Friends

Buggy stormed toward them in a rage.

His target was Nami, who stood beside Luffy.

"How did you catch up so quickly?!" Nami took several steps back as Buggy drew closer.

Luffy still could not move, so she could only protect herself.

"Nami, hand over my treasure map right now! How dare you steal from Captain Buggy!"

A large group of men followed behind Buggy, all looking menacing.

In Moyun's eyes, Buggy was nothing more than a clown. There was no need for him to step in.

Still, watching Luffy fight Buggy would not be a bad choice.

Moyun stroked his chin. He had heard that Buggy had once served under the Pirate King, so he wanted to see just how formidable one of the Pirate King's former subordinates was.

The man casually snapped his fingers, and the gray aura around Luffy vanished in an instant.

"Huh? I can finally fight properly! That was so strange just now. Was it because I hadn't eaten enough?"

Luffy's arms finally shrank back. He rolled his wrists a few times and only stood up after confirming that he had regained control of his body.

"Luffy, you've recovered!"

Nami cried out in delight.

Now he could protect her. Nami let out a sigh of relief.

When she had stolen Buggy's treasure map, she had only wanted to get the Treasure. She had never expected Buggy to be so persistent.

What a miscalculation.

Luffy bared his teeth in a grin at Nami, then strode forward. Taking a deep breath, he shouted at Buggy, "Big Nose! This time, I'm definitely sending you flying!"

The moment Luffy finished speaking, everyone fell silent as though someone had muted them.

Who here did not know that Buggy hated having his nose mentioned more than anything?

Even Nami looked despairing. Who would have thought Luffy would be so impulsive? Wouldn't that just make Buggy even angrier?!

"You little brat! How dare you, how dare you speak to the great Captain Buggy like that!"

Buggy's expression changed immediately, murder flashing in his eyes.

Everyone who had dared call him that before had been killed!

"Receive Lord Buggy's magnificent attack! Buggy Ball!"

Moyun quietly watched the two fight. He knew Luffy was a rubber man and could bounce back every cannonball Buggy fired at him.

But seeing it with his own eyes still felt incredibly strange.

"Heh heh, you think I'd be scared of an attack like this? Bounce them all back!"

Luffy wore a smug grin and spread his arms wide as the Buggy Balls struck him head-on.

Nami shut her eyes in fright.

Buggy stared at Luffy with certainty. Had this Straw Hat Boy been so scared that he could not even move?

"What is this?!"

Buggy watched the cannonballs he had fired bounce straight back at him and hurriedly dodged in panic.

"Captain, watch out!"

Mohji shouted, staring warily at Luffy. "That straw-hat kid seems to be a Devil Fruit user too."

"I can see that! I'm not stupid! I was only testing him just now!"

Unable to save face, Buggy immediately yelled at Mohji.

At that moment, a man in a cape charged straight at Luffy, the sword in his hand slashing directly toward him.

"Ha ha, Straw Hat Boy, just die already!"

This man was Buggy's subordinate, the acrobat Cabaji!

How could Zoro possibly let someone approach Luffy so easily? He immediately drew his sword from his waist and blocked Cabaji in front of Luffy.

"Such a cheap trick, and you dare try to sneak attack us?"

"You blocked that? But can you block this move too?!"

While Cabaji had attacked, Buggy had already split his body apart in advance. His sword-wielding hand flew straight out and rushed toward Zoro's abdomen.

Before Buggy's blade could touch Zoro, his hand fell straight to the ground.

"You really are as underhanded as the rumors say!"

Moyun stood beside Buggy, one hand clamped around Buggy's throat.

"When did you get beside me? How can you be so fast?!"

Buggy said in horror. It was all because he had been watching the Straw Hat Boy just now!

Mohji, who had been standing beside Buggy, had already fallen into such chaos that he was chasing his own lion while whipping it.

"You idiot! Why are you chasing that lion of yours?! Why don't you know to come protect me?!"

"Lord Buggy, I don't want to either! I just can't control my actions! What is going on?!"

"Roar! Roar!"

The scene was in complete chaos.

Cabaji was also at a loss. Could this guy be with the Straw Hat Boy? But it had not looked that way just now!

Zoro's gaze flickered. Did he need to properly thank this mysterious man? Otherwise, he would have been injured.

"He saved Zoro, so he must be a friend!"

Luffy tilted his head. That person was holding Buggy by the throat and stopping him, so he was definitely a friend.

"Ha ha, you should've said so! I almost attacked you just now!"

Luffy laughed awkwardly.

"Hey, hey, hey, is that how you decide who's a friend?!"

Nami no longer had the strength to complain. Were these people all monsters? Just who was this straw-hat guy? She had thought he was merely a kid who could fight.

Why could his arms stretch so far?!

"Still, even if you're a friend, that won't do. Buggy has to be sent flying by me!"

Luffy swung his arm, preparing to send Buggy flying.

Buggy, who had been held all this time, had already begun trembling. Why was no one coming to save him yet?!

"I didn't want to meddle, either. It isn't your time to die yet."

Moyun curled his lips slightly. Buggy would still be quite useful in the future, so he would spare his life for now.

"Fine, then I'll let you have this guy first!"

The moment Moyun released his hand, Luffy's fist was already flying toward Buggy's face.

Buggy's body, along with the hand he had sent flying earlier, was blasted away together.

"Captain!"

"Our captain flew away! Hurry up and chase him!"

The large group hurried off again, chasing after their captain as he turned into a shooting star across the sky.

"He really flew far, ha ha!"

Luffy stood with his hands on his hips and looked at Moyun in the distance.

"Hey! What's your name? I'm Luffy, the man who'll become the Pirate King!"

Just as familiar an opening line as ever.

Moyun curled his lips. Become the Pirate King?

He had no interest in becoming the Pirate King, but he believed they would meet again someday.

"My name is Moyun. Nice to meet you, Luffy."

"Ha ha, we're friends from now on."

Luffy walked over to Moyun and patted his shoulder hard.