Chapter 190: The Straw Hat Crew Under Siege
On a land blanketed in ice,
the disheveled Buggy Pirates crawled out from the rubble.
Chief of Staff Cabaji exclaimed in delight, "Captain Buggy, we're so lucky! Other than Ritchie dying and using 200 reward points to revive, the rest of us all survived!"
"All thanks to you for saving us, Ritchie!"
Mohji looked tearfully at the newly revived giant lion.
After repeated enhancements, Ritchie now stood as tall as a two-story building. Flames danced along his thick mane—he was every bit the image of a majestic fire lion.
Boom.
Ritchie gave the group a sorrowful glare and plopped down, flattening everyone including Buggy himself.
Save them?
Was that ever his intention?
They'd all hidden behind him, using him as a meat shield, leaving him to bear the brunt of everything.
Back then, the battlefield had been total chaos.
The Buggy Pirates had scrambled, each trying to use someone else as a shield. Ritchie had tried to use Mohji as cover, but being too big, he'd become everyone's target instead.
Sure, no one died in the Trial Tower,
but the pain was all too real—even a mighty lion feared pain.
Did these humans have no conscience at all?
"You bastard, Ritchie! You dare attack Lord Buggy?! Once we reach Mariejois, I'll make you eat green peppers every day!"
Buggy wheezed, nearly crushed from the impact, unable to breathe.
"It's Red Nose..."
A surprised voice rang out.
The Straw Hat crew's ship was approaching from a distance, having cleared out all the wraiths in their path. At the front, Luffy's eyes landed on Buggy.
"Don't call me Red Nose! I'm the great Lord Buggy the Saint!"
Buggy climbed to his feet,
face contorted in rage as his nose twitched from fury.
"The Straw Hat rubber brat dares disrespect our captain? He should be locked up for such stupidity!"
"Execute him!"
"How dare you, Straw Hat!"
Fang Yi sensed the moment Luffy and Buggy crossed paths. He couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculous exchange.
It had to be said—
You wouldn't find two characters like this on any other ship. After obtaining the Celestial Dragon bloodline, Buggy didn't skip a beat adapting to his new identity—strutting around like a true noble, bluffing like a pro.
Even his crew had seamlessly taken on the role of "noble lackeys." It was almost convincing.
"Out of the way, or I'll cut you down."
Zoro was to the point, his dual swords drawn and gleaming with killing intent as he glared at the swaggering Buggy.
Noble families and the Revolutionary Army had already defied the World Government, causing the Celestial Dragons' prestige to plummet.
But with CP's secret intelligence network and the Navy's looming threat,
most people still avoided direct conflict with Celestial Dragons if they could help it.
The Straw Hats, however, were a rare case. They were defiant from top to bottom.
"Oh? You lot?"
Buggy cackled arrogantly and pulled out the high-level weapon he'd purchased. "I am a super Celestial Dragon noble! I can crush you with one hand!"
"Careful! That rifle is a Level 15 purple weapon!"
Nami's mouth dropped open, her eyes gleaming with greed as she stared at the long-barreled gun glowing with a faint blue hue.
"Purple weapon?"
Zoro frowned, instinctively tightening his grip.
Even his beloved Wado Ichimonji, a Great Grade blade that could cut through iron, was only a Level 10 blue weapon.
The Game Merchant's grading system was ruthless—grade and level created massive differences between players.
"Hey, Straw Hat idiot!"
Buggy's eyes spun like wheels as he grinned. "Why don't we work together?"
"I have the status advantage—I can walk through Marine lines without a fight. Let's team up and secure the Soul Reaper kill. I'll share some of the reward with you."
Though the Marines protected him, they wouldn't help him fight the boss.
After tasting victory once, Buggy wasn't going to pass on the chance for more.
Lacking strength, he set his sights on recruiting scattered pirate crews.
Among them, the Straw Hats stood out as one of the stronger factions.
"No."
Luffy picked his nose.
No reason—he just didn't like adventuring with strangers.
"Then DIE, you Straw Hat bastard!"
The rifle's dark barrel unleashed dagger-shaped bullets. Where they struck, the ground instantly froze over in wide swaths.
Bang.
Luffy removed his straw hat and slammed it onto the ice-covered ground.
Fist energy flowed from the hat into the earth, expanding into a Giant's Power circular field.
