DOG

A loud "TA-DOOM" sound effect echoes over a view of a deserted town street leading to a building with a sign reading "Drinker Pub". An off-panel voice shouts, "LISTEN UP, CREW! WE'VE STOLEN TONS OF BOOTY, AND OUR NAME BRINGS TERROR TO ALL WHO HEAR IT!" In the next panel, a line of Buggy's pirate crew stands at attention. Buggy yells at them, "SO ARE WE GONNA LET THREE LITTLE LOSERS MAKE FOOLS OF US!?" The crew responds in unison, "NO SIR!!" Buggy shouts back, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!" The crew yells even louder, "NO SIR!!!" Buggy then commands, "ALL RIGHT, PIPE DOWN!" In the bottom panel, Buggy is shown in a dynamic, menacing pose, his cape billowing and his hand outstretched toward the reader. He declares, "IT'S TIME TO SHOW OUR ENEMIES JUST HOW TERRIFYING WE CAN BE! BRING OUT THE 'WILD ANIMAL SHOW'!"

A large splash panel reveals a man wearing a furry, bear-eared headpiece and outfit, sitting cross-legged on the back of a massive, fierce-looking lion with a thick mane. The lion growls with a "GRRRRRR!!" sound effect. In the background, the pirate crew cheers wildly, chanting "MOHJI! MOHJI! MOHJI!" Buggy's voice announces, "IT'S TIME FOR MOHJI'S WILD ANIMAL SHOW!!" The man on the lion calmly responds, "...YOU CALLED? CAPTAIN BUGGY..." A crew member shouts, "OOOOH! IT'S MOHJI!" A caption box identifies the man: "BUGGY'S FIRST MATE MOHJI THE LION TAMER". At the bottom of the page, two close-up panels show an exchange between Mohji and Buggy. Mohji asks, "MAY I TAKE RORONOA ZOLO'S HEAD?" Buggy, shown with a sinister grin highlighting his red nose, replies, "TAKE ANY PART YOU WANT!"

The page is mostly blank white space, focusing entirely on a small, white dog sitting alone in the center. The dog has a few scuff marks or dirt patches on its head and side. It sits squarely on the ground, looking forward with a determined, slightly furrowed brow and its tongue hanging out slightly.

Zoro, sweating and panting heavily ("HUF HUF"), carries the heavy iron cage containing Luffy down a street. Blood drips from the wound on his side with a "PLIP PLIP" sound. He says, "WE SHOULD BE FAR ENOUGH FROM THAT TAVERN. THEY PROBABLY WON'T CATCH UP TO US TOO SOON..." Zoro sets the cage down in the middle of the street with a loud "KLANG KLANG". Luffy, sitting cross-legged inside, says, "WE GOT AWAY... FOR NOW..." Zoro asks, "BUT WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT THIS CAGE?" Luffy shifts, the cage scraping the ground ("KRSS KRSS"), and complains, "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING STUCK INSIDE THIS THING!" Suddenly, Zoro collapses face-first onto the ground with a heavy "FWUMP..!!". Lying flat on his stomach with his swords strapped to his side, he weakly says, "IT'S NO USE... LOST TOO MUCH BLOOD......GOT TO... REST..."

A small white dog sits quietly on the wooden porch of a nearby building, right next to where Zoro lies face-down. A soft "PO-ON" sound effect accompanies its appearance. From inside the cage, Luffy notices it and says, "HUH!!" He looks at the dog, asking, "WHAT'S WITH YOU, DOG?" The dog simply stares back in silence. Luffy continues, "DOG? HEY, A DOG!" Zoro manages to sit up, looking back over his shoulder at the animal. He dismissively says, "WHO CARES..." Luffy asks, "IS IT REAL? IT'S NOT MOVING..." Zoro, sweating and holding his wounded side, replies, "IT'S HIS BUSINESS IF HE MOVES OR NOT. OUR BUSINESS IS TO GET YOU OUT OF THERE." Luffy reaches his arm through the cage bars and pokes the dog right between the eyes with a "DOINK". The dog gets a surprised exclamation mark above its head as Luffy says, "MAYBE IT'S DEAD." In a flash, the dog lunges and bites down hard on Luffy's face with a loud "CHOMP!!". Luffy recoils, yelling "YOW!!" in pain.

