One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

Somewhere on the island...

In the depths of a cave, Buggy sat in pieces, huddled in a corner, barely daring to breathe.

Barrett stood amidst a field of crude traps and a sparse scattering of treasure. His expression was one of utter disdain.

"This is it?" he sneered. "The captain's treasure would never be such gaudy trinkets. This so-called lead was fake—we were played!"

With a cold chuckle, Barrett turned his gaze to the dismembered Buggy. Grabbing Buggy's detached head, he twirled it casually in his hand.

"Red-Nose, tell me—who do you think spread this false rumor? Could it be... your trap to lure me here?"

"Wha-what? No way! I'd never dare! I'm no match for you!" Buggy stammered, trembling violently, not even entertaining the thought of resistance.

Barrett smirked, tossing Buggy's head into the air like a ball and punting it away.

"Hahaha! Consider this mercy, for old times' sake—since we were crewmates on Roger's ship. But cross my path again, and you won't be so lucky!"

Laughing loudly, Barrett turned and walked away.

Though Barrett's conviction in his strength as a solitary warrior remained, he was far from the extremist he would one day become. Without the 20 years of torment in Impel Down to harden him, his current mindset was relatively stable. He had no desire to go all out against an old comrade.

Yet Buggy wasn't exactly unharmed; his head throbbed from the blow. His body parts instinctively reassembled until he was whole again.

When Buggy regained his senses, Barrett was long gone.

"Damn it! I just hope Smoker and Kuro don't run into that monster!" Buggy exclaimed, rushing out of the cave.

Just as he exited, a massive shockwave and a swirl of white smoke engulfed him, slamming him back into the cave.

Dazed, Buggy looked up to find Smoker, battered and unconscious, collapsing into his arms. The sight startled him.

"Hahaha! So, this was a Navy trap! But if you think a Logia user can contain me, you're sorely mistaken!" Barrett roared, his voice booming like thunder.

"You Navy brats seriously underestimate me! I am Douglas Barrett, the Demon Heir!"

Barrett's fists slammed into the ground, tearing up an enormous chunk of earth, which he hoisted above his head.

"Oh no! We're doomed!"

"We're dead for sure!"

Buggy was paralyzed with despair as he watched Barrett lift a mass of rock several times his size.

"I was going to spare you, but now... you can die instead!" Barrett grinned savagely, hurling the massive rock with all his might.

Just then, Barrett's Observation Haki flared. Someone was closing in fast.

As the boulder hurtled toward the cave, Kuro appeared in a blur, grabbing both Buggy and Smoker before vanishing.

In the next instant, the boulder crashed down, obliterating the cave. If Kuro had been a second slower, Buggy and Smoker would've been buried alive.

"Well, now. That speed isn't typical of a Navy officer," Barrett mused, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "You must be the mastermind behind this plan—Karl, is it?"

Barrett had never met Karl, having left Roger's crew long before his rise to prominence. But Kuro's impressive speed led Barrett to assume he was facing the infamous strategist himself.

Kuro, however, felt an oppressive pressure radiating from Barrett. The killing intent reminded him of the first time he'd stood before Karl, but Barrett's bloodlust was even more overwhelming.

Without responding, Kuro adjusted his grip on Smoker and Buggy and bolted. He knew full well he wasn't a match for Barrett. Their mission was simple: rescue Buggy and escape, nothing more.

But Kuro hadn't expected Smoker's recklessness. Overconfident in his Logia abilities and recent training, Smoker had sought out Barrett for a one-on-one fight. It was sheer arrogance—a lesson he desperately needed.

Kuro hadn't intervened until Smoker and Buggy's lives were both in immediate danger.

Barrett didn't chase immediately, taking his time to stretch as if warming up.

"These Navy brats show promise. Let's see how much fun they can give me," he said, grinning as he tossed aside his sunglasses.

Before the shades hit the ground, Barrett vanished.

Kuro sensed danger and instinctively veered in another direction.

A massive crater formed where he had just been, the explosion echoing like a cannon blast. Barrett's figure materialized from the dust, his grin menacing.

"Not bad. You've got the potential to awaken Observation Haki. Too bad this is the end for you," Barrett taunted.

"Damn it! How is he this fast?!" Kuro's face paled as Barrett closed the gap in an instant.

"This is it... I'm really going to die," Buggy thought, hopelessness consuming him.

Meanwhile, Smoker stirred on Kuro's shoulder. The moment his eyes opened, he found himself staring directly at Barrett.

"Hahaha! Awake already, Navy brat? You've got spirit! Too bad I don't have time to play with you properly," Barrett mocked.

"White Sm—"

"Six Powers: Finger Gun—Modified!"

Smoker's anger exploded. His body transformed into a cloud of dense white smoke, forming numerous finger-like projections that launched relentless strikes at Barrett.

The attacks came like a torrential downpour, but Barrett merely grinned, his Conqueror's Haki bursting forth in a wave of sheer dominance.

Smoker froze mid-attack, his smoke dissipating as fear and pressure immobilized him. Even his Devil Fruit powers failed him.

Kuro, too, faltered under the crushing aura, stumbling but managing to recover with a quick roll.

Buggy, on the other hand, was less fortunate. He hit the ground face-first, his nose taking the brunt of the impact. His body scattered into pieces once again, littering the ground with his disassembled parts.

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