The Essence of the Substitution Technique and a Pirate's Fury

Beside the ruins, the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Nami watched Chouchou, who was still roaring furiously at the distance, and her eyes grew incomparably dim.

She crouched down and gently stroked Chouchou's trembling back, her voice low.

"Do you see... This is what pirates are like."

Nami bit her lip, her eyes flashing with hatred for that group.

"So-called pirates are bastards who destroy the things others cherish, the treasures others desperately protect!"

Zoro, standing nearby, frowned slightly at those words but did not argue.

Luffy dropped his usual goofy grin and spoke with a serious expression.

"No, Nami. Victor, Zoro, and I aren't like those guys."

"How are you any different?" Nami suddenly raised her head. "Aren't you pirates too?!"

Luffy pressed down on his Straw Hat, his tone firm. "Yeah, I told you, we're different. I became a pirate to become the Pirate King and seek out the freest adventure."

"Sigh..."

Mayor Boodle let out a long sigh and tightened his grip on the spear in his hand.

"The girl is right. Though I believe you're different, most pirates on these seas do enjoy destruction and plunder..."

As he spoke, the mayor moved to carry Chouchou away. "It's too dangerous, Chouchou. Come with me to the shelter."

Just then, Victor, who had been staring into the distance, suddenly narrowed his eyes. He immediately grabbed the mayor, who was about to go over.

"Again?!"

In his field of vision, another terrifying red glow lit up on the distant high ground.

It was the sign that a Buggy Ball was about to be fired.

This time, the target was probably them!

"Nami! Get out of there!!"

Victor shouted.

Nami jumped at the roar and instinctively tried to pick up Chouchou and run.

But the stubborn little dog seemed to know what was about to happen.

It clawed desperately at the ground, refusing to leave this place filled with memories no matter what.

"Move, Chouchou!!"

"There's no time to waste!"

Chakra burst from beneath Victor's feet, and he shot toward the storefront like an afterimage.

He grabbed Nami around the waist, then ruthlessly hurled her backward. "Get out of the way."

Nami cried out as she was thrown rolling several meters away into a safe area.

Then Victor forcefully scooped Chouchou up from the ground and turned to retreat.

"Whine!! Woof!!"

Chouchou let out a miserable cry.

It did not know where this person was taking it. It only knew that if it had to leave this shop, it would rather die.

It opened its mouth and viciously bit down on Victor's left arm, blood instantly staining his sleeve red.

"Hiss—! You stupid dog!"

Victor sucked in a breath from the pain, and his steps slowed by half a beat.

"Victor!! Forget about that dog!" Zoro roared from afar, his eyes wide with fury.

"Victor! Run! Gum-Gum—" Luffy also shouted anxiously, about to rush over to save him.

But he was too slow.

The Buggy Ball was too fast.

That half-beat of hesitation was all it took for death to descend.

"Rumble—"

The enormous red cannonball, carrying a howl that promised to destroy everything, engulfed the pet shop and Victor standing at its entrance in an instant.

"BOOM—!!!"

A massive fireball blossomed across the ground.

The violent explosion instantly swallowed the tiny pet shop, along with Victor's figure, drowning them in a sea of flames and smoke.

The terrifying shockwave swept outward, collapsing several houses along the entire row.

Everyone stared blankly at the rolling sea of fire ahead, their eyes wide and their minds utterly blank.

"No..."

Luffy stopped in his tracks and stared dumbly at the ruins, the shadow beneath his Straw Hat concealing his eyes.

Mayor Boodle fell painfully to his knees, tears streaming down his aged face. "My child... Chouchou..."

"No way..." Nami covered her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. "Victor... is dead?"

Even Zoro, who was always calm, gripped his sword hilt so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His mouth hung slightly open as he stared blankly at the ruins ahead.

He could not believe that the always-smiling, scheming vice-captain had just vanished like that.

"That damn Buggy!"

"Hey, hey, why's everyone acting so gloomy? It's like I really died."

A lazy voice suddenly came from the pile of rubble behind them.

Everyone jolted and spun around as though they had seen a ghost.

There, sitting atop a broken wall, was Victor, tightly holding the still-struggling Chouchou in his arms.

Though several places on his clothes had been scorched, that familiar punchable grin still hung on his face.

At the center of the explosion, a charred log slowly rolled out.

[Ding! Successfully rescued the puppy Chouchou.]

[Received Ninja Way Points: 100.]

Victor listened to the system prompt and breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, he was a man with the [Substitution Technique].

If he had not happened to buy this life-saving divine skill from the system shop earlier, he would never have been stupid enough to take a cannonball head-on for a silly little dog.

"Hehehe!! That's great! Victor!!"

Luffy froze for a second, then burst into a wildly joyous shout. His arm stretched out as he rushed over to hug him.

"Tch."

Zoro let out a long breath, sheathed his sword, and turned his head away.

"I knew a guy like you had a tough life... What a pity you didn't die, bastard."

Nami wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Seeing the unharmed young man, she inexplicably felt relieved, only for a wave of lingering fear to follow.

At that moment, Chouchou finally released its bite.

It broke free from Victor's arms and ran madly forward.

Yet all that awaited it was a field of ruins still billowing black smoke.

The shop that carried all the memories of it and its owner—the "treasure" it had protected for three months—had been reduced completely to ash.

Chouchou stood before the ruins, staring blankly.

Then it lowered its head and dug a bag of dog food, half burned away, out of the ashes.

"Whine... Woof..."

It lay atop the ruins and let out a mournful whimper. Its wails echoed down the empty street, wrenching at everyone's heart.

Watching this, the joy of surviving the disaster instantly vanished, and everyone fell into deathly silence.

"Enough!!"

Mayor Boodle suddenly let out an enraged roar.

He abruptly rose from the ground and wiped the tears from his face.

He seized his spear, his whole body trembling, but his gaze unwavering.

"I am the mayor here! This is my town! The residents here are my family!"

The mayor gritted his teeth, resolute flames burning in his eyes.

"That damn clown Buggy! Even if I have to stake this old life of mine, I will avenge everyone in this town!!"

With that, the old man in his sixties raised his spear and charged toward the high ground where the Buggy Pirates were gathered without hesitation.

"Mayor! Calm down!" Nami cried in alarm, hurriedly reaching out to stop him. "You'll only be throwing your life away!"

"I know!!"

The mayor wept bitterly, but he shook off Nami's hand.

"I know there's nothing I can do! I know I'm weak!

"But I can't just watch my town be destroyed! I have a reason I must fight!!"

Nami froze as she watched the mayor's stumbling yet unyielding back, never once turning around.

She turned helplessly toward the three men behind her.

"Hey... Aren't you going to stop him?"

No one answered her.

Zoro silently tied on his dark green bandana, his eyes turning as fierce as a beast's.

Victor tore a strip of cloth from his clothes and leisurely bandaged his dog-bitten left hand, while the tomoe in his eyes slowly rotated.

"Luffy."

Zoro crossed his arms and spoke in a low voice. "Since you've already gotten out of that cage, it's time we settled the score with that red-nosed bastard."

Luffy said nothing.

He lowered the brim of his hat, hiding his eyes. Only the tightly pressed line of his mouth could be seen.

He slowly raised his head. His gaze was terrifyingly calm, yet it carried enough rage to overturn the entire island.

"Yeah, Zoro, Victor."

Luffy clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking sharply.

"Let's go. I'm going to send that Buggy... flying!!"