Chapter 241: Chapter [241]
Loguetown
The Battle in the Central Square
The group was surrounded by Marines, their weapons raised as tension peaked. The chaos around them only intensified while Luffy kept fighting Buggy a few meters away, completely ignoring the growing turmoil in the square.
"You think you can corner me?" shouted Alvida, stepping forward with a sarcastic smile forming on her lips. The Marines aimed their weapons, but before they could fire, she spun her iron club in the air, creating a deafening sound.
WHOOSH! CLANG!
The bullets fired ricocheted off her slippery body, sliding off like drops of water. The Marines' eyes widened in panic as Alvida charged at them with impressive speed.
"Do you really think you can stop me? How ridiculous," she mocked, her club slamming down brutally on her opponents.
CRASH!
A group of Marines was thrown into the air like rag dolls, landing with dull thuds on the ground. Screams of pain echoed through the area as Alvida continued her relentless assault.
"This is unbelievable!" said Nami, her eyes shining with admiration. Alvida, noticing the look, raised an eyebrow but said nothing, focused on crushing the remaining opponents.
Usopp, on the other hand, was pale. "I… I think I'm going to puke," he muttered, looking away from the fallen Marines, many of whom were unconscious or seriously injured.
Tashigi, seeing her team being decimated, clenched her fist in frustration. "You pirates are monstrous! How dare you cause such destruction?" She raised her sword, pointing it directly at Alvida.
"Great, you're next," Alvida replied, spinning her club and staring at Tashigi with a challenging look. Nami and Usopp positioned themselves behind Alvida, clearly trusting her to handle the swordswoman.
"You think you can face me?" Alvida continued, her tone full of arrogance. Tashigi, however, did not back down, her posture firm and her eyes filled with determination.
"For the sake of justice, I will not retreat!" Tashigi declared, advancing with her sword ready for the final confrontation.
.....
On the Going Merry, Sanji let out a long sigh before quickly advancing, grabbing Zoro by the arms. "You're not going to mess this up! Geppō!" he shouted, propelling himself into the air while carrying Zoro like a sack of potatoes.
"Sanji! Let me go now! I can go by myself!" Zoro shouted, struggling in mid-air.
"By yourself? With your sense of direction? Don't make me laugh, moss-head! You'd end up in the sea before reaching the square," Sanji mocked, a mischievous smile on his face.
As the two argued, an imposing figure appeared ahead of them. Mohji, the Beast Tamer of Buggy's crew, was mounted on his lion Richie, observing them with disdain.
"You're not going any further! Richie and I are the last barrier you'll face!" Mohji shouted, petting the lion, which roared fiercely.
"Who's this clown?" Zoro asked, frowning.
Before Sanji could respond, Cabaji, the Acrobat, appeared in an explosion of movement, spinning on his unicycle while balancing swords. "Zoro! Finally, we meet again! Let's see if your blade is still worthy!"
Sanji landed on the ground with Zoro, staring at the group from Buggy's crew that now surrounded them. "You really have a knack for showing up at the worst moments. We're busy here," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette.
"You two are annoying," added Zoro, unsheathing his swords. "But since you're in the way, let's finish this quickly."
Cabaji smiled maliciously. "You won't get that chance, swordsman. It's showtime!"
Sanji rolled his eyes. "I don't have patience for clowns. Moss-head, are you ready?"
"Always," Zoro replied with a fierce smile.
Without warning, Sanji grabbed Zoro by the collar and threw him into the air toward the enemies. "Here's your ticket to the show!"
"Sanji, you bastard!" Zoro shouted as he flew through the air. In mid-motion, he unsheathed his swords and concentrated his energy.
"Rankyaku!"
SHING! WHOOSH!
A blade of cutting wind shot out from Zoro's swords, striking Buggy's crew head-on. Mohji and Richie were thrown back, while Cabaji and the others were hurled away by the devastating impact.
CRASH! BOOM!
