Episode 334: Resurrection of the Clown King—Buggy
『 Just when everyone wanted to know what on earth it was, the camera suddenly switched to Buggy the Clown.
Because of Aokiji's immense power, Buggy and his entire group had been turned into ice sculptures.
The remaining few were weeping bitterly before Buggy. Looking at those motionless ice sculptures that might shatter at the slightest touch, they didn't dare to move them easily.
"Boss, didn't you say you were going to take us to the top of the world?"
"Weren't we planning to show the whole world what we're made of right here?"
"How did you end up getting frozen first?!"
Suddenly, a molten magma fist fell from the sky, smashing the ice surface into pieces. Buggy's ice sculpture also fell into the boiling seawater. In no time, the ice on his body melted, and Buggy regained his ability to move.
Buggy woke up quickly, but as a Devil Fruit user, he couldn't swim at all and could only struggle desperately in the hot water!
The water temperature was so high that he couldn't even speak; he could only howl in agony.
"The Captain is resurrected!"
"What? Didn't Captain Buggy already bite the dust?"
"What exactly does the Captain mean by this?"
"I get it! The Captain is telling us that if we defrost everyone in the water, they'll come back to life!"
"Hurry up and throw the other brothers into the water!"
This bunch of pirates immediately began throwing the ice blocks into the water one by one. The ice melted rapidly, and the people inside stood back up.
Soon, Buggy's crew members were all resurrected, with only Buggy himself yet to show his face!
Buggy sank to the bottom of the sea, initially thinking he was a goner, but to his surprise, he woke up again after a while. Seeing his crewmates around him, he hastily spat out the seawater he had swallowed, feeling so dazed that he thought he had crossed over to another world!
"I… I'm still alive?" Buggy asked, filled with doubt.
The eyes of the people beside him welled up with emotion as they said loudly, "Captain Buggy! You are definitely still alive!"
"Following your method, they thought of putting us in the water to defrost. If it weren't for you, we would have lost our lives long ago. No matter what the future holds, no matter where we are, we are willing to follow you loyally!"
Buggy: …
"?"
"What did I do?" He muttered in a low voice, but he immediately grinned. Although he didn't fully understand the situation, he knew these people were now even more loyal to him!
"Hahahahaha! Everyone, express your gratitude properly! After all, I am going to lead you to become the strongest pirate crew!"
Everyone responded in unison!
The pirates behind him shouted in one voice, and their momentum was truly extraordinary!
This scene made the onlookers feel it was a bit absurd.
This bunch of guys is really foolish!
But precisely because of this, instead of provoking Whitebeard, they ended up being utilized.
If this group of people wasn't so foolish, Whitebeard would probably have quite a headache!
"You bastard Marines, watch closely! Don't think that I, Buggy, am finished just like this!"
"I'm going to beat you until you run with your tails between your legs!"
Even though not a single Marine heard these words, and no one even knew such a group of pirates existed, his subordinates were absolutely thrilled!
"Oh my! He truly lives up to his reputation!"
"As expected of our Buggy-sama!"
"Declaring war on the Marines right after defrosting! Too amazing!"
Buggy smiled triumphantly and said, "Of course!"
....
Emporio Ivankov didn't say a word at this moment.
He was conflicted in his heart, not knowing how to choose.
But Luffy was gripping his hand tightly, making him realize how desperately Luffy needed this strength right now.
"You want another dose of tension hormones?! You really can't use it anymore!"
"From the prison to this place, you have been fighting non-stop. That poison almost cost you your life. Right now, you have already exceeded your body's physical limit. You absolutely cannot use it again!"
"Didn't I say it before? This medicine is only for emergencies. It's impossible for a human to endure it multiple times; it just forces your body to hold on. If you use it one more time, you will definitely die!"
"I am telling the truth!"
Ivankov explained anxiously to Luffy, wanting him to realize how dangerous this was.
However, right after that, Luffy's arm suddenly stretched, firmly grabbing his collar. His eyes were almost devoid of expression, looking as though he was using his very last ounce of strength to speak!
Luffy roared, "If I die, then I die!"
"Let me keep fighting, Iva!"
These words were practically bellowed out.
Ivankov was completely stunned.
Luffy tugged at him hard, but his strength was slowly fading.
"If I can't save Ace, even if I live, I'll feel that life is worse than death!"
He took a deep breath and said softly, "I understand!"
Ivankov realized he could no longer stop Luffy's determination.
"Give me the power to fight!"
"I already said, if you die, I won't have the face to meet Dragon. So let's just go all out!"
Ivankov's fingernails suddenly became extremely sharp, and then he stabbed them fiercely into Luffy's body.
"Hey, what are you doing to Straw Hat?!"
Ivankov withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with helplessness.
Luffy, on the other hand, scrambled up from the ground, clenched his fists, and cheered loudly as if he were completely fine.
