GONG

A large, armored man stands defiantly in front of a building with a sign reading "Drinker Pub". He holds a long spear or lance, planting it firmly on the ground with a loud "DA-DOOM!!" sound effect. Buggy the Clown, looking irritated, demands, "WHO ARE YOU... AND WHAT'S YOUR DEATH WISH?" The armored man, revealed to be Mayor Boodle with his glasses and mustache, shouts back furiously, "I'M BOODLE, AND I'VE BEEN MAYOR OF THIS TOWN SINCE YOU WERE PILLAGING NURSERIES!" He declares loudly, "I'M HERE TO CHALLENGE YOU!" Nearby, a man with hair covering half his face and wearing a checkered scarf, Cabaji, observes the exchange quietly, murmuring "Hmm" and "...".

Buggy's pirate crew erupts into uproarious laughter at Boodle's challenge. "BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" and "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" fill the air as they mock the mayor. One pirate points and laughs, asking, "DOES HE REALLY THINK HE CAN BEAT THE CAPTAIN!?" Meanwhile, Cabaji takes a swig from a bottle with a "GLUP" sound. He calls out, "CAP'N BUGGY..." Buggy turns to him, asking, "WHAT IS IT, CABAJI?" Cabaji calmly requests, "LEAVE HIM TO ME, SIR." Cabaji then begins to draw his sword with a "SIK SIK SIK" sound. The crew cheers excitedly, "WHY, KEELHAUL ME! IT'S CABAJI THE ACROBAT!" and "YAAY!" With a sudden "SPROING!" and "FWUP FWUP FWUP", Cabaji leaps into the air, mounting a unicycle. A pirate watches in awe, exclaiming, "LOOK AT 'IM GO!"

Cabaji balances skillfully on his unicycle, holding his curved sword ready. A spinning top hovers near the blade with a "WSSH WSSH" sound. He remarks, "IT'S BEEN A WHILE." A close-up shows his smirking face as he adds, "I DON'T WANT TO GET RUSTY...!" He lands the unicycle smoothly with a "TA-DA". A caption box introduces him as "BUGGY'S SECOND MATE CABAJI THE ACROBAT". The pirate crew continues to cheer wildly, pumping their fists and shouting, "AYE! GO GET 'IM, CABAJI!!!" and "CABAJI!! CABAJI!!" Boodle watches the acrobat silently, his expression stern and unwavering behind his glasses. However, Buggy is not pleased with the interference. He glares and snaps at Cabaji, "AVAST, FOOL! HE CHALLENGED ME!" and orders, "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS."

A pirate in the crowd complains, "ARG! WE WON'T BE SEEING CABAJI'S ACROBATIC SHOW!" while Cabaji stands silently in the background. Buggy points an accusing finger at Boodle, asking, "WHY ARE YOU CHALLENGING ME!? A LITTLE OLD TO BE MAKING A NAME FOR YOURSELF, AREN'T YOU?" Boodle yells back with fierce determination, "THIS TOWN IS MY TREASURE, AND I'M GOING TO PROTECT IT!!!" Buggy pauses, confused, uttering a simple "HUH?" before bursting into hysterical laughter. "GYA HA HA HA HA HA," he cackles, throwing his arms wide. "YOU SENILE OLD FOOL! THE ONLY TREASURE HERE IS FOR TERMITES! GOLD AND JEWELS ARE TREASURE! TREASURE SPARKLES AND MAKES ITS POSSESSOR A KING!" In the bottom panel, Buggy's disembodied hand flies toward Boodle as Buggy shouts, "THIS DUMP OF YOURS DOESN'T SPARKLE, IT ROTS! ENOUGH OF YOUR NONSENSE!!!" Boodle stares in shock at the approaching floating hand.

Boodle screams furiously at Buggy, his face taking up the entire top panel, "SHUT UP, YOU SEA SQUIRT! I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO UNDERSTAND MY FEELINGS FOR THIS TOWN!!!" From his vantage point on the roof, Buggy looks down as Boodle demands, "NOW GET DOWN HERE!" Buggy glares back, retorting, "GET DOWN THERE? WHY SHOULD I!?" With a "WOOSH", Buggy thrusts his hand forward. In the bottom panel, Boodle gasps "!!?" as Buggy's disembodied hand rockets toward him with a "THR" sound effect.

Buggy's disembodied hand grabs Boodle by the throat, lifting him completely off the ground in front of the Drinker Pub. Boodle kicks his legs, choking with "GACK GACK!" sounds. From the roof, Buggy laughs maniacally, "HYAAA HA HA HA HA!!" while a pirate cheers, "AYE, CAP'N!!" A close-up shows the floating hand tightly gripping Boodle's neck as the mayor gasps, "Y-YOU... M-MONSTER!!!" Struggling for air, Boodle chokes out, "TH-THIS IS......N-NOTHING!" and begins desperately punching the hand holding him. "WAP WAP WAP" sound effects surround him as he strikes. He continues to flail, yelling "ARRGGH!" as he inadvertently punches himself in the neck area trying to hit the hand. Buggy laughs uproariously, "WHAT'S THAT?! YOU TRYING TO BEAT ME......BY PUNCHING YOURSELF IN THE THROAT!?" The hand tightens its grip with a loud "SQUEEZE!!", causing Boodle to groan, "NNGH!" in pain.

