*Fsssh—BOOM!*
A cannonball soared through the air, splashing into the sea just meters away from a moving ship. The impact sent seawater flying into the air, spraying over the deck and startling the crew aboard.
"That was a cannonball!" shouted Zoro, jumping to his feet. "Who the hell is attacking us?"
Zino and the rest of the crew immediately rushed to the edge of the ship, scanning the horizon. In the distance, a pirate ship was approaching at high speed, sails full of wind and aggression. A large pirate flag waved atop its mast—bold and unmistakable. The jolly roger had a ridiculous red nose and wild eyes.
"That's the Clown Pirates," Nami muttered, narrowing her eyes. "I recognize that flag anywhere."
"Clown Pirates?" asked Alvida, tightening her grip on her iron club. "They look like a bunch of jokes."
"Don't be fooled by appearances," Nami warned. "Their captain is Buggy the Clown, and he's dangerous. He and his top men have bounties on their heads."
Zino grabbed a telescope and handed it to Nami. "Are any of the big names onboard?"
Nami peered through the lens, adjusting it slightly. After a moment, she shook her head. "Nope. I don't see Buggy, nor his top men, Mohji or Cabaji. Looks like it's just a group of underlings."
Zino smirked. "What a pity. I was hoping for a challenge—and some bounty rewards."
Another cannonball flew toward them, but it was so poorly aimed it splashed harmlessly into the sea, far from their ship.
"They're not even good at aiming," Zino commented dryly. "Still, we can't just ignore this."
"Do we just defend our ship?" asked Zoro.
"They're provoking us. So, we also should reciprocate." Zino said, crossing his arms, thinking. "If they want a fight, we'll give them one. Let's board their ship, loot them clean, and show them what happens when you fire at the wrong people."
"I like that plan," Alvida grinned. "And maybe we can take their cannon while we're at it."
"Exactly," Zino nodded. "That reminds me—our ship doesn't have a single cannon. If we run into more experienced pirates, we'll be sitting ducks. We need to upgrade."
"We can take their cannons and install them on our ship," Alvida suggested again.
"That's a good idea," Zino agreed. "But having cannons means we need someone who knows how to use them. A good gunner or sniper."
"So we're looking to add a new crew member again?" asked Zoro.
"Yes," Zino replied firmly. "If we're serious about going to the Grand Line, we need a crew that's strong and well-rounded. A sniper or gunner is a must."
Zino turned to his crew with a smirk. "But first—let's take care of these clowns."
The crew nodded, readying themselves for battle.
As the two ships closed in on each other, the Clown Pirates suddenly stopped firing their cannons. Instead, they chose to switch to close-quarters combat. With a series of excited whoops and wild laughter, several of the pirates grabbed ropes, swung across the gap between the ships, and landed one after another on Zino's deck.
There were seven of them in total, each wearing mismatched, flamboyant clothes, with strange face paint and wicked grins. Their expressions grew even more twisted when their eyes landed on Nami and Alvida.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" sneered one of the pirates, licking his lips while eyeing the two women. "You all better surrender and hand over anything of value. Money, weapons, food—everything!"
Another pirate pointed toward Nami and Alvida with a perverse grin. "And you two lovely ladies… come with us. We promise to treat you nice."
Zoro rolled his eyes and reached for his swords. Nami's face soured with disgust. But it was Alvida who moved first.
Her calm, icy gaze met theirs, and a deep frown spread across her face. She stepped forward slowly, holding her massive iron mace with one hand. Though her frame looked slim and graceful, her strength was anything but ordinary.
One of the pirates laughed mockingly. "Oh, look! This little lady wants to play. What's that? A toy club?"
Another pirate snorted. "Let me show you how a real man fights—"
Before he could finish the sentence, Alvida swung her mace in a wide, horizontal arc.
*CRANK!*
The iron mace collided with the lead pirate's sword—and shattered it instantly. The overwhelming force of the swing didn't stop there.
