Luffy Defeated, Can Yue vs. Clown Buggy

Dozens of black fragments coated in Haki rushed toward Luffy.

At the critical moment, Luffy adjusted the angle of his punch aimed at Buggy, grabbed a distant house, and used his rubber elasticity to launch himself into the air, evading the attack.

"Whew, that was close. Way too close."

Luffy adjusted his straw hat and stared more cautiously at Clown Buggy, who had already reassembled his body in the distance.

Buggy grinned and mocked Luffy. "What, now you're the one running away? Let's see if you can dodge this one."

One of Buggy's arms gradually split apart, each fragment only about half a centimeter in diameter. The sheer number of them was unimaginable.

Even more terrifying, every fragment was coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, radiating immense pressure.

"Chop Chop Fruit, Upgraded Version—Buggy's Gun!"

The moment he finished speaking, countless black arm fragments shot toward Luffy like machine-gun bullets.

Fortunately, Luffy and Can Yue had spent several days learning Haki, and they knew very well that attacks infused with Haki could not be taken head-on.

Luffy could only search through the ruined houses for cover, trying to evade the attacks.

As Buggy continued his assault, smoke and dust rose everywhere around Luffy.

When the dust finally settled, not only the houses but even the ground had been riddled with holes. Faint bloodstains could even be seen.

The destructive power of that attack was terrifying.

Zoro, watching from the side, furrowed his brow and carefully scanned the battlefield, but he could not find Luffy anywhere.

"Ka-hahahahaha! Straw Hat Kid, did that move blast you into pieces?"

As Clown Buggy laughed, he also pulled the fragments he had fired back onto his body, reconstructing his arm.

Yet no response came from within the shattered ruins that had been struck. The silence was eerie.

Several minutes passed, and Luffy still had not appeared. Even Zoro began to feel deeply worried.

Buggy sighed, lowered his hands, and lost his smile. He muttered, "If you can't even endure that attack, how can you talk about becoming the Pirate King? You brat, you don't deserve that hat!"

"White-haired Swordsman, you're next!"

But just as Buggy turned his gaze toward Can Yue, he suddenly saw something unbelievable. "Why is that straw hat in your hands?"

Buggy's pupils contracted slightly. Luffy had been wearing that hat while fighting him just moments ago.

Its presence there meant that Luffy had already left the hat with Can Yue.

That brat isn't dead. Then where is he? Why can't I sense his presence?

Buggy scrutinized the area around Can Yue, trying to find Luffy's trail. Yet no matter how he sensed, there was only Can Yue and a pile of his unconscious subordinates in that direction.

At the instant Buggy fell into thought, a black fist suddenly shot out from an alley less than two meters to his left.

It struck Buggy squarely in the face and sent him flying.

Luffy immediately followed up, giving Buggy no time to recover.

"Gomu Gomu—Black Gatling!"

Fists coated in Armament Haki bombarded the fallen Buggy like a Gatling gun.

Seeing this, Zoro's pupils trembled. Where did this guy come from? And how did this brat suddenly become so proficient with Haki?

Can Yue smiled faintly at the sight, gaining a little recognition for Luffy's talent in battle.

As another cloud of smoke dispersed, the ground Luffy had attacked had become a huge crater, with Clown Buggy lying inside it.

"Did I get him?"

Luffy sat on the ground, gasping heavily. He was already covered in blood from Buggy's earlier attacks, and using Haki in battle for the first time had drained an enormous amount of his stamina.

Can Yue glanced over the battlefield and immediately understood the situation. He instructed Chouchou to take the speechless Mayor and the Pig Butcher Couple away.

Then he turned and walked toward Luffy.

At that moment, Pig Butcher suddenly shouted to Can Yue, "Benefactor, Clown Buggy still hasn't used that ability I saw before. Please be careful!"

Can Yue nodded in response. From his senses, Clown Buggy was injured, but his life force remained exceptionally strong.

When he reached Luffy, Can Yue placed the straw hat back on Luffy's head.

"Your Turtle Breathing Technique is coming along well." Can Yue rarely praised Luffy.

"Hahaha, so that's it! Luffy, you learned to imitate a turtle faster than I did." Zoro, who had already walked over to Luffy, finally understood.

"Eh, if the gap in strength hadn't been so huge, I really wouldn't have wanted to use the skill Can Yue taught me. I like fighting head-on!"

Luffy complained helplessly.

Can Yue naturally knew that a hot-blooded youth like Luffy found it difficult to accept underhanded tactics in battle. Yet in that situation, Luffy had still chosen to conceal his presence.

When the difference in strength was too great, blindly charging in would only get one killed.

This was reality, not an anime. Where would there be so many chances for a protagonist to rise again after being knocked down?

Luffy's compromise in his fighting style meant he would put the lives of his companions and himself first, before considering his own preferred way of fighting.

After all, if he lost and Can Yue was no match for this guy either, could the badly injured Zoro survive? Would Nami meet a good end?

Thinking of this, Can Yue regarded Luffy even more highly.

Before Luffy could even catch his breath, a strange laugh suddenly came from the crater.

"Ka-hahahahaha!"

"Straw Hat Kid, you gave your hat to Can Yue to make me suspect you were nearby. Then you hid your presence and secretly circled around from the opposite direction. Not bad. Very, very good."

Buggy walked back onto the surface with a loud laugh. Though there were bloodstains at the corner of his mouth, he seemed largely unharmed.

"But how will you bear the consequences of toying with me now?

I, the great Captain Buggy, am very angry!"

Buggy's aura abruptly changed. Both his arms split into circular fragments at the same time, each coated in Armament Haki.

Luffy tried to resist, forcing his exhausted body upright with all his strength.

Zoro immediately assumed a Three Sword Style stance and stood in front of Luffy. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he anxiously wondered how he could block such a terrifying attack.

"Buggy's Gun, Double Version!"

Attacks as dense as a rainstorm and as fierce as bullets surged straight toward Can Yue and the other two.

The sight filled the Mayor and the others in the distance with the terror of death closing in.

At that moment, Can Yue made his move.

"Sword Pressure!"

Can Yue instantly drew Demon God Slayer and pressed its blade toward Buggy's incoming attack.

"Boom!"

The impact of the terrifying collision was so powerful that the ground cracked apart and fragments of rubble flew everywhere.

With just that one move, Can Yue and Buggy both clearly sensed the other's strength.

Buggy withdrew his body fragments and looked at Can Yue, bursting into laughter. "Ka-hahahaha! White-haired Swordsman, Can Yue, at first I thought you received a bounty higher than even your captain's because you killed Morgan.

"But now it seems my senses were right. You truly are the strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates."

Can Yue remained expressionless. He had Zoro take Luffy away from the battlefield while he raised his sword and stood before Buggy.

"Former Pirate King crewman, let me properly experience your strength!"

The corner of Can Yue's mouth lifted slightly as Demonic Aura spread around his entire body.

A great battle was about to begin.