Boom—!
Lightning struck Buggy once again, the heat and current making him howl in agony.
The blade he swung crashed against Ren's body, but only sparked a shower of fire.
The two had been tangled for over ten minutes, yet neither side had gained the upper hand.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! What kind of monster are you?! My blades can't even cut you!?"
Buggy split apart into dozens of pieces again, then reassembled, his entire body covered in burns from repeated lightning strikes.
"I should be the one asking that! A normal pirate can't even take one bolt of lightning—and you've tanked over a dozen!"
Standing beneath the shattered hall, Ren gripped his trident tightly, staring at the miserable Buggy, certain the clown still had plenty of life left in him.
"I'm the great Buggy-sama, damn it!"
Buggy swore as he placed his hands on his hips, his red nose twitching. "Since you're so strong, I'll go all out! Witness the true power of Lord Buggy's ultimate move!"
His body suddenly burst apart into over a hundred fragments, which shot toward Ren at incredible speed.
"Lightning Summon!"
Ren frowned, raised his hand, and brought his trident down in a flash—the hall roared as thunder and lightning struck from above.
Buggy's scream echoed through the thunderclap. But at that very instant, a red bead no larger than a bean popped out from the mechanism in his shoe.
"Hahaha! Taste my custom-made—Buggy Bomb!"
Amid Buggy's manic laughter, a deafening explosion erupted.
Flames and shockwaves tore through the air—the entire hall was obliterated in an instant, and the fiery blast leveled everything within several hundred meters.
Buggy escaped first, but the blast still caught him in the edge of the explosion, leaving him coughing blood.
Even so, he laughed like a victor.
The miniature Buggy Bomb was small enough to carry easily.
Barely the size of a bean, yet each one carried terrifying destructive power.
In his latest tests, a single bead could annihilate everything within a few hundred meters. If this experiment turned out profitable, he could further upgrade his bombs.
"That's ten billion worth of power!"
Just as he was daydreaming about his future fortune, his eyes widened in shock. The flames cleared—and a golden figure stood tall amidst the smoke.
Golden light pierced through the haze, forcing all eyes toward it.
No way… he's still alive?! A special Buggy Bomb costs a million Beli per unit!
Panic seized him.
From within the smoke, the golden figure strode forth—Ren, covered in scars, emerged from the rubble, his cold gaze locking onto Buggy.
He'd expected this. The moment he spotted the red bead, he used Flying Finger Gun to deflect it midair.
Then activated Blessing of Arrow Avoidance, Indestructible Vajra Body, and the Third Calabash Brother Template at full power.
Even so, he'd taken heavy damage.
"Monster!"
Buggy cursed and turned to flee.
His running was bizarre—his legs sprinted on the ground while everything above his ankles floated in midair.
"Think you can run?"
Ren reached behind him, pulling out a flintlock gun radiating murderous intent.
He raised it, aimed—
Charged Shot – Critical Hit – Rum Song!
The sound of waves suddenly filled the air, followed by the tune of Johnny Boy.
You had to die, only heaven knows why…
The lyrics echoed as Ren's roar infused the bullet with boundless killing intent.
Bang—!
The muzzle flashed, and the bullet screamed through the air.
Buggy's hair stood on end. A deadly sense of crisis overwhelmed him.
He reacted on pure instinct, instantly activating Chop-Chop Split Emergency Escape.
But the cursed bullet locked onto his forehead like a hound chasing its prey—it would not stop until death.
Boom—!
The bullet pierced Buggy's brow, freezing his face in an expression of disbelief and regret.
The Chop-Chop Fruit's power faded; the severed head fell lifelessly to the ground.
In the distance—
Ren dashed across rooftops, leaping between buildings to make sure Buggy was truly dead.
The Chop-Chop Fruit allowed the user to split into countless pieces, immune to slashing damage—and theoretically, bullets too.
But Buggy's combat strength wasn't impressive; he'd spent most of his life treasure hunting rather than fighting.
Just as Ren landed in an alley—something changed.
A familiar shout rang out behind him, followed by an indescribable, bone-shattering blast of sound.
BWAHH—!
In an instant, the walls and the ground ahead of the horn's blast shattered to dust. Everything within tens of meters was pulverized as if smashed repeatedly by an invisible hammer.
Ren's instincts screamed—his hair bristled as he leapt sideways, leaving behind a golden afterimage.
Another Ren appeared in his place.
"R–Ren?!"
Nojiko froze, still holding the Soul-Shattering Horn, completely unaware she'd just attacked an ally.
"Nojiko?! Are you trying to kill me—and inherit the four hundred million debt I owe Nami?!"
"Nojiko?! Are you trying to kill me—and inherit the four hundred million debt I owe Nami?!"
The same words echoed twice through the alley.
One came from Ren wrapped in golden lines.
The other—from another Ren marked by crimson patterns!
"T–Two Rens?!"
Nojiko gawked—her captain had split into two identical versions of himself!
"What?!"
"What?!"
Both Rens shouted in unison, staring at each other wide-eyed.
After a long, stunned silence—
They finally processed what had happened.
"So that theory really worked!"
"So that theory really worked!"
The two Rens stared at each other, a strange connection forming.
It felt as if they shared one mind in two bodies—more like a clone than two separate beings.
But their abilities were different.
The golden-lined Ren clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground.
Boom—! x2
The ground caved in twice—the other Ren had mirrored his movement perfectly, his crater even deeper.
"Third Calabash Brother Template—full skill set."
Ren closed his eyes, searching through his skills.
"First Calabash Brother Template—full skill set."
The other Ren finished his sentence seamlessly, his face just as confused.
Damn! x2
What even was this?!
A Calabash Brother Clone Technique?!
"What do we do now? I theorized about this before, but never figured out how to reverse it. I didn't think it could actually happen—it was just a wild idea."
Both Rens spoke in unison.
Nojiko felt her scalp tingle. "Could you not talk one word at a time like that? It's creeping me out!"
"I don't know how to control it—it's my first time too."
The two Rens continued speaking in perfect sync. Then suddenly, they both felt a pulling force.
In the next instant, the two Rens merged back into one.
(End of Chapter)