*THUD! THUD! THUD!*
Three of the pirates, who were standing close together, were struck by the swing. Their eyes bulged as their bodies were lifted off their feet and sent hurtling through the air. With a collective scream, they flew off the side of the ship and crashed into the ocean with loud splashes.
The remaining four pirates stared, dumbfounded.
"W-what the hell!?"
"She sent them flying!"
"She's a monster!"
Alvida rested the iron mace on her shoulder and gave them a smug grin. "Anyone else want to make a stupid comment?"
Zino chuckled from the sidelines. "You really don't want to make her mad," he said casually. "She's got a short fuse… and a heavy club."
Zoro stepped forward, drawing one of his swords. "Let's clean this up."
The remaining pirates quickly realized they had boarded the wrong ship. Their arrogance vanished, replaced with terror. One of them raised his hands. "W-wait! Let's talk—"
But it was too late. With swift, coordinated strikes, Zino, Zoro, and Alvida took them down one by one. Nami watched from the side, arms crossed, unimpressed.
Within minutes, all seven of the pirates were either knocked out cold on the deck or tossed into the sea. The Clown Pirates had made a fatal mistake—underestimating Zino's crew.
Zino dusted off his hands and grinned. "Now then… let's take their cannons, check their supplies, and loot their ship clean."
Just like that, Zino, accompanied by Zoro and Alvida, stepped aboard the Clown Pirates' ship to begin looting it clean. With the opposing crew either unconscious or flailing in the water, there was no resistance left. The three of them moved quickly and efficiently, checking every cabin, crate, and stash they could find.
Zino took the lead, his eyes sharp as he searched for anything valuable. Zoro mostly carried the heavier goods, and Alvida enjoyed smashing open locked containers with her iron mace—an approach that was both effective and satisfying to her.
After about half an hour, the trio completed their sweep of the ship.
"The flag belongs to the Clown Pirates, but this ship was originally a merchant vessel," Zino muttered as he looked around the deck thoughtfully. The elegant design of the ship and its well-maintained cargo hold told him everything he needed to know. It was likely that the Clown Pirates had hijacked this vessel and repurposed it for their own use.
Since the ship was in good condition and no longer posed a threat, Zino decided against destroying it. Instead, the three of them returned to their own ship, carrying their spoils with them.
"How did it go?" Nami asked eagerly the moment Zino stepped back on board. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she noticed the small case in his hands.
"They had a decent stash," Zino replied casually, handing the case over to her. "See for yourself."
With gleaming eyes, Nami took the case and immediately opened it. Inside was a neat stack of bills—berry notes, arranged and secured with bands. Her fingers trembled slightly as she counted through them.
Although Zino hadn't bothered to count it himself, his System had already informed him that the case contained approximately six million berries. Apparently, the Clown Pirates had kept the money in pristine condition, likely intending to deliver it to their captain, Buggy. Whatever their plan had been, it now belonged to Zino's crew.
In addition to the cash, Zino had also found a few pieces of valuable jewelry—rings, bracelets, and a small pouch of loose gemstones. However, he had discreetly placed those into his System Storage. It wasn't that he didn't trust his crew, but having some private reserve of resources could prove useful in the future—especially if emergencies came up or if he needed to make personal purchases later.
The ship's cannons were also collected. Instead of mounting them right away, Zino stored them inside his System Storage as well. There was no one in the crew currently skilled at operating cannons with precision, and Zino knew that without a proper gunner, having them on board would be more dangerous than useful. He made a mental note to look for a talented sniper or gunner in the next town they visited.
With the looting operation complete and morale high, the crew continued sailing forward across the calm, sunlit sea. Their next objective was clear: they were heading straight for Buggy the Clown himself.
Their purpose wasn't just to fight. Zino had a plan—one that involved capturing Buggy and his two lieutenants, all of whom had bounties on their heads. Taking them down wouldn't just earn them money; it would also make a name for their crew.
