DARK CLOUDS

At a bustling fish market, Sanji stands before a massive, exotic fish displayed on a table. He asks, "WHAT'S THIS FUNKY FISH CALLED?" The fishmonger, clapping his hands, welcomes him and explains, "THIS IS AN ELEPHANT TUNA. YOU NORMALLY WOULDN'T SEE THESE TUNA AROUND THESE PARTS, BUT ONE JUST SO HAPPENED TO SWIM UP HERE FROM THE SOUTHERN SEAS. AND SO I SNATCHED IT RIGHT UP WITH MY FISHING POLE!" Sanji is amazed, "YOU CAUGHT THIS!? With just a fishing pole!?" The fishmonger asks, "SHALL I CUT IT UP FOR YOU?" Sanji grins around his cigarette, "NO, NO... I'LL TAKE THE WHOLE THING!" Sanji walks away carrying the enormous fish on his back, leaving the bystanders in awe. One calls out, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, SIR!" As he walks, Sanji thinks, "DAMN IT, WHERE'D THAT BEAUTIFUL LADY I SAW JUST NOW DISAPPEAR TO?" Suddenly, he notices something and stops. "HMM?" A bystander wonders, "WHAT DOES HE NEED AT THE SUPERMARKET?" Sanji spots a sign for cheap eggs and rushes over, exclaiming, "HOLY CRAP! THESE EGGS ARE SO CHEAP! But only one carton per person!?" A woman nearby looks at him in confusion, thinking, "WHAT IS HE, A HOUSEWIFE...?"

In a clothing store, Nami sits happily atop a massive pile of garments. She declares, "I'LL... TAKE... ALL THIS!" The shopkeeper, a large woman in a striped shirt, looks surprised. "ALL THIS? YOU SURE YOU EVEN HAVE ENOUGH MONEY?" Nami smiles confidently, "OF COURSE I DO! HOW RUDE." Nami leaves the shop carrying a huge, bulging bag over her shoulder. The shopkeeper waves, "THANK YOU, PLEASE COME AGAIN." Outside, Nami pauses and looks up at the sky. "HMM? THE AIR FEELS DIFFERENT... THE AIR PRESSURE'S DROPPING... AT THIS RATE, THERE'LL BE A RAINSTORM COMING... DARN, I WANTED TO LOOK AROUND A BIT MORE TOO..." She approaches an antique shop and asks the owner, "EXCUSE ME, MA'AM. DO YOU HAVE ANY BIG VINYL BAGS?" The shopkeeper looks confused, "VINYL BAGS? BUT IT'S NOT EVEN RAINING."

In the center of Loguetown's massive town square, a huge crowd is gathered around a towering execution stand. Luffy stands atop a wooden platform, gazing up at the structure with wide eyes and a huge grin. "OHHHHH... WHOAAAA!" he marvels. He places his hands on his hips, taking in the sight. "SO THIS IS WHAT THE PIRATE KING SAW, BEFORE HE DIED!" Below him, a police officer angrily blows a whistle and points up at him. "HEY, YOU! GET DOWN FROM THERE THIS INSTANT!"

Luffy asks, "WHY?" and the police officer continues yelling, "BECAUSE THAT'S A SPECIAL EXECUTION STAND THAT BELONGS TO THE WORLD GOVERNMENT! SO GET DOWN FROM THERE IMM.." Suddenly, a massive spiked iron club swings into the frame, smashing the police officer brutally into the ground with a loud "THUD". The crowd erupts in terrified screams, "Uwaaaaaah!!" A voice calls out from off-panel, "OH, DON'T BE SO UPTIGHT ABOUT THE RULES, MR. POLICE OFFICER." The voice continues, "I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU, LUFFY...! IT'S BEEN AWHILE." Luffy looks down in surprise, recognizing that something is familiar.

A beautiful woman with long dark hair, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a bikini top, and a patterned cape, stands holding the spiked club over her shoulder. She smiles confidently and says, "DON'T TELL ME, YOU'VE FORGOTTEN MY FACE...?" The men in the crowd are instantly mesmerized by her appearance, their eyes turning to hearts. "W... WHAT BEAUTY!" "SHE'S GOT TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN FOR SURE!" "SO PRETTY!" Luffy, however, looks completely blank and confused. He stares at her and says, "I DON'T KNOW ANY PRETTY LADIES LIKE YOU. WHO ARE YOU?"