"Gomu Gomu no… Dive Whip!"
His figure vanished like a blur, reappearing beside Buggy in a blink.
"Gomu Gomu no… Tiger Stream & Sacred Fist Combo!"
Like a wild tiger, he lunged. Explosive energy burst from his fists, shattering the air with piercing howls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Landmines detonated, spewing thick black smoke.
They were pressure-triggered traps Buggy had set up in advance,
but against Luffy's nimble Blue Fist Saint footwork, they did little damage.
"Ritchie!"
Mohji swung his beast whip, striking the fire lion's rump.
Now nearly three stories tall, the fire lion roared as its flames ignited further and lunged at Luffy.
"Hot! Hot! Hot!"
Luffy dipped behind Buggy and hoisted the dazed clown like a shield.
ROAR!
The fire scorched Buggy's nose, making him scream in pain.
Looking up, he saw a flash of amusement in Ritchie's eyes—brief, but undeniable.
"You damn lion! You could've stopped in time! You're getting revenge, aren't you?!"
The fire lion responded with a human-like act—pretending to faint.
As if to say, I'm just a lion. I don't have petty human emotions, right?
"Luffy, tie him up."
Nami grinned wickedly and activated a well-practiced life skill.
[You attempted to steal from a player… failed.]
[You attempted to steal from a player… failed.]
"…Huh?"
Buggy's hair stood on end. "You demon woman! What are you trying to do?!"
"Hmm…"
After several failures, Nami looked puzzled.
Buggy's luck was surprisingly good—every theft attempt failed.
But persistence pays off. Just as her energy was running low—
[You successfully stole from a player. Acquired: Phantom Saint Gloves ×1]
"Luffy, catch!"
Nami opened her inventory and tossed the Level 10 green-grade gloves to Luffy.
"Stop! That's my gear!"
Buggy struggled furiously.
As a munitions expert, his primary stat was Spirit, increasing his ammo potency. His Strength and Endurance were lacking.
Meanwhile, Luffy fought like a barbarian, just like Garp—pure power and brawn.
Buggy had no chance of breaking free from Luffy's grip.
"Captain Buggy!"
The crew of the Buggy Pirates tried to move in and rescue him, but they were blocked by Zoro, whose back was wreathed in a ghostly warrior's aura.
[You have successfully used Theft on a player. Acquired: "Oni-Slaying Blade" ×1]
"Zoro, this one's yours…"
A katana with a dark purple tassel was tossed over to Zoro by Nami, who added with a grin, "Don't forget—you owe me two thousand reward points."
"Got it."
Zoro caught the Oni-Slaying Blade and examined the dark purple blade. A thin layer of eerie Yin energy coated its surface, making the weapon feel ice-cold to the touch.
A perfect blade for someone of the Devil Cry class.
Who would've guessed Red Nose had treasures like this? Totally unexpected.
"That's my sword! Give it back!"
Buggy was so furious he teared up. That sword was one of the loot drops from hunting demons.
Theft only worked on gear that wasn't soulbound.
These drops were meant to be sold for points, so naturally, Buggy hadn't bound them—making them easy pickings for Nami.
"You dare rob a Celestial Dragon? Such insolence…"
A group of figures approached slowly.
At the front was a man with an oddly colored nose and a massive blade slung over his back, shaped almost like an elephant.
"I am Spandam, director of CP9 under the World Government!"
He announced himself loudly and arrogantly, then declared, "By order of the Five Elders, we are here to arrest the criminal Straw Hats and take them to Enies Lobby for judgment!"
"That weapon on your back looks weird… is that an elephant?" Luffy asked curiously.
"That's right. It's a weapon that ate the Elephant-Elephant Fruit. It can transform into a real elephant—"
The rotund CP9 agent Kumadori eagerly answered Luffy's question.
Stars sparkled in Luffy's eyes. "That's awesome!"
"Agent Kumadori, do you also want to be judged by the World Government?"
Spandam, feeling overshadowed, barked a warning at him.
"Sorry."
Kumadori zipped his lips shut with his fingers and clasped his hands in apology.
Lucci, wearing a black bowler hat, frowned slightly.
If it weren't for direct orders from the World Government, they wouldn't be taking orders from Spandam at all. Even now, they secretly looked down on him.
