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On the warship fleeing from Impel Down...
"Buggy-sama's new power is absolutely terrifying! Bones as hard as the toughest material in the world—this is basically invincibility!"
"Yeah, and he can manipulate those bones for both offense and defense. It's like having the strongest spear and the most impenetrable shield all at once!"
"Add to that his insane self-healing ability, and Buggy-sama's strength now rivals even an Admiral!"
"??? Are you doubting Buggy-sama's original strength?"
"My mistake! Buggy-sama was already on par with the Admirals before, but now he's truly unstoppable!"
"That's right! Even Sengoku would have to kneel down just to tie Buggy-sama's shoes!"
"If the Five Elder Stars showed up, they'd have to take two slaps from Big Buggy before daring to speak!"
...
Originally,
just the sheer aura and titles surrounding Buggy were enough to make these escaped prisoners from the underwater prison revere him with starry eyes.
Now,
after witnessing firsthand the immense power bestowed upon Buggy by the Shikotsumyaku bloodline, their loyalty to him had reached unprecedented levels!
Buggy himself was fully aware of how powerful this newfound ability was—it was essentially a cheat code handed to him on a silver platter! Combined with his Devil Fruit power, the Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit), the synergy between the two abilities made him an absolute monster on the battlefield.
This time, he was heading to Marineford to fight alongside Captain Roger.
However,
while Buggy was resolute about joining the battle, he couldn't help but feel a pang of fear deep inside.
It wasn't the thought of losing that scared him—
it was the fear of showing weakness in front of Roger, who might end up disappointed in him.
But now...
with the power of Shikotsumyaku coursing through his veins, Buggy suddenly felt a surge of confidence!
Shanks, that bastard, had brought an entire Yonko crew to assist Roger. How could Buggy possibly lag behind?
Glancing over the group of prisoners before him, though they varied greatly in skill and background, each one had earned their place in Impel Down—a testament to their capabilities.
Together, they formed a force no one could ignore!
"All right, listen up!" Buggy declared dramatically. "From this moment forward, you're all members of the Buggy Pirate Crew! Those who pledge allegiance to me will shout my name, and I'll lead you all to eternal glory!"
"Buggy!!"
"Buggy!"
"Buggy!! —"
...
Hearing Buggy accept them into his crew, the prisoners erupted in cheers, feeling as if they'd reached the pinnacle of their lives. They chanted his name with unbridled enthusiasm.
"Red Nose, thank you!"
Luffy grinned widely, his gratitude genuine and heartfelt.
Buggy rolled his eyes. "What are you thanking me for, Straw Hat brat? You don't owe me anything!"
Luffy chuckled. "I'm thanking you because you're going to save Ace!"
Buggy snorted dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm doing it because he's Captain Roger's son, not because of you! Idiot!!!"
But Luffy didn't care. He continued to express his sincere thanks. "Same thing! Anyway, thank you so much!"
"Hmph~"
Buggy turned his head away, his usual tsundere demeanor shining through.
Meanwhile, the video playing within the red-framed screen continued.
[The scene shifted back to when Luffy returned to the temporary campsite with the Slip-Slip Fruit.]
["So... if you eat this, your skin will become as smooth as a woman's??"]
[Holding the Slip-Slip Fruit by its stem with two fingers, Zoro examined it curiously.]
["That's right! This is a copy of the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia I transcribed from Shanks. Look, this is the Slip-Slip Fruit—exactly the same."]
[Luffy flipped open a handwritten notebook and showed it to Zoro.]
[Back when Shanks gave him the Gomu Gomu no Mi in Windmill Village, Luffy took the opportunity to transcribe information about Devil Fruits. At the time, he didn't have any particular goal in mind—he simply wanted to learn more about the world.]
[Little did he know it would come in handy someday!]
["Yeah, there should also be other abilities related to 'slipperiness.' If you eat it, you'll gain those powers, but the trade-off is becoming unable to swim forever."]
[As someone who had already eaten a Devil Fruit, Luffy explained its properties to Zoro.]
[Zoro was utterly astonished!]
[He looked at Luffy. "You're already a Rubber Man. If you ate this Devil Fruit too, would you turn into a slippery rubber person?"]
[Luffy burst into awkward laughter. "How could that happen?! If someone eats two Devil Fruits, the two Devil Fruits inside them will fight each other, causing the body to explode!"]
[When Shanks gave him the Gomu Gomu no Mi, he warned him about this very thing.]
[Otherwise, Luffy wouldn't have known such details.]
[Luffy said, "I still owe Shanks money for that Devil Fruit. Now that I've found this Slip-Slip Fruit, I'll give it to him when I see him next."]
[Just as he was about to store the fruit away, Luffy noticed Zoro's gaze.]
["Do you want to eat it? If you do, I'll let you have it. But after eating it, you'll need to help me earn money so I can pay Shanks back."]
[Though they'd only known each other for a little over a month, Luffy and Zoro's bond had grown significantly during their time together.]
[If this conversation had taken place when they first met, Luffy would never have offered the Devil Fruit to Zoro, no matter what.]
[But now, if Zoro wanted it, Luffy wouldn't hesitate to share.]
[After all, he trusted that Zoro would repay him by helping out later.]
[However...]
["Are you kidding me? Smooth skin? No way am I eating that!" Zoro grimaced, waving his hand dismissively.]
[He added, "Besides, you're already a Devil Fruit user. If I ate one too, we'd both drown if the ship capsized! So, I think I'll stick to being a pure swordsman."]
[Luffy blinked. "Huh? Does that mean you want to join my crew?"]
["Hey! Don't go jumping to conclusions! I didn't say that!" Zoro snapped, turning his face away.]
[But despite his denial, he continued speaking. "However... since you're so earnestly inviting me to sail with you, I suppose I can reluctantly accept!"]
[(O_o)?]
[An expression of confusion spread across Luffy's face...]
["Wait, I actually..."]
[Zoro cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Enough, don't say anything! I understand! Inviting me to join your crew is the best decision you'll ever make in your life!"]
[Uh...]
[Luffy paused for a moment, then asked, "How long have you been sailing?"]
[Zoro replied confidently, "I've been sailing for four years."]
[Four years!!!]
[Hearing this, Luffy's face lit up with joy and excitement!]
[A guy who's been sailing for four years must be an expert navigator!!!]
[Perfect timing—I desperately need a navigator right now!]
[With that thought, Luffy exclaimed excitedly, "Starting now, we're partners!"]
The red-framed video faded to black, signaling the end of the clip.