And for a pirate crew just beginning to rise, reputation was everything.
...
"Have you caught that girl yet?" Buggy's irritated voice echoed across the Circus-looking tent, sharp and impatient.
"Not yet, Captain," one of his crew members replied nervously. "That girl's quick. Real slippery. She knows how to vanish before we can even corner her."
"Damn it!" Buggy slammed his foot on the deck, his bright red nose twitching with fury. "Are you guys even pirates?! How can a whole crew like you be unable to catch a single girl?! She's just one person!"
A few pirates nearby flinched at his outburst, while others lowered their heads, trying not to get involved. But one crew member muttered under his breath, clearly frustrated as well, "You couldn't catch her either, Captain. Why blame us…"
Buggy's sharp ears picked it up.
"What did you just say?" Buggy's eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned toward the man who had just spoken.
The pirate's face went pale. "N-no, Captain! I didn't say anything! You must've misheard!"
"Oh really?" Buggy leaned in, his manic grin widening. "You think I didn't hear that little whisper? I know when someone's talking behind my back."
"No, no! I swear, I didn't say anything bad about you, Captain!"
"Hm…" Buggy crossed his arms and tilted his head. "If I had to guess, you were probably talking about my nose, weren't you?"
"Wha—?! No!" the man panicked, waving his hands. "I swear, I didn't say anything about your nose! Not red, not round, nothing like that!"
A dead silence fell.
Several crew members quietly backed away, sensing what was coming next.
Buggy's eyes gleamed with madness. "Ohhh? So now you're saying my nose is *round*, huh?! Is that it?! Is that what you meant?!"
"N-no! I didn't say that either!" The man was visibly sweating now, stumbling over his words.
Suddenly, with a swift movement, Buggy's left hand detached at the wrist—thanks to his Chop-Chop Fruit ability—and flew through the air at high speed.
"Eh—? Wait, Captain—!"
Before the man could react, the disembodied hand wrapped tightly around his neck, hoisting him off the ground. His feet kicked helplessly in the air as the grip tightened around his throat.
"Ack—! C-Captain! Please—! I-I didn't mean it!"
"Too late for apologies now," Buggy said coldly, his voice low and dangerous. "You should learn to control your tongue."
He casually pulled out a pistol with his right hand, cocking it with a *click*. The barrel pointed directly at the struggling man's forehead, now dripping with sweat.
"Say your goodbyes," Buggy said with a sneer. "And blame your loose mouth."
"C-Captain! Please—!"
The crew around them stood frozen, not daring to intervene or speak up. They had seen this side of Buggy before—petty, unpredictable, and quick to punish even the smallest offense. No one wanted to be the next target of his wrath.
The gun hovered dangerously, Buggy's finger slowly tightening on the trigger.
Whether he would pull it or not… that was something only Buggy knew. But in that moment, the man dangling in the air could only pray for mercy—or a miracle.
Fortunately, miracles do happen—especially when someone's life is on the line.
Just as Buggy was about to pull the trigger, a pirate burst into the tent in a panic, shouting loudly.
"Captain! That girl is here!"
The tension in the air shifted instantly.
Buggy paused, blinking in surprise. Then his irritation reignited, this time directed at the newcomer. "What the hell?! Who gave you permission to barge in without knocking?!"
The pirate froze. "Uh... Captain, this is a tent. There's no door to knock on..."
Buggy's eye twitched as a vein bulged on his forehead. For a moment, he was more embarrassed than angry, realizing he'd just scolded someone for not knocking on a *non-existent* door.
"Ahem! Speak up already!" he barked, trying to brush off the awkwardness. "What's the matter?"
The pirate quickly straightened. "Captain Buggy, that girl—Nami, the Cat Burglar, she is here!"
Buggy's expression changed from irritation to curiosity, and then to shock. "Oh, so it's her... wait, *what?!* Nami?!"