A Grand Fire Magic Show

Orange Town, the Buggy Pirates' headquarters—the rooftop terrace of an occupied bar.

"Oh! Boys! Let's give Nami a warm welcome to our pirate crew! Gyahahaha!"

The red-nosed clown Buggy raised his wineglass high and let out a shrill, grating laugh.

"Oh—!!"

The pirates below celebrated with swords and wineglasses raised, the atmosphere as lively as a festival.

In the middle of the terrace stood a huge iron cage, completely out of place.

Luffy was locked inside, yet he showed none of a prisoner's awareness. He stretched his rubber arm through the bars as far as he could, desperately trying to reach a plate of roast chicken on a nearby table.

"Meat... That's my meat..." Luffy drooled, his fingertips only a few centimeters from the plate.

Nami stood beside Buggy, maintaining a stiff, fake smile while her mind raced.

I just need to endure a little longer... Once they're drunk, I'll steal the sea chart back! And while I'm at it, I'll take all the treasure that red nose has hoarded over the years...

"Oh! Boys! I'm just too happy today!"

Buggy suddenly interrupted Nami's thoughts. He leaped onto the platform and swept out one arm.

"To celebrate our new navigator Nami joining us, prepare the special—Buggy Ball!!"

"Yes, Captain Buggy!"

Several burly pirates grunted as they pushed over a cannon painted with a clown design.

Then, with great care, they lifted a huge crimson cannonball marked with a skull and loaded it into the barrel.

Nami froze. "What... are you going to do?"

A vicious smile spread across Buggy's face. "Watch closely. This is what happens to those who defy me! Light it!"

As the fuse burned down—

"Boom—!!!"

A deafening explosion instantly seemed to rupture everyone's eardrums.

The red cannonball screamed through the air, carving a terrifying crimson streak across the sky before slamming directly into a row of buildings in the distance.

"Crash! Rumble rumble rumble—"

There were no flames, only an explosion of pure destructive force.

That entire row of sturdy brick houses was instantly flattened into ruins, leaving not even scraps behind.

Nami's mouth fell open in horror, and the wineglass in her hand nearly slipped to the ground.

That kind of power... was practically a natural disaster!

"Boys! That power is absolutely magnificent! Gyahahaha!" Buggy threw his arms wide and laughed madly.

"Oh! Long live Captain Buggy!"

At the other end of town.

The group of five, racing down the street, came to a stop.

"What was that sound?"

The three pirate lackeys leading the way went weak in the knees. Pointing at the mushroom cloud rising in the distance, their teeth chattered.

"T-That's Lord Buggy's ultimate technique... the Buggy Ball! It has the power to destroy a town!"

Zoro frowned, one hand resting on his sword hilt. "That was quite a blast."

Victor looked at the smoke billowing in the distance, a glint flashing through his eyes.

"Looks like the party has already started. Zoro, pick up the pace."

"Yeah, yeah, Vice Captain."

On the terrace.

"Gyahahaha!" Buggy pointed at the ruins and spoke smugly to Nami.

"With the Buggy Ball, plus the power of my Chop-Chop Fruit, I'll definitely conquer the Grand Line! Right, Nami?"

Nami forcibly suppressed her fear and nodded with a pale face. "Y-Yes, Captain Buggy."

"Hey! Red Nose!"

Just then, an abrupt voice rang out.

Luffy, locked in the cage, finally gave up on the unreachable roast chicken and cut in with an unhappy look on his face.

"What are you talking about? The one who'll conquer the Grand Line and become the Pirate King—is me!"

The air instantly froze.

Buggy's paint-covered face immediately turned livid, veins bulging on his forehead.

Nami was scared out of her wits and hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "You... suicidal idiot!!"

"Gyahahaha! Pirate King?"

Buggy laughed in fury, his venomous gaze shifting between Luffy and Nami.

"Hey, Nami. Now I understand why you can't stand this idiot. In that case, I'll give you a chance to prove your loyalty."

He pointed at the still-smoking cannon and grinned cruelly.