Alvida looks shocked and slightly annoyed by Luffy's lack of recognition. "WHAT!? I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU... AFTER ALL, YOU WERE THE FIRST MAN TO EVER HIT MY BEAUTIFUL FACE." Luffy tilts his head, confused. "I HIT YOUR FACE?" Alvida blushes, holding her cheek with a dreamy expression. "IT LEFT ME BREATHLESS. THAT WAY YOU HANDLED ME SO ROUGHLY..." She then turns to the swooning crowd and shouts, "TELL ME, PEOPLE! WHO IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ONE AMONG THESE SEAS!" The crowd enthusiastically cheers back, "THAT WOULD OF COURSE BE YOU!" Alvida turns her attention back to Luffy, smiling seductively. "YES, IT'S ME. THERE'S NO MAN IN THIS WORLD THAT WON'T KNEEL BEFORE ME. BUT YOU SEE, I ONLY LOVE STRONG MEN. I'LL HAVE YOU BE MINE AT LAST, LUFFY."

Luffy looks extremely annoyed, picking his nose. "SHUT UP, YOU'RE ANNOYING. JUST WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?" Alvida is taken aback again. "YOU STILL DON'T REALIZE!?" Suddenly, a squad of armed police officers arrives, aiming their rifles at Alvida. "THIS IS THE POLICE! YOU RIGHT THERE, FREEZE! YOU'RE HEREBY UNDER ARREST FOR HARMING A POLICE OFFICER!" One officer stammers, blushing, "S-SIR, I'M AFRAID SHE'S TOO BEAUTIFUL!" His superior yells back, "WHO CARES IF SHE'S BEAUTIFUL! JUST ARREST HER! AND AS FOR YOU ON THE EXECUTION STAND! GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Alvida smirks confidently. "YOU THINK YOU CAN ARREST ME?" Without warning, a massive explosion detonates among the police officers, sending them flying. "DIE!" "AGHHHH!" "IT'S A BOMB!"

The explosion rips through the square, sending massive chunks of debris flying through the air. A large, jagged piece of a broken fountain hurtles directly towards Alvida. Someone in the crowd yells in panic, "ONE OF THE BROKEN FOUNTAIN PIECES IS HEADED RIGHT FOR THAT WOMAN!" Luffy watches from the execution stand and shouts, "WATCH OUT!" The heavy stone debris strikes Alvida directly, but instead of crushing her, it miraculously slides right off her body, leaving her completely unharmed. In the background, Buggy's crew members, including Cabaji, are seen laughing maniacally at the chaos.

The crowd is stunned by what they just witnessed. "WHAT! THE RUBBLE JUST SLIPPED OFF OF HER!" Alvida smiles calmly, adjusting her hat. "MY, MY. WASN'T THAT RATHER DANGEROUS?" Luffy stares in disbelief. "W... WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW...?" A voice calls out, "MY APOLOGIES BUT WITH YOUR SMOOTH SKIN, YOU SHOULD, OF COURSE, BE UNHARMED, MY LOVELY LADY ALVIDA!" A massive, grinning face of Buggy the Clown looms behind Alvida. Hearing the name, Luffy finally connects the dots. "ALVIDA!? WHERE'S ALVIDA?" Alvida snaps back at Buggy, "HE'S CALLING ME ALVIDA! YOU IDIOT!" Luffy watches them and thinks, "HUH... SOMETHING SEEMS A BIT OFF THOUGH..."

Alvida strikes a pose, explaining her transformation. "HAHA, SO YOU'VE NOTICED. MY BODY HAS CHANGED SINCE I ATE A DEVIL FRUIT! THE NAME OF MY DEVIL FRUIT IS SUBE SUBE FRUIT! THERE IS NO ATTACK THAT CAN LEAVE A WOUND ON MY BEAUTIFUL SKIN ANYMORE!" (A translator note adds: literally slippery slippery fruit). She touches her face, continuing, "UNFORTUNATELY THOUGH, THE FRUIT DID NOTHING TO CHANGE MY BEAUTY... BUT AS YOU'VE POINTED OUT, MY FRECKLES DID INDEED DISAPPEAR!" Luffy looks at her blankly. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS POINTING OUT..." Alvida gestures towards Buggy. "IN ANY CASE, IF YOU'RE REALLY FIT TO BE MY MAN, THEN YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE TO THIS MAN! I'VE TEAMED UP WITH HIM, EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINDING YOU!"

