VERSUS BUGGY'S CREW!

A massive explosion rocks the town street, sending up a huge cloud of dust and debris with a loud "KRAAAASH...!!". Luffy, Zoro, and Nami stand in the middle of the street, watching the destruction unfold. A defeated pirate lies motionless on the ground near them. In the next panel, wooden planks and building fragments rain down with "KLANK...", "THUD...", and "KRAK..." sounds, burying a pirate wearing striped pants in the rubble. Below, Nami looks at Luffy in disbelief, exclaiming, "WOW. I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT YOU......I MEAN, YOU DID PILE-DRIVE A LION!" She continues to question him, asking, "WHAT KIND OF HUMAN BEING COULD DO THAT?!" and "HOW CAN YOU INFLATE YOURSELF LIKE A BALLOON!?" Luffy stands casually listening to her, while Zoro watches from behind.

Luffy grins proudly, tapping his chest with a "DA-DA" sound, and answers Nami, "THAT WAS THE GUM-GUM......BALLOON!!" Nami, frustrated by his vague answer, yells, "IDIOT!! BUT HOW DO YOU DO IT!?" Suddenly, a heavy footstep lands with a loud "DA-DOOM" and the clattering sound of "KLAK KLAK KLAK...". An exclamation mark bubble "!" indicates someone's surprise. Nami gasps, "GASP!", and mutters, "UH-OH...", looking worried. Luffy's expression turns serious, and Zoro stands stoically with his arms crossed. From the lingering smoke of the explosion, three figures emerge: two battered pirates and the giant lion, Richie, bearing its sharp teeth. An ominous voice from the smoke says, "YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE..."

Three close-up panels show the reactions of the trio. Nami looks distressed, sweating as she observes, "HE'S USING HIS MEN AS SHIELDS..." Luffy smirks confidently, ready for a fight, while Zoro glares intensely from under his bandana. The bottom half of the page is a large panel revealing Buggy the Clown standing behind two of his unconscious crew members, holding them up by their collars to block the blast. A large "SHAAOOO" sound effect fills the background. To Buggy's right, Cabaji stands calmly next to the roaring lion, Richie. Cabaji remarks, "CAP'N, THIS IS THE WORST DISGRACE WE'VE SUFFERED SINCE YOU FORMED OUR CREW..." Buggy, trembling with rage and gripping his fallen men, replies, "I'M SO MAD, I CAN'T EVEN SPEAK..."

The page opens with Mohji, wearing his furry suit, struggling to his feet amidst the rubble of the explosion. He looks disoriented, asking, "UNH... WHERE AM I... WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?". Cabaji stands nearby, looking back over his shoulder and saying, "MOHJI... YOU'RE STILL ALIVE?". The sound effect "KLAK KLAK" accompanies the scene. In the next panel, Mohji looks shocked and angry, exclaiming, "CABAJI! WHAT'RE YOU DOING TO RICHIE!?". The scene shifts to Cabaji standing over the fallen lion, Richie, with a "FWUMP" sound. Cabaji asks, "THE KITTY?". Cabaji, seen from behind, calmly explains his actions: "I WAS USING HIM AS A SHIELD. DIDN'T WANT TO SOIL MY RAIMENT." In the bottom right panel, Richie the lion is coughing weakly, "KOFF KOFF". Mohji kneels beside him, asking with concern, "RICHIE!? ARE YOU OKAY!?". A close-up shows Cabaji glaring coldly, accompanied by a "VREEEEN" sound effect. In the final panel, Mohji sweats nervously, swallowing hard with a "GULP!!". He glares at Cabaji and mutters, "WHY YOU...!!". Behind him, Richie is shivering in fear, letting out a weak "GRROWARR!" and "SHIVER SHIVER".

A wide shot shows Luffy, Zoro, and Nami standing in the street. In the foreground, Mohji points frantically at Luffy and yells a warning to Buggy: "GASP! IT'S THE KID IN THE STRAW HAT!! CAP'N BUGGY, WATCH OUT FOR HIM!! HE'S GOT SPECIAL POWERS FROM EATING THE DEVIL FRUIT-- JUST LIKE YOU!!! HE'S A RUBBER MAN!!!". In the next panel, Luffy playfully stretches his cheeks wide with a "WOING" sound, demonstrating his power. He says, "YEP... SEE? RUBBER MAN!?". Nami stands next to him, looking slightly exasperated. A close-up shows Buggy looking shocked as he realizes, "THE DEVIL FRUIT!!!". Buggy connects the dots, saying, "THAT'S WHY MY BUGGY BALL BOUNCED OFF OF HIM!". In the background, Mohji stands nervously, letting out a "HAH...". Buggy turns his attention to Mohji, saying, "MOHJI, IF YOU KNEW THAT...". In the large bottom panel, Buggy furiously yells at Mohji, his face comically large and angry. He screams, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?". The force of his yell blows Mohji backward with a "TWANG" sound. Mohji defends himself, crying out, "I TRIED TO!".