A menacing close-up of Buggy's face fills the top panel, his eyes narrowed and teeth gritted. He demands, "YOU DARE TO ORDER ME DOWN THERE!? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO? ANSWER ME! WHAT'S MY NAME!?" In the bottom right, Boodle continues to struggle against the invisible grip, his face contorted in pain. "I CAN'T DIE! NOT BEFORE I GET REVENGE! NN... NNGH!" he gasps. The largest panel shows Buggy standing triumphantly on the roof, his arms thrown wide as he declares his ambitions. "SOON, I SHALL RULE THE GRAND LINE!! AND ALL THE GLITTERING TREASURE WILL BE MINE!! ALL THE TREASURE IN THE WORLD! I'LL HAVE IT ALL, NOBODY ELSE!!" He lets out a massive roar, "YAAHHRRR!!!", surrounded by an aura of jagged energy lines.

The scene continues with Buggy's disembodied hand gripping Mayor Boodle's throat. From off-panel, Buggy taunts, "THIS MISERABLE, STINKING TOWN IS YOUR TREASURE, EH? THEN BE GLAD YOU WON'T LIVE TO SEE WHAT I DO TO IT!" The floating hand tightens its grip with a sharp squeeze. A close-up shows Boodle sweating and struggling for breath, but he defiantly yells back, "W-WHY YOU! CURSE YOU! COME DOWN AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!" Up on the roof, Buggy looks down with a dismissive smirk, replying, "YOU'RE NOT WORTH THE EFFORT!" Below, Boodle is suspended high in the air in front of the Drinker Pub, kicking his legs and roaring, "C'MON!!" A massive close-up of Boodle's face fills the bottom of the page as he screams with all his might, "COME DOWN AND FIGHT ME! I WON'T LET YOU WRECK THIS TOWN!!" Suddenly, the floating hand holding his neck twitches violently with a "TWITCH!" sound effect. Buggy utters a confused "HUH?" as an exclamation mark appears, signaling an unexpected interruption.

A close-up of Buggy's face shows him wide-eyed and shocked as he exclaims, "THE KID IN THE STRAW HAT!" In the next panel, Monkey D. Luffy has suddenly arrived on the scene. He stands firmly behind Boodle, having grabbed Buggy's disembodied wrist with his own hand, stopping the choking attack. A large "DOOM!" sound effect emphasizes his dramatic entrance. Released from the grip, Boodle falls to his knees, coughing violently with "HACK! KOFF! KOFF!" Luffy holds Buggy's severed hand effortlessly. In the bottom panel, a close-up of Luffy shows him grinning confidently from under his straw hat. He declares, "I TOLD YOU I'D CLOBBER YOU! I'M BACK!"

Up on the roof, Buggy throws his hands up in disbelief, shouting, "I DON'T BELIEVE IT! YOU TWO MUST ENJOY PAIN..." Cabaji stands silently beside him, looking down at the newcomers. A large jagged speech bubble from Buggy booms down toward the street: "BUT THIS TIME YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME!!!" A wide shot of the street shows the newly assembled group. Zoro stands in the foreground, his hand resting on his swords, glaring up at the roof. Nami stands to the left, pointing forward as she cheerfully announces, "HAVE FUN FIGHTING, BOYS... I'M JUST HERE FOR THE MAP AND THE TREASURE!" Zoro responds with a deadpan "WHATEVER..." In the center, Luffy stands ready, looking up at Buggy, while Boodle remains on his hands and knees behind him, recovering from being choked. Large sound effect letters frame the group's defiant stance.

Still kneeling on the ground, Boodle looks up at Luffy, Zoro, and Nami. Coughing, he tells them, "YOU YOUNG WHIPPERSNAPPERS... YOU'RE OUTSIDERS... KOFF... NOT YOUR FIGHT! THIS IS MY BATTLE!" Zoro, Nami, and Luffy look down at the battered mayor in silence. Suddenly, Boodle grabs his lance and swings it horizontally with a sharp "FWISH", tears of frustration in his eyes. He yells fiercely, "IT'S MY TOWN AND I'LL PROTECT IT! SO DON'T INTERFERE!!!" In the bottom panel, before Boodle can do anything else, Luffy casually but forcefully kicks the mayor right in the face. A loud "THWAK!!" sound effect rings out as Luffy's sandal connects, knocking Boodle backward. A shocked "!!?" bubble hangs in the air as Luffy stands with his leg extended high from the kick.

The top row of panels shows reactions to Boodle's sudden outburst. On the right, Nami looks shocked, exclaiming, "MAYOR!?". In the center, Buggy looks down from the roof, confused, uttering, "HUH!?". On the left, Zoro watches silently with a "...". In the middle panel, Luffy suddenly steps forward and shoves his hand directly into Mayor Boodle's face, pushing him backward with a loud "SLUMP!!" sound effect. Boodle gasps "...!!" as he is forced back. In the bottom panel, Boodle hits the ground hard with a "FWUMP!!". Luffy stands over the fallen mayor, casually dusting his hands off with a "PAT PAT". Nami yells at Luffy in disbelief, "WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON!? WHY'D YOU DO THAT TO THE MAYOR!?". On the ground, Boodle groans in pain, "ARGH! YOU--!!".

