The two ships approached quickly.
"It looks like there are only two people on board."
Buggy's eyes lit up. This was a perfect opportunity. He was about to get himself a new ship for free.
"Don't move. I'll handle this myself."
Buggy stopped his crew, who were eager to charge forward.
At a time like this, how could he let his subordinates steal the spotlight?
It was his chance to show off!
Alvida stared at the two people standing on the opposite deck, feeling that they looked strangely familiar.
That beautiful girl was Nami. She had seen her before.
And the man beside her, along with the giant sword by his side!
"Wait, that looks like…"
"Caelan!"
Alvida's pupils contracted as she recognized him.
Before she could stop him, Buggy had already taken the lead, jumping onto the deck of the Wind Rider.
Watching Buggy rush to his own doom, Alvida could no longer stay still.
"Idiot! I'm not dying with you!"
Alvida pushed the helmsman aside, cursing as she turned the pirate ship away.
"Our captain isn't afraid of him, so why are we running?"
Vice Captain Mohji was displeased with Alvida's actions. He still wanted to watch Buggy fight.
"Fool! Even if Caelan can't kill Buggy, he can still kill us!"
Alvida shouted while steering the ship farther away.
Buggy had the powers of the Chop-Chop Fruit, but the rest of them did not.
One swing from Caelan could slaughter everyone else on the ship.
Cabaji helped Alvida steer. What he had said to Buggy earlier was just flattery.
If they really encountered Caelan, the only option was to run.
…
On the deck of the Wind Rider.
"Haha! Be afraid! I am Captain Buggy, with a bounty of 15 million Berries!"
As soon as he landed on the ship, Buggy stood with his hands on his waist, laughing wildly.
The exaggerated clown makeup on his face trembled with excitement, showing the look of a villain who thought he had succeeded.
He widened his eyes, eager to see the terrified expressions of the two people before him.
Unfortunately, there was no such expression.
Caelan and Nami simply watched his performance as if they were watching a clown show.
The moment Nami saw it was Buggy, she completely relaxed.
A week ago, she had witnessed Luffy and his crew fighting Buggy.
Compared to Caelan, that scene had been pathetic.
"It's you, little thief! Looks like I'll get my revenge today!"
Buggy immediately recognized Nami as the thief who had stolen his treasure before.
"Heh, come on, hit me if you can!"
Nami stuck out her tongue at Buggy, hiding behind Caelan.
After spending a few days together, she had become familiar with Caelan and was no longer reserved, showing her lively side.
Buggy's clown face flushed red with anger at Nami's provocation.
Just as he was about to attack, he was suddenly locked in place by a wave of killing intent.
Following that oppressive aura, Buggy's eyes fell on the man he had seen so often in the newspapers, standing next to the iconic giant sword.
"You… you're Caelan! Why are you here?!"
Buggy's eyes widened, his voice trembling as it echoed across the sea.
How unlucky could he be to run into this monster?
Damn Cabaji! Didn't they say Caelan never switched ships?
"Honestly, I didn't expect to see you here either."
Caelan looked at Buggy with a bit of amusement. He was very familiar with this clown.
If he remembered correctly, Buggy had already been beaten down by Luffy.
How did he still have the courage to cause trouble?
Caelan raised his giant sword, ready to give Buggy a proper "greeting."
"Don't get cocky! I'm not afraid of you!"
"I ate the Chop-Chop Fruit! Your swordsmanship is useless against me!"
Buggy stiffened his neck, forcing out tough words.
Caelan didn't bother arguing.
He simply swung the giant sword, unleashing a gust of wind.
A crescent-shaped slash shot straight toward Buggy.
"Damn! That's powerful!"
Buggy's expression shifted instantly.
He had once sailed with the Roger Pirates and had seen monsters from the New World.
The oppressive aura from this sword slash was not something that belonged to the East Blue.
It was the kind of power that could dominate the Grand Line or even earn a place in the New World.
In an instant, Buggy's body split into pieces, perfectly dodging the slash.