Buzz.
Lucci vanished from sight, reappearing beside Luffy and landing a vicious kick that sent him flying.
At the same time, he grabbed Nami.
"Orange Devil. Bounty: 80 million Berries. Time to atone for your sins at Enies Lobby."
Spandam sneered maliciously as Nami landed in front of him, thrown by Lucci.
He lifted his foot to stomp her into the ground.
Crack!
A silver, horned serpent burst forth, its body crackling with arcs of electricity.
Nami smirked—completely unfazed despite being captured.
She gulped down an energy potion, causing a surge of power to erupt from within.
The electric eel began to elongate, transforming into a spiral-like tower coil. A lightning-charged energy field spread out, covering all the CP9 agents.
"Not good!"
Lucci sensed danger and immediately leapt away.
But the rest of CP9 wasn't so lucky.
Massive lightning bolts exploded from the tower-top eel's head, paralyzing the agents and draining their HP rapidly.
"Did I forget to mention? Nami-swan is the strongest among us!"
Sanji watched Nami wreak havoc, heart-shaped eyes sparkling as he practically bounced with excitement.
In just a few seconds,
the CP9 agents had lost half their HP. By the time the electric tower's energy ran out, Nami had already returned to the Straw Hats' ranks.
Bruised and burned from electric shocks, Bruno muttered, "Boss… the Straw Hats aren't to be underestimated."
Expressionless, Lucci replied, "That strange move won't last long. She can't cast it again soon. They're no match for us."
With the World Government's vast resources, they had landed on the Island of Death at full power.
Sure, the Reincarnation Game had caused dramatic changes in the Straw Hats' strength…
But CP9 weren't rookies either. And with the Buggy Pirates assisting, capturing the Straw Hats wouldn't be too difficult.
"Don't worry. I'll help you!"
A golden sandstorm suddenly swept in, materializing into the form of Crocodile.
"Shichibukai?!"
The CP9 agents were startled—except for Lucci, who remained stoic. "What do you want?"
Crocodile laughed freely. "I'm just helping the World Government. Is that wrong? I am a government-recognized Warlord, after all."
But his eyes didn't focus on Buggy.
Instead, they locked unflinchingly onto Luffy, whose face had turned serious.
"As payment, I get Straw Hat Luffy's head."
"Absolutely not!"
Kumadori reflexively protested.
Escorting Buggy, the stray Celestial Dragon, was just a side mission. Their real target on the Island of Death was Luffy—the Rubber Fruit user.
"Kumadori, you idiot!"
The refined-looking Kalifa, with her glasses and black stockings, kicked the rotund agent.
Clearly, this was a bluff.
Crocodile burst out laughing again. "So the Five Elders' target really is Straw Hat Luffy. Care to tell me why?"
Kalifa narrowed her eyes and retorted, "You planted spies inside the World Government?"
Crocodile replied without shame, "Actually, you planted spies around me. They just switched sides."
There was no way the Government wouldn't keep tabs on him—especially after he took in Nico Robin.
They had tried to place moles near him.
But he'd uncovered them quickly, and they became double agents feeding him Government secrets.
He hadn't come to the East Blue just to test the Game Merchant.
He'd come because the Five Elders had made Luffy—barely a rookie pirate—the top priority target of the entire East Blue operation.
More than even the search for Pluton.
The fact that CP9—who'd been stationed at Water 7 to hunt for Pluton—were now here…
Could the Rubber Fruit be connected to Pluton?
"Let's get out of here!"
Luffy gave the signal.
Though still a rookie crew, the Straw Hats knew how to read him. In an instant, they all moved behind him.
"Gomu Gomu no… Great Escape!"
Luffy stretched his arms, grabbing the regenerating walls of the street.
Like a giant slingshot, he launched the entire crew skyward at blinding speed.
"Chase them!"
Spandam screeched like a pig being slaughtered.
Orders from the Five Elders were absolute. They couldn't let him escape.
"Hmph. Pointless."
A breeze stirred as Crocodile's body turned into sand and surged toward the fleeing crew.
The Buggy Pirates looked at each other, then turned to their captain. "Captain Buggy, what do we do?"
"Damn it! After them! I want my gear back!"
Buggy's face turned crimson with rage.
Without a second thought, he gave chase.
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