A large close-up of Luffy fills the top panel. He wears a wide, confident grin, accompanied by a "GRIN" sound effect and a massive "DOOM" sound in the background. He states simply, "HE WAS IN THE WAY!!!". In the middle panel, Buggy and his crew, including Cabaji, stare down in stunned silence, with Buggy uttering "...!!". In the bottom left panel, Nami continues to scold Luffy, yelling, "YOU'RE TOO RECKLESS!". In the bottom right panel, Zoro looks on calmly and agrees with Luffy's action. He says, "GOOD THINKING... HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIMSELF KILLED... HE'LL BE SAFER UNCONSCIOUS."

In the top panel, Luffy steps forward with a loud "STOMP!", planting his feet firmly as he looks up at the roof. He cups his hands to his mouth and shouts at Buggy, "HEY, YOU!!! BIG NOSE!!!". Nami gasps in horror with a "GASP!", and Zoro looks surprised. The middle panel shows the explosive reaction from Buggy and his entire pirate crew. A massive "SHOOOOM!" sound effect radiates behind them as Buggy's jaw drops in absolute shock and fury, the crew yelling "!!??". In the bottom right, Nami gasps again, "GASP!!!", and Zoro looks tense with a "...!!!". The bottom left panel is an extreme, intense close-up of Buggy's face, veins bulging and teeth gritted in pure rage. He screams at the top of his lungs, "KILL HIM!!! GIVE 'IM THE BUGGY BALL!!!".

The top panel shows a massive cannon firing with a deafening "VOO BOOM" and a shout of "FIRE!!!!". A large cannonball, painted with Buggy's clown-faced Jolly Roger, rockets through the air with a "WOOOOOO" sound effect. In the middle panel, Luffy stands his ground, facing the incoming projectile head-on as a heavy "DOOOOM" sound effect surrounds him. In the background, Nami waves her arms frantically, screaming, "LUFFY! GET OUT OF THE WAY!! YOU'RE GONNA GET HIT!!!". Zoro also yells at him, "YOU IDIOT! DON'T YOU KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP!?". The bottom panel shows a close-up of Luffy, completely unfazed. He smirks confidently with a "SMIRK" sound effect and declares, "THAT MEASLY CANNONBALL'S......NOT GONNA WORK ON ME!". A sliver of Buggy's angry face is visible on the right side of the panel.

The top panel shows the massive cannonball flying rapidly through the air towards its target. In the middle panel, Luffy tilts his head back and takes a deep breath with a "HUFF" sound, his chest expanding as he begins his technique, saying, "GUM-GUM...". In the large bottom panel, Luffy has inflated his torso to a gigantic, spherical size, resembling a massive balloon. The cannonball strikes him directly in the center of his stretched stomach, sinking deeply into his rubbery flesh without exploding. A massive "FOOOOH!!" sound effect surrounds him as he completes his attack name, shouting, "...BALLOON!!!". A small "!!?" indicates someone's shock off-panel at the impossible sight.

In the top panel, the momentum of the cannonball stretches Luffy's rubbery stomach backward to its absolute limit with a tense "GGNNNN...!!" sound effect. The middle panel shows the stunned reactions of Buggy and his crew on the roof. Buggy's eyes bug out in shock as he yells, "...!? WHAT THE HECK IS THAT GUY?!". Beside him, Cabaji and Mohji look on in disbelief, while another pirate exclaims, "HE TOOK A DIRECT HIT FROM A BUGGY BALL!". On the right side of the panel, Nami sweats nervously, her eyes wide with shock. In the large bottom panel, the tension releases with a massive "BOING!!" sound effect. The cannonball rebounds off Luffy's stomach and rockets back toward the Drinker Pub roof with a "VWOOOO". Nami screams in disbelief, "AND HE BOUNCED IT BACK!!!!". In the foreground, Zoro watches the cannonball fly back, calmly remarking to Luffy, "YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD US WHAT YOU WERE PLANNING...".

The top half of the page is consumed by a massive explosion on the roof of the building where Buggy and his crew were standing. A gigantic "KABOOM!!!!" sound effect dominates the panel as debris, smoke, and shattered wood fly violently in all directions. From within the blast, the pirates scream in terror and pain, "AAARRRGGGHH!!!!". In the bottom panel, the dust settles on the street below. Luffy stands in the foreground, grinning widely and holding his straw hat on his head. He confidently declares, "THAT EVENS THE ODDS A LITTLE! LET'S GET 'EM!". Behind him, Nami sits slumped on the ground, utterly bewildered by what she just witnessed, asking, "...WHAT ARE YOU!?". To the left, Zoro stands relaxed with his hand resting on his sheathed swords, casually commenting, "MADE ME WORRY FOR NOTHING...".

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