[Remember this is one of the fics that are in the Pick Up Event!]
[If you like it and want it to be picked up, review it and give it some Power Stones]
[Thanks for your support!]
"Just like that—it's cut open."
Luffy grinned as he stretched his right arm into the shape of a knife, elongating it several meters into the air.
Then, he suddenly swung it down at the already-split small cage.
As his arm neared the cage, a blue-white energy blade gathered at the tip.
The energy blade landed cleanly on the cage, slicing it apart again with ease.
"Amazing! That rubber freak—is he a monster? He actually cut through a concrete prison cell?"
"You're focusing on the wrong thing! Did you see that weird thing appear on his hand just now?"
"It looked kind of like a giant dining fork… Wait—is that really a power from the Gomu Gomu no Mi?"
The Buggy Pirates stared at Luffy like they were seeing a monster.
As for Buggy, although he wore the same shocked expression, a glimmer of something flickered in his eyes after seeing Luffy's move.
But soon, he joined his crew in pretending to be stunned by Luffy's power.
"Straw Hat brat, are you hiding dinner knives in your sleeves or something?!"
"And you—hurry up and tell me, what's your relationship with the Golden Lion?!"
Buggy used his Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit) ability to detach his hands and shook Luffy violently by the collar.
"Golden Lion? Who's that?"
"You don't know the Golden Lion?! Then what's the deal with that ship flying in the sky?!"
"Oh, that's the Golden Deer. My crewmate Genrou summoned it. Cool, right?"
"Genrou?" Buggy frowned. "Don't tell me that old geezer Golden Lion died, and this guy Genrou ended up eating the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Float-Float Fruit)?"
Thinking it through, Buggy felt it was very likely.
Sure, Golden Lion had escaped from Impel Down.
But he hadn't shown up on the sea for a long time—and given his age, dying of old age wasn't impossible.
In that case, a new pirate who ate the Float-Float Fruit joining the Straw Hat Crew seemed plausible.
"But still… why does the name Genrou sound so familiar?"
Buggy pulled one hand back, touching his chin and muttering in confusion.
"What an honor. I didn't expect the legendary pirate Buggy to remember my name. Should I say thanks?"
Just then, a male voice rang out from the bow of the Golden Deer.
Buggy followed the voice and soon spotted the speaker.
"It's you—Genrou?! You're that rookie who debuted with a 500 million bounty, and now you've got 800 million?"
"There's no way someone like you would join his crew!"
"Straw Hat idiot—you tricked me?!"
Buggy turned between Genrou and Luffy, yelling furiously.
"What are you talking about? Genrou's really my crewmate!"
Luffy knocked away Buggy's hand and waved cheerfully at Genrou.
"Luffy, you really know how to stir up trouble. Leave you alone for one second and you're knee-deep in chaos."
Genrou jumped down from the Golden Deer, landing beside Luffy.
Nami and Zoro followed right after.
"Hehehe, I smelled meat, so I came early."
"But to think I thought this big-nosed guy might actually be a decent person—and he tried to shoot a cannon at me!"
"Hey, Genrou, from what you just said, you know this red-nosed guy?"
Luffy asked, completely unaware of the dark cloud that crossed Buggy's face at the mention of "red nose."
"A crew member of Pirate King Roger, and a sworn brother to Yonko Shanks—how could I not know a pirate like him?"
With one line, Genrou laid bare Buggy's true background.
The previously gloomy-faced Buggy stared at Genrou in shock.
"What?! This guy was on the Pirate King's crew?! And he's brothers with Shanks?!"
Luffy's eyes practically popped out of his head. He couldn't imagine someone as strange as Buggy having that kind of background.
And since it was Genrou who said it, Luffy didn't doubt it at all.
Behind Buggy, his pirate crew had expressions of pure shock, their worldview collapsing.
"That said… this guy did just fire a cannonball at the Golden Deer."
"So I have to get some answers from him."
"Buggy, you said earlier that Shanks was the reason you ate the Devil Fruit, right?"
"Seems like you're not too fond of it. In that case, how about giving it to me?"
Genrou smiled mysteriously at Buggy.
"You want my Devil Fruit? Are you joking?"
Buggy looked at Genrou like he was a complete idiot.
But he had no idea that Genrou's system allowed him to extract Devil Fruits from unconscious users—as long as the knockout was done by Genrou or his crewmates.
"Joking? Try me and find out."
Genrou chuckled and slowly reached for the hilt of Konpira behind him.
"Let me handle it, vice-captain."
Zoro stepped forward, a terrifying grin on his face.
"I still need to get used to my new power. If there's going to be a fight, how could I miss it?"
As Tsuki no Kokyū (Breath of the Moon) surged from him, a chilling aura—very similar to that of Kokushibou—rose from Zoro's body.
The weaker pirates around him shivered instinctively.
Even though the sun was high in the sky, it suddenly felt like winter.
Genrou nodded. "Very well. If you're eager to go, I'll leave it to you. I'll take a break."
"Nami, feel like joining me for a walk?"
Genrou waved at Nami and began walking behind the Buggy Pirates.
"Getting used to your power, huh? Hehehe—I want to test out my power too."
Luffy cracked his knuckles and laughed as a red oni-like phantom rose behind him.
The battlefield, which had become freezing from Zoro's aura, now added a sweltering heat.
"U-uh, you guys go ahead. I'm going to catch up with Genrou!"
Nami gave an awkward laugh and bolted after Genrou.
Even though neither Zoro nor Luffy were directing their aura at her, she still felt an instinctive fear rise from deep within her.
Right now, she definitely didn't want to be anywhere near them.
…
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]