Slaughter and Counterattack

Watching the mere twenty or thirty townspeople led by the mayor charge toward Buggy with swords in hand, Buggy couldn't help but find it amusing.

"This bunch of fools who don't know when they're outmatched. Don't they know what it means to throw an egg at a rock?" he muttered, then ordered, "Come on, fire the cannons!"

The pirates obeyed, pushing cannonballs into the barrels and lighting the fuses. The pitch-black cannonballs were launched.

Five cannonballs landed beside the charging townspeople, exploding into enormous flashes. Amid one booming detonation after another, the townspeople were blown apart.

Watching the townspeople being blasted into a bloody mess, Buggy stroked his huge red nose and laughed even more smugly aboard the ship.

The pirates were also emboldened by their victory and clamored to fight. "Captain, let's go down and fight them up close!"

Buggy smiled. "No rush. Let me give them one more blow."

As he spoke, Buggy extended his foot. Three holes appeared on the right side of his shoe. "Special—Maki Cannonball!"

After saying that, a cannonball only the size of a bean shot from one of the holes in his shoe and landed in the residential area. A roar several times louder than the previous one followed, crashing over them with devastating force.

Thick smoke billowed from the spot where the cannonball exploded, and many of the island's buildings suffered varying degrees of damage.

Buggy loved using cannonballs to attack people, and the Maki Cannonball was one he had developed himself, with tremendous destructive power.

"Boys! Charge down there and take this town!"

"Uraaah!"

At Buggy's command, the pirates charged off the ship as if they had been injected with stimulants, guns and swords in hand. Moji rode the lion Riki, while Kaby rode his unicycle, cutting down innocent townspeople with abandon.

Screams and pleas for mercy rang out without end.

Yet they still failed to stop the merciless swords and bullets.

It was a one-sided slaughter, a battle utterly devoid of suspense.

Back to the present.

Because he had expended too much energy yesterday and had gone to sleep late, Leiyin had only just gotten up. He had not heard the sounds of the fierce battle that morning.

Leiyin had just escaped from the ship's lower cabin when he saw Orange Town in ruins. He couldn't help frowning.

Buggy had ordered Leiyin to be locked in the cabin for two nights, so naturally, no one had paid any attention to him.

The pirates aboard the ship had all gone ashore to burn, kill, and loot. Leiyin, who had just emerged, also jumped off the ship and walked toward Orange Town.

"How did you get out?" Several pirates spotted him.

Hearing the pirates' malicious question, Leiyin casually dug at his ear. "With a lousy wooden door like yours, how could it possibly keep me in?"

At that moment, Buggy, who was counting the "spoils of war," walked over. "You little brat, you actually slipped out."

Moji said, "Captain, this guy dared to disobey your orders. Why don't we execute him right now?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

The pirates under him echoed the suggestion.

These pirates had gone berserk after slaughtering the town, so they wanted to kill the weak Leiyin as well. Besides, the brat had even insulted their captain.

Leiyin merely smiled. "I'm not trying to insult you, but you lousy pests and rotten bird eggs can't do a thing to me."

What?!

After hearing Leiyin's words, everyone was stunned at first. Then they burst into uproarious laughter in unison.

"Is something wrong with this guy's head?"

"Haha, he's killing me!"

"Hey, did I hear that right? He actually said we can't do anything to him?"

"Did getting bullied drive this guy insane?"

Contemptuous laughter rose and fell around them. Some of the pirates even laughed so hard they clutched their stomachs.

Laugh it up. Soon, you won't even be able to cry.

Kaby had long since lost patience. Riding his unicycle, he said darkly to Buggy, "Captain, let me handle this guy and execute him."

Buggy crossed his arms over his chest. "Very well."

Hearing this, Kaby brandished his rapier and thrust toward Leiyin.

Leiyin flashed aside to evade the thrust, then punched Kaby in the ribs.

Kaby took the punch and flew several meters off his unicycle before crashing to the ground with a scream.

Naturally, it had not been an ordinary punch. Leiyin had coated his fist in chakra, giving it such tremendous power.

What?

Seeing Kaby howling in pain on the ground, the pirates could hardly believe their eyes.

Buggy was even more incredulous. His bewildered clown face became even more comical. "What did you do to Kaby?"

Leiyin clenched his fist. "Are you blind? Didn't you just see it? Why ask when you already know?"

Buggy's expression grew uglier and uglier. "You little brat, have you grown tired of living? How dare you talk to me like that?"

"I'm talking to you exactly how I want. I've put up with you long enough, you damned red-nose!" Leiyin's gaze sharpened as he stared fixedly at Buggy.

Huh?!!!

The pirates were utterly horrified.

In less than three days, two people had already called Buggy a red-nose. The latter brat had even shouted it openly and defiantly. How dare they!

In everyone's eyes, Leiyin had already been sentenced to death.

"You dare call me Red-Nose? You've angered me! I'll blast you until not even a fragment of bone remains!"

"Come on, Red-Nose!"

Buggy was so furious that his eyes rolled upward. "Good, very good. I've changed my mind. I'll execute you myself. Only then will I vent the hatred in my heart!"

As he spoke, Buggy took the four throwing knives at his waist into his right hand and launched them at Leiyin. "Chop-Chop Fruit—Cannon!"

Watching the right hand clutching the four knives fly toward him, Leiyin finally unleashed his ninjutsu.

Lightning Release—Chidoryū!

When Buggy's Chop-Chop Fruit—Cannon came flying, lightning already coiled around Leiyin's body. He raised his right hand and assumed a defensive stance.

Before Buggy's attack could even touch Leiyin's body, it merely made contact with the lightning he had released, and Buggy immediately began convulsing violently from the shock.

Buggy's right hand had separated from his body. That was merely the Devil Fruit's ability; in truth, all parts of his body remained connected.

When everyone looked at Buggy again, even his huge red nose had been charred black by the electricity.

Buggy's Chop-Chop Fruit was immune to slashing attacks, and even blunt strikes could be swiftly avoided through the fruit's power.

But that did not mean he was immune to elemental attacks such as lightning or fire.

"Captain Buggy!"

Seeing that Buggy had been electrocuted unconscious, several of his trusted pirates charged at Leiyin with their swords raised.

They're all here to die!

Thinking this, Leiyin mercilessly drew the lightning into the bodies of the charging pirates.