The sword energy struck the sea, carving a massive crack through the water, sending waves crashing violently.
Buggy's body quickly reassembled, completely unharmed.
"So, he really does have some ability."
Caelan was not surprised.
The power of the Chop-Chop Fruit truly was formidable.
Not only could it nullify slashes, but even Dracule Mihawk's Yoru couldn't harm Buggy.
Mihawk had cut Buggy into pieces, but he had reassembled unharmed.
It was expected that Caelan's swordsmanship alone wouldn't be enough to deal with him.
"Hahaha! Even the so-called strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue is no match for me, Buggy the Clown!"
Buggy's expression gradually turned arrogant again. His confidence returned.
"It's finally time for me to rule the East Blue! Wahahaha!"
Buggy laughed wildly.
Even a monster like Caelan couldn't do anything to him. His moment had come.
"Is that so?"
Caelan smiled coldly. Swordsmanship wasn't his only strength.
How could Buggy, who couldn't even handle a rookie like Luffy, be arrogant in front of him?
"If my sword can't hurt you, does that mean I can't hit you either?"
Caelan turned the giant sword and slammed it down toward Buggy.
The giant sword weighed one ton. In Caelan's hands, it wasn't just a sword, it was practically a giant hammer.
Even before the strike landed, Buggy could feel the overwhelming pressure.
He knew that if he got hit by this, things would not end well.
His Chop-Chop Fruit allowed him to avoid slashes.
But who would swing such a massive, blunt weapon like this in a sword fight?
Buggy's body immediately split apart again.
His head, torso, and limbs separated into dozens of pieces, scattering in all directions to dodge the attack.
"Heh."
If it were that easy to dodge, Caelan wouldn't have made it this far.
In Caelan's hands, the one-ton giant sword moved as effortlessly as a feather.
The sword swept through the air like a fly swatter, slapping every piece of Buggy's scattered body onto the deck.
"Ahhh! It hurts, it hurts!"
Buggy screamed in pain as his body was forcefully smashed back into one piece.
Every part of his body ached, swelling badly.
Under the repeated blows of Caelan's giant sword, Buggy's entire body had been beaten into the shape of a giant balloon.
Originally just a stocky frame, he was now swollen into a fat lump.
Especially his clown face, which Caelan had paid special attention to.
His face was covered in blood, and even his signature round red nose had been flattened.
Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes as his entire face twisted pitifully.
Why… why was this happening?
If it didn't hurt so much, Buggy would have slapped himself.
Why had he picked a fight with Caelan?
He should have just knelt down and begged for mercy from the start.
How was it possible that they were in the same East Blue, yet the gap between them was so massive?
It was too much!
Buggy felt incredibly wronged. Not even in the Grand Line had he encountered such terrifying opponents.
"What do you think? Am I capable of dealing with you?"
Caelan asked playfully, kicking Buggy's swollen head aside.
He really couldn't understand where Buggy got the courage to act so arrogantly in front of him.
A powerhouse who could cleave the sea could easily flatten Buggy with just a stick.
"Don't get so full of yourself! My crew will come and rescue me!"
Buggy's entire body was beaten soft, but his mouth still refused to admit defeat.
He still had dozens of crew members. There was still hope.
"Hmm? Why don't you take a look and see where they are?"
Caelan grabbed Buggy by the hair and lifted him up, directing his gaze toward the sea.
The pirate ship that had been just a few dozen meters away from the Wind Rider was now sitting more than a thousand meters off in the distance.
Buggy could even see the glint of telescope lenses reflecting light from the ship.
Not only had his crew not come to rescue him, they were happily watching from afar, laughing at his misfortune.
"Damn you! Cabaji, I'll kill you!"
Buggy's face turned red with rage. He completely forgot about the pain as he cursed Cabaji's entire family.
After venting his anger for a while, Buggy slumped down, his earlier arrogance completely gone.
He wanted to cry, but the clown makeup on his face made it look like he was smiling instead.
His flattened red nose made him look even more ridiculous.
Damn it… he really had become a clown now.
(To be continued.)