One Piece: Luffy's Vice Captain wants to be a Marine

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After dealing with Mohji, Ikki, Zoro, and Luffy decided to break into the Buggy Pirates' base camp without hesitation. After all, their navigator was still in the hands of the enemy!

When they arrived, the trio found themselves immediately targeted by the cannons of the Buggy Pirates.

From the pirates' perspective, the three fools standing below would be reduced to ash as soon as the fuse was lit.

Buggy, grinning maniacally, turned to Nami and said, "Since you've joined my Buggy Pirates, here's your chance to prove your loyalty. Light the fuse and send your former partners to their graves!"

He motioned for one of his men to hand Nami the torch. Around her, the pirates erupted into cheers, chanting, "Fire the cannons! Fire the cannons!"

Nami stood frozen, the torch in her hand. She glared at the trio below—Luffy, Zoro, and Ikki—but her mind was in turmoil. She hated pirates and Marines alike, but she had never killed anyone, and the thought of doing so weighed heavily on her.

Yet, if she didn't follow through, her own life would surely be forfeit.

Luffy, standing below with his usual carefree grin, looked directly at her and said, "It seems like you don't have the resolve to take on pirates."

His words stung.

Angrily, Nami snapped back, "So your so-called resolve means killing people?"

"No." Luffy shook his head. "It's the resolve to risk your own life."

Nami froze, her grip on the torch tightening. Luffy's words cut through her hesitation, forcing her to confront her fears.

Before she could respond, one of Buggy's impatient lackeys grabbed the torch from her hand. "Tch, newbies are always useless! Here, let me do it!"

The pirate lowered the torch toward the cannon fuse, the flame dangerously close to igniting.

Acting on instinct, Nami whipped out her three-section staff and struck the pirate, knocking him out cold.

Her body trembled as she realized what she had done. Bowing her head in a panic, she turned to Buggy. "I'm so sorry! It was a reflex!"

Buggy's face twisted with rage. If there was one thing he couldn't tolerate, it was betrayal.

"So, Nami… You think you can turn against me? You little liar!"

With a roar, Buggy ordered his men to attack her.

Luffy, watching from nearby, wouldn't let his navigator come to harm. The moment Nami took down the pirate, Luffy knew she was one of them—a true crewmate and their navigator.

Springing into action, Luffy rushed forward, stretching his leg into a rubber whip that sent a group of charging pirates flying.

Ikki and Zoro quickly followed.

Zoro, however, didn't draw all three of his swords this time. Instead, he unsheathed the Asauchi he had recently received from Ikki. He wanted to test its strength with a one-sword style.

Even with a single blade, Zoro easily cut down the pirate lackeys. With each precise strike, another pirate collapsed, defeated.

At that moment, a man on a unicycle rolled into view, wielding a long blade.

This was Cabaji, a Main Staff Member of the Buggy Pirates.

Cabaji's swordsmanship, if it could even be called that, blended awkwardly with his juggling tricks, making it both unpredictable and ridiculous.

Zoro, unimpressed, had no intention of dragging out the fight.

As Cabaji performed an elaborate spin with his blade, Zoro moved in a flash. Clutching his sword firmly, he executed a single precise slash.

In the blink of an eye, Zoro was standing behind Cabaji.

Cabaji froze, his mouth agape, as a deep gash appeared across his chest, cutting down to the bone.

"One Sword Style: Oni Giri."

Zoro's words reached Cabaji just before his vision darkened, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

With Cabaji defeated, the only leader of the Buggy Pirates left standing was Captain Buggy himself.

Originally, Buggy had hoped to launch a sneak attack while Zoro was occupied with Cabaji. But who could have predicted that Cabaji would be cut down by Zoro in just one move?

Buggy's frustration boiled over—not just because his crew was being defeated one by one, but because the straw hat on Luffy's head reminded him of the person he hated most in the world: Red-Haired Shanks.

Years ago, Buggy and Shanks were trainee pirates aboard the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship. During one of their adventures, Buggy had found a Devil Fruit while plundering a rival pirate crew.

Though most of Roger's crew had no interest in eating the fruit, Buggy saw its potential value. Knowing Devil Fruits could fetch a price of 100 million berries, he came up with a clever plan: he'd fake eating it, then sell it on the black market for a fortune.

Buggy's plan was going smoothly—until Shanks interrupted him. Startled, Buggy accidentally swallowed the fruit whole. To make matters worse, the treasure map he'd hidden in his other hand slipped into the sea, forever lost.

From that day forward, Buggy had cursed Shanks' name, swearing revenge for what he saw as the ruin of his grand ambitions.

Now, seeing Luffy's straw hat, Buggy narrowed his eyes in anger. Without warning, he launched his right hand, aiming for a sneak attack on Luffy.

Before the disembodied hand could reach its target, Ikki stepped in, stomping Buggy's hand into the ground.

"A sneak attack? Isn't that a little disgraceful for someone who was once part of the Roger Pirates?" Ikki said with a smirk.

Buggy froze, his eyes wide in shock.

'How does he know that?' Buggy thought, his mind racing.

Though he prided himself on his connection to the Roger Pirates, Buggy never revealed this to anyone. Being linked to Gol D. Roger could draw the attention of the Marines, ruining his relatively peaceful existence in the East Blue.

Buggy's shock quickly turned to fury. Glaring at Ikki, he sent his other hand flying, this time armed with a dagger, aiming straight for Ikki's throat.

Ikki dodged effortlessly, and with a swift move, he struck the hand pinned beneath his foot with a Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.

Pain shot through Buggy's body like a lightning bolt. The connection between his fingers and his heart made the blow excruciating, causing his entire body to convulse uncontrollably. He even lost control of his Chop-Chop Fruit powers momentarily.

Buggy's scream echoed through the camp as he writhed in pain.

"That settles it," Ikki thought. "Buggy's not some secretly overpowered mastermind pretending to be weak. He's just… really weak."

Ikki lifted his foot, releasing Buggy's hand.

Buggy hurriedly reattached it to his arm and began blowing on it furiously, hoping to numb the pain.

When the throbbing finally subsided, Buggy scowled at Ikki, preparing to deliver a scathing retort. But before he could say a word, a voice rang out:

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!"

Luffy's attack hit Buggy square in the abdomen, sending him flying through the air.

Ikki chuckled. "Luffy, was that a sneak attack?"

"Nope!" Luffy grinned, shaking his head. "He looked like he was ready, so I just went for it!"

Luffy's combat abilities were far stronger than when he first set sail. Having mastered the basics of Nen and enhanced his physical capabilities, he was now a formidable fighter.

As for why Luffy's abilities aligned with the enhancement category of Nen, the answer was simple: his personality.

Enhancers were known for their straightforward thinking and direct approaches. In simpler terms, they weren't exactly known for their intelligence.

It fit Luffy perfectly.