"I'll grant you a Buggy Ball. Go blow him away for me!"

"Oh, yeah! Blow him away!"

"Do it! Do it!"

The pirates jeered as they swiftly adjusted the cannon, its dark barrel pointing directly at Luffy inside the cage.

"D-Do it?" Nami stared at the burning match that had been placed in her hand, her entire body trembling.

"Um... how about we forget it? We finally have a welcome party going. We should just drink..." Nami tried to wriggle out of it.

"Do it!!"

The smile vanished from Buggy's face, replaced by icy killing intent.

"This is the rule of our pirate crew! If you don't kill him, you're a traitor!"

Nami swallowed.

She looked at Luffy in the cage, then at the vicious-looking pirates surrounding her. Her heart pounded violently.

Do I really have to light it?

That cannon shot will turn Straw Hat into ashes in an instant!

"Hey, what are you shaking for?"

Luffy in the cage looked at Nami's trembling hand and suddenly spoke calmly.

"You're the way you are now because you hold onto that half-hearted attitude and lack resolve."

"Resolve?" Nami spun around and screamed hysterically. "What nonsense are you talking about?! Taking someone's life so easily—is that what you call resolve?!"

"No. It's the resolve to stake your name on it," Luffy said blandly.

"Hey! Newbie! What are you dragging your feet for?"

A burly pirate beside them finally lost his patience and snatched the match from Nami's hand.

"You don't even have the guts for this? Watch closely. This is how you light it!"

As he spoke, he struck another match and reached toward the fuse with a savage grin. "Die, brat!"

Watching the flame gradually approach the fuse, the last thread of reason in Nami's mind snapped.

"I won't... I don't want to..."

Nami suddenly pulled two wooden rods from her thigh and instantly joined them together.

"Bang!"

Just as the match was about to touch the fuse, Nami swung her staff hard into the back of the pirate's head!

The pirate did not even grunt before rolling his eyes and collapsing.

The entire terrace fell silent.

Every pirate froze.

"Oh no... My body moved on instinct..." Nami looked at the fallen pirate, her face deathly pale.

"Nami!!" Buggy roared furiously. "What do you think you're doing?! There's a limit to how far you can toy with people!!"

"I'm sorry!!" Nami instinctively bowed in apology.

"What good is an apology?!" Buggy was so furious that even his separated hands trembled. "Boys! She really is a traitor! Kill her magnificently!!"

"Kill her!!"

More than a dozen pirates wielding curved blades roared and surged toward Nami like a tide.

Nami gripped her staff tightly. Looking at those savage faces, fear reached its peak within her, but she still held fast to the wooden rod in her hands.

"I won't..."

Nami gritted her teeth, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Even if I die... I'll never become one of you cruel pirates!!"

"Then die, you filthy brat!" The pirate charging at the front raised his saber.

Just as Nami closed her eyes in despair, preparing to meet death—

The temperature in the air suddenly rose sharply.

A clear voice, accompanied by the intricate sounds of hand seals, suddenly rang out from the edge of the battlefield.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Whoosh—!!!

An utterly terrifying wave of heat erupted from the rooftop beside Nami!

A massive orange-red fireball more than five meters across roared past Nami, carrying the force to burn everything to ash, and slammed viciously into the charging pirates!

"Boom—!!"

The flames exploded!

"AAAAAHHHH!!"

"It's hot! Save me!"

"Ah, I'm going to die!"

"What the hell is this?! Fire?! How can there be such a huge fireball?!"

The dozen or so pirates at the front were instantly swallowed by flames. Screaming, they scattered in all directions, and their tightly packed charge collapsed in an instant.

Nami felt the heat scorch her cheeks. She opened her eyes in shock and stared blankly at the magical scene before her.

"Looks like... I made it in time."

A smiling voice came from above.

Nami instinctively turned around.

On the wall beside her stood a black-haired youth, holding a one-handed seal. His scarlet Sharingan, illuminated by the firelight, looked especially enchanting and eerie.

Victor looked down at Nami and smiled faintly.

"Miss, would you like some help?"