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"Tsuki no Kokyū – Ichi no Kata – Angetsu – Yoi no Miya!" (Breath of the Moon – First Form – Dark Moon – Palace of the Evening)
Zoro dashed toward the incoming Buggy Ball and swung his blade in a flash.
The sharp slash instantly cleaved the cannonball cleanly in half, with each half flying past him on either side before falling behind.
"Zoro really learned it... Huh? What are you doing?!"
Nami was about to admire Zoro's use of Tsuki no Kokyū when Genrou suddenly pulled her to his side.
He even summoned his "Fork Shield" (Fāku Shīrudo) to form a defensive barrier in front of the two of them.
Just as Nami was puzzled, the two halved cannonball fragments suddenly exploded with tremendous force.
Zoro, who had been smiling in satisfaction at slicing the cannonball, was instantly blown away by the blast wave.
As for the shockwave heading toward Genrou and Nami, it was completely absorbed by the Fork Shield.
And the Golden Deer itself—its construction wasn't so fragile as to be damaged by a single Buggy Ball.
Cough, cough "What the hell? This bomb's different from before…"
"Genrou, if you knew that, why didn't you warn me?" Zoro coughed and emerged from the smoke, looking annoyed.
"You already sliced it in half. Its power was drastically reduced—it wouldn't have injured you."
"Besides, experiencing it firsthand will help you handle it better next time, right?"
Genrou dismissed the Fork Shield and patted Zoro on the shoulder, then looked toward the direction the cannonball had come from.
A red gleam flashed in his eyes—his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) spread swiftly outward.
Soon, a familiar presence entered his perception.
"Luffy? That guy's still locked up?"
Genrou frowned slightly, puzzled.
"Luffy's locked up? Genrou, what are you talking about?"
"Wait—how did you see that Luffy's locked up?"
Zoro asked.
"Remember what I told you about Kenbunshoku Haki? I sensed it through that."
"But never mind that for now—let's go check things out ahead."
As Genrou spoke, the Golden Deer flew straight toward the direction from which the Buggy Ball had been fired.
—Meanwhile, elsewhere—
"See that? That's the power of my Buggy Ball, Straw Hat Luffy!"
"If I wanted to, I could use it to execute you right now!"
Buggy squatted on the ground, sneering at Luffy, who was confined in a tiny cage barely the size of a box.
"Damn it, you big-nosed freak! Why did you lock me up?!"
"Wait... that cannonball just now—did you destroy all the buildings in this town?!"
Luffy gripped the bars of the cage with both hands and yelled angrily at Buggy.
"Hmph! You brat! You barged into my banquet and gorged yourself on our food!"
"And if that wasn't enough, you even know that bastard Shanks!"
"If he gave you his hat, it means he holds you in high regard."
"In that case, I can't let you go!"
Buggy stood up and waved his hand, signaling his crew to move the Buggy Ball launcher to aim directly at Luffy.
"Huh? You know Shanks?"
"Know him? If not for that guy, I'd never have eaten a Devil Fruit and become a landlubber! Tch… why am I telling this to a dead man?"
"Hey, you idiots! I told you to move the cannon—didn't you hear me?!"
Buggy barked at his crewmates, turning back in frustration.
But the Buggy Pirates ignored him completely, staring blankly at the sky.
"Wha… what is that? That can't be real—I must be seeing things!"
"The sky—why is there something flying in the sky? Isn't that thing only supposed to be on the sea?"
"It's huge! Bigger than our ship!"
The pirates stared in dumbfounded amazement.
Just as Buggy was about to erupt in fury, his first mate, the beast tamer Mohji, pointed toward the sky.
"C-Captain Buggy… th-the sky! There's a ship flying in the sky!"
"You've lost your mind, Mohji! There's no way a ship could fly in—WHAT?! There's really a ship?!"
Buggy's eyes bulged out of their sockets as he stared at the Golden Deer.
"Heeheehee! You're so funny, Big Nose."
"Cool, huh? That's my crewmate's ship," Luffy laughed, slapping Buggy's shoulder.
"What?! That's your crewmate's ship?!"
"You're kidding, right?!"
"There's only one man I've ever heard of whose ship could fly."
"That's the legendary pirate, Golden Lion Shiki! You said you had a pirate crew—don't tell me he joined your crew?!"
"That's ridic—wait a second! You rubber idiot, how the hell did you get out?!"
Buggy's jaw dropped as he stepped back in panic.
He turned toward the cage that had been holding Luffy—only to find it sliced cleanly in two, as if by a razor-sharp blade.
The cut was smooth—like slicing through tofu.
…
(End of Chapter)
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