Buggy reveals himself fully, standing dramatically in his captain's coat and hat, surrounded by his crew, including Mohji and Richie the lion. He begins a grand speech: "EVER SINCE THE DAY I WAS BLASTED AWAY, I TENACIOUSLY FOUGHT MY WAY BACK TO MY CREW, ALL THE WHILE WISHING FOR THE DAY WHEN I WOULD KILL YOU. AND WHAT AN ADVENTURE IT WAS FOR I, WHO LACKED A BODY! AN ADVENTURE OF MERRIMENTS, HELLISH DANGERS, AND FRIENDSHIPS! A MOST GRAND ADVENTURE FOR THE LITTLE BUGGY! AFTER MUCH PERSEVERANCE..." He suddenly stops, realizing what he's doing, and yells angrily, "WAIT, WHY THE HELL AM I TELLING YOU ALL THIS FOR!?" Luffy looks down at him from the execution stand, unimpressed. "OH, IT'S JUST BUGGY. YOU'RE STILL THE SAME CHEEKY BRAT AS EVER, I SEE!"

Buggy's crew begins terrorizing the town square, firing guns into the air. "MAKE WAY FOR..... B! B! BUGGY THE CLOWN!" The crowd flees in panic, screaming, "PIRAAAATES!!!" The pirates yell, "DON'T YOU DARE RUN AWAY, FOOLS! ALLOW ME TO DEMONSTRATE TO YOU MY TERROR!" Suddenly, heavy wooden stocks slam shut around Luffy's neck and wrists on the execution stand. "AGHH!" "WHA!" Cabaji stands on the platform behind him, having locked the trap. "IT'S BEEN AWHILE, RUBBER BRAT. IS RORONOA ZORO DOING FINE AS WELL?" Luffy struggles against the restraints. "GUH! WHAT!?" Buggy laughs maniacally from below. "NICELY DONE, CABAJI! GYAHAHAHAHA! YOU SHOULD CONSIDER IT AN HONOR TO DIE IN THE SAME SPOT AS THE PIRATE KING DID! NOW THEN, I SHALL COMMENCE YOUR PUBLIC EXECUTION!"

The scene shifts to a Marine building. A Marine runs frantically towards it, shouting, "CAPTAIN! CPT. SMOKER! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" Inside, Captain Smoker is carefully balancing a tall stack of smooth stones on his desk. He places the final stone on top with a soft "TAP...". Suddenly, the Marine bursts through the door, yelling, "OUT IN THE PLAZA, PIRATES HAVE... RUN... LOOSE..." The force of the door slamming causes Smoker's carefully balanced rock tower to collapse, the stones rolling across the desk. Smoker, smoking two cigars at once, silently stares from under his cap.

Smoker stands up, putting on his thick jacket. He scolds the subordinate, "BAH! YOU JUST BARGING IN HERE IS ONLY MAKING IT HARDER FOR ME TO CONCENTRATE. I'VE GOTTA DO THINGS AT MY OWN PACE, KNOW WHAT I MEAN?" The Marine salutes nervously, "Y-YES, CAPTAIN. PLEASE EXCUSE ME..." Smoker asks, "SO? WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM?" The Marine reports, "WELL, UMM.. PIRATES ARE RUNNING WILD IN THE TOWN SQUARE, RIGHT?" Smoker issues his orders calmly. "SEND THE FIRST UNIT DOWN TO THE HARBOUR, WHILE A SECOND UNIT WILL SECRETLY SET UP A PERIMETER AROUND THE TOWN SQUARE. THE REST WILL WAIT WITHIN SHOOTING DISTANCE FOR FURTHER ORDERS. THAT'LL BE ALL." The Marine replies, "Y-YES, SIR..." A caption introduces him: "MARINE HEADQUARTERS CAPTAIN SMOKER THE WHITE HUNTER".

