Shanks and Buggy, the once inseparable brothers, had finally broken apart.
Through the Den Den Mushi, the entire world heard Buggy's declaration: he would become the Pirate King and inherit the will of his former captain, the Pirate King Roger.
His impassioned speech stirred the original members of the Buggy Pirates, moving them to tears and filling them with fervent admiration.
"Captain Buggy!"
"We will follow you to the end!"
"We pledge our loyalty to Captain Buggy!"
"Captain Buggy!"
"Captain Buggy!!"
"Captain Buggy!!!"
All their voices merged into one, and even Absalom was deeply moved, joining in the chorus.
"This guy... did I misjudge him?" Perona wondered, her expression skeptical.
'The way he stood so boldly, daring to challenge Shanks, maybe he really did have the strength of a Yonko. Perhaps his cowardly act before was just a disguise.'
Shanks burst out laughing at Buggy's theatrics.
"What the hell are you laughing at? Shut up, damn it!" Buggy shouted, pointing at Shanks.
However, the expressions of Benn Beckman, Yasopp, and Lucky Roux behind Red Hair turned furious. Buggy was startled by their murderous intent and trembled as he looked at Red Hair.
He dared to yell at Shanks only because they were brothers, raised together since childhood. Back in God Valley, they had been rescued together.
Buggy's parents were ordinary circus folk, later captured and enslaved. His mother gave birth to him while in chains.
In God Valley, among the treasure the Roger Pirates looted, they found baby Shanks, and also came across Buggy's dying parents, who entrusted their infant son to Roger, begging that he be kept alive.
So the two boys had grown up together since infancy, sailing with Roger for over a decade. They weren't brothers by blood, but their bond was stronger than blood.
"Buggy!" Shanks looked at him seriously.
"Shanks!!!" Buggy gritted his teeth, locking eyes with him.
"I'll be waiting for you at the final destination. Captain Roger wanted everyone to compete for the One Piece. Both you and I have a chance. From today onward, we are enemies. But continuing this battle today is pointless. Let's end it here to avoid further casualties," Shanks smiled.
"You bastard..." Buggy's anger burned, but a voice whispered in his ear, and he suppressed his rage.
"I get it. Marines! We'll hand your men back. But not because our Cross Guild couldn't beat you, only as a favor to this guy! Men, stand down! We've won!" Buggy shouted.
Though Buggy's subordinates were reluctant, now wasn't the time to fight the Red Hair Pirates
The Marines, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. Garp and Kuzan stared at each other, panting heavily. Kuzan saw many familiar faces among the Navy, lowered his head, and turned to leave.
"Kuzan-san!!" Koby called, wanting to say more, but Helmeppo pulled him to safety.
Fujitora rescued Ryokugyu, whose body transformed into roots and plunged into the ground. Bathed in sunlight, he rapidly healed.
"How'd you get hurt that badly? Were you tortured?" Fujitora asked.
"No. That bastard Roy beat me like this," Ryokugyu replied.
The Marines began to retreat. With Red Hair's arrival, the battle couldn't continue. If it did, the pirates might join forces, something the Marines had experienced before. They had already achieved their objective.
As for whether they had lost, impossible. They had accomplished their goal; how could they have lost?
Buggy muttered under his breath: "That was good enough, right?"
"Not bad," Crocodile's voice echoed.
Buggy had wanted to keep fighting, ideally team up with Shanks and crush the Marines, but he didn't agree, so he had no choice but to yield.
On the other side, Shanks caught up with Mihawk. "Mihawk, want to join us?"
"Don't get any ideas. We're enemies now," Mihawk said flatly.
"Ha! Buggy's getting better and better. As expected of my brother!" Shanks roared with laughter.
The live broadcast ended when Buggy declared victory.
Meanwhile, Roy and Atmos had watched the war from Hachinosu. Their next destination was Egghead. Roy had to secure the Mother Flame; such a weapon must never fall into the World Government's hands.
On Karai Bari Island, tensions between the Red Hair Pirates and the Cross Guild faded into a banquet. But after that banquet, they'd be enemies for real.
"Buggy, does that mean your next target is the Whitebeard Pirates?" Shanks asked, smirking over his drink.
"That's right!" Buggy, face flushed from drink, raised his cup and laughed.
"Good. Then my target will be Luffy," Shanks smiled.
"Straw Hat, huh? Hahaha, perfect!" Buggy laughed along.
Just like that, they divided their opponents. The banquet lasted all night.
By the next day, the entire world knew of the great war between the Marines and the Cross Guild.
"The Marines actually lost?!"
"Are you kidding? The Marines won! They rescued their people. If not for Shanks' arrival, the outcome was still undecided."
"The Cross Guild is terrifying. They withstood the Navy's full force."
"Please. The Navy only sent one Admiral. Akainu didn't even fight."
"But Sengoku was there."
"And he didn't fight either, did he?"
"Buggy the Star Clown didn't fight either!"
The world argued endlessly.
Back on Karai Bari Island, Shanks' crew departed. Buggy sighed in relief, only to find Crocodile glaring at him.
"W-What are you gonna do?" Buggy stammered.
"Inside. Now."
Crocodile dragged him into a dark room. Soon, sounds of smacking and crashing came from inside, and Buggy ended up strung up on the wall.
This time, it wasn't just Crocodile and Mihawk. Kuzan and Moria were there too.
"Who told you to blab our plans to Shanks?!" Crocodile snapped.
"I-I didn't mean to! I just drank too much!" Buggy wailed. He had let slip their next move to Shanks in his drunkenness.
Now the world would soon know: the Cross Guild's next war would be against the Whitebeard Pirates.
"What's there to fear? It's just the Whitebeard Pirates. With our current strength, are we really afraid of them? Aside from Roy, the Devil Fruit users in the Whitebeard Pirates aren't necessarily our match," Gecko Moria said.
"Hmph. I've already heard, the Whitebeard Pirates aren't on Moby Dick Island anymore. They've gone to Wano… and occupied it," Crocodile said coldly.
"Wano!!!" Moria's eyes burned with hatred.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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