On Buggy's Pirate Ship.
Beast Tamer Mohji and his lion Richie were staying here.
This Beast Tamer was in charge of burning the Straw Hat Pirates' ship later; he'd originally thought it was a safe job, but he never expected two Navy officers to show up here.
"Richie, kill them!"
Mohji whistled to his lion!
The lion Richie's eyes flashed red as it charged straight at Akihara Kagura and Karin, only to be sent flying by a kick from Karin, tears of pain instantly welling up in its eyes.
"Karin, go make me a glass of pear juice."
Akihara Kagura sat on the railing, watching Beast Tamer Mohji with great interest, and asked, "Circus acts, can you do them?"
"Of course I can!"
Beast Tamer Mohji hurriedly patted his chest.
While this Pirate Ship was putting on Richie the lion's circus performance, Log Town was gradually growing lively.
The Straw Hat Pirates were still running around buying supplies, while Clown Buggy and Alvida, cloaked to conceal their movements, led their men in searching everywhere for traces of Straw Hat Luffy.
On the execution platform in Log Town's plaza.
Monkey D. Luffy was finally standing here.
This rookie Pirate who aimed to become Pirate King curiously gazed at the view below the platform, thinking about the grand scene back when Pirate King Gol D. Roger was executed.
"Got you! Straw Hat brat!"
At that moment, Clown Buggy led his men in surrounding the platform, a bunch of Pirates suddenly throwing off their cloaks and encircling the execution platform!
The Buggy Pirates' juggler and chief of staff, Cabaji, descended from the sky, hefting a heavy shackle and slamming Straw Hat Luffy down onto the execution platform!
"Clown Buggy!"
"The super Pirate with a bounty of seven hundred and thirty million Belly!"
The moment the entire Log Town plaza saw this group of Pirates, it instantly erupted into noise; the civilians in the square panicked and tried to flee in all directions!
This was a Great Pirate with a bounty of seven hundred and thirty million Belly!
The East Sea hadn't seen a Pirate of this caliber in many years!
What's more, this town had always had Navy Headquarters Colonel Smoker stationed here, so civilians rarely saw Pirates at all; everyone was so scared they just wanted to run!
"Nobody move! Nobody move!"
Clown Buggy shouted loudly to stop everyone who was trying to leave!
The other Pirates all pulled out pistols, stopping the civilians who wanted to escape!
"Now I'm gonna show you just how terrifying I am…"
Clown Buggy's gaze swept across everyone present, his eyes turning especially vicious as he stepped up onto the execution platform one step at a time; he was going to execute Monkey D. Luffy right here!
Aside from the civilians.
There were quite a few other people in this plaza.
For example, three members of the Konoha Pirates who had come here to buy supplies, and the World's Number One Sword Master Hawkeye Mihawk. Unlike everyone else, they weren't panicking; instead, they all stayed right where they were, quietly watching this farce.
"So it's a clash between Clown Buggy and the Straw Hat brat?"
Mihawk watched these two guys, who both had a deep friendship with Shanks, getting into a conflict, and subconsciously wondered whose side that guy Shanks would take if he were here.
Mihawk's brows knit slightly as he thought of that always-grinning Red Hair man. "He'd probably ask everyone present to give him some face, right?"
However…
The situation was currently unfavorable for Straw Hat Luffy.
Because anyone with eyes could see that Luffy had already been completely pinned down, with basically no ability to resist; his only hope was someone else coming to save him.
In the sky.
The previously clear Log Town suddenly began to blow with wind.
The barometric pressure over all of Log Town plummeted, and the howling wind drove dark clouds that slowly spread over the town; the bizarre change in weather immediately put Mihawk on alert!
"This is…"
Mihawk's expression suddenly turned grave!
Yet Clown Buggy seemed utterly oblivious, waving his cutlass as he stood on the execution platform and shouted loudly!
"I hereby sentence Straw Hat Luffy to death for the crime of daring to disrespect and anger me. Go wild, everyone—the glamorous execution is about to begin!"
"Yohohoho!"
The entire Buggy Pirates immediately burst into a frenzy; a bunch of Pirates fired their pistols wildly into the air, and the plaza became as rowdy as a marketplace!
"So lively…"
Monkey D. Luffy looked at the noisy plaza, his face still filled with that thick-headed curiosity. "This is my first time watching an execution!"
"You're the one being executed!"
Clown Buggy held his cutlass and spoke proudly, "Straw Hat brat, being able to die in the same place as the Pirate King is your honor!"
"Me?"
Luffy pointed at himself in disbelief.
Wait, what…
Why him!
This guy Buggy actually wanted to kill him here!
Luffy's body began to tremble violently as he tried to scramble up and fight, but the heavy shackle pressing down on him left him completely unable to resist!
"Say your last words before the execution, will you?"
Clown Buggy's mouth curled into a grin, looking extremely magnanimous.
"…"
Luffy's mouth twisted unhappily; after a moment of silence, he suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm the man who's gonna become Pirate King!"
"…"
The entire plaza fell silent.
Both the terrified citizens and the rowdy Pirates looked over at the Straw Hat brat lying on the execution platform, unable to believe what they'd just heard.