Luffy bounded down the spiraling ramp, boots kicking up sticky sand with every step. The blue light grew brighter, the air thicker with ancient incense and the faint metallic tang of power. He was still humming the tail end of Binks' Sake under his breath when the ramp opened into a vast underground atrium cracked stone pillars holding up a ceiling of shifting dunes, a single pedestal at the center glowing with faint, pearlescent light.
And standing right in front of the pedestal, arms crossed, red nose gleaming under the eerie glow, was Buggy.
Luffy skidded to a halt so fast sand sprayed around his sandals.
"BUGGY?!"
Buggy spun on his heel, cape flaring dramatically. His eyes widened, then narrowed into that familiar mix of outrage and glee.
"Mugiwara?! What the hell are you doing here, you rubber-brained meathead?!"
Luffy blinked once, twice, then broke into a huge grin. "Clown! You're here too?!"
"Don't call me Clown, you idiot! It's Emperor Buggy now! Show some respect!"
Luffy laughed, loud and bright, echoing off the pillars. "Hahaha! You're still short! And your nose is still big!"
Buggy's face turned purple. "Shut up! At least I don't look like a walking chew toy! And stop laughing this isn't funny!"
Luffy scratched his head, still grinning. "What're you doing here, Clown? Looking for treasure?"
Buggy puffed out his chest. "I'm here for the fruit, obviously! The whole world's buzzing about this place now. Even the Navy's got their filthy eyes on it. That fruit's worth one billion berries on the black market alone!"
Luffy's eyes went wide. "ONE BILLION BERRIES?!"
Buggy smirked. "That's right, meathead. Act like an Emperor for once. We're both Emperors now me with my flashy genius, you with your dumb luck. This isn't some playground anymore. The Suke Suke no Mi the Clear-Clear Fruit is down here. But it's not just invisibility anymore."
Luffy tilted his head. "Huh?"
Buggy leaned in, voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "When awakened? It's a nightmare. Erasure of Presence: Beyond Sight. The user doesn't just vanish from eyes. They erase themselves from Observation Haki. Scent? Gone. Sound? Silent. Intent to kill? Your brain refuses to register it. Someone could stand right in front of you, knife at your throat, and you'd feel nothing. Future Sight? Useless. It's like they don't exist at all."
Luffy's grin faded a little. His fists clenched at his sides.
Buggy kept going, gesturing wildly. "And that's not even the worst part. Intangible Transparency physical matter passes right through them. Punches, bullets, blades nothing lands unless it's coated in advanced Armament Haki. They become a ghost in the world. And Area Invisibility? They can cloak entire ships. Imagine a ship turning invisible mid-battle, cannons firing from nowhere. Marines wouldn't know what hit 'em."
Luffy's eyes narrowed. Sweat beaded on his temple for the first time.
Buggy straightened, cape snapping. "We're taking it. No matter what. My crew's already here Crocodile, Mihawk, the whole Cross Guild circus. That fruit's mine."
Luffy's expression hardened. "Mihawk's here?"
Buggy nodded smugly. "Oh yeah. Your moss-head's mentor and role model. The world's strongest swordsman. He's been itching to test that black blade of his on something worthy. So stay out of our way, Mugiwara. This isn't your playground anymore."
Buggy turned with a flourish, boots clicking as he strode toward a side passage. "See ya, meathead. Try not to die before I get to gloat."
He vanished into the shadows.
Luffy stood alone in the atrium, grin gone, replaced by something serious rare, focused. He looked back up the ramp, then down at the glowing pedestal. The fruit wasn't there yet. Someone or something was still guarding it deeper in.
He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles popped.
"No way. If that fruit goes to Buggy… or Crocodile… or Mihawk…"
He muttered to himself, voice low.
"…the whole sea changes. Everyone gets hurt."
He turned and started running back up the ramp, sand flying behind him.
"Gotta find everyone! Gotta stop this before it turns into an Emperor war!"
The temple trembled faintly in answer.
Far above, near the edge of the atrium's upper ledge, Toku crouched in shadow. He had heard every word Luffy's shout, Buggy's dramatics, the description of the awakened fruit.
His cigarette had burned down to ash between his fingers without him noticing.
One billion berries.
Erasure of presence.
Intangibility.
Area-wide ghost ship.
And Mihawk here. Zoro's idol. The man who could cut through anything.
Toku's lips curled into a slow, predatory smile.
The monster inside him purred.
Perfect.
He crushed the cigarette butt under his heel.
Then he melted back into the corridors, moving silent and swift toward the fruit chamber.
He would eat it first.
He would become the ghost.
And when the Emperors clashed…
…he would be the one no one saw coming.
But even as he slipped away, a faint ripple passed through his Observation Haki a distant, angry pulse.
Somewhere deeper in the temple, Sanji's body his body felt it.
Zoro.
No someone else.
Toku froze for half a heartbeat.
Then the anger hit him like a kick to the chest.
Mihawk?
His fists clenched so hard his nails drew blood.
The mask cracked just for a second.
Inside, the monster snarled.
No one takes what's mine.
He lit a fresh cigarette with shaking fingers.
Then he kept moving.
The fruit was close.
And so was war.