-Real World-
Petalwind Island, East Blue
The surviving members of the Buggy Pirates had gathered around their captain in a protective semicircle, their recent escape from Marine forces still fresh in their minds as they watched the Sky Screen's revelations unfold. The sight of the Straw Hat Pirates' future selves—eight Devil Fruit users operating with perfect coordination—had triggered a complex mixture of envy, frustration, and grudging respect among the crew who had suffered so much at their hands.
"Look at all those abilities," Mohji muttered while unconsciously stroking Richie's mane, his animal-taming skills feeling insignificant compared to the supernatural powers displayed by their former enemies. "Eight Devil Fruits in one crew. How is that even possible?"
"And they get to sail around having adventures while we're stuck hiding on this island," Cabaji added bitterly, his acrobatic swordsmanship seeming primitive compared to the reality-bending capabilities they had witnessed.
Alvida remained silent, but her iron mace trembled slightly in her grip as she contemplated the vast gulf between their current circumstances and the Straw Hats' apparent destiny for greatness. The psychological impact of being so thoroughly outclassed was almost harder to bear than their physical injuries.
Then the Sky Screen showed something that changed everything.
The massive floating city that materialized above the beast island was unlike anything any of them had ever imagined. Architecture that defied gravity and physics moved through three-dimensional space like a living organism, its ancient buildings dancing through the air in perfect coordination before forming a magnificent palace that dwarfed anything the World Government had ever constructed.
"Captain Buggy's future base!" Mohji exclaimed with explosive enthusiasm, his earlier depression forgotten in the face of such spectacular possibilities. "It's flying! The Marines will never be able to reach us up there!"
"Look at how those buildings move around each other," Cabaji observed with professional appreciation for the engineering involved. "That's not just technology—that's artistry. Our captain is going to command something that beautiful?"
Even Alvida couldn't suppress a smile as she watched the architectural symphony reach its crescendo. "A floating palace fit for the future Pirate King. I always knew Captain Buggy had it in him."
The crew's excitement reached fever pitch when their future captain finally appeared on the highest throne, his presence radiating an authority and power that seemed to transform the very air around him. This wasn't the bumbling, cowardly Buggy they knew—this was someone who commanded respect through sheer force of personality.
"He looks so... regal," one of the younger crew members whispered in awe. "Like a real emperor of the seas."
Buggy himself stared at his future self with an expression of wonder that he couldn't quite hide behind his usual theatrical demeanor. The figure on the Sky Screen possessed something he had always secretly craved—the unshakeable confidence of someone who belonged among the world's elite. The elaborate makeup wasn't just cosmetic enhancement; it was war paint worn by someone who had earned the right to such displays.
"That's really going to be me?" he asked quietly, his voice carrying none of its usual bombast. For once, the great Captain Buggy seemed genuinely uncertain about something.
"Of course it is!" Alvida declared with fierce loyalty. "I always knew you had the potential for greatness. The rest of the world just hasn't recognized it yet."
Sensing the moment's significance, Buggy rose to his feet and addressed his assembled crew with renewed energy. "You're right! If that magnificent bastard in the Sky Screen can build a flying palace and command respect from legends like Rayleigh, then so can we! Tonight, we celebrate our inevitable rise to power!"
The remnants of the Buggy Pirates erupted in cheers as they began retrieving food and drink from their recent supply raids. The transformation from despair to euphoria was remarkable, reflecting their captain's ability to inspire hope even in the darkest circumstances.
As the impromptu celebration began taking shape, Alvida approached Buggy with the confident grace of someone who knew exactly what she wanted. "Captain," she said in a voice that carried subtle promises, "I was wondering if you might have time tonight to visit my quarters for a private drink. We could... discuss our future plans in detail."
For a moment, Buggy's theatrical mask slipped entirely, revealing the genuine surprise and excitement of someone who had never expected such an offer from someone as formidable as Iron Mace Alvida.
Meanwhile, the Sky Screen's continuation of the flashback sequence had triggered emergency meetings at Marine Headquarters as intelligence officers scrambled to update their threat assessments of the notorious clown pirate.