Luffy struggles wildly inside the cage, trying to pull the dog off his face. The dog growls fiercely ("GRRR ARR") and keeps biting ("CHOMP"), causing the cage to rattle loudly ("KLANG KLANG"). Luffy yells, "DUMB DOG! LEMME GO, LEMME GO!!" Zoro, sitting nearby, yells angrily at Luffy, "LUFFY, STOP PLAYING AROUND!" The exertion causes blood to spurt from Zoro's wound with a "PLIRT". Overcome by his injury, Zoro collapses face-down again with a "FLUMP...!!", groaning, "LOST... TOO MUCH BLOOD!" Luffy falls backward onto the floor of the cage with a "FWOP...!", shouting "DUMB DOG!" while the dog now sits calmly outside the cage, staring silently. Nami suddenly appears, looking down at the two of them with an exasperated expression. A large "SIGH" sound effect frames her as she says, "LOOK AT YOU TWO. NOT TO CRITICIZE, BUT......IS THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET REALLY THE BEST HIDING PLACE YOU COULD COME UP WITH?"

Luffy looks up from inside the cage and cheerfully announces, "HEY! IT'S OUR NAVIGATOR!" Zoro, still lying on the ground, lifts his head to snap, "I NEVER AGREED TO THAT!" Nami looks down at them and says, "I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME..." Luffy asks, "THANK US?" Nami tosses a small key onto the ground in front of the cage. It lands with a "TINK" near the dog. Luffy's face lights up with a huge grin as he yells, "THE KEY!!! YOU STOLE THE KEY TO THE CAGE!" Nami looks slightly annoyed, puffing a small breath, and replies, "HMPH. YEAH, SURE... I GOT THE STUPID KEY, BUT I LEFT THE MAP AND ALL THE TREASURE." Luffy grips the bars of his cage, laughing joyfully, "THIS IS GREAT! I THOUGHT I'D NEVER GET OUT OF HERE!" Zoro sits up, smiling confidently despite his injuries, and says, "THEN THE RESCUE... WAS A SUCCESS... AFTER ALL!"

Luffy, still trapped in the cage, reaches his hand out toward the small white dog. The dog is holding the cage key in its mouth. Luffy says, "HEY..." Suddenly, the dog swallows the key with a loud "CHONK". Luffy's eyes widen in shock as he makes an "ULP" sound. Zoro sits quietly in the background. In the next panel, Luffy and Nami stare in stunned silence, their faces pale and sweating, while the dog sits calmly with a blank expression, indicated by "..." above its head. Luffy erupts in anger, grabbing the bars of the cage and yelling, "COUGH IT UP!!" with a "SKRNCH" sound. He continues to shout, "THAT'S NOT FOOD!! GIMME THAT KEY!!" The dog responds by fiercely biting Luffy's arm again, growling "GRRRR". Luffy flails, yelling, "YIPE YIPE! DUMB DOG!" as the cage rattles with a "KLANG KLANG". Suddenly, a loud "KLOMP...!" sound interrupts them as a foot wearing a sandal steps into view. An unseen person says, "...!"

An older man with glasses, a mustache, and hair styled like a poodle's ears bursts onto the scene, wearing armor and wielding a spear. He yells angrily, "DERN WHIPPERSNAPPERS! DON'T YOU PICK ON POOR OL' CHOUCHOU!" A massive "THOOM" sound effect emphasizes his entrance. He stands tall and proud with a "BAM" sound effect. A caption box introduces him as "BOODLE MAYOR OF PORT TOWN". Luffy, sitting in his cage, looks at the newcomer and asks, "WHO'RE YOU, OLD TIMER?" Nami looks down at the dog and repeats the name, "CHOUCHOU?" Zoro is visible sitting next to the cage. Boodle points a thumb at himself and proudly declares, "WHO AM I? I'M THE MAYOR OF THIS TOWN... THAT'S WHO!"

Luffy asks from his cage, "WHERE'D YOU TAKE ZOLO?" Boodle, walking away down the street with Nami, replies, "HE'S RESTING. MY HOUSE IS JUST OVER THERE." He adds, "THAT BOY'S LOST A LOT OF BLOOD!" The dog, Chouchou, sits in the foreground. The scene shifts to Zoro, who is fast asleep on a bed, snoring loudly with "SNORR SNORR" sound effects. Boodle's voice narrates, "I TOLD 'IM THERE'S A DOCTOR AT THE REFUGEE SHELTER, BUT HE SAID HE JUST NEEDS A LITTLE SLEEP!!" Back on the street, Luffy asks, "THE DOG'S NAME IS CHOUCHOU?" Boodle confirms, "THAT'S RIGHT." Luffy questions, "WHY'S HE THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN TOWN?" Boodle explains, "HE'S GUARDING THE SHOP! I JUST CAME TO FEED HIM." Nami looks at the building behind them, which has a large "PET FOOD" sign. She realizes, "OH! SO HE'S A GUARD DOG! FOR A PET FOOD STORE..." Chouchou is seen happily eating from a bowl with a "CHOMP CHOMP" sound.

