After finishing everything, Xia Chen turned to look at Buggy and the others behind him.
"Hey, if you don't leave now, the Marines will be here soon. Are you sure you want to keep dawdling here?"
But Buggy ignored Xia Chen's words and stood up, glaring at him furiously instead.
"You bastard! How dare you let Straw Hat Boy go! Do you know I was this close to killing him?"
"Hm?" At Buggy's accusation, Xia Chen's gaze turned cold. The next second, he appeared beside Buggy.
"He's my captain. 'Letting him go' isn't quite the right way to put it. Besides, even if he hadn't left, do you think I'd let you waste our time here?"
"Buggy, you're getting a little too full of yourself!"
Seeing Xia Chen appear right in front of him in an instant, Buggy couldn't help jumping in fright and stumbling back several steps.
He hadn't seen how Xia Chen had appeared beside him at all, and a trace of fear rose in his heart.
But what Alvida said next nearly scared his cerebellum into shriveling up.
"B-Buggy, I think he's Demon King Xia Chen!"
"What?!" Buggy shouted at Alvida in terror.
"Not bad, Alvida. Getting prettier after eating the Smooth-Smooth Fruit really did make a difference. Even your eyesight improved!"
"Y-you flatter me!" Alvida said to Xia Chen, forcing a smile.
The man before her had a bounty of three hundred million! Standing in front of him with her mere five-million bounty made her rather nervous!
There was also a reason she had recognized Xia Chen so quickly. Mainly, she had never seen anyone more handsome than him, especially his demonized appearance on that wanted poster!
It added a touch of wicked charm to his handsome looks!
She often looked at that wanted poster late at night when all was quiet and did some pleasurable things, so even though Xia Chen wasn't demonized now, his face was already etched deep into her mind.
At the thought, Alvida couldn't help blushing, and her thighs unconsciously squeezed together.
Seeing Alvida blush, even Xia Chen had to admit that her current looks ranked among the very best of all the women he had seen.
But the moment he thought of her former fat-lady appearance, Xia Chen couldn't help feeling repulsed and hurriedly looked away. Otherwise, he would start feeling sick!
Xia Chen turned his gaze back to Buggy. By now, Buggy had completely lost his earlier arrogance. His legs kept trembling as he stammered:
"L-Lord Demon King, I spoke a little too loudly just now. This mouth of mine sometimes won't listen to me. It's all its fault!"
At that, a ruthless look flashed through Buggy's eyes. He raised his palm and slapped himself hard across one cheek.
Instantly, that side of his face began swelling at a visible speed. Then he shakily addressed Xia Chen again. "Look, I've already taught it a lesson. So how about you treat me like a fart and let me go?"
Even Xia Chen was stunned at the sight.
As expected of the great Buggy. Ruthless enough!
Still, to be fair, after Buggy's little performance, the bit of anger Xia Chen had felt instantly vanished.
Actually, he hadn't intended to do anything to Buggy in the first place. He had merely wanted to scare him. After all, even if he didn't give Buggy face, he had to give face to the person behind him. Buggy's connection to Red Hair alone was enough for Xia Chen to leave him be.
Of course, that was provided Buggy didn't cross his bottom line. If he really made Xia Chen angry, then never mind Red Hair not being here-even if Red Hair were here, Xia Chen would still beat him up.
If Red Hair dared interfere, Xia Chen would beat him up too. Lü Bu had killed even his adoptive father without hesitation, so what was wrong with Xia Chen beating up an uncle?
Could he possibly be worse than Lü Bu?
Xia Chen said mildly, "Since you're so sincere in your repentance, I won't hold it against you."
"Bye-bye, Captain Buggy~"
With that, Xia Chen's figure instantly vanished from the spot.
"Whew~"
After Xia Chen left, Buggy couldn't help collapsing to the ground, gulping down air.
Luckily, he had reacted quickly and understood full well that a wise man knew when to yield. Otherwise, he might have met his end here.
"You pirates up ahead! Surrender without a fight!"
The sudden voice made Buggy's heart, which had just settled, leap back into his throat. He couldn't help turning to look.
But when he saw only a bespectacled female Marine and a bunch of Marine grunts behind her where the voice had come from, anger instantly surged through him.
Damn it, did every last one of you think Captain Buggy was a pushover?
I only acted so meekly with Xia Chen because he had the strength. What have you got?
That burning passion of yours?
A vicious look flashed across Buggy's face. He stood up and glared fiercely at Tashigi, grinning savagely. "You've got some nerve, little girl, coming to make trouble for me!"
"Chop-Chop!"
Buggy's body instantly broke apart, and his hands and feet flew toward Tashigi, carrying several blades that gleamed coldly.
Watching the attacks all around her with a grave expression, Tashigi drew Shigure from her waist and countered them one by one.
But Buggy's offensive was relentless. Gradually, she began struggling to keep up with the pace of his attacks, and her situation slowly grew dangerous.
Suddenly, a knife appeared right in front of her. By the time she reacted, it was already too late to block. She could only watch helplessly as it hurtled toward her, a trace of despair flashing through her eyes.
Watching the knife draw ever closer, Buggy laughed loudly. "Die, Marine girl!"
But the next moment, his smile froze on his face. His arm was now wrapped in a cloud of white smoke, unable to advance an inch.
At the same time, Smoker was slowly approaching from afar.
The instant he saw Smoker, Buggy's expression darkened. He might be weak, but he had seen plenty!
A Logia Devil Fruit User like Smoker was simply impossible for people like them, who hadn't mastered Haki, to fight.
After these thoughts ran through his mind in a brief moment, Buggy shouted behind him:
"Boys, Marine Captain Smoker is here! Let's..."
"Get him!" the pirate underlings behind him shouted, their eyes full of excitement and their momentum overwhelming!
Buggy, on the other hand, was left dumbfounded by the sudden shouting.
No, don't get the wrong idea! That wasn't what I was going to say!!!
But looking at the eyes of the pirate underlings behind him, Buggy suddenly felt that simply leaving like this really would be a bit cowardly. If word got out, it would damage his dignity as Captain Buggy!
In that case...
Buggy turned to look at Smoker, his gaze gradually turning fierce. Then he shouted, "Smoker, the green mountains remain, and the rivers keep flowing!"
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west! Don't bully a poor middle-aged man!"
"I'll spare you today, but one day I'll have you pissing and shitting yourself!"
"Boys, things are getting hairy! Scram! I'll be going on ahead!"
With that, Buggy entered his Buggy Chariot Form and sped off behind him.
Everyone: ⁽⁽ƪ(•̩̩̩̩＿•̩̩̩̩)ʃ⁾⁾ᵒᵐᵍᵎᵎ