While Luffy was recovering, things were also going wrong on Whitebeard's side!
"Get out of my way! Magma boy!"
The great murakumogiri in Whitebeard's hand swung violently with astonishing force!
Akainu used his magma to block it, but he was instantly sent flying!
Feeling Whitebeard's power, an involuntary look of dread appeared on his face.
This was the first time Akainu was shocked by Whitebeard's strength.
He knew that even though Whitebeard was very old, he still couldn't defeat him!
Whitebeard wanted to continue his attack. He had just raised Murakumogiri when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. His movements suddenly halted, and his body involuntarily sank to one knee on the ground. He clutched his chest, his face contorted in agony.
Not good!
Whitebeard's body!
From the fine sweat pouring off him, one could imagine the immense pain he was currently enduring!
In an instant, everyone looked toward Whitebeard.
Whitebeard should have collapsed, but he understood that once he fell, the situation of the entire battlefield would completely reverse.
He still had so many children who relied on him to give them strength and courage!
He could not fall!
Absolutely not!
Whitebeard planted his long weapon onto the ground. With a bang, a shockwave spread out, and the blade stood firmly in the ground.
This supported his body from falling. Then, he violently spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. Looking at the fresh blood in front of him, Whitebeard muttered in a low voice, "How frustrating!"
"Pops!"
The pirates were extremely anxious, shouting Whitebeard's name loudly.
At this moment, Akainu walked up to Whitebeard again, looked down at him kneeling on the ground, and said loudly, "See that? Even time cannot be overcome!"
His fist ignited with fire once more, preparing to deliver another strike.
Marco watched all this from afar, his heart burning with anxiety.
Earlier, when Whitebeard had removed the life support equipment used to maintain his physical strength, Marco hadn't let his guard down for a single moment!
The thing he feared most had finally happened!
He dashed toward Whitebeard's direction, knowing that the current Whitebeard could absolutely not take this hit!
Just at this critical juncture.
Kizaru suddenly appeared behind Marco, his finger glowing with light, pointing at him. "Hey, victory or defeat is decided in an instant, so don't get distracted!"
It truly happened in the blink of an eye.
Marco hadn't sensed the threat at all, completely focused on Whitebeard's situation. As a result, two lasers pierced directly through his body. Kizaru's strike hit its mark, aiming straight for Marco's heart area!
"Marco!" Jozu roared.
And facing the opportunity on Jozu's side, how could Aokiji easily let it slip by?
"You were distracted just now, weren't you!"
"Getting distracted during a war, you've underestimated your opponent too much!"
"Just like Kizaru said, in battle, victory or defeat is decided in an instant!"
Jozu had no time to dodge at all. A terrifying chill quickly froze half of his body, and the ice was still expanding!
"This is absolutely terrible!"
Jozu's eyes were filled with fury, but he knew he had to break free from this layer of ice first!
At this moment, Akainu stepped closer to Whitebeard.
His magma-like fist fell toward the ground, and he muttered to himself, "Let me send you to the world below!"
Akainu struck Whitebeard's chest fiercely with a punch. Instantly, blood and magma splattered together, and the powerful impact pushed everything around them away! 』
『 .....』
〜One Piece World〜
Going Merry—
Everyone was stunned.
After a long while, Luffy said in a low voice,
"That Old man should be able to withstand this move, right?"
Nami didn't speak. Her eyes were wide as she said,
"It should be so. He won't fall."
However, apart from Nami, no one responded to Luffy.
Everyone knew how terrifying Akainu's attack was.
Whitebeard Pirates—
The atmosphere here became even more tense.
Even Whitebeard was frowning.
He finally understood now what it felt like to see his own future death!
"Pops!"
"Pops, we will absolutely not let this kind of thing happen!"
"Pops, rest assured and recover. We will immediately find the best doctors in the world to treat you, ensuring you return to your peak state!"
"With your strength, Pops, these people are not a problem at all. You can easily fight three of them by yourself!"
"Pops!"
Everyone spoke one after another.
Their eyes were filled with tears. Although this premonition might not be real yet, it still made them anxious and uneasy about Whitebeard's injuries!
—
『 "Pops!" Ace looked at Whitebeard in this state, his heart aching terribly.
Plumes of red smoke rose, showing just how much force Akainu had put into that punch!
But the scene on the screen showed that Whitebeard's body had not been incinerated by the magma as expected.
He stood tall, confronting Akainu head-on!
The scene quickly shifted back to Luffy on the other side.
After being injected with the hormones, Luffy had not only fully recovered his original energy, but he even looked more energetic than before!
With a loud shout, he drew the attention of many. Seeing that he was still alive and in such good condition, everyone was exceptionally surprised and delighted!
However, the current situation left no one in the mood to celebrate.
