"Does my Buggy Pirates crew have some kind of magic?"
Buggy wondered if he carried some mysterious 'luck' that caused Shichibukai to keep running over to join up.
"No, but among the Four Emperors, yours is the only Pirate Crew truly opposing the World Government, isn't it?" Hawkeye said.
That was true.
The Straw Hat Pirates' goal was the One Piece, the Red Hair Pirates' goal was unknown... as for the Blackbeard Pirates, Hawkeye likely disdained associating with them.
If one wanted to retaliate against the World Government, the only remaining choice was to join the Buggy Pirates.
"And what truly made me decide was your speech... I want to see what kind of storm you, who spoke such grand words, will stir up in the world!"
Hawkeye swung the black blade Yoru, sending powerful slashes flying toward the Pacifista. "Red Hair bet his arm on the New Era; then I shall bet my sword on you, to see if you can become the 'King' of the New Era..."
"Another incredible fellow has arrived, Daz..." Crocodile trapped a Pacifista with sand, lit a cigar, and took a deep drag.
"I can go ask him for swordplay advice in the future. I didn't expect joining the Buggy Pirates to have such benefits." A rare trace of a smile appeared on Daz's cold face.
"However..." Daz looked at Mr. 3, who was in a sorry state because of the Pacifista, "Mr. 3, your title as the emperor's second-in-command is about to be lost."
Hawkeye was the World's Greatest Swordsman. Unlike the fallen Crocodile, no matter which Four Emperors' crew he joined, he would at least have to be the emperor's second-in-command.
"Who cares about that kind of thing!" Mr. 3 roared insincerely. "It's just, you Shichibukai are joining our Buggy Pirates one by one—did you really not plan this together?"
"Shichibukai? I stopped being one long ago." Crocodile unleashed several Sandstorms. "Still, there will likely be others joining the Buggy Pirates."
"Killing a Celestial Dragon didn't just sound the horn of battle against the World Government; it also gave countless powerhouses with grudges against the Celestial Dragons a direction for their revenge."
"All of this must be within Captain Buggy's calculations. Truly a terrifying man..." Crocodile lamented.
"Is Captain Buggy really that amazing?" Alvida whispered. "Why did I use to think he was a complete idiot?"
"Perhaps the Captain's acting is too superb." Mr. 3 adjusted his glasses. "The clown he plays is so convincing that even those of us who spend day and night with him didn't notice anything unusual."
"If I had half of Captain Buggy's acting skills, Alabasta would have been mine long ago, Crocodile recalled their first meeting in Impel Down; at that time, he really did view Buggy as just a clown.
Now he realized that he was the clown all along.
"Things are looking bad!" Sentomaru watched Buggy and Hawkeye join forces; the remaining three Pacifista were already in dire straits.
"Overclock Mode, activate." Sentomaru gave the order. The bodies of the remaining Pacifista shuddered, and a red light glowed in their mechanical eyes.
"What is this?" Knowing Sentomaru's temperament, Buggy asked him directly.
"Overclock Mode fully activates the lineage factor within the Pacifista, gaining 150% power for a short time, but it also greatly shortens the heart's lifespan," Sentomaru explained honestly.
"Sentomaru, you idiot! Why are you explaining it so clearly to the enemy?"
Spandam had been watching the battle. Seeing Sentomaru still explaining things to the enemy, he couldn't help but curse loudly.
"The real idiot is you!" Sentomaru said. "My purpose in coming was only to test the Pacifista's combat power. Now that the test is complete, it's time for me to leave."
"Wait! If you leave, what about the enemies?" Spandam panicked.
"Staying here is useless. This version of the Pacifista was developed as a weapon targeting the Shichibukai, but the current opponent is... a 'Four Emperors' level." Sentomaru glanced at Buggy. "Failure is inevitable."
Even in Overclock Mode, the Pacifista could only stall Buggy and Hawkeye; defeat was only a matter of time.
He belonged to the independent Science Division and had no subordinate relationship with the World Government's army, not to mention the leader this time was that annoying fellow Spandam.
"If you flee the battlefield, I will report it to the Gorosei. They won't let you off," Spandam could only threaten.
"How can you call it fleeing? As the former Captain of the Science Division, I know too many secrets. Even if I am the man with the tightest lips in the world, the Gorosei wouldn't allow me to be 'captured' by the enemy."
As he spoke, Sentomaru had already used Moonwalk to fly into the air. "I'm just making a strategic retreat."
"Damn Science Division! Didn't you guys confidently say before coming that every one of these Pacifista has the combat power of a Shichibukai?"
Spandam's heart went cold. He thought that by bringing ten Pacifista, he could take down the 'fake' Four Emperors Buggy, but now even self-preservation was an issue.
"There is a gap even among the Shichibukai." Sentomaru's voice came from the distance. "We didn't lie. Just consider the Pacifista's strength to be equivalent to the weakest Shichibukai."
For a moment, many people turned their eyes toward Crocodile, especially the 'Sidekick Foursome'.
"What do you mean? I haven't been a Shichibukai for a long time. Besides, am I really the weakest?" Crocodile was somewhat incensed by their stares.
Because you were the first Shichibukai to be defeated and stripped of your title... everyone's eyes clearly expressed this sentiment.
"Desert Girasol: Black Coffin!" Crocodile's entire body turned into sand, forming a sand coffin that tightly enclosed a Pacifista.
The Pacifista used the paw-paw fruit to repel and break the sand coffin, but sand grains immediately replenished from elsewhere.
Inside the sand coffin, the moisture within the Pacifista was gradually drained, causing it to lose its Devil Fruit ability, until it was finally crushed into fragments by Crocodile.
"I can deal with many of these guys at once!" Reverting to human form, Crocodile's face was a bit pale; it seemed the previous move had consumed a lot of his stamina.
"There are still many over there." Mr. 3 pointed toward the Revolutionary Army's side. "Go help them."
I should have watched you turn into Banana Gator dung back then. Crocodile glared fiercely at Mr. 3.
"Are you plotting something bad? In our Buggy Pirates, infighting is a capital crime!" Mr. 3 keenly sensed the killing intent.
"I'm going to help them deal with the enemies now." Crocodile didn't want to be labeled as the weakest Shichibukai in history.
But it was no longer necessary; a wild wind began to blow across the calm sea.
The fighting members of the Revolutionary Army all showed expressions of joy.
"Dragon Claw Fist: Flame Dragon King!"
Sabo struck a powerful blow against a Pacifista.
At the same time, a voice came from above.
"Gale Dragon Claw Fist: Storm Dragon King!"
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