"Hey! Look at the execution platform!"
"Who is that?"
The people below noticed Luffy on the platform.
"I guess it's been 22 years since today... The King of the Pirates was executed here!" Luffy said excitedly, raising his hand and looking around.
As someone who wanted to become the King of the Pirates, Luffy's feelings about being in this place were understandably complex.
"You there, on the platform!" A loud voice rang out.
A security officer in the plaza pointed a megaphone at Luffy and yelled, "Get down from there right now!"
"Why?" Luffy's voice echoed back.
"That's a special execution platform under the World Government's jurisdiction! Get down from there immediately!" the officer shouted.
"Don't be so unreasonable, Officer!" Luffy said with a cheerful smile.
"If you don't come down, you'll be arrested! On..."
Bang!
Before the officer could finish, a dark figure flashed by and struck him down.
"Step aside, you small-fry!" A beautiful black-haired woman with a large spiked iron club stood below, looking up at Luffy on the platform. "I've been looking for you, Luffy! Long time no see!"
When Aeridar saw this beautiful woman, he understood what was happening. She was Alvida, the captain of the Alvida Pirates. She used to be a notoriously ugly and fat pirate with a bounty of 5,000,000 berries, known as "Iron Mace" Alvida. She was the first pirate Luffy ever fought. After Luffy sent her flying, she had a fateful encounter that led her to eat the Paramecia-type Slip-Slip Fruit, which transformed her into a beautiful woman with smooth, supple skin.
Alvida's change wasn't just on the outside. Her personality also became more charming and sensual. She was one of the characters in One Piece with the most dramatic transformation. The Slip-Slip Fruit allows the user's skin to become incredibly slippery, with zero friction. This makes them immune to most attacks, as the attacks just slide off, making it an excellent defensive ability. The only major weakness is explosions, which would make Arlan's Bomb-Bomb Fruit a natural counter to it.
As Alvida and Luffy spoke, the crowd around them, both men and women, were entranced by Alvida. Even the security officers who came to arrest her were captivated, as if she were a weaker version of Boa Hancock.
BOOM!
A sudden explosion tore apart a nearby fountain. A barrage of stone shrapnel flew in all directions, knocking several security officers to the ground. A large piece of the fountain flew straight at Alvida.
BOOM!
The large stone fragment hit Alvida and instantly slid off, smashing into a building nearby. The crowd, which had no idea what was going on, looked on in astonishment, and even Luffy, on the execution platform, was confused.
"Hehehehe..." a sinister laugh rang out as a group of people completely covered in long cloaks approached.
"That's a bit too much, don't you think?" Alvida said casually.
"My apologies for the theatrics, but your smooth skin wasn't hurt, was it? So please, don't mind it, beautiful lady Alvida!" the leader of the group said.
"Alvida?!" Luffy's eyes widened in shock. He stared at the "Alvida" in front of him, remembering the ugly, fat woman he had sent flying. "Where's Alvida?"
"I am her, you idiot!" Alvida stomped her feet and shouted.
Of course, with Luffy's simple mind, he didn't understand and didn't believe her. Alvida explained her transformation and even vainly claimed her face hadn't changed much. This almost made Aeridar burst out laughing. If I didn't know what you looked like before, I would have believed you!
At the same time, the cloaked group took off their cloaks, revealing themselves as the Buggy Pirates. The leader was none other than the former apprentice of the Roger Pirates and later a Warlord of the Sea, with a bounty of 15,000,000 berries, Buggy the Clown. His conspicuous red nose was hard to miss.
"It's... it's Buggy the Clown!"
"A-a pirate?"
"It's the Buggy Pirates!"
As the Buggy Pirates revealed themselves, the crowd recognized them and immediately panicked, scattering in every direction.
Thud!
Suddenly, a wooden stock with a sharpened blade fell, locking Luffy in place on the execution platform. A man with dark green hair covering his left eye, a scarf, and a cape sat on the stock.
"Long time no see, Rubber Man. How's Roronoa Zoro?" Cabaji asked casually, folding his arms. Cabaji, the chief of staff of the Buggy Pirates.
"Good! Way to go, Cabaji!" Buggy the Clown praised him, then spread his arms excitedly. "Gyahahahaha! My hundreds of millions of servants across the globe! We are about to begin a glorious public execution! Monkey D. Luffy! You're completely immobilized now. You should feel honored, Straw Hat! You get to die in the same place as the King of the Pirates! Gyahahahaha! Gyahahahaha!"
Luffy struggled on the execution platform but was held firmly by Cabaji and the wooden stock, unable to break free.
Just then, a strange pressure filled the air. The wind became unusually strong, and the weather began to change over Loguetown.
"This feeling... Is it man-made... or..." Aeridar, standing in the plaza, frowned at the sudden change in weather.
Meanwhile, the Marines, following Smoker's orders, began their operation. Some units headed to the beaches and ports to destroy and blockade the pirate ships anchored there. Other units surrounded the plaza to capture all the pirates in one go.
Rumble... rumble...
Dark clouds swirled in the sky as a strong wind swept through the area.
The Marines had their encirclement in place, and the atmosphere was tense. The pirates, on the other hand, were celebrating their plan to execute Luffy, as if it were a holiday.
"Captain Smoker! Golden Ring Aeridar, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is in the plaza!" a soldier reported nervously.
"What? Why would a big shot like a Warlord of the Sea come to Loguetown?" Tashigi asked, adjusting her glasses and resting her hand on the hilt of her sword, Shigure.
Smoker frowned. "Don't worry about him. Just get ready and take out our target pirates!"