Looking at Luffy's back, Ivankov warned, "Luffy, your physical stamina indeed looks good, but you must remember one thing. Once you fall, you are truly finished, understand? No matter who you are."
Luffy turned his head and said, "Don't worry, I won't fall easily. I feel great right now. Thanks, Iva!"
This was the very phrase Ivankov feared hearing most. He said angrily, "You have to be careful! This medicine only makes you temporarily unable to feel pain; it hasn't actually healed your injuries. If you get hurt again, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Luffy looked toward Ace's direction, his gaze resolute as he replied, "I won't fall again!"
"That makes absolutely no sense." Ivankov sighed. He had done his best; the rest was up to Luffy himself!
The executioners originally responsible for the execution were already unable to move. Sengoku arranged for two men to walk onto the platform.
Their attire was different from the Marine uniforms, with most of their faces covered. One fat and one thin, the two stood on either side of Ace, holding gleaming execution blades in their hands.
Seeing this, Luffy immediately quickened his pace.
Ivankov knew that saying anything more at this point was useless, and he didn't even want to waste another word.
He also ran toward Ace's location. His responsibility was to ensure Luffy's safety. Although he couldn't stop Luffy's actions, he had to do his utmost to prevent Luffy from being harmed again!
"…Straw Hat is coming again!"
"How can he do that? He was kicked by Kizaru, yet he's still alive!"
"Wow, it really is Straw Hat!"
"He looks in even better condition than before!"
"We absolutely cannot let Straw Hat pass!"
The Marines shouted loudly, rushing in Luffy's direction.
But with Luffy's current state, how could they possibly block him?
A fierce kick landed squarely on a Marine, directly forcing a group of them back several steps.
From among the Marines, a fat and stout giant emerged, holding a whip in his hand. He bellowed, "Leave dealing with this Straw Hat kid to me!"
With that, he cracked his whip, instantly wrapping it around Luffy's neck.
With a hard pull, Luffy's body was instantly stretched several meters, then crashed heavily to the ground, dragged along by the giant.
At this moment, another person leaped into the air, clutching a cold, gleaming dagger, and shouted, "Hold him steady, I'll finish him off!"
Seeing that Luffy was about to be stabbed, his legs suddenly stretched, executing a 'rabbit kick,' sending the man flying with a kick.
Then he reached out his arms, grabbed the man with the whip, and threw him as well. The two collided in mid-air and crashed heavily to the ground!
Luffy untangled the whip, preparing to keep moving forward. But then, another person holding a spiked club stood in front of him.
These people were indeed stronger than ordinary pirates, which had to be admitted, but they underestimated Luffy's capabilities too much.
Luffy's strength was on par with the Seven Warlords of the Sea. How could these small-fry block him? It would take at least a Vice Admiral-level opponent to be worth looking at!
"It won't be that easy. I'm still here!"
"No, it's us!"
"If you want to pass, you must defeat all of us. Let them witness the spirit of our Marines!"
Facing more and more Marines, not only were there people blocking the front, but enemies were also closing in from both sides. Luffy frowned; breaking through here in a short time seemed far from easy!
Just as he was extremely anxious, a voice came from behind him.
"Leave this place to me!"
"Death Wink—!"
Hearing this voice, everyone instantly felt a lot more relieved.
Subsequently, a powerful force erupted, not only sending the Marines in front flying but also clearing a long path, allowing Luffy to continue forward!
Ivankov!
He was practically Luffy's guardian angel!
As for Jinbe, it went without saying; several times it was he who saved Luffy from danger.
"I'll cover you!"
"Thank you, Iva-chan!" Luffy turned his head to look at Ivankov, his face full of gratitude.
He continued running forward. Due to Ivankov's attack, few dared to act rashly now. A thin mist filled the air, and the Marines were falling all over the place in a wretched state.
In the smoke generated by this explosion, a figure slowly revealed itself. Luffy was taken aback; he hadn't expected to meet this person here.
Everyone was stunned.
Wasn't this person the guy who was fleeing from battle?
To avoid fighting, he had been hiding in the city!
Moreover, this guy actually knew Luffy and was very concerned about Luffy's situation.
So much so that for a moment, people couldn't tell whether he was actually a member of the Marines or not.
"Koby!" Luffy shouted his name loudly. …
The two were of similar age, though Luffy was actually slightly older.
When he first formed his pirate crew, he had also wanted to recruit Koby. But at that time, Koby already had a dream of becoming a Marine. To help him achieve his wish, Luffy had beaten him up severely, allowing him to successfully join the Marines.
In their subsequent encounters, seeing that Koby had grown into a Marine and claimed he wanted to become the greatest Marine, aiming to become an Admiral—even though he didn't say it very forcefully- Luffy could feel his determination!
In Koby, Luffy seemed to see his former self who dreamed of becoming the Pirate King! 』
『 .....』