That Haku kid. He really—"
"He really believed in Zabuza until the very end," Ace muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "And Zabuza—"
Whitebeard's eyes gleamed as he shut the book. "That's what a true warrior is, lads. Not power. Not skill. But conviction."
Then, they flipped to a different page.
Naruto, hanging from a tree, with a sign that read: I am a big idiot.
The ship fell into stunned silence. Then—
"HOLY SHIT, THAT'S MARCO!" Thatch burst out laughing.
"Oi, oi, what the hell do you mean, yoi?!" Marco scowled.
"Look at it! The resemblance is uncanny!"
The crew roared with laughter as Marco glared at them. "I swear, you guys are all idiots."
Whitebeard wiped a tear from his eye. "Gurarara! This Naruto brat… he's got spirit!"
And just like that, the book had left its mark.
Back to the Fight
Buggy hurled another Buggy Ball. The sheer force of the explosion sent shockwaves through the town, debris flying everywhere.
Luffy grinned. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"
Zoro, unfazed, twirled his swords. "This guy's annoying."
I stepped forward, gripping my sword tighter. Something was different. The way my blade moved, the way I felt it move…
Buggy lunged, his knives flying towards me. I exhaled sharply, shifting my stance.
Then, with a single slash, the knives split midair.
The town square fell silent.
I stared at my blade, then at Buggy's shocked face. My heart pounded. I cut through steel.
Zoro raised a brow. "Huh. Guess you're not useless after all."
I let out a breathless laugh. "Gee, thanks, sensei."
Buggy recovered fast, his expression twisting into a sneer. "Big deal! I'm still in pieces, dumbass!"
"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my shoulders. "But let's be real, Buggy… you're not Shanks."
That struck a nerve. His face turned red—redder than his nose. "DON'T COMPARE ME TO THAT BASTARD!"
Zoro and I moved at the same time, closing the distance between us and Buggy. Luffy launched himself from the side with a Gum-Gum Pistol, slamming straight into Buggy's gut.
For the first time, the clown looked worried.
Nami's Move
Meanwhile, Nami was doing what she did best—stealing.
She had just stuffed Buggy's treasure into a sack when she turned and saw the battle still raging. "Tch. These guys better win."
But just as she smirked in satisfaction, a shadow loomed over her.
"Oh? You thought you could just take our loot and leave?"
Several of Buggy's crew surrounded her.
Nami sighed. "This is why I hate pirates."
She fought back, of course, but numbers weren't in her favor.
And, true to the manga, she'd lose this round.
The Fight's Climax
Buggy reassembled himself, huffing. "You brats are really pissing me off."
Luffy grinned. "Good."
With a final Gum-Gum Bazooka, Luffy sent Buggy soaring into the sky.
I exhaled, sheathing my sword. "That takes care of that."
Zoro chuckled. "You didn't do half bad."
I smirked. "Coming from you, that's basically a love confession."
Zoro rolled his eyes. "Shut up."
The Aftermath
The townsfolk, freed from Buggy's tyranny, celebrated. Just as in the manga, Luffy left the stolen treasure behind for them.
Nami groaned. "All that work for nothing."
I clapped her shoulder. "It's called karma, Nami. Try it sometime."
She gave me a glare that promised death.