Buggy and Enel haven't had an easy time lately. Ever since Ayame dumped them in the training camp, they've been through grueling training every day.
At just five years old, their training load already exceeded that of adults. This completely drained their energy each day, though it did reduce their mischief. Enel might have been fine, but Buggy was a certified troublemaker.
"Hey, Long Ears, did you hear that a new female monster arrived at the daimyo's mansion?" Buggy winked at Enel during a break. "They say she has bird-like feathers and can live underwater like a fish."
"Female monster? Never heard of it. I haven't been to the daimyo's mansion in ages." Enel replied, then seconds later shouted in realization, "Don't call me Long Ears, you vile red-nosed fool!"
"You droopy-eared bastard, who are you calling red-nosed!" Buggy was clearly hypocritical—he thought he could call Enel Long Ears but not vice versa. "You're not allowed to use that name! Only I can call you that!"
Enel couldn't stand such remarks and immediately rammed his head into Buggy's red clown-like nose, pressing hard against it.
"Why you, you damned red nose!"
"Obviously because I'm stronger, Buggy-dono!" Buggy retorted, grabbing Enel's ears and stretching them to their limit like rubber.
Enel's eyes welled with tears, but he refused to surrender, stubbornly biting Buggy's nose instead.
The two of them immediately started wrestling.
As Buggy said, he had a slight edge in strength over Enel, though this was also related to Enel not yet being proficient with his naturally powerful Observation Haki.
Otherwise, facing Buggy, who couldn't use Haki yet, would be a complete dimensional stomp.
"Damn it! I'll blow you to pieces, you annoying red nose!" Enel's hands crackled with sparks—fire from explosions that were not only scorching but also incredibly destructive.
Enel had clearly been developing his Bomb Fruit since acquiring it, though his approach remained simple for now—just increasing the explosive power.
"Hahahaha, you really are an idiot. Buggy-dono here is a Chop-Chop Fruit user!" Buggy laughed triumphantly.
Unlike the original Buggy who had given up after accidentally eating the fruit, this Buggy no longer disliked it and was actively developing its abilities.
Though the unawakened fruit power couldn't be used on external objects, Buggy still worked hard on figuring out how to make the most of it.
Seeing Enel charging at him with a menacing expression, Buggy showed no fear and roared loudly.
Instantly, straight but chaotic lines appeared across his body's surface, and along these lines, Buggy's body abruptly disintegrated into countless small cubes floating in the air.
Enel's attack looked dangerous, but before it could make contact, Buggy had already avoided it.
This annoying red nose was like building blocks, scattering at a touch yet impossible to harm. He could reassemble himself at will whenever he pleased.
This meant not just slashes, but even blunt strikes had little effect on him.
"How about it? Can't touch this, can you?" Buggy boasted triumphantly, his nostrils practically reaching for the sky.
This wasn't just an exaggeration—it was fact. His nose now stretched nearly three meters high, with other body parts scattered everywhere, even his mouth split in two. It was incredible he could still speak.
Yet after splitting, his body seemed to become completely solid, as if his internal organs no longer existed. Truly surprising.
"This is something I developed based on Yukiko-nee's abilities! The Chop-Chop Fruit of the Natural System!" Buggy spread his white-gloved hands wide as if to embrace the world.
Perhaps he wanted to assert his greatness this way, but Enel would never acknowledge it.
"Natural System Chop-Chop Fruit? You're just splitting apart!" Enel sneered before mercilessly stomping the ground. The area he struck exploded violently.
With this explosion, Buggy let out a piercing scream as his scattered pieces swarmed about like headless flies. They crashed together chaotically in mid-air, reassembling him into a grotesque mess.
"Idiot, haven't you realized your feet can't leave the ground?" Enel clearly demonstrated intellectual superiority. While Buggy might have the physical advantage, even Ren's training couldn't change his innate comedic talent.
Perhaps only a comedic character could be the strongest.
Seeing Buggy get taken down by Enel, the other samurai in the training camp burst into laughter.
Compared to Enel, Buggy was usually much more playful, making everyone enjoy seeing him get his comeuppance. Some even waved at Enel, urging him to turn the mangled Buggy into a ball to kick.
And so, a soccer match began.
Led by Hailingui Eni, the Suction Team faced off against the Non-Suction Team led by Hailingui Raiden, sparking a match filled with lightning-fast action.
Everyone had fun in the end, except for Buggy.
"This game's pretty entertaining, just a bit Buggy-intensive," one samurai said, holding Buggy who was covered in bumps.
Buggy did look rather pathetic, but since no one had used Haki, the actual damage wasn't too severe.
"Damn you... you bastards, don't give Buggy a chance for revenge!" Buggy sniveled, refusing to admit defeat.
"You're still tough even when burned to ashes," Enel said, patting his shoulder dismissively. "I think it's time you admitted I'm stronger."
"You're just a cheater, you bastard!" Buggy fumed.
He could never bow to Enel, believing himself superior—as evidenced by their arm-wrestling match.
Buggy continued to shout, but Enel completely ignored him. Instead, he became interested in that "demon woman" Buggy had mentioned.
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