Chapter 136 Nika

"Let me think, let me think!"

Morgans looked as if he had just witnessed something terrifying, his brow deeply furrowed.

Buggy raised a hand, signaling to Enel to stay calm. Zephyr, Dragon, and the others exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions still grave.

They had all known about the Five Elders—Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, Saint Marcus Mars, Saint Topman Warcury, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, and Saint Shepherd Ju Peter—but none of them had expected that one of these old men possessed power nearing the peak of an Admiral. At that level, he was nearly on par with a Yonko!

If Saint Jaygarcia Saturn truly wielded such strength, then the other four Elders were bound to be formidable as well. And if that was the case, then the World Government's power was far more terrifying than they had ever imagined.

And that was just the Five Elders—the ones they knew about.

There was still the Knights of God, whose true strength and identities Morgans had yet to fully uncover.

Even so, what he had already revealed was shocking.

For Morgans, who wasn't a frontline fighter, to have gathered so much intelligence in the middle of a battle against such powerful figures could only mean one thing—his Devil Fruit ability was incredibly potent. There was no doubt now.

This guy Morgans had to possess some kind of Mythical Zoan ability. Otherwise, there was no way he could control birds with such precision and over such great distances.

As everyone was processing the gravity of the situation, Morgans continued:

"I remember from my previous observations—at the start, a member of the Knights of God engaged Shanks in battle, but he was quickly overpowered. Then, several more joined in, but even together, they were no match for the Red-Hair.

Shanks cut them down one by one. In the end, their leader, Figarland Garling, stepped in. He and Shanks fought for nearly an entire day. I could only observe intermittently—Shanks' Conqueror's Haki was simply too overwhelming!

Even Garling, who possesses Admiral-level strength, was getting beaten down by him! The golden light of his sword swept through the battlefield, unstoppable! But despite his skill, it was clear—Garling was not as he once was. He was aging, his movements just a fraction slower, his endurance not as limitless as before. 

Even from dozens of kilometers away, the birds I controlled couldn't stay in the area for long. The sheer force of their clash was too much.

Then, on the second day, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn joined the battle—and only then did the fight reach a true stalemate."

"That doesn't add up!"

Zephyr suddenly cut in, his deep voice filled with skepticism.

"Morgans, if two Admiral-level fighters were up against Shanks, then what about his crew? Shanks' ship isn't without its powerhouses! Benn Beckman, the Emperor's right hand, is an Admiral-level fighter himself!"

"With Beckman by his side, if Shanks was facing two enemies, the Knights of God should have been completely crushed! How could they have possibly gained the upper hand against Shanks' crew? Even with the CPO reinforcing them, at best, it should have been a deadlock!"

Upon hearing this, Morgans threw up his hands in exaggerated disbelief.

"No way, no way! Zephyr, don't tell me you actually believe everything I print in the World Economy Newspaper!"

"You—!"

Zephyr's expression stiffened as he glared at Morgans. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

Unlike Zephyr, Dragon, and the others, the Buggy Pirates were already familiar with Morgans' journalistic tendencies.

If this bird-man had solid, verifiable information, he would publish it with unwavering certainty, leaving no room for doubt.

But if the news was vague or uncertain? Then he would always lean toward the stronger side. And if that stronger side happened to be the World Government, well… naturally, his reporting would favor them.

That was just common sense.

After all, it was the only way for World Economy Newspaper to stay afloat. If he did otherwise, the newspaper would be crushed under government pressure before he could even print the next issue.

After Morgans briefly explained his philosophy, Zephyr was left speechless.

"So what's the real situation?"

At that moment, Boa Hancock frowned and spoke up.

The second Morgans heard her voice, his attitude changed entirely.

This was no ordinary person asking—it was the Pirate Empress herself. And the fact that she sat at Buggy's right hand? That meant her status in Buggy's crew was at least equal to Dragon's. There was no way he could afford to brush her off.

Immediately, Morgans forced a laugh and straightened up.

"The real situation is that after seeing Shanks holding his own in a one-versus-two, the rest of the Knights of God chose not to get involved."

Morgans paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"I was too far away to hear everything, but it's possible they had some kind of discussion beforehand. What I do know is that in the end, Shanks fought both Figarland Garling and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn to a standstill.

