"Nami, you're my partner!"
Standing atop the ruins of Arlong Park, Monkey D. Luffy shouted those words at the top of his lungs.
Beside him, wearing his straw hat, Nami broke down in tears.
He had really done it.
This man had personally defeated Arlong… and saved her village.
Luffy even beat up Captain Nezumi along the way, forcing him to return the money Nami had painstakingly stolen over the years. From that moment on, the Marine never dared exploit her hometown again—after all, even a "mere" captain knew better than to offend someone like Luffy.
The core members of the Straw Hat crew officially gathered and set sail.
Meanwhile—
A red-nosed figure waited patiently in Loguetown.
Waiting for the future Pirate King to arrive.
Buggy had been defeated by Luffy. After painstakingly reassembling his scattered body, he joined forces with Alvida, preparing to give that rookie pirate a "big surprise."
Alvida had already eaten the Slip-Slip Fruit. She was no longer the obese, brutish woman she once was, but had transformed into a striking beauty.
As Luffy's first defeated enemy, she held a deep grudge—and immediately agreed to join Buggy's crew.
"I'm going to kill that Straw Hat brat."
"I hate that hat," Buggy muttered darkly. "To think something so important would be passed down to a kid…"
He didn't mention its connection to Shanks.
In his mind, once Luffy was dead, the straw hat would belong to him.
Mohji, dressed in white fur, stuffed meat into his mouth as he spoke.
"Captain, your plan is flawless. When the time comes, Straw Hat Luffy won't be able to escape."
Nearby, Cabaji rode his unicycle, guzzling alcohol straight from a barrel.
"I'm going to defeat that green-haired swordsman," he declared. "My swordsmanship is no worse than his."
He was referring to Roronoa Zoro.
"Captain Buggy is also a Devil Fruit user," Alvida said casually. "Do you think you'll appear on that heavenly screen? I'm actually looking forward to that day."
She didn't really mean it.
She knew exactly how capable Buggy was—strong enough to bully weaker pirates in the East Blue, but nothing more.
"Don't joke around," Mohji replied seriously. "The captain doesn't rely on his Devil Fruit. He wins with his brilliant mind."
In truth, Buggy's mastery of the Chop-Chop Fruit left much to be desired.
After splitting his body, his feet had to remain grounded, while other parts could separate and fight independently. If they strayed too far, he would lose control.
It was a glaring weakness.
Like many Paramecia users, he still relied heavily on external tools in combat.
"Mohji's right," Buggy said smugly. "Only fools rely on Devil Fruits to win. True victory comes from intelligence."
In his mind, the plan was already complete.
He would lure Luffy to the execution platform—
And personally execute the inheritor of Red-Haired Shanks.
In the corner, Richie lazily chewed on meat.
Ever since their defeat, the lion had grown soft—eating, drinking, and losing all fighting spirit, reduced to little more than a pet.
"Raise your glasses!" Buggy shouted. "Soon, we welcome our enemy!"
"Long live Captain Buggy!"
"Captain Buggy is invincible!"
The drunken crew showered him with praise, filling him with pride.
With such loyal subordinates, Buggy felt his future treasure hunts would go smoothly.
After executing Luffy, he planned to leave the East Blue entirely and search for Captain John's legendary treasure.
As for becoming Pirate King?
He had no interest.
Suddenly—
A commotion erupted outside.
Buggy sent a relatively sober subordinate to investigate.
Moments later, the man stumbled back in, his face filled with shock.
"The heavenly screen—it has visuals now! The screen—!"
Buggy, already irritated from drinking, snapped.
His hand split from his body and flew forward, grabbing the man by the collar and dragging him closer.
"Spit it out! What did you see?!"
"Captain Buggy… it's about you! You're on the screen! Your great image is displayed for the whole world!"
"…Huh?"
Cabaji froze.
"…Huh?"
Mohji blinked.
"…HUH?!"
The entire Buggy Pirates crew was stunned.
Alvida spat out her drink in shock.
At the Marine base in Loguetown—
Smoker held the latest bounty poster in his hand.
A rookie pirate from the East Blue had just received a bounty of 30 million Beli on his very first notice.
"Are new pirates this outrageous now? That Straw Hat is worth 30 million?"
Beside him, Tashigi reported:
"The bounty was issued by Captain Nezumi. He was severely beaten by the Straw Hats and is currently recovering at the base."
"I'll personally capture him," Smoker said coldly, gripping his cigar.
"A pirate with this much potential must not be allowed into the Grand Line."
The tip of his cigar touched the bounty poster, burning it to ash.
As a Logia user of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, Smoker was practically invincible in the East Blue.
Without Haki, no one could even touch him.
Every pirate who dared cause trouble in Loguetown ended up in prison.
In a clothing shop in town, Nami could hear the shop owner praising Smoker.
Since his arrival, Loguetown had gone from pirate-infested chaos to relative peace.
Meanwhile, at a weapons shop—
Owner Ipponmatsu complained bitterly to Tashigi.
Ever since Smoker "cleaned up" the town, his business had plummeted.
Fewer pirates meant fewer customers.
Everything had gone downhill.
Suddenly—
A Marine soldier burst into Smoker's office.
"Captain Smoker! The heavenly screen has visuals! You need to see this—someone on the list is a pirate!"
Since the heavenly screen appeared, Smoker had tried everything:
Cannons
Smoke attacks
Even Seastone
Nothing worked.
The screen was completely indestructible.
For the first time, he felt truly powerless.
At this point in time, Smoker was still proud and confident—
Unlike his later self, whose record would suffer repeated setbacks.
As one of the earliest Logia users introduced, he had once been overwhelmingly impressive.
Some even believed his early appearance led to unfair treatment later in the story—much like Enel.
"Tashigi, let's go take a look."
"Yes, Captain!"
The two stepped outside and looked up at the massive screen stretching from the sky into the sea.
The report had been accurate.
A pirate's image had appeared.
And—
He was from the East Blue.
Smoker narrowed his eyes.
That unmistakable red nose—
Even if reduced to ashes, he would recognize it.
But…
Why Buggy?
That cowardly, greedy pirate—
How could someone like him possibly become a powerful figure who could shake the seas in the future?
Smoker frowned.
Was the heavenly screen…
misleading everyone?