Boodle looks on with a nostalgic expression, saying, "A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE OWNED THIS STORE." A flashback panel shows a younger man with a beard and a bandana standing proudly in front of the "PET FOOD" store alongside a younger Chouchou. The store has an "OPEN" sign. Boodle continues, "ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO......HE AND CHOUCHOU OPENED THIS LITTLE SHOP." Boodle is then seen smoking a pipe, reflecting, "THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF MEMORIES HERE AND SO DO I..." Another flashback shows the owner smiling warmly and petting Chouchou's head. He says, "CHOUCHOU! YOU'RE IN CHARGE WHILE I'M GONE. DON'T EAT UP ALL THE MERCHANDISE, Y'HEAR!?" Chouchou barks happily, "RUFF!" Back in the present, Boodle points to the dog and notes, "SEE THOSE WOUNDS... HE'S BEEN FIGHTING THE PIRATES... PROTECTING HIS STORE..." Nami looks concerned and asks, "I'M SURE THIS SHOP MEANS A LOT TO HIS MASTER, BUT THIS IS JUST CRUEL. IS HE AT THE REFUGEE SHELTER WITH THE OTHERS?"

Boodle sits on the porch of the pet food store, smoking his pipe, while Nami stands nearby and Luffy listens from inside his cage. Chouchou the dog eats from a bowl on the ground. Continuing his story, Boodle says, "NO, HE'S NOT..." Another speech bubble, pointing towards Boodle, adds, "HE GOT SICK AND PASSED ON." A flashback panel shows the store's owner, Hocker, walking away with a suitcase while a younger Chouchou sits by the door. Hocker says, "AWRIGHT, CHOUCHOU... YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF THE SHOP WHILE I'M IN THE HOSPITAL." Chouchou barks, "RUFF!" Boodle's narration explains, "HE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL THREE MONTHS AGO." Back in the present, Nami looks down at the dog and asks, "THE POOR THING... YOU MEAN HE'S BEEN WAITING FOR HIS MASTER THIS WHOLE TIME?" A close-up of Boodle shows him replying, "THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I THINK."

Chouchou continues to eat his food with a "CHOMP CHOMP" sound. Nami observes, "CHOUCHOU'S A SMART DOG..." From inside his cage, Luffy stares blankly and says, "I THINK HE KNOWS HIS MASTER IS DEAD." Nami turns to Boodle and asks, "THEN WHY DOES HE STILL GUARD THE STORE?" Boodle, still sitting on the porch with his pipe, answers, "THIS IS HIS MASTER'S STORE... IT'S HIS TREASURE." A close-up of Boodle shows him holding his pipe as he explains further, "AND I THINK THAT CHOUCHOU STILL GUARDS THE STORE......BECAUSE IT'S ALL THAT'S LEFT OF HIS BELOVED MASTER."

Boodle exhales a puff of smoke with a "PHEW" and continues, "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET HIM TO THE SHELTER... BUT HE WON'T BUDGE FROM THIS SPOT. HE'D RATHER STARVE TO DEATH THAN LEAVE HIS POST." Chouchou drinks water from a bowl with a "LAP LAP" sound. Nami smiles softly, saying nothing (indicated by "..."). Suddenly, a massive "ROOWRRR!!!" echoes through the street. Nami and Boodle gasp in shock ("GASP!!", "HUH?!"). Nami yells, "WHAT'S THAT HORRIBLE ROAR!?" Boodle panics, exclaiming, "I-IT MUST BE MOHJI, THE LION TAMER!!" Another loud "ROWRR!!" is heard. In the next panel, Boodle and Nami flee down the street in terror, yelling "RUN!!!" with rapid "TP TP TP TP TP TP" footsteps. Luffy is left behind in his cage, letting out a "SIGH". He looks at the dog and says, "SOME-THING'S COMING THIS WAY! GIVE ME THAT KEY, DOG!" Chouchou simply sits there and barks, "WURF!"

A massive lion named Richie steps into the street with a booming "DA-DOOM!!" sound effect, letting out a fierce "GRRRARR...!!" growl. Sitting cross-legged on top of the giant lion's head is a man wearing a furry, bear-eared outfit. He looks down at the scene and says, "WELL, WHAT HAVE WE HERE...?" He introduces himself: "I'M MOHJI, BUGGY'S FIRST MATE. THEY CALL ME THE LION TAMER!" Luffy looks up at them from inside his cage, while Chouchou sits calmly on the ground nearby, staring up at the enormous beast. A close-up of Mohji shows him smiling maliciously as he taunts Luffy, "HA HA HA... LOOKS LIKE YOUR FRIENDS ABANDONED YOU. AND AFTER ALL THAT EFFORT TO GET YOU THIS FAR..."

