The Devil Fruit that appeared in Buggy's hand was peculiar and unnerving. Its shape resembled a T-shaped green vine that hung downwards, with a base shaped like a pineapple. The fruit's skin was a striking mix of white, pink, and red, with each colored section adorned by the faint visage of ghostly faces, as if souls were trapped within. It exuded an eerie, otherworldly aura.
Snap!
Buggy casually tossed the [Paramecia: Soul-Soul Fruit] into the air before catching it again. Without a second thought, he flung it toward Blueno and barked,
"Take this back to the treasury for now. We're heading to Whole Cake Island to see what Kaido's up to—and check on that Ceasar clown who used to be under Charlotte Linlin."
"Yes, Captain." Blueno nodded, catching the fruit as he conjured a door of shimmering space.
"Wait!" Buggy's sharp voice stopped Blueno in his tracks. A devilish grin spread across Buggy's face as he added, "Gather Gabban, Bullet, and Doringo. Let's take this chance to kill Kaido once and for all. Oh, and no need to keep this under wraps—tell everyone exactly what happened here!"
Blueno's eyes gleamed with understanding. "Understood, Captain!" he replied before stepping through the portal and disappearing.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Buggy reappeared in front of Nami, Robin, and Pudding, all three still in shock from the events that had just unfolded. Flashing his trademark grin, he waved dismissively, "You three okay? Not hurt, are you?"
Nami and Pudding quickly shook their heads. Robin smiled and replied warmly, "We're fine, Aniki. Thank you."
"Good. That's all I needed to hear." Buggy gave a satisfied nod. "Stay put here. I'm sure Luffy and the others will catch up soon enough. I've got to head out."
Robin hesitated, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "We haven't given you the rubbings of the Road Poneglyph yet..."
Buggy chuckled, his grin growing wider. "I don't need that. I'll grab the Poneglyph myself when I get to Whole Cake Island." He leaned forward and lightly pinched Robin's cheek, his tone teasing yet oddly gentle. "Take care of yourselves. I'm off."
Robin smiled softly and nodded. "Alright. Be safe."
With a wave of his hand and a burst of confidence, Buggy turned and disappeared, leaving the three women watching after him, each silently processing the whirlwind that was their unlikely savior.
Swish! A brilliant white-gold light suddenly shot into the sky, cutting through the heavens as it streaked toward Whole Cake Island like a blazing comet.
A tense meeting had just begun on Onigashima, within the Onigashima Castle.
"Blueno, what's the rush? Why'd you call us back so suddenly?" Gabban grumbled, arms crossed.
"That's right," Bullet added, his tone irritated. "I've got a bunch of water conservancy projects that aren't even halfway done yet."
Doringo leaned back against the wall, raising an eyebrow. "So, what's the big emergency? Must be something serious if you're pulling us all in like this."
Blueno exhaled a sigh of relief as he glanced around at the gathered crew. A small smile tugged at his lips, but the weight of his next words hung heavily in the air.
"Just now, the Four Emperors—Charlotte Linlin—was killed by Captain Buggy!"
For a moment, silence reigned. Then the room erupted into chaos.
"What!?" Gabban's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Big Mom? Killed? By the captain!?" Bullet roared, his voice booming.
Even the usually stoic Enel froze, while Moria, Lucci, and Kaku stood with jaws slack, stunned by the bombshell.
"No way! The captain took down Big Mom?" Kaku blurted, struggling to process it.
"Blueno, this has to be a joke!" Moria said, his face pale. "There's no way. Sure, the captain's gotten stronger, but taking on Kaido, Big Mom, and Katakuri all at once? That's impossible!"
"…" Enel hissed, his expression grim. "Blueno wouldn't lie about something like this. He has no reason to."
Doringo narrowed his eyes. "So, Blueno, you called us back just to drop this bomb on us?"
Blueno shook his head, his demeanor serious. "No. There's more to it than just that. While the captain's heading to Whole Cake Island, I figured I'd explain what happened." He straightened and continued, his voice steady.
"At the end of the battle, Big Mom revealed the secret of the Soul-Soul Fruit…"
The room fell into a hushed silence as Blueno recounted the events he'd overheard. Every word seemed to weigh heavier than the last.
By the time he finished, the Buggy Pirates were left utterly speechless, the gravity of the revelation sinking in.
"What did we just hear?" Gabban muttered, breaking the silence.
"Kaido… was controlled by Big Mom? That's insane!" Bullet growled, his fists clenching tightly.
"The Soul-Soul Fruit…" Lucci whispered his sharp mind racing. "To think it could control someone of Kaido's level… It's beyond terrifying."
"It's not just terrifying," Enel added, his face grim. "If Big Mom could control someone as powerful as Kaido, how long has she been pulling the strings? Since the Rocks era? Who knows what else she's done!"
