Next Bonus, 100!!
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"Luffy... he's finally set sail?"
The intelligence report arrived in the midst of his whirlwind schedule. Jin's eyes narrowed.
Right now, he was locked in a stalemate with the Five Elders and the World Government.
He was waiting—waiting for his subordinates to grow stronger, for his territories to develop.
And for the immense, game-changing variable that was the Summit War.
It was true that after his fourth evolution, his power had reached a new height, a level that now surpassed the Emperors.
But by Jin's own assessment, conquering the world would take more than just his strength alone.
Besides, the World Government hadn't yet reached its breaking point. Sometimes, timing is everything.
It's circumstance that forges a hero.
If he were to make his move now, it would almost certainly trigger an all-out war between the Winter Blossom Kingdom and the entire World Government. He couldn't expect help from the other powers.
He'd be lucky if they didn't try to stab him in the back.
There was also the matter of his own internal affairs. He had not yet consolidated his power.
Waging a war requires total mobilization.
The purpose of his previous meetings—to unify the thoughts and opinions of his people—was precisely to avoid a situation like the one that had fractured the Rocks Pirates.
To declare war on the World Government, on the Celestial Dragons, required courage.
And many of his people—like Jinbe, and even some within his own kingdom—did not yet possess that courage.
If he were to rashly start a war before they were united, they wouldn't just be unreliable allies—they would be a dagger at his back.
It was entirely possible that even his current allies—Fish-Man Island, Alabasta—could be tempted by the World Government and Imu with promises of great reward and turn on him.
The reason was simple.
They were accustomed to the old order. Until they could see a clear future in a new one, they would rather do nothing than risk making a mistake.
So even a people as oppressed as the Fish-Men would, in the end, hope to maintain the status quo.
To put it bluntly, they would side with the victor.
In a war like this, Jin had to be prepared for anything—even to make an enemy of the entire world.
He needed a catalyst. He needed someone to break the stalemate.
Luffy?
Of course not.
He was waiting for Ace, for Teach, for Whitebeard. He was waiting for the Summit War that would be ignited by that "family."
But Luffy was still worth watching. His Nika fruit made him an excellent "disruptor."
Jin didn't mind the existence of Nika. He brought laughter to the world, and... well, with Luffy's personality, he was never going to be a ruler.
And that was one of the key reasons Imu had been able to defeat Joy Boy.
The world needed an organization, an order.
Was Luffy going to establish some kind of anarchist paradise?
Jin could observe Luffy's adventures through Viola's eyes.
Viola was one of his "sleepers." She had earned that title after the battle in Cocoyasi Village. Her mission was to assist and guide Luffy along the path Jin had laid out for him—a path of leveling up and clearing the board.
In exchange, Jin would help the Riku family defeat the Donquixote family and restore their kingdom.
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His ship had been blown up.
Buggy was incandescent with rage.
His upper body flew through the air, his lower half chasing after it, toward the bay where he had docked.
Through the billowing smoke, the tattered remains of his personally designed Jolly Roger, now half-burnt, fluttered down.
"DAMN YOU! YOU BLEW UP MY SHIP!" Buggy shrieked.
"Hey, look! There's another ship out there! Who is it?" Mohji shouted, standing on the head of his lion, Richie, to get a better view.
"No, wait... it looks like another pirate crew!"
"WHAT?" Buggy exploded in a fury, his body parts flying in all directions. "BLOW THEM OUT OF THE WATER WITH THE BUGGY BALLS! BLAST THEM TO SMITHEREENS!"
"SIR!" his crewmen scrambled to obey.
BOOM!
The Buggy Cannon roared, spitting a gout of flame and launching a cannonball that screamed across the sky, traveling for miles.
CRASH!
The cannonball exploded in the sea, startling Luffy and Viola.
That's right. The ship was the one Luffy and Viola had escaped on from Shells Town.
"This is the greatest shame our crew has ever suffered, Captain!" Cabaji lamented.
"More importantly," Mohji said, scratching his chin, "without a ship, how are we supposed to get back out to sea, Captain?"
"Will you two shut your traps??" Buggy roared. "We're going to go catch Zoro and Saga! I'm going to flay them alive and leave them to bake in the sun for ten days—no, a hundred days!"
"YES, CAPTAIN BUGGY!"
Buggy was livid.
Seriously, who does that? He was having a party, dreaming of the future... and suddenly, his ship gets blown up. Is there no justice in this world? No law?
"We're going to kill them! Absolutely kill them!"
"SIR!"
The Buggy Pirates mobilized.
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After blowing up the ship, Saga and Zoro had made their way into the town. Seeing the clouds of dust and smoke rolling through the streets, Saga felt a prickle of unease.
"This is no ordinary pirate crew," he said with a frown.
Zoro just drew two of his swords, a fierce light in his eyes.
WHOOSH!
The Buggy Cannon roared again.
A massive cannonball came screaming through the sky.
"That's huge!" Saga exclaimed. "What kind of cannonball is that?" He drew his own sword, the wind whipping his hair. "Perfect," he said with a grin. "A chance to try out my new move."
He leaped into the air to meet the cannonball.
SHING!
A cross-shaped slash of light tore through the air, bisecting the cannonball.
BOOM!
The explosion filled the sky with fire.
"Huh? Is that guy an idiot?"
"He's trying to take on one of Captain Buggy's special super-cannonballs head-on? What a moron!"
"Its power is enough to wipe out half the town!"
The onrushing pirates, after a moment of shock, burst into derisive laughter.
Buggy was torn between anger and amusement. "So he's just a brainless idiot. Really, how does someone like that even survive on the sea? Strength isn't just about power; it's about intelligence. But then again, not everyone can have a brilliant mind like mine."
The words had barely left his mouth when two figures burst through the flames and smoke, plummeting toward them.
"EH??"
"How??"
"After an explosion that intense... how is he unharmed?"
The crewmen were stunned.
"Captain Buggy, look out!"
The falling Saga swung both his swords, aiming straight for Buggy.
SHING!
Buggy's eyes widened in terror.
He had been sliced in two.
"CAPTAIN BUGGY!!!" the crewmen screamed.
"Hm?" Saga was surprised. The "great pirate" with a bounty of 15 million... was this all he was?
But the intelligence report had said that Buggy was a Devil Fruit user.
Saga remained on his guard.
And sure enough, the bisected man before him wasn't bleeding. A sinister smile spread across his face.
"Chop-Chop... Flying Daggers!"
His hands suddenly detached from his arms and flew through the air, stabbing the unprepared Saga.
Saga grunted in pain and stumbled back, parrying the attacks of the two flying, dagger-wielding hands.
"Two-Sword Style... Wind Slash!"
Zoro charged forward, his two swords unleashing a gust of wind that tore toward Buggy.
"It's the Pirate Hunter, Zoro!" Cabaji recognized him instantly. Three swords, green hair... Zoro's features were unmistakable.
The Pirate Hunter—the swordsman known as a "monster." His record since his debut was legendary.
The wind from Zoro's blades sliced through Buggy, but to Zoro's surprise, even though the attack had clearly hit, Buggy was unharmed.
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