Mohji sits atop his giant lion, Richie, who scratches at the ground with a "KRSS KRSS" sound and growls "GRRRR...". Mohji looks down at Luffy in the cage and says, "CAPTAIN BUGGY IS PRETTY WORKED UP... YOU GUYS STIRRED UP A REAL HORNETS' NEST." From inside the cage, Luffy looks at Mohji with a confused expression and asks, "HEY, WHAT'S WITH THE WEIRD COSTUME?" A massive "WHAT!!?" bubble erupts from off-panel. In a close-up, Mohji yells furiously, "COSTUME!? THIS IS MY HAIR!!!" The next panel shows the back of Mohji's head, highlighting the bear-ear shapes of his hair, as he shouts, "SHUT UP!" Luffy calmly replies, "THAT JUST MAKES IT WEIRDER." Mohji glares menacingly, his face shadowed, and warns, "MAYBE YOU THINK YOU'RE SAFE IN THAT CAGE... IF SO, THEN YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHO I AM..."

Nami hides behind a nearby building corner, trembling ("TREMBLE TREMBLE") and sweating as she watches the scene. She thinks, "IS LUFFY PROVOKING THAT GUY? IS THAT BOY ADDLE-BRAINED?" From behind, Mohji is seen sitting on Richie, facing Luffy's cage down the street. Chouchou the dog sits quietly in the background. Mohji boasts, "THERE'S NOT AN ANIMAL ALIVE THAT I CAN'T CONTROL. I CAN EVEN CONTROL THAT MUTT." The next panel shows Mohji attempting to handle Chouchou, but the small dog fiercely bites his hand with a "CHOMP!" and a "SHAKE!", causing Mohji to scream "YEOW!!". Back on his lion, Mohji looks irritated and says, "YOU'RE JUST A NOBODY THIEF..." while Luffy laughs from his cage, "HA HA! DOG GOT YA!" Mohji's eyes narrow in a close-up as Richie growls "GRRRR...!!". Mohji demands, "YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME. NOW TELL ME WHERE RORONOA ZOLO IS." Luffy, looking determined and serious, bluntly replies, "NO!"

Mohji grins sadistically and commands, "THEN DIE! GET HIM, RICHIE!" With a massive "GRROOWR!!" and a deafening "KRAK", the giant lion Richie slams his huge paw down onto the iron cage, crushing it completely. The impact is accompanied by a loud "CHONK" sound. Nami watches in horror, her eyes wide and sweating, as she screams, "THE CAGE!" Boodle, the mayor, is equally shocked, his glasses askew as he yells, "THAT BOY'S A GONER!" However, in the next panel, Luffy is sent flying through the air away from the shattered cage, completely unharmed. He throws his arms up joyfully and cheers, "HOORAY! I'M FREE!" Richie's paw swipes through the air with a "WOOSH", and a small box with "!?" indicates surprise at Luffy's survival and reaction.

A massive explosion of debris erupts as Luffy is sent crashing into a nearby building. Huge sound effects dominate the panel as the structure is obliterated by the force of the impact. Richie lets out another fierce "GRROOWWRR!!". A single shoe can be seen flying amidst the flying wood and dust. A small "!!!" bubble appears near the center of the destruction. In the aftermath, Mohji calmly rides Richie away from the ruined building, the lion's paws making a "PLMP" sound. Looking back over his shoulder at the rubble, Mohji says, "NOBODY COULD SURVIVE THAT. WELL, SERVES HIM RIGHT." He then turns his attention forward, adding, "C'MON, RICHIE, LET'S GO FIND RORONOA ZOLO. KILLING HIM WILL GIVE OUR REPUTATION A BIG BOOST."

Mohji sits atop his giant lion, Richie, looking down the street. He observes, "I SEE... A PET FOOD STORE." He then tells the lion, "OKAY, FINE... HAVE A SNACK, BUT BE QUICK ABOUT IT." Richie shifts with a "SKRUF" sound. In the background, the small white dog, Chouchou, sits defensively in front of the "PET FOOD" store, growling "GRRR!". In the next panel, Richie sniffs the air with a "SNFF SNFF" sound. Mohji notices and asks, "WHAT'S WRONG...?" A close-up panel shows Chouchou sitting firmly on the ground, glaring forward and growling fiercely, "GRRR!". Meanwhile, in another part of the street, Luffy sits amidst the wooden debris of the building he was just smashed through. He exhales a breath with a "PHEW!" and says, "WOW! WHAT AN IMPACT! HE KNOCKED ME THROUGH THAT HOUSE AND INTO THE STREET BEHIND IT!" In a large final panel, Luffy smiles broadly and confidently. He clenches his fist, which makes a "CHING" sound effect. He declares, "BUT AT LEAST I'M OUT OF THAT CAGE!!" He continues with determination, "OKAY, NOW I'LL SHOW ALL OF THESE CLOWNS......AND MAKE THAT THIEF, NAMI, OUR NAVIGATOR!"

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