A shiver ran through the room as everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
"And it gets worse," Blueno continued, his tone dark. "At the very end, Big Mom tried to control our captain."
Gasps echoed around the room.
"But…" Kaku stammered. "How did he…?"
Blueno allowed a smirk to creep across his face. "Fortunately, Captain Buggy's Devil Fruit ability is on a completely different level. Even the Soul-Soul Fruit couldn't break him. He smashed her attack like it was nothing."
The crew let out collective sighs of relief, though their expressions remained serious.
"Thank the seas," Gabban muttered. "If not for that, who knows what would've happened to us."
Bullet grinned, his excitement returning. "Well, I guess we can't underestimate the captain, huh?"
Doringo nodded. "We might not understand the full extent of his power yet, but one thing's for sure—Big Mom underestimated him, and it cost her everything."
As the crew processed the revelation, one thing became abundantly clear: the Soul-Soul Fruit wasn't just a powerful weapon—it was a horrifying ability that could shape the course of history. And Buggy, their captain, had managed to rise above it, proving once again why he was the man leading them to the top.
...
Just like when Ace first joined Whitebeard's crew—constantly trying to assassinate him while he slept—Kaido's current state seemed too calm to be true. Ace had always been intercepted before he could get close, thanks to Whitebeard's instinctual vigilance, a trait all-powerful warriors possessed. Kaido, on the other hand, was lying there, seemingly as defenseless as a drunkard passed out at a tavern.
Buggy frowned, his instincts screaming that something was off. Could it be related to the events earlier, when Big Mom fell, and the Soul-Soul Fruit's power was disrupted? Did her death somehow affect Kaido?
Without a moment's hesitation, Buggy turned into a streak of white-gold light, his body hurtling through the castle walls on the top floor of Whole Cake Island. Bricks and stone exploded outward as he smashed into Kaido's chambers with effortless speed, arriving in front of the massive bed in the blink of an eye. Two giant maids, standing frozen in terror, gaped at him as he spoke, his tone sharp and commanding.
"I ask, you answer, or you die. Understood?"
The maids nodded frantically, their size offering no comfort in the face of Buggy's overwhelming presence.
"How long has Kaido been sleeping? How often does he wake up? And what have his habits been like since coming to Whole Cake Island?" Buggy rattled off the questions, his piercing gaze leaving no room for hesitation.
One of the maids stepped forward cautiously. After a moment of thought, she stammered, "M-my lord, Master Kaido has been asleep for about two or three hours now."
"Normally, he'd wake up an hour earlier," added the other, her voice trembling. "But perhaps he drank too much today?"
"And since arriving at Whole Cake Island?" Buggy pressed, his tone unyielding.
"Every day, he drinks heavily with Big Mom," the first maid replied. "Afterward, he transforms into a dragon and flies around the island. However, tonight's flight time hasn't come yet."
Buggy nodded, filing the information away. "I understand. You're dismissed. Leave now—this doesn't concern you."
"Yes, sir!"
The two maids scrambled out of the room, their giant footsteps oddly quiet in their haste to flee. Even with all the commotion, Kaido remained motionless, snoring deeply on a ten-meter-long bed like a hibernating beast.
"Strange..." Buggy muttered, his eyes narrowing. Something about this situation didn't sit right.
Without hesitation, he kicked the heavy doors fully open and strode into the room. Kaido was sprawled across the bed, sleeping like a dead pig. Buggy studied him carefully, his brows furrowed in doubt.
The air shifted slightly behind him as the door to a spatial portal opened. Gabban, Bullet, and Enel stepped through one after another, their presence immediately filling the room.
"Pfft, look at him!" Gabban snorted, his laughter echoing. "Kaido must be completely hammered!"
"Guess losing to us hit him harder than we thought," Bullet chuckled, crossing his arms as he observed the sleeping Yonko.
"Haha! He's so out of it, we could probably tie him up and he wouldn't notice," Enel sneered, electricity sparking at his fingertips.
But then Gabban's expression grew serious. "Wait. Something doesn't feel right about this."
Their attention turned to Buggy, who stood silently, his eyes fixed on Kaido.
"Captain Buggy," Bullet prompted, his tone cautious. "What do you think?"
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to their leader. Buggy didn't react immediately, his sharp gaze scrutinizing every detail of Kaido's still form. Something about this picture wasn't adding up.
Hearing his crew's observations, Buggy frowned and shook his head, deep in thought.
"I'm wondering the same thing!" he muttered, his tone laced with suspicion.
He glanced at Kaido, still sprawled out on the massive bed, snoring loudly.
"When I smashed through the castle wall and barged into his room, this is exactly how I found him. I can't help but think… maybe killing Charlotte Linlin messed with the Soul-Soul Fruit's effects on him."