But the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates didn't make a move. Neither did the other members of the Knights of God. They just… stood there. Watching.

Even the CP Agency ships stationed nearby never took action. So in my judgment, even if the fight ended in a draw, the World Government still won in the end—because they simply had the numbers.

After three days and three nights, Shanks finally returned to his ship, and the Red Force set sail for Elbaf. But the World Government? They didn't leave.

Even now, my birds are still tracking them from a distance. And their next move… it's not to wipe out the remaining New World pirates. Nor is it an attack on Blackbeard.

After all, with two of the Four Emperors gone, there are only three left."

Morgans' expression turned serious as he tapped his beak thoughtfully.

"But this is just my theory—just a guess… I think the government is about to declare a Fifth Emperor to restore balance."

The moment he said it, the entire room fell silent. Everyone was stunned.

Buggy stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You mean the Straw Hats—the ones who just defeated Katakuri and the Blackbeard Pirates, right?"

Snap!

"That's right!" Morgans grinned, his beak curving into a smug smile.

"Right now, Straw Hat Luffy's bounty has skyrocketed to 1.8 billion! And everyone under him has a solid bounty of their own. But that's not all.

Recently, Straw Hat raided Blackbeard's forces and rescued a group of Devil Fruit users who were being hunted. Naturally, after being saved from Blackbeard's clutches, these people were incredibly grateful to Luffy. And in the end, they all made the same choice…

They swore allegiance to him. That means his Grand Fleet just got even bigger. Now, the total number of people rescued might not be massive, but keep this in mind—every single one of them is a Devil Fruit user from all over the world.

If he gathers them together under one flag… It'll be a terrifying force."

"Hahahahahaha!" Buggy threw his head back and burst into laughter, his voice booming through the conference hall.

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he turned and smirked at Dragon. "So, what do you think, Dragon? How does your son's handiwork compare to when you were his age?"

BOOM!

It was as if Buggy had just tossed a lit match into a barrel of gunpowder.

The entire room erupted.

Everyone whipped their heads around, staring at Buggy in shock—then at Dragon.

Morgans' beak fell open, his face frozen in sheer disbelief.

Buggy, pretending to just realize the weight of his words, widened his eyes in mock surprise.

"Ohhh, so this is top secret, huh? Well then, Morgans—especially you—better keep your beak shut. If word of this gets out… Dragon will personally hunt you down."

Morgans visibly paled.

The thought of being chased by the leader of the Revolutionary Army was nothing short of horrifying. He frantically flapped his wings and waved his hands in surrender.

"Buggy! Come on! Don't you know me by now? I'm a man of honor! I would never betray a friend!" His voice rose dramatically. "I am the most tight-lipped man in the world!"

The corners of everyone's mouths twitched. No one believed a single word of that.

But instead of calling him out, they all just turned their attention back to Dragon—waiting to see his reaction.

For a few moments, silence hung over the room.

Then, Dragon did something rare—he smiled. A long-lost, genuine smile.

"That kid... he's done well," he admitted. "But I won't interfere with his dream. He can walk his path—this sea is vast enough to support it."

"Hahahaha!" Buggy roared with laughter, clapping his hands. "As expected of you, Dragon!"

The tension in the room melted away, and even the others couldn't help but smile.

In truth, at the beginning, only Ivankov and Sabo on the Revolutionary side had known this secret.

But now, since they were all in this together, Buggy had intentionally brought it up—partly to make sure there were no misunderstandings in the future, and partly… just to stir the pot.

That was so like him.

At that moment, Ivankov chimed in, raising a painted nail.

"Buggy-boy, earlier, you mentioned that the World Government might recognize Luffy as the Fourth Emperor of the New World?"

Buggy's smirk widened. "It's inevitable."

His sharp gaze swept across the room. "But mark my words—the World Government will regret it. They've been hunting for a certain Devil Fruit for centuries. And wouldn't you know it? That fruit… is the one Luffy ate. If he awakens it someday, it'll shake the world to its core and turn Mary Geoise upside down for sure."

The room fell into dead silence.

Dragon's expression sharpened, his eyes narrowing. "Luffy's Devil Fruit? Isn't it just the Gomu Gomu no Mi? A simple Rubber Fruit?"

