-Real World-
Area 13, Sabaody Archipelago
The familiar sounds of clinking glasses and raucous laughter filled Shakky's Rip-off Bar, though the establishment had never been busier. Pirates who would normally rush through their ship coating and flee toward the New World now lingered for days, transfixed by the Sky Screen's revelations floating above the archipelago like some cosmic theater.
Shakky herself moved between tables with practiced efficiency, collecting payment with one hand while keeping the other ready to deliver swift justice to any customer who thought they could skip out on their tab. Her establishment served dual purposes—a tavern for thirsty pirates and an intelligence hub for those with deep enough pockets.
"Another barrel, Shakky!" called out a scarred pirate whose crew had been camped on the island for nearly a week. "This Buggy guy's incredible! I'd give anything to join his crew."
"You can barely handle me when I'm sober," Shakky replied dryly, setting down his drink with enough force to make the table shake. "What makes you think a crew like that would want deadweight?"
"I'm not asking to be an officer or anything," the man protested, tossing Bailey onto the table. "Even being a regular grunt in Infinity Castle would beat scraping by in East Blue. Did you see that place? It could house thousands of people!"
Similar conversations echoed throughout the bar. Every small-time pirate with delusions of grandeur now dreamed of serving under someone who could casually decompose buildings and nullify Haki itself.
"Payment first, dreams later," Shakky said, holding out her hand expectantly. "I don't do credit for anyone—especially pirates who might be dead by next week."
After pocketing the money, she made her way toward the wine cellar, her expression growing more serious with each step. The customer's casual question about the "coating master who used to come by" had set off alarm bells. Too many people were starting to put pieces together.
In the cellar's dim lighting, she found exactly what she'd expected—a legendary figure reduced to hiding among wine barrels like a common criminal.
"Rayleigh," she said quietly, pulling the door shut behind her, "you absolutely cannot show your face above ground right now. Half the pirates on this island have seen your image on the Sky Screen. I don't feel like relocating my business because you got careless."
Shakky leaned against a wine cask, her fingers automatically reaching for her cigarettes before remembering where she was. The last thing she needed was to accidentally ignite her entire inventory.
"I've lived through too much," Rayleigh muttered, his weathered face illuminated by the small window that offered a view of the Sky Screen above.
The Dark King's hiding spot offered a perfect view of the ongoing broadcast, though he was beginning to wish it didn't. Every revelation about his former crewmate's true capabilities felt like salt in old wounds.
His livelihood had been completely destroyed by the Sky Screen's revelations. No pirate would hire him for ship coating when they knew his true identity, and his backup plan of selling himself into slavery was equally impossible now that his face was broadcast worldwide. The World Government might have tolerated his quiet retirement, but his current notoriety made him too dangerous to ignore.
The harsh truth stung more than Rayleigh cared to admit. In terms of global influence, Buggy the Clown had already surpassed the former first mate of the Pirate King. Especially after he defeated on of the Marine Admiral.
Shakky worried that the World Government might start targeting all surviving Roger Pirates in their efforts to locate the increasingly dangerous clown.
"I was completely wrong about him," Rayleigh admitted, shaking his head in disbelief. "Buggy's talent rivals Shanks—perhaps even surpasses it. I was shocked after the Loguetown incident, but this proves he's been hiding far more than anyone realized."
He'd spent hours reexamining every memory from their time aboard the Oro Jackson, searching for clues he might have missed. But the bumbling cabin boy of his recollections bore no resemblance to the pirate that defeat an Admiral in Loguetown or this Devil Fruit genius in the sky screen. It was as if Buggy had been replaced by an entirely different person.
-Broadcast-
Meanwhile, on the Sky Screen above, Buggy's lesson was reaching its climax.
"The Liberation stage represents my capabilities two years ago," Buggy announced with casual arrogance. "Since then, I've achieved something even greater—the third and final stage of Devil Fruit evolution."
"There's a third stage?!" Luffy practically launched himself from his seat, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I want to learn that too!"
Alvida's iron grip caught him by the collar before he could pounce on their instructor. "Straw Hat, control yourself," she hissed. "Show some respect for Lord Buggy."
"I was planning to teach you this technique anyway, Luffy," Buggy said with an indulgent smile. "Your mastery of this will be essential for what's coming. Without it, the world would lose much of its entertainment value."
The clown turned back to his whiteboard, adding a third category with theatrical flourish. "If Awakening represents 1% of a Devil Fruit's true potential, and Liberation reaches perhaps 10%, then Domain achieves something approaching 100% development—power in its most fundamental form."
Luffy raised his hand with the enthusiasm of a genuine student. "I don't really understand what Domain means, Buggy. Can you explain it better?"
"Verbal descriptions are inadequate for such concepts," Buggy replied, his painted grin widening. "Once a Devil Fruit Domain is deployed and encompasses an enemy, the fruit's abilities gain a 100% success rate within that space. But rather than bore you with theory..."
He spread his arms wide, dramatic presence filling the room. "Let me demonstrate the power of my own Domain."
The audience watching through the Sky Screen leaned forward in anticipation. This was the moment they'd been waiting for—a glimpse of power that transcended everything they thought they knew about Devil Fruits.
But just as Buggy began to activate his technique, the screen flickered.
The scene shifted abruptly, pulling away from the crucial demonstration as text appeared:
["Flashback ended - Returning to Present Timeline: Sea Circle Calendar Year 1525."]
-Real World-
Across the world, the reaction was immediate and explosive.
On Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Katakuri crushed his tea cup to powder, mochi oozing between his clenched fingers. "What is this Domain ability?! Show us the demonstration!"
In Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku threw his hat to the floor in frustration. "That was the most important part! How can they cut away now?!"
Even the Five Elders in Mary Geoise found themselves leaning forward in their chairs, ancient faces twisted with annoyance at being denied such crucial intelligence.
At Shakky's bar, the patrons erupted in outraged protests. "That's it?! What kind of ending is that?!"
"I was just getting to the good part," Rayleigh muttered from his hiding spot, though his curiosity was now thoroughly aroused despite his personal grievances.
The Sky Screen had given them a tantalizing taste of ultimate power—Awakening, Liberation, Domain—before snatching it away at the critical moment. These three stages had instantly become the most discussed concepts in pirate philosophy, even though only the first two had been properly explained.
Every Devil Fruit user on the seas now had a roadmap for development, but the final destination remained frustratingly out of reach. The Sky Screen's timing was either incredibly cruel or strategically brilliant, leaving the world hungry for knowledge that might determine the balance of power in the coming conflicts.
The age of Haki supremacy was officially over. The age of Devil Fruit mastery had begun.
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