Buggy turned to Enel with a sly smirk. "Enel, go slap some sense into him."
The room erupted in laughter at the suggestion, but the humor didn't mask the underlying tension.
"Captain, are you seriously using me as your guinea pig?" Enel rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance. But the faint grin tugging at his lips betrayed his excitement.
Without waiting for further instruction, Enel transformed into a streak of crackling lightning, reappearing in front of Kaido.
Scoff!
With his hand coated in Armament Haki, Enel delivered a thunderous slap across Kaido's face.
SMACK!
The slap echoed crisply through the room.
But Kaido didn't budge. He remained sound asleep, snoring as if nothing had happened.
Enel's brows furrowed. Crack!Crack!Crack!
He unleashed several more electrified slaps, each one louder and harder than the last. Still, there was no response from Kaido.
The crew's initial amusement quickly turned to unease.
"This is bad," Doringo muttered, breaking the silence.
Buggy's frown deepened as he observed the scene. "Looks like the Soul-Soul Fruit did something to him. Killing Charlotte Linlin must've had a much bigger impact than we thought…"
"Did Kaido end up like this?" Gabban murmured, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"No way!" Bullet exclaimed. "That's Kaido, the Beast! There's no way he's done for like this."
"Still," Enel interjected, shaking his head. "The Soul-Soul Fruit's influence is terrifying. Even after the user dies, it can leave behind… this?"
The room grew heavy with the weight of the realization.
"If this leaks," Bullet said grimly, "it'll shake the entire world to its core."
Buggy ran a hand through his hair, processing the situation. After a moment of silence, he issued a command.
"Gabban, head to the basement and retrieve the red Poneglyph. While you're at it, search the entire island. The Big Mom Pirates are finished—might as well take everything of value."
Gabban nodded but hesitated. "And what about you?"
Buggy's gaze returned to Kaido, his expression unreadable. "Kaido was one of the Four Emperors. He deserves… closure."
The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air. Gabban and the others exchanged glances, hesitating to leave.
Buggy caught their hesitation and let out a small chuckle. "Stay if you want. You can witness it."
Floating effortlessly into the air, Buggy hovered over the sleeping Kaido. His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with determination.
Hum!
In an instant, two radiant streams of white-gold energy erupted from Buggy's palms, illuminating the room with blinding intensity. The air around them grew thick with an oppressive power that sent shivers down the crew's spines.
Even Gabban, Bullet, and Enel, who had seen Buggy's power countless times, couldn't help but tremble in awe.
"Buggy, you've gotten stronger again!" Gabban exclaimed, a mix of awe and frustration in his voice. "Damn it, it's like you have no upper limit!"
Buggy chuckled, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"How can that be?" he replied modestly. "It's just the awakening of the Mori Mori no mi. Gave me a bit of a power boost, that's all."
He turned his gaze back to Kaido, still lying motionless on the ground, and sighed deeply.
"Goodbye, Kaido of the Hundred Beasts."
Scoff.
In the next moment, Buggy raised both hands, white-gold energy swirling ominously in his palms. He aimed two radiant blasts directly at Kaido's head.
ROAR!!!
Before Buggy could release the attack, Kaido's body jerked violently, and a deafening roar shook the room. His massive form erupted in a brilliant purple beam of light, morphing into the hulking figure of a gigantic azure dragon. With a mighty swing of his tail, Kaido soared through the air, tearing through the ceiling and disappearing into the sky.
Buggy froze, his attacks dissipating in his hands.
"Damn it," he muttered, his brow furrowing. "If those blasts went off, all the treasures on this island would've been obliterated."
Buggy's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. The wealth of Totto Land—accumulated over decades—wasn't something he could let go to waste so easily. But the dragon's sudden transformation puzzled him.
Turning to the stunned crew, Buggy smirked. "Looks like Kaido was playing dead. I'll go check if that thing flying up there is Kaido… or if Charlotte Linlin is pulling the strings now."
What?!
The crew's jaws collectively dropped. Buggy's words carried so much weight that it took a moment for them to process the implications.
Whoosh!
Without another word, Buggy launched himself into the sky, transforming into a streak of white-gold light as he shot through the massive hole Kaido had left behind.
Scoff!Whizz!
Enel, Gabban, and the rest of the crew exchanged quick, uneasy glances before following suit, leaping after their captain.
"Did he just say… Charlotte Linlin might've taken over Kaido's body?" Enel muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"If that's true," Gabban replied, his tone grim, "the Soul-Soul Fruit's power is far more terrifying than we ever imagined."
The realization left them shaken, their thoughts racing as they climbed higher into the sky.
Was Kaido simply feigning unconsciousness to escape? Or had Charlotte Linlin's death triggered the Soul-Soul Fruit's horrifying ability to claim his body?
One thing was clear—they needed to find out.
---
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