Buggy the Clown activated the power of his Chop‑Chop Fruit.
His arms broke off in an instant, each hand gripping a throwing knife that shot straight toward Nami!
But the moment the blades reached her, Nami whipped her body around; the knife edges slid right past, not even scratching her!
"Curses! What kind of Devil‑Fruit power is that?!"
Buggy roared in fury.
Nami certainly wasn't going to explain. She just stuck out her tongue at him with a smug grin.
"Can't lay a finger on me, can you?
Nyeh‑nyeh‑nyeh!"
Buggy exploded with anger and triggered his fruit again.
"Brat, you dare look down on me?
Chop‑Chop Cannon—Ground‑Skimming Flight!"
In a flash Buggy's whole body split apart. Only his feet stayed where they were; every other piece hurtled at Nami—punching, kicking, lashing out from every direction!
Yet even so…
Nami's Smooth‑Smooth Fruit still made her impervious.
Every blow slid off, leaving Buggy panting and helpless.
Of course, the Smooth‑Smooth Fruit isn't perfect.
It's just that…
Buggy's attacks are too weak.
Even with his disassembly power, all he can really do is bludgeon people with detached limbs or stab with daggers—hardly enough to injure Nami.
Conversely, the Chop‑Chop Fruit excels at defense: hurting Buggy is just as hard.
He once took Mihawk's ferocious slashes head‑on and came away unscathed.
Nami tried to counter, but her wooden staff truly couldn't harm him.
Both sides quickly realized:
Neither could do anything to the other.
At that moment Buggy—furious—fired a mini Buggy Ball.
His rage ruined his aim; the bomb was about to explode right beside Nami.
Chiyu's brow twitched.
He flashed forward with Soru, one of the Navy's Six Styles, whisking Nami out of danger.
He knew the Smooth‑Smooth Fruit's biggest flaw: it can't negate explosions.
A projectile that hits you will slide off, but if it detonates nearby, the blast still hurts.
He'd warned Nami before; in the heat of battle she'd failed to react.
Realizing her brush with death, Nami exhaled deeply and patted her chest.
"Thank you, Chiyu-sama… that scared me to death…"
Buggy bellowed, "So you're Uchiha Chiyu?!
Do you know what happens to people who cross me?!"
Chiyu had no interest in clownish bluster.
He also knew sword cuts couldn't hurt a Chop‑Chop user—Mihawk himself had proved that—so ordinary swordsmanship was pointless.
But no Devil Fruit is invincible.
Chop‑Chop ignores slashes, not blunt force, and it can't shrug off elemental attacks.
Without hesitation Chiyu launched another Six‑Styles burst—Soru!
His figure blurred like lightning; before Buggy could react he executed his fusion move:
Thunder Finger Pistol!
Wild lightning wrapped his fingertip, then fired like a bullet—
Bang!
The blast smashed straight into Buggy's throat, lightning erupting everywhere!
Buggy's reflexes were astonishing: at the instant of impact he split off his neck, head, and torso, darting away from the blast zone.
Chiyu's strike shredded the throat to bloody pulp—yet Buggy still lived.
Now, though, he had no neck.
"You bastard! You blew up my neck!"
Buggy re‑assembled—head stuck directly to torso—looking more ridiculous than ever.
Nami doubled over laughing.
"What kind of freakish look is that?! Hahahaha!
Classic Buggy the Clown!"
Buggy raged, "Who're you calling Clown?!
Chop‑Chop Pancake!"
He ripped off his entire lower body and hurled it.
Sharp blades popped from his toes, spinning like gears as they stabbed at Nami!
But Nami now was no pushover.
She swung her staff to block—snap! It broke in two.
With a gasp she triggered her Smooth‑Smooth power again; the spinning attack slid off harmlessly.
Buggy hadn't aimed to hit Nami anyway—only to distract.
The instant he launched "Pancake," his upper body also flew off, grabbed the spinning lower half, and flung his own feet to the lion Richie.
Richie clamped Buggy's feet in his jaws and bolted.
Chiyu frowned.
Buggy's strength wasn't impressive, but Chiyu's Thunder Finger Pistol hadn't killed him, and Buggy's escape trick deserved a bit of respect.
A clown he might be, but he'd mastered his fruit—and he'd trained under Pirate King Roger; his combat sense was real.
Chiyu understood the mechanics: Chop‑Chop parts can fly only if the feet stay "on the ground."
If someone else holds the feet, that still counts, letting the rest of the body fly within range.
Buggy was repeating the trick he'd used back in Impel Down.
…Admiration didn't mean mercy.
Chiyu snorted and flashed with Soru again.
In a heartbeat he was in front of Richie.
The terrified lion reared up and raised his paws in surrender!
Buggy screamed, "Run for it, Richie, you stupid lion!"
Too late.
One slash—Richie's head rolled.
Buggy's feet thumped back to the ground.
"Richie!" Buggy's beast‑tamer Mohji howled and lashed his whip, seeking revenge.
Sword stepped in, severing the whip with a single stroke.
"To fight our commander, you're not qualified."
Meanwhile the rest of Buggy's crew were collapsing under 200 marines, casualties horrific.
Buggy stared—equal parts rage and despair.