Smoker walks down the street. A little girl named Yu is running happily with a large 3-scoop ice cream cone. "LOOK, A 3 SCOOP ICE CREAM! NOW, NOW. DON'T RUN OR YOU'LL END UP DROPPING IT." She accidentally bumps right into Smoker's leg. "SPLAT!" "AH!" The ice cream smears all over Smoker's pants. The little girl starts crying, "MY... ICE... CREAM..." Her father rushes over in a panic, recognizing the Marine. "C... CAPTAIN SMOKER! C-CAPTAIN... P-P-PLEASE FORGIVE MY DAUGHTER FOR...!" Smoker looks down at the mess, then gently pats the crying girl on the head. "SORRY ABOUT THAT, GIRL... SEEMS LIKE MY PANTS ATE YOUR ICE CREAM. HERE'S SOME MONEY SO GO BUY YOURSELF A 5 SCOOP ICE CREAM NEXT TIME." He hands her some coins, leaving the girl and her father stunned by his kindness.

A Marine hands Tashigi her jacket. "HERE'S YOUR JACKET, SERGEANT MAJOR!" Tashigi arrives, holding her sword, and thanks him. "OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SERGEANT! I'M SO SORRY, I'LL GET CHANGED RIGHT AW..." Smoker turns and yells at her, "TASHIGI! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Tashigi salutes nervously, sweating. "SORRY FOR BEING LATE, CPT. SMOKER! I WAS LATE BECAUSE I WAS CAUGHT OFF-GUARD BY A SHOCKING SITUATION." A caption introduces her: "MARINE HEADQUARTERS SERGEANT MAJOR TASHIGI". Smoker scolds her, "THAT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED MORE DISCIPLINE!" Tashigi apologizes, "S-SORRY, SIR.." Smoker turns to leave. "COME ALONG, THEN. WE'VE GOT OURSELVES AN EMERGENCY TO DEAL WITH." Tashigi follows, "YES, SIR!"

Zoro is walking through the streets of Loguetown, noticing the empty streets. "IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING LESS CROWDED HERE... THAT'S ODD..." He suddenly runs into Sanji, who is struggling to carry the massive elephant tuna on his back. "HEY." "AH." Sanji complains, "GOOD THING I MANAGED TO RUN INTO YOU. WHY THE HECK DO I HAVE TO CARRY THE HEAVIER SIDE!" Zoro replies, "OH YEAH, I HAPPENED TO SEE A LION JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO. BUT THERE WAS THIS WEIRD LOOKING GUY IN A COSTUME RIDING ON IT..." Nami runs up to them, carrying her large shopping bag. "HM?" She warns them, "THE AIR PRESSURE IS DROPPING ABNORMALLY. IT MIGHT BE BEST TO QUICKLY RETURN TO THE SHIP." Zoro asks, "SO WHERE IS HE?" Sanji answers, "HE SAID HE WANTED TO CHECK OUT THE EXECUTION STAND..." Nami points out, "ISN'T THE EXECUTION STAND RIGHT HERE IN THE TOWN SQUARE?"

Back at the Marine base, a subordinate greets Smoker and Tashigi, "AH, CPT. SMOKER AND SERGEANT MAJOR TASHIGI!" Smoker asks, "WHAT'S THE STATUS?" The Marine reports, "THEY'VE ROUNDED UP THE CIVILIANS TO WATCH. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 3 PEOPLE WITH BOUNTIES IN THE TOWN SQUARE RIGHT NOW." Smoker lists them off: "THE CLUB-WIELDING ALVIDA, BUGGY THE CLOWN, AND STRAWHAT LUFFY." Tashigi looks confused. "HM? LUFFY? THAT'S A NAME I'VE NEVER HEARD OF." Smoker explains, "HIS BOUNTY JUST CAME OUT THE OTHER DAY BUT IT'S A REAL BIG ONE AT 30 MILLION. HE SHOULD BE QUITE THE TOUGH ONE THEN." The scene cuts back to the execution stand, where Luffy is locked in the stocks, sweating nervously. The Marine says, "WELL, UMM.. HE'S ACTUALLY THE ONE, ABOUT TO BE KILLED RIGHT NOW." Luffy mutters, "DAMMIT, I CAN'T SCRATCH MY NOSE." Smoker and Tashigi are shocked by the report. "WHA! WHY THE HELL IS HE ON THE EXECUTION STAND!?"

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