Others exchanged confused looks.

Buggy turned his gaze toward Enel, a sly grin playing on his lips. "Enel, what do you think?"

The air shifted. Enel's face immediately darkened.

Suddenly, the Buggy Pirates burst into laughter, as if they were in on some hilarious inside joke.

The others remained puzzled—until Doringo, unable to hold back, eagerly recounted the story of Enel's humiliating battle against Luffy.

Laughter erupted again. For a while, the conference hall was filled with boisterous mirth. The idea that Thunder Fruit's lightning didn't work on rubber?

"Enel you had the strongest logia but you lost to a newbie who didn't know even Haki!"

Lightning wasn't just electricity—it carried immense heat.

And rubber? Rubber's weakness was heat!

How could Enel's attacks have had no effect whatsoever? The more they thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

Enel let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples.

"Even if the Fruit abilities countered each other," he admitted, "the truth is, back then… my Haki and physical skills were too weak. I pushed my Devil Fruit to an extremely high level, but in the end… my lack of hand-to-hand combat skills limited my strength."

His gaze flickered with curiosity. "Still… what is the true nature of that Straw Hat brat's Devil Fruit?"

All eyes slowly turned toward Buggy.

Waiting. Even Dragon couldn't hide his confusion.

Buggy leaned back, tapping his fingers against the armrest.

"Well… technically, it should be the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika—a Mythical Zoan. It's the only Devil Fruit in the world that naturally counters the Goro Goro no Mi, the Thunder Fruit."

He smirked, casting a glance at Enel. "But now that your physical attacks and Haki have improved, that advantage might not exist anymore. At best, it's a 50-50 matchup."

A collective sharp inhale filled the room.

They had already suspected that Luffy's Devil Fruit was special, but this? A Mythical Zoan—and not just any Zoan, but the Sun God's Fruit?

As far as anyone knew, the only Mythical Zoan of the Hito Hito no Mi was Sengoku's Model: Daibutsu (Great Buddha) form.

The Hito Hito no Mi itself was already an incredibly rare Devil Fruit, and among them, Mythical Zoans were rarer than rare!

"Oi, wait a damn minute—wasn't it just the Rubber Fruit?!" Enel's voice cut through the stunned silence. His expression was caught somewhere between disbelief and irritation.

He folded his arms, scowling. "Besides, Captain—I've never seen this thing in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia."

The others nodded, equally perplexed.

Now that he mentioned it… they had never once seen this so-called Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika recorded anywhere.

Even Dragon, Zephyr, Morgans, and the other veterans turned their eyes toward Buggy, expecting answers.

Buggy propped his chin in his palm, thinking for a moment before finally speaking.

"Well… how should I put it? This is a Devil Fruit deliberately erased by the World Government."

His words sent a shockwave through the room. "If my guess is right, the last known user of this fruit was someone who dealt serious damage to the World Government… 800 years ago."

The room fell into absolute silence. Even the air felt heavy.

"The World Government has been searching for this fruit for eight centuries. But… the fruit itself seems to have a will of its own. For 800 years, it has avoided their grasp, never falling into their control."

Buggy's eyes gleamed as he continued.

"And this 'Sun God Nika' is also known as the 'Warrior of Liberation. With a name like that… you can probably start piecing things together."

Then, he dropped the final bombshell. "My guess? The last wielder of this fruit… was none other than the legendary Joy Boy."

"JOY BOY?!"

Three voices rang out at once.

Shirahoshi. Sunbell. Jinbei. The three Fish-Men exclaimed in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Everyone turned to them in surprise.

Buggy nodded.

"Yeah. Joy Boy."

He glanced at Shirahoshi, then addressed the rest of the room.

"This guy once made a promise to the Fish-Men and Merfolk of Fish-Man Island. He swore that one day, he'd lead them out of the deep sea—to live under the sun."

The weight of those words settled in.

Ivankov was the first to react.

His mascara-lined eyes widened, and he whipped his head toward Buggy.

"Wait—so, Buggy-boy… Aren't you already Joy Boy?!"

Buggy almost choked on the air. "The hell kind of conclusion is that?!"

