Chapter 67: New Member!
Phew. Raising his right hand to wipe away non-existent sweat from his forehead, Buggy finally said, "This is a new ultimate move I just researched, called 'Jizo.' It seems the effect is decent enough. Thank you all for testing the move with your bodies. It has let me understand that this kind of move is only good for dealing with ordinary people."
By transmitting the power of the Chop-Chop Fruit underground to minutely fracture the area where Oba III was, it created a quicksand-like effect that was difficult to escape from once trapped. This was Buggy's newly developed move—Jizo!
This move was quite taxing for the current Buggy. He estimated that he would probably use this move more often after he reached the third stage of his ability's development.
The reason he used it this time was because he saw that there were no real masters around Oba III, which was why he was so audacious.
"Your Majesty, run! This is all I can do to help!" As a loyal subject, the large man who was the first to climb out of the ruins grabbed Oba III, who was trapped in the Jizo, and then threw him with all his might in the direction closest to the town.
But it was useless. In the entire world of pirates, the number of people who could escape Buggy's pursuit through the air could be counted on two hands.
Thinking that a simple throw like the one by that large man could create an opportunity was simply impossible.
Buggy disappeared from his spot in the next second and then appeared in front of the flying Oba III. He threw a right punch downwards, and before Oba III could fly even five meters out of the Jizo's range, he was smashed directly into the ground by Buggy's fist. After a loud "BOOM," this king was as dead as he could be.
After finishing this step, Buggy landed on the ground. Clapping his hands, he paid no more attention to the others and walked directly towards where Hawkins was.
"The royal families of the three kingdoms should all be wiped out for causing the tragedy of the White Town. Now that Oba III is dead, I have no mind to deal with the remaining small fry. I'll have to trouble you esteemed lords who are preparing to collect your money. Please be sure to remember your earlier inaction. And as for the wealth of the Oba royal family, if you want to take it with a clear conscience, you can't let any members of the Oba royal family survive. Of course, if you really don't mind them living, I wouldn't find it troublesome either. But the next time I come, it won't be just me alone. And for our entire pirate crew to make a move, the price is not low. It would require all of your wealth, and within that wealth, your lives are also included. I have said my piece. I hope you noble lords will think thrice before you act. Buggy takes his leave."
No one was helping Buggy clean up, and he had no desire to carry the slaughter through to the end. That was why Buggy came up with this plan to have others clean up for him.
Buggy believed that those nobles would definitely make the most correct judgment. After all, these guys had already made an extremely wise judgment just now.
Compared to Buggy, an outsider whom no one knew, those nobles certainly had a one hundred percent certainty of making all personnel related to the royal family disappear completely.
One must know that making these people disappear was not just to eliminate future trouble, but also for power and wealth. Human nature is greedy. To obtain more, Buggy believed they would spare no effort to help him complete his mission.
Walking up to Hawkins, Buggy asked, "How about it? Do you still need to wait until tomorrow to confirm the news from the other two kingdoms?"
"No need, my captain. Your strength is enough to prove your competence." Hawkins was no fool and could naturally make the correct judgment.
Moreover, although Buggy's actions seemed very reckless to Hawkins, Hawkins quite liked a captain like Buggy.
Anyone would probably like him. After all, Buggy was too protective of his brothers. For just one crewmate, he was willing to risk being targeted by the World Government and the Marines, and went so far as to wipe out the royal families of three kingdoms. Faced with such an invitation from Buggy, anyone would find it hard not to be moved.
"Then welcome to the crew, Basil Hawkins. From now on, your position on the ship will be the Fortune Teller. There aren't many rules on my ship. As long as there's no betrayal, and everyone treats each other like brothers and sisters, that's enough. Now, let's leave. Today is truly a good day!" Buggy said to Hawkins with a smile.
"As you wish, my captain." After speaking, the cloaked Hawkins immediately followed.
In the ruins where the Sarkozy Kingdom's palace once stood, it was now in a state of complete chaos.
Completely different from Oba Kingdom, where Buggy went, and Vonsale Kingdom, where Mihawk's group went, Sarkozy IV's control over his kingdom was far beyond what the other two kings could compare to.
Hancock's group naturally did not have as smooth a time as Buggy's and Mihawk's groups. Originally, Daz Bonez thought he could handle the remaining people.
But who would have known that the first thing Sarkozy IV did after getting out of the tunnel was to summon the guards of the nobles and the city's defense army.
Although the city defense army couldn't arrive that quickly, the guards were right there in the noble district. Although these troops were not as strong as the palace guards, they were numerous. At Sarkozy IV's command, before Daz Bonez could even get to him, more than 20,000 troops had already surrounded Hancock and her group.
This, in turn, forced Daz Bonez to fly into a rage.
A single move, "Heavenly Thunder Wild Dance," struck the besieging army, leaving them charred on the outside and tender on the inside.
Panting slightly, Daz Bonez looked at the five people not far away, his face somewhat grim.
He had never expected Sarkozy IV to know Haki. Although his strength didn't seem that great, the four people around him were all ability users.
A smiling fellow with a cane and a top hat actually had wings on his back and could fly around. His swordsmanship and Haki were also quite sharp, making it impossible for him not to defend.
Among the remaining three Zoan-type ability users, one was actually a rare Ancient Zoan, a Saber-Toothed Tiger Fruit user. Transformed into a saber-toothed tiger, he was a typical high-attack, high-health, and fast opponent. Not only was it difficult for lightning to hit him, but even when it did, it only left a scorched mark and had little effect.
Four ability users, plus Sarkozy IV who had only revealed his Observation Haki so far. This battle was unexpectedly difficult for Daz Bonez.
It seems using the ultimate move rashly without probing their true strength, which led to Betty's exhaustion, was a miscalculation, thought Hancock, who was protecting Betty on the sidelines, frowning slightly.
In Hancock's view, the three Zoan ability users were not difficult to deal with. The trouble was the smiling "birdman" and Sarkozy IV, who had yet to make a move and whose true abilities were unknown.
At this point in the battle, it would be hard for Hancock to believe that Sarkozy IV was not an ability user. With four ability users under his command, it was hard to guarantee that he wasn't one himself. Often being with Buggy, Hancock, who was used to Buggy's advice to always plan for the worst-case scenario, would certainly not have any illusions.
(End of Chapter)