Xia Chen: ???
No way? No way?
Did someone seriously think the strength he had just used-not even a tenth of his power-was his full strength?
Looking at Buggy's face, practically begging for a beating, Xia Chen really wanted to teach him a lesson.
But after thinking it over, he decided against it.
If he took Buggy out too, Luffy and the others would have no experience mobs left.
So Xia Chen stepped back a little, behind Luffy and Zoro.
"Idiot captain, third-rate swordsman, go!"
"Show him what our Straw Hat Pirates can do!"
Luffy, Zoro: ...
Although both were a little speechless, after spending this time together, they understood what kind of person Xia Chen was.
They just had to put up with it while they weren't strong enough!
Once they were strong enough...
Heh! Then he couldn't blame them for showing no mercy!
Luffy turned to Zoro and said:
"Zoro, you don't need to fight. Leave this Red Nose to me. I'll send him flying!"
"I wasn't planning to!" Zoro curled his lip in disdain.
In his eyes, Buggy wasn't an enemy who required both of them to work together. Luffy alone could handle him.
Luffy nodded, then looked at Buggy and grinned.
"Red Nose, let me send you flying!"
"Gum-Gum..."
As he spoke, Luffy began his classic "charging up" for a Gum-Gum Pistol again.
Across from him, Buggy was about to explode with rage.
That damned Straw Hat brat kept daring to call him Red Nose. He was really asking for death!
And that irritating straw hat was annoying just to look at!
Just as Buggy was about to unleash a move on Luffy, a fist suddenly grew larger before his face.
"Bam!"
Bull's-eye!
Buggy spun backward several times before finally stopping, lying peacefully on the ground.
A few seconds later, his body jolted, and he sprang to his feet with a kip-up.
His expression was a little dazed. There was also a red fist mark on his face, which matched his red nose even better.
"Just now... was that?"
"An arm stretching?"
"Oh~ I'm a Rubber Man who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit. My arms can stretch!" Hearing Buggy's words, Luffy helpfully explained.
But immediately afterward, a knuckle strike came out of nowhere and landed on Luffy's head.
"Thunk!"
"Are you an idiot? Telling someone else your abilities?"
Zoro yelled at Luffy.
Luffy crouched on the ground and pouted, feeling wronged.
"What's the big deal? He already saw it!"
All right, Zoro didn't want to say anything anymore.
There was no helping this hopeless fool!
"You're a Devil Fruit User too? You ate something even dogs won't touch?" Buggy said scornfully.
"Huh???"
In an instant, all three of Xia Chen's group wore faces full of question marks.
Then Luffy delivered a soul-searching question.
"Then why did you eat one too? Are you a dog?"
(╬▔皿▔)╯!
"Mine was an accident! An accident, understand?"
"If it weren't for that damned Red Hair bastard, how could I have ended up unable to swim!"
"Speaking of which, that bastard had a straw hat just like yours, so I really hate you now too!"
"Red Hair?" Luffy was delighted to hear this and immediately asked Buggy:
"Do you mean Shanks? He's the one who gave me this hat!"
"Huh?" This time, Buggy was a little surprised.
He hadn't expected this straw hat to actually belong to the person he hated most.
Damn it, new grudges piled on top of old ones. Unforgivable!
In an instant, Buggy's anger surged.
"Chop-Chop Clown Throwing Knives!"
Without another word, Buggy's hand split off, holding throwing knives as it flew straight toward Luffy's hat.
He was going to stab straight through that hateful straw hat!
Seeing the throwing knives coming at his hat, Luffy went green with fright and crouched down on the spot at incredible speed.
After standing up, he shouted at Buggy:
"What are you doing? Don't you know this is my most treasured hat?"
"Most treasured? That's exactly what I'm aiming for!"
As he spoke, the hand already behind Luffy changed direction and stabbed toward him again.
"Clang!"
The throwing knives struck Zoro's sword head-on. Zoro looked at Buggy and said flatly:
"Didn't you hear my captain say this is his most treasured hat? Can't you take a hint?"
Buggy's hand slowly flew back and reattached to his arm. His expression looked a little grim as he watched the three opposite him.
"One against three. I'm at a disadvantage!"
As someone who knew when to adapt, Buggy had always followed one principle:
Someone weaker than me? Get him!
Stronger than me? Sorry, time to make a break for it!
So Buggy was already thinking of backing out. Just as he was considering how to run away in a sufficiently imposing manner, voices came from behind him.
"Captain Buggy, we're here to help!"
Buggy looked back and saw a wild-looking man riding a huge lion and a young man with side-swept bangs riding a wheel heading toward him.
Joy immediately appeared on Buggy's face.
"Mohji, Cabaji! It's so great you're here!"
"Come help me slaughter these three guys!"
Run away? Impossible!
Three against three. I had the advantage!
The great Buggy was just that confident!
At this point, Luffy and the others were also drawn to the two newcomers.
Luffy's gaze landed on the lion beneath Mohji.
"What a huge lion!"
(☆▽☆)!
"That plump, tender body looks delicious!"
In an instant, Richie the lion inexplicably felt a chill, with a persistent feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Zoro's gaze landed on Cabaji the acrobat. Looking at the sword in his hand, he murmured:
"A swordsman? Interesting!"
Xia Chen's gaze was also on Cabaji-or, more precisely, on his side-swept bangs.
"Not a middle part? Bad review!"
Then, exchanging glances, Xia Chen and the others instantly chose their opponents.
Luffy attacked Buggy, while Zoro charged toward Cabaji.
Xia Chen stood before the lion.
Looking at such a huge lion, Xia Chen couldn't help having the same thought as Luffy.
"Yo! This lion looks pretty tasty!"
"Huh?"
(╬▔皿▔)╯!
"You actually want to eat my Richie?" Mohji was furious when he heard this. Then he commanded the lion beneath him:
"Richie, smack this human who doesn't know his place to death!"
A huge paw swatted down at Xia Chen, but he didn't even blink.
Just as it was about to hit him, Xia Chen narrowed his eyes and vanished in an instant.
But Mohji didn't know this. He thought the human who had shot his mouth off had already been swatted to death, and he laughed loudly:
"What the heck? So you were just a little noob! And here I thought you were something!"
Just as he was enjoying himself, a faint voice came from behind him.
"What's got you so happy? Tell me so I can enjoy it too?"
!!!