He gave Ivankov an exasperated look. "Whether Joy Boy existed or not, or whether Luffy is Joy Boy or not… That doesn't matter to me. All I care about is helping Shirahoshi fulfill her dream."

Shirahoshi's eyes shimmered with emotion.

"Buggy-sama…!"

On the other side of the room, Hancock crossed her arms and huffed.

Snort. She said nothing, but the slight pout on her lips didn't go unnoticed. Morgans, meanwhile, looked enthralled.

He was already mentally drafting tomorrow's front-page headline.

"WORLD SHAKING REVELATIONS—THE TRUTH OF THE SUN GOD FRUIT?! EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH EMPEROR BUGGY!"

Buggy squinted at Morgans and smirked."Alright, Morgans, you've heard enough, haven't you? Now, I'd like to discuss the follow-up strategy for the Buggy Pirates. If you're planning to stay and listen, I'll take that as a sign you're officially part of my crew." His grin widened. "And that means you'll be wanted by the government."

"Absolutely not!" Morgans scowled."I'm a man destined to be the King of News! Blueno, get me out of here right now—I don't want to hear a single word of your plans!"

Blueno glanced at Buggy, who gave a casual nod. With that, Blueno opened a spatial door. Morgans flapped his wings, shooting through the portal in a hurry. But just before it shut, his head popped back out."If you get any juicy info, make sure to pass it my way!"

The room erupted into laughter. Truth be told, Morgans was already as close to the Buggy Pirates as one could get without officially joining. It wouldn't be a stretch to call him an ally—whether he admitted it or not.

Buggy waved a hand dismissively, then turned to address his crew."Alright, listen up. I've got some good news for you all."

Everyone leaned in, intrigued.

"We now have three of the four Road Poneglyphs."

Gasps filled the room. The corners of Buggy's mouth curled upward into a confident smirk."Now, don't get me wrong—I don't have any interest in being the so-called 'Pirate King.' But since we've come this far, I figure we might as well go to Laugh Tale and see it for ourselves. Not to mention…" His eyes gleamed. "I can't just let that legendary mountain of gold sit there, waiting for some other idiot to claim it, now can I?"

A beat of silence passed before Buggy suddenly threw out one final proclamation."Before I claim the throne as King of the World, how about we make a little detour—just long enough for me to sit on the Pirate King's throne first?"

"OOOOOOHHHH!!!"

The entire conference hall erupted into cheers. None of them had expected that to be his announcement—but it only made them all the more excited for what came next.

Unlike Dragon and the others, who were left utterly confused, the Buggy Pirates knew exactly what treasures awaited on Laugh Tale.

The truth of the Void Century? The meaning behind the Poneglyphs? Whatever. Like their captain, they were far more interested in that golden mountain.

Once, they might have worried about how to haul such an enormous treasure away. But now? With Gabban's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, even an entire mountain of gold was nothing more than pocket change. If push came to shove, they could take every last Poneglyph as well—though that would certainly mean the end of the Great Pirate Era.

After all, if Buggy claimed the One Piece for himself, there'd be nothing left for the next generation.

At that thought, Buggy's lips curled into a cruel smirk. Sorry, Luffy. Looks like your dream just hit a dead end.

Meanwhile, Dragon—who had just learned about the treasure on Laugh Tale—felt a brief pang of sympathy for his son… before immediately shifting gears. With that much wealth flowing into their hands, everyone would be rich!

While the Buggy Pirates erupted in excitement, those who had already been to Laugh Tale—Gabban, Bullet, Doringo, and Sunbell—fell into quiet nostalgia. The legendary island wasn't just a myth to them. They had seen it firsthand.

But just as the excitement reached its peak, Buggy raised a hand, silencing the room.

"Before we do anything else, there's something more important we need to take care of first."

Everyone turned to him, confused.

Impatient as ever, Enel scowled."Hah?! What could be more important than claiming the title of Pirate King?!"

Buggy waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. First, I need to check in on Shanks."

Instead of answering right away, Buggy pulled out a transponder snail and dialed. It rang for a solid minute before finally clicked on.

"Hey, Buggy." Shanks' voice came through the receiver, calm and to the point."If you're calling now, that means you've already heard the news, huh?"

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