After roaming the seas since the Pirate King's days, was he really going to die here, in East Blue, at this terrifying marine's hand?
Chiyu slammed a boulder onto Buggy's feet, pinning him.
Buggy's power was weak, yet he was famous for "Conqueror's‑level luck."
Chiyu wondered:
If I kill him now, what sort of luck will try to stop me?
…Moonwalk!
He shot into the sky, sprinting through the air toward Buggy.
This time he'd blow Buggy's head apart.
Buggy screamed in despair, "I don't wanna die!"
Just then—
Chiyu felt an overwhelming surge of danger.
"Hmm?"
It was the strongest killing intent he'd sensed since arriving in the One‑Piece world—vast, irresistible, crashing down in an instant.
He snorted, unafraid, drew his Sandai Kitetsu, flooded it with lightning, and slashed at the newcomer.
BOOM!
The opponent drew his own saber; the two blades collided, sparks and thunder exploding.
Sword‑light and lightning ripped the air; pressure waves split the earth itself.
Both fighters sprang back and landed.
The stranger smiled. "Fine swordplay! No wonder the whole world now fears the 'Marine God of Death.'"
Chiyu's eyes narrowed.
Tall, broad‑shouldered, flaming red hair, three scars over the right eye, a stubbled chin, white shirt and black cloak, an easy stance that radiated a king's presence.
His left sleeve hung empty—he had only one arm.
There was no doubt—
One of the Four Emperors who rule the New World…
Red‑Haired Shanks!
At the sight of him the marines trembled; even Nami went pale and covered her mouth.
Sword's sword hand shook.
"Th‑that's… Red‑Haired Shanks?!
Why would a giant like him show up in a backwater like East Blue?!"
Buggy was equally stunned.
"Sha‑Shanks?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
Shanks waved cheerfully. "Yo, Buggy—long time no see."
Buggy raged, "Long time my ass! If you hadn't made me eat that Devil Fruit and lose my treasure map, I wouldn't be in this mess! I hate you, Shanks!"
Shanks scratched his chin. "Did that really happen?"
Buggy fumed. "Of course it did! You're as infuriating as ever!"
By now Buggy's crew was almost wiped out.
The marines, under Sword, stood disciplined behind Chiyu—but none felt any hope.
Against a Yonko, it was practically certain death.
Cold sweat streamed down Sword's face.
"Chiyu-sama, we should avoid a clash with Red‑Hair for now. He's out of our league…"
Chiyu was surprised Shanks had appeared—and surprised, too, that as he'd tried to kill Buggy, someone really had intervened.
So the legend of Buggy's "Conqueror's luck" was true?
Nami peeked from behind Chiyu's back.
…
Chiyu spoke calmly. "Red‑Haired Shanks—why are you in East Blue?"
According to intelligence, Shanks had left the East Blue years ago after meeting Luffy in Windmill Village.
Shanks smiled. "Just some personal business. I came alone."
"Don't tell me you came solely to rescue Buggy."
Shanks shook his head. "Not exactly. I had other matters. But when I heard your name—and that you vowed to purge every pirate in East Blue—I decided to drop by and see my old friend Buggy."
He knew Buggy would die if he didn't step in.
Buggy snarled. "Trying to make me owe you a favor, Shanks?! I refuse!"
Shanks laughed. "Think what you like; I just followed a whim."
"You want to take Buggy away?" Chiyu asked.
"I can't just watch him die here," Shanks replied.
"Impossible," Chiyu said flatly.
Shanks frowned. "You truly have to kill him?"
"I'm a marine. You're pirates."
He offered no further reason; Shanks understood.
"Why do you hate pirates so much?"
"I won't repeat myself."
Shanks nodded in silence. "I see—your stance, your resolve. I have my own. If you insist on killing Buggy, then I must oppose you."
Chiyu: "We were enemies already."
Shanks laughed. "Well said! Even so, I admire men like you. If we both survive, we'll meet again on the final day of battle."
Chiyu: "That's if there is a future."
In an instant their killing intent and fighting spirit collided like thunder.
Shanks hadn't even unleashed his Conqueror's Haki yet; the sheer murderous aura made pirates and marines dizzy.
Chiyu, unfazed, released a pressure even greater, suppressing Shanks.
Shanks was shocked.
"What a terrifying presence! His power doesn't feel overwhelming, yet that aura… beyond a king's—it feels… divine!"
And indeed: though Shanks was a Yonko, Chiyu had once stood above worlds and gained power approaching the divine.
Even now, not fully restored, his presence eclipsed anyone's—including the world's secret ruler Imu.
Shanks felt awe but roared it away, swinging his saber Gryphon in a straightforward yet majestic strike—pure imperial ferocity.
Sword and the marines felt as if the blade were falling on them.
At that instant Chiyu stepped forward, shielding everyone.
His own blade Yubashiri crackled with savage lightning and met Gryphon head‑on.
BOOM!
KRA‑KABOOM!
A single clash split Buggy's vast headquarters plaza down the middle, a yawning chasm ripping the earth in two.
Every soul present—Buggy, Sword, Nami, the surviving marines and pirates—could only stare, jaws hanging.
"Wh‑what kind of monstrous power is that…?!"
~~~
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