Buggy's pirates fell to the ground, defeated and unconscious. Zoro landed, rolling on the ground and stopping with a slight groan of pain.
"Do you always have to be so dramatic?" Zoro shouted, looking at Sanji as he got up.
Sanji calmly walked over to him, holding the cigarette between his fingers. "If you were faster, I wouldn't have to. Now get up. We still have to save the captain."
Zoro narrowed his eyes but didn't reply. He sheathed his swords, and the two started running toward the square, arguing incessantly about who was more annoying.
---
Back to Luffy and Buggy's fight.
"You really think you can beat me, Buggy?" shouted Luffy, a teasing smile on his face as he dodged another clumsy attack from the clown. "I've already beaten you before, and I can do it again!"
Buggy launched his detached hands toward Luffy, carrying sharp daggers that glinted in the light. "You'll never defeat me, Straw Hat! I'm invincible!"
WHOOSH!
Luffy used "Soru" to disappear from the range of the attacks, reappearing behind Buggy. "You're the loudest pirate I've ever met!" he said, preparing a powerful strike.
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
BAM!
Luffy's punch hit Buggy's body squarely, sending him flying and disassembling him into various parts. Buggy's body parts fell to the ground but quickly started reassembling.
"You think that's enough to stop me?" Buggy shouted as his head floated in the air, his eyes blazing with fury. "I'll show you the true power of Buggy the Clown!"
Luffy stretched his arms, his fists beginning to spin at high speed. "Let's see how you handle this! Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Luffy's consecutive blows struck every part of Buggy's body, sending him crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.
Suddenly, behind Tashigi, a firm voice interrupted the scene. "Lower your sword."
Tashigi quickly turned, finding Riser standing behind her, holding Smoker's jitte in his hands. Her eyes widened in shock at recognizing the weapon. "That's... Smoker-san's weapon! Where is he? What did you do to him?"
"Calm down," Riser said, his authoritative tone cutting through the air. "Smoker is just unconscious. He's resilient, just like you, Tashigi."
At that moment, Buggy, still conscious, was sent flying toward them at high speed by Luffy's final punch.
"Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!"
WHAM!
Riser acted quickly, spinning the jitte and striking Buggy with precision, knocking him out instantly.
THUD!
The clown's body fell lifelessly to the ground as Riser calmly adjusted his stance.
"Who... who are you?" Tashigi asked, still trying to process the events around her.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" Luffy shouted with a confident smile, unbothered by the tense atmosphere.
Riser cast a discreet glance at Luffy before responding. "We're all part of the Straw Hat crew. No need to worry, Tashigi."
Tashigi looked at Buggy, then at Riser. "Why are you helping me?"
"Consider it a gift," Riser replied, pointing at Buggy with the jitte. "Arrest him and take him to Smoker as a present. Tell him we'll meet again."
Reluctantly, but recognizing the opportunity, Tashigi signaled to the nearby Marines.
"Take him to the base immediately!" she ordered. The soldiers quickly lifted Buggy and started carrying him toward where Smoker had fallen.
As Tashigi and the Marines departed, Riser turned his attention to Luffy and the others. "It's time to leave."
Sanji and Zoro arrived at the square, both panting. "We finally found you!" Zoro said, adjusting the bandana on his head. "What the hell have you been doing?"
"Took you long enough," Nami complained, crossing her arms and throwing an annoyed look at the two. "While you were wandering around, we had to deal with all this chaos."
Sanji lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "Well, at least we're all together now. How about we leave this town before things get worse?"
Luffy laughed loudly, pointing toward the horizon. "Yeah! Let's head to our next destination! The Grand Line awaits us!"
Riser watched the group, an enigmatic smile forming on his lips. "Are you ready for what's coming next? Because from here on out, things are only going to get more interesting."
With everyone reunited and ready to depart, the Straw Hat crew left Loguetown, carrying with them not just victories but also new challenges that would soon unfold. The Grand Line awaited them, full of dangers and adventures.
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