Eugene Boodle's fists pounded again and again against the disembodied hand around his throat. Each strike was like hammering his own neck, and before long, he started coughing up blood.

"It really hurts, huh? Who in their right mind beats their own neck?" Buggy sneered.

Though Buggy's right hand was separated from his body, he could still feel the pain. And Eugene's relentless punching was making his detached arm twitch from the ache.

Despite the blood in his throat and the pain racking his body, Eugene didn't stop. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Buggy, burning with one last purpose:

Let me land at least one blow. Just one. Or I'll die with regret.

"You're wasting too much of my time, old man. Just die already!"

Buggy was about to tighten the grip and end Eugene when a sharp jolt of pain hit his detached hand.

"You… with the straw hat… who the hell are you?!"

Buggy turned and saw a boy in a straw hat tearing his severed hand away from Eugene's neck and gripping it tight, squeezing so hard it actually hurt.

For some reason, the moment Buggy saw the straw hat, he felt a rush of discomfort. That hat reminded him of someone who had once forced him to delay his lifelong dream.

"I'm here to punch you into the sky!" the straw hat boy—Monkey D. Luffy—declared, gripping Buggy's hand like he meant every word.

"You? Punch me? You and what army?"

Buggy glanced behind Luffy, spotting Nami standing silently.

"Captain, that's the woman who stole our Grand Line chart!" shouted a few of Buggy's men, recognizing Nami at once.

"What? And now you've got the guts to show up here?" Buggy snarled, withdrawing his right hand. His eyes turned sinister as he stared at Nami. "You better hand over that chart if you know what's good for you! We're heading to the Grand Line, and with the power of my Buggy Bombs, we'll raise hell! Who knows—we might even find the legendary One Piece!"

His men erupted into cheers, shouting wildly, as if already dreaming of their dominance in the Grand Line.

"You're wrong!" Luffy stepped forward, lowering his hat and speaking with quiet determination. "The one who'll find the One Piece… is me. Because I'm the man who will become King of the Pirates!"

The pirates froze. Then, without warning, laughter exploded from every direction—mocking, loud, and cruel.

"King of the Pirates? From a petty thief? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard!"

Buggy wiped tears from his eyes. He assumed Luffy and Nami were partners in crime. Nami was a thief—therefore, Luffy must be one too. But for a thief to dare proclaim he'd be King of the Pirates?

"What's so funny?" Luffy asked, expression serious. "I'm a pirate. Wanting to become King of the Pirates—what's so strange about that?"

He took another step forward. His body was covered in bruises, and his left hand still bled heavily—courtesy of Alex. The gash was deep, and no matter how much time passed, the bleeding wouldn't stop.

"I don't care if you're pirates," Eugene wheezed, spitting blood from his mouth. "This is my town… and this fight is mine! I'll protect it myself! I don't need your help!"

Before Buggy could reply, Luffy walked up and—without hesitation—punched Eugene hard in the face, knocking him out cold.

Everyone was stunned.

"Why did you do that?! You just knocked out the mayor!" Nami shouted.

"He was in the way," Luffy replied bluntly, drawing gasps from everyone nearby. His words were cold but honest.

"That doesn't mean you had to hit him like that! You injured him!" Nami yelled again.

Luffy ignored her. Instead, he turned to Buggy and shouted, "Hey, Big Nose!"

"What...?" Nami froze.

Even Buggy's crew stiffened like statues.

"You idiot!" Nami clutched her head, drenched in cold sweat. "Didn't I tell you never to say that to him?!"

If it were Alex, she thought, he'd never make a blunder like this.

Buggy's face twisted. "You're the one causing trouble in my town? You've got guts, kid. I already warned you with a Buggy Bomb—and now you dare… you dare call out my nose?!"

If there was one thing Buggy couldn't stand, it was someone mocking his oversized red nose. Now he was officially in rage mode.

"Light the cannons! Blow them all to pieces! I want this town and everyone in it turned to dust!"

His men panicked but obeyed, scrambling upstairs to the roof where the Buggy Pirates kept their big guns.

Just as they began prepping the cannons to obliterate Orange Town—and Luffy with it—Alex arrived, with Chouchou padding loyally beside him.

"There you are, Buggy," Alex said.

He walked slowly down the street. His face was as pale as paper, his body drenched in blood. The smell of iron clung to him even from afar.

"Alex?" Nami's eyes widened.

She ran toward him, shocked by what she saw. His clothes and bandages were soaked through with crimson, his whole body like a walking wound. She reached out instinctively to touch him—but pulled back, afraid to cause more harm.

If I'd known… I would've gone looking for you right away.

Regret filled her heart. If only she'd found him earlier, maybe she could've helped patch him up.

But the thing that hurt the most was how terrifyingly pale Alex's face had become. He looked like someone barely clinging to life.

"I'm glad you're all okay," Alex said gently. "I've got something to take care of. We'll talk later."

He saw the worry in Nami's eyes. They shimmered like they were on the verge of tears.

You're gonna cry again, aren't you? he thought.

As he passed Nami and stepped forward, he locked eyes with Luffy.

The boy looked calm now.

If Luffy had still been angry, he would've charged at Alex the moment he saw him, injured or not. So something must've changed his mind.

Alex figured Nami had said something to him—something that finally reached Luffy's one-track mind.

He stopped roughly twenty meters from Buggy, drew a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"GET OVER HERE AND DIE, YOU DAMN GIGANTIC RED-NOSED CLOWN!!!"

Chouchou barked furiously beside him, his small body hopping in place, echoing Alex's cry: "Woof! Woof! Woof!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Buggy exploded.

He'd just been wondering who this bloodied stranger was and why he'd come. But now, Alex's words sent him into full-blown rage.

"HAHAHA! That was amazing, Alex!" Luffy howled with laughter, clutching his stomach.

Behind them, Nami stood frozen in place. She had just been wondering what "important thing" Alex needed to do. When she heard his challenge, she nearly burst into tears.

You idiot… You're this hurt and still saying stuff like that? You're just as crazy as your crewmates!

Meanwhile, atop the bar's rooftop, the pirates fired three cannonballs in a row—only to hit nothing but sky. It was clear the cannon operators were so rattled by Alex's battle cry, they fumbled their aim completely.

The thunder of the misfired cannons merged with Alex's furious voice, echoing through the sky long after the smoke cleared.

Buggy's whole body was shaking. Veins bulged on his forehead.

He was beyond furious now.

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