"Three billion berry bounty," one analyst muttered while frantically updating computer files. "We always assumed that was an error or deliberate provocation. But if he's actually capable of commanding floating cities and matching Rayleigh in direct combat..."
"Sir," another officer interrupted, his voice tight with concern, "if Buggy the Clown has been hiding abilities of this magnitude, what else might we have missed? How many other 'low-level' pirates could actually be existential threats?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku studied the Sky Screen's display with the grim expression of someone calculating how many strategic assumptions would need to be completely reconsidered. "Issue new standing orders: any pirate displaying unusual capabilities beyond their known abilities is to be treated as a potential Admiral-level threat until proven otherwise."
-Broadcast-
Back in the floating city, the confrontation between past and future was reaching its climax as two legendary figures prepared to test each other's resolve.
"Vice-Captain Rayleigh, I know I've changed considerably," the transformed Buggy observed with calm confidence that would have been impossible for his younger self to maintain. "But I suspect you still see the cowardly cabin boy who used to hide behind Shanks during serious battles."
Rayleigh's usually cheerful demeanor had vanished entirely, replaced by the predatory focus of someone who had survived countless encounters with dangerous enemies. His Observation Haki was reading power levels that simply didn't match his memories of the bumbling clown who had once served aboard the Oro Jackson.
"The aura you're projecting is completely different from the Buggy I remember," Rayleigh stated while his hand moved instinctively toward his sword. "You feel like an entirely different person. For all I know, some devil or shapeshifter could have stolen his body and memories."
The accusation hung in the air for several tense seconds before Rayleigh moved with the lightning speed that had made him one of the most feared pirates of his generation. His blade emerged from its scabbard in a silver arc that would have bisected most opponents before they could even register the attack.
Buggy remained seated throughout the assault, his expression unchanging as he spoke casually to the kimono-clad woman kneeling beside his throne. "Nakime, there's no need for you to intervene. I'll handle this myself."
Instead of dodging or using his Devil Fruit powers to separate into pieces, Buggy rose from his throne and met Rayleigh's sword strike with his bare fist. The collision between blade and flesh should have resulted in immediate amputation, but instead it triggered an explosion of competing energies that sent shockwaves throughout the floating city.
Black lightning crackled around the point of contact as two masters of Armament Haki tested their absolute limits against each other. But what started as a contest of physical enhancement quickly escalated into something far more dangerous—a direct clash between two users of Conqueror's Haki operating at their maximum output.
The resulting pressure wave was visible as distortions in the air itself, creating a localized storm with the two combatants at its epicenter. Furniture throughout the chamber began sliding toward the walls while loose objects were swept up in the supernatural winds generated by their opposing wills.
Luffy, caught completely unprepared by the sudden violence, found himself being dragged toward the edge of their platform by forces beyond his ability to resist. His rubber physiology provided some protection against the pressure, but his relatively modest Haki development left him vulnerable to the raw spiritual energy being unleashed.
The woman called Nakime responded to the crisis with fluid grace, her fingers dancing across the strings of her biwa in complex patterns that caused the chamber's architecture to reconfigure itself. Walls shifted to provide additional shelter while the floor beneath Luffy's feet extended to give him better purchase against the ongoing storm.
[Nakime - Executive Officer of the Buggy Pirates. Paramecia-type Kuukan Kuukan no Mi (Space-Space Fruit) user. Known aliases: "The Architect," "Dimensional Witch."]
"Vice Captain Rayleigh," Buggy observed with obvious satisfaction while maintaining perfect balance despite the supernatural forces swirling around them, "your skills remain as impressive as ever. Even at your advanced age, you can still project Conqueror's Haki with enough intensity to flatten most opponents. It's almost a shame that someone of your caliber has chosen retirement."
"I severely underestimated you, kid," Rayleigh admitted while gradually reducing the pressure of his spiritual assault. "When did you start hiding abilities of this magnitude? You're operating on the same level as Shanks now."