Luffy suddenly sprints forward with a loud "WOOSH" and "SHUU...". He runs past Zoro and Nami, heading straight for Mohji. Luffy yells, "OUTTA MY WAY!!! OUTTA MY WAY, FUZZY!". A pirate in the background screams "GYAAAA!". The bottom half of the page is a large action shot showing Luffy delivering a powerful stretching kick directly to Mohji's face. The impact is marked with a massive "WAK!!!" sound effect. Mohji is sent flying backward from the force of the blow, his face distorted by the kick.

Luffy lands on his feet, adjusting his straw hat with a confident grin. He declares, "THE BATTLE BEGINS!!". In the background, Mohji slides across the ground with a "SKROOSH...!!" sound. Nami watches in surprise, exclaiming, "WHOA!". In the middle panel, Cabaji charges toward Luffy, riding a unicycle and drawing his sword. A caption introduces him: "BUGGY'S SECOND MATE, CABAJI THE ACROBAT!!". Cabaji yells, "I'LL CUT 'EM TO MINCEMEAT, CAP'N!!". The sound effects "WOOO" and "RERK RERK RERK" accompany his rapid approach. Luffy turns his head, noticing the incoming attack with an "!". In the bottom panel, just as Cabaji is about to strike Luffy, Zoro steps in and blocks Cabaji's sword with his own. A loud "KRANG!!" rings out from the clash of blades. Zoro, now wearing his bandana, glares intensely at Cabaji. Luffy looks on in surprise, while Cabaji is caught off guard, marked by a "!?" bubble.

The page begins with Cabaji, riding his unicycle and holding his sword ready, declaring, "IF IT'S A SWORD DUEL YOU WANT, I'M YOUR MAN!" Zoro, wearing his bandana and gripping his sword, responds intensely, "RORONOA ZOLO, AS ONE SWORDSMAN TO ANOTHER... IT WILL BE AN HONOR TO CUT YOU DOWN." In the next panel, Luffy looks concerned and suggests, "HEY, ZOLO! MAYBE YOU SHOULD REST. LET ME HANDLE HIM." Zoro stands firm, though his heavily bandaged side is visibly bleeding with a "THROB" sound effect. Nami watches anxiously from the background. Cabaji smirks, noting Zoro's condition: "HE COULDN'T HAVE HEALED YET FROM THE WOUNDS THE CAPTAIN GAVE HIM. I'M SURPRISED HE CAN EVEN STAND..." Suddenly, Cabaji unleashes a surprise attack, breathing a massive plume of fire from his mouth with a loud "FWOO" and "SHII". He calls out the technique: "'THE BREATH OF DEATH'!!" Zoro recoils in surprise, yelling "WAGH!" as the flames engulf the space in front of him.

As Zoro leans back to dodge the incoming flames, Cabaji swiftly rides his unicycle past him with a "WOOSH!" sound. While Zoro is distracted by the fire, Cabaji seizes the opportunity and delivers a brutal kick directly to Zoro's heavily bandaged side. A massive "FWAK" sound effect emphasizes the impact as Cabaji's foot connects with the wound. Zoro hunches over in immense pain. Watching from the sidelines, Luffy gasps in shock, his eyes wide. Below him, Nami clutches her head in horror, crying out, "OOH...!!" The bottom of the page shows Zoro collapsing to his knees, gripping his bleeding side as sharp exclamation marks "!!!!" radiate from him, highlighting his agony.

Zoro throws his head back and screams in sheer agony, "ARRGGHHH!!!", sweat flying from his face as he clutches his wounded side. Cabaji looks back over his shoulder with a sinister smirk, laughing "HEH HEH HEH!" and taunting, "HMM... I DIDN'T THINK I KICKED YOU THAT HARD..." Nami furiously yells at Cabaji, "THAT'S DIRTY! YOU'RE AIMING FOR HIS INJURIES!!" Ignoring her, Cabaji begins to pedal his unicycle rapidly in place, the tire grinding against the ground with a "HRASP HRASP" sound. He announces, "I CALL MY NEXT CIRCUS TRICK..." In a large panel, Cabaji spins his unicycle wheel furiously, kicking up a massive, thick cloud of dust and debris with a loud "WOO" sound effect. He shouts the name of his technique: "'MURDER AT THE STEAM BATH'!!"

Zoro stands amidst the thick, swirling dust cloud, panting heavily with "HUF HUF" and his heart pounding "BA-BUMP BA-BUMP". The dust hisses around him ("SSHH SSHH"). Annoyed, Zoro calls out, "WHAT KIND OF CIRCUS TRICK IS THAT!? YOU'RE JUST KICKING UP DUST!!" Suddenly, Cabaji lunges out of the obscuring dust. With a loud "CHANK", Zoro barely manages to cross his two swords to block Cabaji's downward sword strike. The force of the block causes blood to "SPLURT" from Zoro's side wound. Cabaji smirks confidently, chuckling "HEH HEH..." as he prepares his next move. Zoro suddenly notices something, uttering a confused "HUH?" as a glint catches his eye. In the final panel, several sharp spinning tops are launched through the air directly at Zoro with a "WOOSH WOOSH" sound.

