CRASH!
Mohji was thrown back onto the rooftop, landing in a crumpled heap at Buggy's feet. He was unconscious, his body bruised and battered.
"Captain!" a subordinate reported in a panic. "Mohji-san... has been defeated!"
Buggy looked down at his incompetent officer, then towards the town, his face twitching. "He... he dares..."
The trembling subordinate tried to continue. "That Straw Hat... he's not normal! He's... he's..."
But Mohji, using his last bit of strength, managed to force out a few desperate words. "Rubber... Devil Fruit..." before passing out completely.
The other crewmates didn't understand what he was saying. But Buggy did.
"Another Devil Fruit user?" he growled, a hint of caution now mixed with the anger in his eyes. "This is getting interesting. A stubborn swordsman and a rubber brat."
He turned to his cannon crew. "HOW ARE THE PREPARATIONS?!"
"S-sir! They're ready, sir! The special Buggy Ball is loaded!"
"GOOD!" Buggy let out a maniacal laugh. "I'll show them my true power!"
Outside of town, in a makeshift camp for the evacuated citizens, a happy bark was heard.
Chouchou, covered in injuries but still alive, had found his way back.
"Chouchou!"
"You're safe!"
The townspeople, especially the children, cheered and gathered around the brave little dog. His return was like a small ray of hope in their desperate situation.
But then, someone realized. "Wait... where's the Mayor? He went into town to find Chouchou."
The joy was quickly replaced by a new, greater anxiety. Their leader was still in that dangerous town.
In the ruins of the pet food store, Nami looked at Luffy with completely different eyes.
The contempt and suspicion were gone. In their place was confusion, a bit of curiosity, and perhaps, a spark of respect she didn't want to admit. He was unlike any pirate she had ever met.
Mayor Boodle, however, was staring at his own hands with a look of shame.
"How disgraceful," he muttered. "A dog... and a pirate... they both fought to protect what was important to them. And I, the mayor of this town, just stood by and watched."
He clenched his fists. "I did nothing."
He looked out at the ravaged street, his eyes misting over with memories. "40 years ago, this place was just barren earth. We, the people who had lost everything to pirates, came here. Together, we cleared the land, and together, we built every house, every road."
His voice grew thick with emotion.
"We poured our sweat and tears into building a place where we could live in peace, to forget the horrible past. This town... it's not just our home."
He placed a hand on his chest. "It is our treasure!"
Nami and Luffy listened in silence. They could feel the love and the pain in his every word.
At that exact moment.
A terrifying whistling sound cut through the air.
A black dot grew larger and larger, hurtling straight towards them.
"LOOK OUT!" Nami screamed.
BOOM!!!!
A horrific explosion erupted right beside them. The Buggy Ball had scored a direct hit on Mayor Boodle's house—the very place where Zoro was resting.
The destructive power was immense. The house was blown to smithereens. The shockwave sent Luffy, Nami, and Boodle flying.
"NO! MY HOUSE!" Boodle cried out in despair.
"ZORO!" Luffy was even more panicked. His crewmate was in there!
They scrambled to their feet, staring at the smoking rubble. The house, Boodle's life's work, was gone.
"Zoro! Are you okay?! ZORO!" Luffy yelled, trying to dig through the debris.
Then, from the middle of the wreckage, a figure slowly stood up.
It was Zoro.
He dusted himself off, his green hair covered in plaster dust. He let out a huge yawn.
"So noisy... Can't a man get a decent nap around here?"
He was completely unharmed.
Boodle was stunned. But that stun was quickly replaced by a furious rage. He looked at the ruins of his home, at his town being torn apart.
It was the last straw.
"I can't just stand by anymore," he growled.
"I WILL FIGHT!"
He started running towards Buggy's base.
"Stop, Mr. Boodle!" Nami yelled, trying to hold him back. "You'll be killed! It's suicide!"
But Boodle didn't listen. His fear had been consumed by his outrage.
Nami looked at Luffy with pleading eyes.
Luffy watched the mayor's retreating back, his expression turning serious. "Don't worry," he told Nami. "I won't let the old man die."
He turned to her, his gaze direct. "Nami. We need a navigator. Join my crew."
Nami bit her lip. Everything was happening too fast. But she saw the sincerity in Luffy's eyes.
"I will NEVER become a pirate," she said definitively. "But... I hate that Buggy guy too."
She looked at Luffy. "Let's make a deal. I'll cooperate with you this time. In exchange, whatever treasure we get from them, we split it. 50-50."
Luffy grinned from ear to ear. "Alright! It's a deal!"
The Straw Hat alliance, even if only temporary, was officially formed.
At Buggy's base, the second cannon was loaded.
"PREPARE TO FIRE!" Buggy ordered.
But then, a lone figure appeared, standing directly in the cannon's path.
It was Mayor Boodle.
He stood there, alone, unarmed, facing down an entire pirate crew.
"Stop this at once, you scoundrels!" he yelled. "This is our town! We won't let you destroy it!"
Buggy and his men burst out laughing. "Look at this! An old man trying to be a hero."
"Blow him away," Buggy ordered dismissively.
But before the cannoneer could light the fuse, three figures appeared from the alleyways, sprinting towards them at full speed.
Luffy. Zoro. And Nami.