The comparison wasn't made lightly. Shanks had become one of the Four Emperors through a combination of overwhelming Haki mastery and strategic brilliance that few could match. For Buggy to have achieved similar development meant that his growth over the intervening years had been nothing short of extraordinary.
Luffy watched the exchange with wide-eyed fascination, his newly awakened Conqueror's Haki responding to the demonstration like a tuning fork struck by a master musician. He could feel the subtle differences in how each man shaped and directed their spiritual energy, providing insights that months of conventional training could never have offered.
With their identities confirmed and their relative power levels established, the two former shipmates allowed their contest to conclude without further escalation. Despite the intensity of their brief clash, no real animosity existed between them—they were simply old comrades testing whether their memories matched current reality.
"Please, join me at the table," Buggy invited while gesturing toward a dining area that had apparently been prepared specifically for this reunion. "I took the liberty of arranging refreshments worthy of such distinguished guests."
The spread that awaited them was indeed magnificent—delicacies from across the Grand Line arranged with artistic precision that spoke to resources and connections far beyond what most pirates could access. Rare wines, exotic fruits, and perfectly prepared meats created a feast that would have impressed even the World Nobles.
"Nakime," Buggy continued while settling into his host position, "please recall Bullet from his current assignment. I suspect he would appreciate the opportunity to reunite with our former Vice Captain."
The mysterious woman's fingers found her instrument's strings once again, producing the same spatial distortion effect that had originally transported Rayleigh and Luffy to this floating sanctuary. The sound resonated through dimensions in ways that conventional physics couldn't explain, reaching across vast distances to locate and retrieve their target.
Within moments, another figure materialized on the platform—a powerfully built man with long blonde hair whose confused expression suggested he had been interrupted during some significant activity.
"Captain Buggy," the newcomer complained while looking around to assess his new surroundings, "I was in the middle of an excellent battle when Nakime suddenly pulled me away. This had better be important."
[Douglas Bullet - Former Roger Pirates crew member, Current Buggy Pirates Executive. Paramecia-type Gasha Gasha no Mi (Clank-Clank Fruit) user. Known aliases: "Demon Heir," "The Destroyer."]
"Bullet," Rayleigh's voice carried obvious pleasure at seeing his former comrade alive and apparently thriving. "I wasn't certain you had survived your imprisonment in Impel Down. The reports about your escape were... conflicting."
"Rayleigh!" Bullet's demeanor shifted immediately from irritation to genuine warmth as he recognized his old friend. "I should have known. Only something this significant would justify interrupting my fun."
The former Roger Pirates member took a seat near his old Vice Captain and immediately began consuming wine with the enthusiasm of someone who had been denied such luxuries for far too long. "You've aged considerably since our last meeting. How long has it been—twenty years? More?"
"Time has a way of catching up with all of us eventually," Rayleigh replied with the philosophical acceptance of someone who had made peace with his own mortality. "Though I have to admit, retirement has been more eventful than I anticipated."
Bullet's attention shifted to Luffy, who had returned to his enthusiastic consumption of the available food with characteristic single-minded focus. The young pirate's ability to pack enormous quantities of food into his rubber-enhanced stomach was creating a spectacle that was both impressive and slightly disturbing.
"So this is the famous Monkey D. Luffy," Bullet observed while studying the straw-hatted figure with professional interest. "Captain Buggy mentioned that he bears a certain resemblance to Captain Roger, and I can see the similarity now that I'm looking directly at him."
"He's still developing his abilities," Buggy cautioned while noting the predatory gleam in Bullet's eyes. "You'd crush him in about three punches at his current level. Even legends like Captain Roger required time to reach their full potential."
"I suppose I owe him some consideration," Bullet conceded with obvious reluctance. "He was partially responsible for the prison break that secured my freedom from Level Six. I'll restrain myself... for now."
Luffy remained blissfully unaware of how close he had come to an unwanted sparring session, his attention completely absorbed by food that represented a welcome change from the monotonous diet of roasted beast meat that had sustained him throughout his training regimen.