The page opens with a dynamic action shot. Zoro delivers a powerful kick directly into Cabaji's midsection. The impact is massive, accompanied by a huge "KERWAP" sound effect. Cabaji is jolted backward on his unicycle, his sword arm flailing wildly. Zoro leans forward into the strike, his katana gripped firmly in his other hand. In the next panel, a close-up shows Cabaji reeling backward, his mouth wide open as he screams in agony, "UNNGAAAH!!". A "SPURT" of blood or saliva flies from his mouth. Below, Cabaji collapses backward onto the ground with a "SLUMP", his unicycle falling beside him. Nami watches from the foreground as an off-screen voice exclaims, "HE DID IT AGAIN!!" followed by a shocked "!!.....". In the final panel, Luffy watches the scene with a serious, unimpressed expression. He remarks, "WHAT KIND OF MAN SCREAMS LIKE A WOMAN?" In the background, Zoro stands casually, resting his sword over his shoulder.

Cabaji recovers and is back upright on his unicycle, pedaling forward with a "RERK RERK" sound. He holds his sword ready and addresses Zoro: "YOUR MATEY'S ODD TALENTS CAUSED US QUITE A BIT OF TROUBLE." He continues his taunt, "SO YOU'RE THE BIG SCARY 'PIRATE HUNTER.' WELL, THIS'LL TEACH YOU TO MESS WITH CAP'N BUGGY'S CREW." The scene shifts to Zoro, who is on his hands and knees, struggling to stay up. He pants heavily, with "HUFF!!", "HUFF...!!", and "HUFF...!!" indicating his exhaustion and pain. Sweat drips from his face. Nearby, Nami turns to Luffy, looking frantic and angry. She yells at him, "HOW CAN YOU JUST STAND THERE AND WATCH YOUR FRIEND GET KILLED!?" Luffy remains completely silent, his face serious, with a simple "..." speech bubble. In the bottom panel, Cabaji lunges forward aggressively, swinging his sword down with a loud "FWOSH" sound. He shouts, "RORONOA ZOLO!!" and "PREPARE TO BE WELL DONE!!".

Zoro intercepts Cabaji's attack, blocking the downward sword strike with his own blade. A loud clashing sound effect marks the impact. Zoro grunts, "UNGH!?", holding his ground despite his heavily bandaged and bleeding side. Watching the clash, Nami stares in disbelief, asking, "HOW...?" Beside her, Luffy breaks into a wide, confident grin and cheers, "YEAH!!" The force of Zoro's block sends Cabaji flying backward. He flips upside down with a "FWUMP" sound, looking completely bewildered with "!??" floating near his head. Zoro stands tall in the background. In a small panel, Buggy the Clown reacts to the turn of events with a surprised "!" bubble. In the final panel, Zoro stands ready, panting slightly with a "HUF". He wipes his mouth with his thumb, producing a "SWIP" sound, and glares menacingly. He says, "YOU'RE A VERY ANNOYING PERSON..." and adds, "I HOPE YOU ENJOYED KICKING MY WOUND...".

A massive, dramatic panel dominates the top half of the page. Zoro deliberately plunges his own sword directly into his heavily bandaged side wound. A huge "SLISH!!" sound effect fills the background as blood violently spurts from the self-inflicted stab. Zoro's expression is intense and resolute, his head bowed slightly as he commits the shocking act. The bottom half of the page features four reaction panels. On the far right, Cabaji's face is contorted in absolute shock, his eyes bulging. He screams, "WHAT!!!" and "HE CUT HIMSELF!?". A jagged exclamation mark "!" bubble emphasizes his disbelief. Next to him, Nami covers her mouth with both hands, trembling and sweating in horror, with a "!?" bubble above her. Beside her, Luffy's jaw drops in a comical, wide-eyed expression of sympathetic pain, yelling, "OUCH!". On the far left, Buggy is equally stunned, his eyes wide and jaw slack, with an exclamation mark "!" bubble above his head.

Cabaji stands holding his sword, looking confused as blood drips from Zoro's blade with a "DRIP" and "SPLIP". Cabaji asks, "WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT...?" Zoro, his head bowed and panting heavily with a "HOOPH!!!", replies, "MY GOAL IS TO BE THE WORLD'S GREATEST SWORDSMAN..." In a large central panel, Zoro looks up with a fierce, determined glare. He holds one sword in his hand and grips another tightly in his mouth with a "CHUNK" sound. Blood stains his shirt from his self-inflicted wound. He challenges Cabaji, "IS THAT ENOUGH OF A HANDICAP FOR YOU? NOW I'LL SHOW YOU SOME REAL SWORDPLAY." Cabaji glares back, sweating slightly, and mutters, "HMPH... SO, RORONOA ZOLO... YOU WANT TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME?" Meanwhile, Luffy watches the exchange with a wide, excited grin, cheering, "WOW! ZOLO'S COOL!!"

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