Chapter 435: The Chaos of Loguetown
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"Who's that guy now?"
Buggy, surrounded by layers of pirates protecting him, stared at the young man on the ship wearing a black top hat with confusion.
His heart was pounding violently.
Things had changed too quickly.
Just a moment ago, he had been targeted by one of the Marine monster vice admirals—Aokiji Kuzan.
And now—he was being protected by countless pirates?
Buggy tried to calm his nerves and looked around.
All the surrounding pirates wore determined expressions, unwavering as they stared down the Marines.
"Lord Buggy! What do we do next?"
Someone beside him, noticing Buggy assessing the surroundings, quickly asked.
Buggy turned to the pirate who had spoken.
Others noticed too. One by one, they turned toward Buggy with expectant faces.
At that moment—
For some reason, Buggy's legs started trembling again.
Faced with so many worshipful eyes, Buggy forced himself to steady his nerves.
He took two bold steps forward, and under the gaze of dozens of pirates:
"Everyone! Break through the Marine encirclement!"
Buggy roared from within the crowd.
At that moment—
The previously nervous pirates who had been holding their breath exploded in cheers.
"Break through! Kill those Marines!"
"Follow Lord Buggy's lead—break through!"
"Lord Buggy is incredible! Even surrounded by so many Marines, he still leads us so calmly—he's destined to be the Pirate King!"
In that moment, Buggy's image rose sky-high in the hearts of all the pirates.
On the merchant ship, voices roared like thunder.
Mihawk stood silently, watching the scene unfold.
On guard against Aokiji's potential strike, Mihawk was also studying the pirates' reactions.
"Interesting," he muttered.
He glanced at the red-nosed clown at the center of it all.
"The Pirate King's crewman, huh?"
Mihawk looked thoughtful.
At the harbor, Kuzan frowned as the pirates' morale surged.
"Unbelievable."
He stared at the red-nosed kid standing tall and proud at the center of the crowd.
"As expected of the Pirate King's crew."
At this point, Kuzan had begun treating Buggy as his primary target.
This guy could unite all pirates in the sea.
He had already become their symbol.
But little did anyone know what Buggy was thinking:
"Damn it! Damn it! Why aren't we leaving yet?! How long do I have to hold this pose?! Move! Set sail!"
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. His eyes were fixed on Aokiji at the port.
"Shanks! Please come save me!"
Buggy screamed in his heart, desperate.
Suddenly, a storm of sand swept through the area.
"Cough!"
Crocodile walked over, blood at the corner of his lips, but his cigar still firmly in place.
His body was scorched and burned, visibly injured and disheveled.
"What the hell are you waiting for?! Set sail!"
He shouted to those around him.
Sakazuki (Akainu) soon followed and arrived at the harbor.
"What's going on? Why aren't you attacking?!"
Though his clothes were torn from battle, he was otherwise uninjured.
Kuzan remained silent, eyes locked on the man with the large sword at the ship's edge—Mihawk.
Sakazuki followed Kuzan's gaze.
"The Marine Hunter? How bold of you!"
Sakazuki's fists ignited in flames as he launched a magma punch straight at Mihawk.
Mihawk's hawk-like eyes narrowed sharply.
With a swing of his sword, an unstoppable wave of sword aura erupted.
Clang!
The green sword aura clashed with the magma punch midair and exploded in all directions.
Sakazuki's eyes widened.
He recognized the presence within that slash.
A memory surfaced—a figure wielding a longsword.
He stopped attacking, staring hard at Dracule Mihawk.
"What's your relationship with Rockefeller Sharo?"
Sakazuki asked, magma flowing over his arms.
All eyes turned to Mihawk.
The swordsman tilted his blade slightly and spoke:
"He is the goal I've pursued my entire life."
His voice echoed into everyone's ears.
Clang!
It was as if something exploded in the minds of every pirate present.
They all froze, staring at Mihawk in disbelief.
"The World's Strongest Swordsman, huh? What a joke."
Sakazuki sneered, seeing the ship slowly begin to move.
He raised his arms.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Countless magma fists launched into the sky.
At first, no one understood what was happening.
But as the magma rained down from above—
Panic exploded.
"Oh no! The lava is falling!"
Pirates screamed and scattered.
"Hmph. What are you panicking for?"
Crocodile stepped forward.
"Heavy Sandstorm!"
A massive sandstorm burst from his hand, surging toward the sky.
The violent winds stirred up massive waves across the ocean.
The storm filled the sails.
"Brace the ship!"
Someone shouted with realization.
The ship, which had slowed down, suddenly caught the wind and sped away from the harbor.
The lava crashed into the now-empty sea, and the resulting splash further propelled the ship forward.
Sakazuki's expression turned dark.
He looked at Kuzan beside him.
Kuzan simply shrugged and pointed to the sea, split in two by a single sword slash.
Right after Sakazuki's attack, Kuzan had tried to freeze the sea to stop the ship.
But Mihawk's slash had cut off his connection to the water.
One side was ice.
The other, turbulent sea.
Sakazuki's flames burned higher.
"Send word to Marine HQ. The Pirate King's crewman—Buggy the Clown—has escaped Loguetown with a group of pirates. Issue a bounty!"
Sakazuki walked toward the town without looking back.
Most pirates had fled with Buggy.
But some were still fighting in Loguetown.
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At the back of Loguetown:
"Goodbye, Sengoku. We'll meet again."
Dragon looked toward the harbor and spoke.
Then, with a blast of wind—his figure disappeared.
"A Devil Fruit user, huh..."
Sengoku muttered thoughtfully.
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As the chaos settled—
The Marines had arrested large numbers of individuals.
Pirates, suspicious characters—anyone without a proven identity was sent to Impel Down.
Still, many slipped away in the confusion.
Doflamingo, Gecko Moria, and Shanks boarded small boats and escaped into the sea.
"I'll definitely carry out the Captain's will!"
Shanks said, rowing his boat and gazing at Loguetown in the distance.
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To be continued...
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