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## Chapter 5: Orange Town's Speedy Resolution
The **Going Merry** cut smoothly through the East Blue waters, leaving the stunned remnants of Shells Town in its wake. The sun was now high, painting the sea a brilliant sapphire. On deck, the Straw Hats were a picture of casual confidence, a stark contrast to the chaos they'd just left behind.
"Shells Town was quicker than I remembered," Usopp mused, polishing Kuro Kabuto with a practiced hand. "Almost no drama at all."
"That's the point, isn't it?" Robin said, a faint smile on her lips as she watched the distant shoreline fade. "To resolve things efficiently. To avoid unnecessary detours and prolonged conflicts."
Luffy, still at the figurehead, chuckled. "More time for adventure!"
Nami, ever the pragmatist, was already focused on their next destination. "Alright, everyone. Orange Town. We should reach it by late afternoon. Get ready for Buggy the Clown." She glanced at Luffy. "No getting captured in a cage this time, Captain."
Luffy scoffed good-naturedly. "No way! I'm way too strong for that now!"
As they sailed closer, the distinctive outlines of Orange Town's colorful buildings became visible, as did the less pleasant sight of a skull-and-crossbones flag with a segmented nose, fluttering defiantly over the town. **Buggy the Clown**.
"There he is," Zoro rumbled, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. He could already sense the scattered, unrefined presence of Buggy's crew and the crude **Haki** of their stronger members. Compared to the threats he remembered from the New World, these were mere whispers.
The Merry approached the harbor, and just as Nami had predicted, a barrage of cannonballs erupted from the town's defenses, aimed directly at their ship.
"Incoming!" Usopp yelled, purely out of habit, but there was no fear in his voice.
Sanji casually strolled to the ship's railing. "Amateurs." With a blinding burst of speed, he activated **Sky Walk**, appearing as a faint blur over the water. The cannonballs, fired with the intent to sink, suddenly changed trajectory. Each one was met by a precise, **Armament Haki-infused** kick from Sanji, altering its course or shattering it into harmless fragments of iron. He redirected some back towards the town's fortifications with such power that they exploded upon impact, sending dust and debris into the air. The display was so swift and overwhelming, it left Buggy's onlooking pirates agape.
"What was that?! He just... *kicked* the cannonballs?!" stammered one of Buggy's terrified henchmen.
"That's our cook!" Luffy cheered, laughing heartily. "He's amazing!"
Without bothering to dock properly, Luffy launched himself directly from the Merry, his rubber limbs stretching, then retracting with immense force, propelling him high over the harbor and into the center of Orange Town. He landed in the town square, the impact creating a small crater in the cobblestones, shattering a few nearby barrels.
"Alright, Buggy!" Luffy bellowed, his voice echoing with an unconscious layer of **Conqueror's Haki** that sent a jolt of unease through every pirate and civilian present. "Come out and fight!"
Moments later, the rest of the crew landed with similar grace and power. Zoro appeared silently beside Luffy, his swords ready. Sanji dropped down with a flourish. Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook followed, their collective presence radiating an undeniable power that instantly cowed the Buggy Pirates scattered around the square.
From the town's largest building, a figure with a brightly colored coat and an impossibly large, segmented nose burst forth. "**Who dares defile my glorious Orange Town?!**" It was **Buggy the Clown** himself, looking as pompous and self-important as ever. He spotted Luffy. "You! Straw Hat! You'll regret challenging Captain Buggy!" He brandished his signature Buggy Balls. "Prepare to be blown to smithereens!"
Buggy launched a volley of his explosive Buggy Balls. They flew towards Luffy, leaving trails of smoke.
Luffy merely extended an open palm, his **Armament Haki** flaring to a deep, dark sheen. "Gomu Gomu no..." As the Buggy Balls made contact with his hardened palm, they detonated harmlessly, their explosions contained by his rubbery, Haki-infused form. "... **Explosive Absorption!**" He pulled his palm back, the residual force of the explosions harmlessly dissipating.
Buggy gaped, his face turning pale. "W-what?! My Buggy Balls! They did nothing?!"
"My turn!" Luffy declared. He coiled his arm, his muscles bulging as he prepared a familiar attack. "Gomu Gomu no..."
Buggy, seeing the wind-up, quickly used his Chop-Chop Fruit ability to separate his body, sending his torso, arms, and legs flying in different directions to avoid the punch. "Too slow, Straw Hat! I'm immune to blunt attacks! I'm a Logia-type!" he shrieked, his disembodied head floating above Luffy.
"He's not a Logia," Zoro muttered, a glint in his eye. "He's just an idiot."
Luffy grinned. "Doesn't matter!" His arm, now immensely stretched and imbued with **Conqueror's Haki**, snapped forward with blistering speed. He wasn't aiming for Buggy's dispersed body parts. Instead, his **Conqueror's Haki** flowed out in a focused burst, directed solely at Buggy's floating head, the true core of his scattered body.
The unseen wave of Haki slammed into Buggy's head. The impact was purely mental, spiritual. Buggy's eyes widened in terror, his mouth opening in a silent scream before his face contorted into an utterly bewildered, terrified expression. He felt an invisible, crushing pressure, a King's will demanding his submission. He couldn't even process the force before his disembodied head went limp, his eyes rolling back. With his head unconscious, his separated body parts instantly reformed, collapsing into a heap on the ground.
Buggy the Clown was defeated. Utterly. Not by a direct physical blow, but by the sheer, overwhelming presence of Luffy's advanced Conqueror's Haki. He lay twitching, foam escaping his lips, utterly bewildered.
The rest of Buggy's crew, witnessing their Captain's bizarre and immediate defeat, dropped their weapons and raised their hands. Mohji and Cabaji, who had just arrived, froze in their tracks, their faces ashen.
"What... what kind of power was that?!" Mohji stammered, his lion Richie whimpering at his feet.
"Our captain's just strong!" Usopp declared, stepping forward, his newfound bravado shining. "Now, you guys. You want to make trouble, or do you want to surrender peacefully?"
Faced with a crew that had effortlessly dispatched their captain and smashed through Marine defenses, the Buggy Pirates quickly opted for surrender. They were bound and gathered, their meager treasures confiscated by Nami, who was already meticulously calculating their worth.
The townspeople, who had initially cowered, slowly emerged, their faces a mix of fear and relief. Mayor Boodle, a gruff but kind man, cautiously approached Luffy.
"You... you defeated Buggy?!" he stammered, disbelief warring with gratitude.
"Yep!" Luffy beamed. "No more bad pirates bothering your town!"
The citizens cheered, their fear quickly turning into joyous relief. Luffy, true to his nature, spent a few moments interacting with them, reassuring them with his infectious smile. This time, there was no Nami stealing their valuables, no Zoro on trial. The Straw Hats simply brought swift justice and moved on.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over Orange Town, the Straw Hats prepared to depart. Their mission here was a success, efficiently executed.
"Next stop, Syrup Village!" Luffy declared, raising a fist to the horizon. He knew the next key player awaited them, a sniper and a storyteller, who would soon become their nakama. And this time, he would be recruited not through deceit and a mansion siege, but through sheer, overwhelming necessity, and the undeniable strength of the crew who sought him.
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Word Count: 1699