Chapter 145 Jester to King

Ding!

"Congratulations to the Host for successfully altering the [Egghead Island Incident] plot. Rewards have been issued."

Ding!

"Congratulations! You have obtained [World Gate Fragment - Shadow]."

Ding!

"Congratulations! Your Conqueror's Haki has been upgraded to Super! From this moment on, no one in the world can make you bow your head. The will of the world itself shall guide you to the pinnacle!"

Ding!

"Detected: The Host's Conqueror's Haki has reached the highest critical threshold, entering the state of Flame Circulation. Preliminary assessment: The Host has ascended to the [Elementary Planetary Level], with a comprehensive combat power equivalent to [Advanced Planetary Level]."

Ding!

"The Host's strength has reached [Planetary Level]. The [Parallel Universe Drifting Plan] is now unlocked. Gather [World Gate Fragments] to complete the dimensional traversal!"

Buggy, who had just absorbed True Several Thousand Hands and other formidable abilities, felt a long-lost sensation ripple through his body. Then, the familiar [Story Change Panel] lit up in his mind. A wild grin spread across his face.

"Finally… I've come this far!"

Super Conqueror's Haki.

To think he would be the one to break this limit.

But, in hindsight, it made perfect sense. Ever since he executed the Celestial Dragons, he could feel his Haki evolving at an unprecedented rate. The sheer intensity of that moment had pushed his will beyond any known boundary.

For a time, that growth had been relentless—until it plateaued a year ago.

That was when Buggy realized: he had hit a bottleneck. A breakthrough required more than strength alone. It needed something greater—a moment of absolute conviction.

This time, his God Slayer and Drums of Liberation plans had been the key. The catalyst for the final step. And it had worked.

"I was right all along," he mused.

In this world, Haki isn't just about power—it's about spirit, resolve, and the magnitude of one's ambition.

A mere flicker of doubt could limit one's strength. But an unshakable will could push Haki beyond the imaginable.

As a hardcore fan of One Piece for over twenty years, Buggy knew this truth better than anyone. He had seen it time and time again, reflected in every weak and strong character's journey.

Take Gecko Moria, for example.

Back in his prime, he was a pirate who rose in the same era as Kaido—someone who could clash head-on with the future Emperor of the Seas. For him to have even competed with Kaido at that time, his Haki must have been formidable. There's no way a weak-willed man could have survived that kind of battle.

But after being utterly crushed, his spirit shattered, and his Haki collapsed along with it.

Then there's Crocodile—another prime example.

This man once dared to challenge Whitebeard on equal footing, someone as insane as Luffy. Yet, all because he fixated on Pluton, he spent years lying low, scheming in the shadows. He disguised himself as weak, but in reality, he had only buried his ambitions. It wasn't until he was thrown into Impel Down—forced to rot in prison for two years—that he finally snapped out of it.

And when he returned, he was Crocodile again. The man who dared attack Whitebeard Doflamingo Akainu and Mihawk in a single marineford war.

Then there's the Golden Lion, Shiki.

Some might blame his downfall on the rudder lodged in his head, but that wasn't the real issue. The truth is, he spent twenty years in hiding—and in that time, he lost the edge that once made him a legend.

His grand plan to destroy East Blue?

It was less of a conquest and more of a death wish.

Would a man like Shiki, once a fleet admiral who ruled the seas after the fall of the Rocks Pirates, truly believe he could just walk in and crush Garp's homeland without consequences?

He announced his plans to destroy East Blue, under the guise of erasing Roger's hometown, but did he think Garp—the man who hunted him down decades ago—would simply let it happen?

Buggy saw right through it. Shiki wasn't trying to conquer the world—he was looking for a place to die.

And his choice mirrored another legendary man: Whitebeard.

Edward Newgate knew his Whitebeard Pirates weren't as powerful as Marine Headquarters. He knew the odds were against him.

But he went to war anyway.

Why?

Because he wasn't trying to win—he was trying to save Ace. He was a man willing to trade his own life for a final statement—for a final act worthy of his legend.

In the end, he upheld Roger's will and planted the seed of freedom into the world.

Buggy had to admit, the old man was greedy. Even if he ultimately failed to save Ace, his true goal was almost fulfilled. He left behind a legacy.

He answered himself, an answer to Ace, and an answer to the world.

The legend ended with those words that still haunt every eye who looks towards the sea in hope of freedom and happiness.

"One Piece... is real!"

That single phrase shook Buggy to his core. It was the moment that confirmed everything. Even if Whitebeard wasn't born with the Will of D at that moment, he inherited it.

Because Buggy knew something others didn't. The Will of D isn't just a name—it isn't something you're born with.

It's something anyone can carry... if they have the will to change the world. Just like the first Queen of Alabasta—or rather, the one later known as Nefertari D. Lily.

The truth was clear.

D is not just a name. It is inherited, passed down, and bestowed. It is not rigid—it is free.

Through both his past and present lives, Buggy had already formed his theories about the meaning of the Will of D. And with the knowledge from his previous world as a guide, he had concluded—one that no one else had yet realized.

The so-called "D" was never just a letter. It was an abbreviation.

For what?

For "Dawn."

Because eight hundred years ago, in the ancient kingdom of Alabasta, Queen Lily had once written in a letter:

"When that day comes, the people will raise the banner of dawn!"

Perhaps, every person who carried the name of D existed for that day. With the awakening of the Sun God Nika's fruit in sight, that day may finally be upon us.

But Buggy? A man from another world—one who had torn through fate with his own two hands—had already surpassed the limits of D.

Or rather...

He had done what "D" could not.

But that no longer mattered. Not now.

At this moment, as Buggy's Conqueror's Haki surged to even greater heights, an overwhelming aura surrounded him.

Suspended in mid-air, his once-contained presence began to leak out, spreading like an untamed storm.

The dragons and the others around him could only watch in shock.

Just when they thought Buggy had finally stabilized, a terrifying force erupted from his body, forming a massive surge of lightning in platinum, black, and deep violet.

It coiled around him, a storm of raw power ascending toward the sky!

"HAAAH!!!"

Buggy's wild cry roared across Egghead Island, shaking the heavens themselves.

WHOOSH!!!

BOOM!!!

In the next instant, everyone watched in horrified awe as his aura shot straight into the sky, blasting apart the rolling dark clouds over a hundred kilometers wide!

Had Enel still been lurking in those clouds, he would have felt this power firsthand—and perhaps, for the first time in his life, he would have known true fear.

Even from a distance, those who sensed the sheer weight of this aura could feel their bodies shaking.

Some shivered, their instincts screaming at them to kneel. For those standing too close, their knees buckled against their will.

Above them, the sky had cleared.

The sunlight broke through, casting a warm glow over the island—a stark contrast to the suffocating pressure Buggy now exuded.

"Wh-What's happening!?"

"Did Captain Buggy Haki just... tear through the clouds?!"

"No way! He just powered up a moment ago—how the hell is he doing it again?!"

"This guy... How are we supposed to catch up at this rate?!"

Among the Buggy Pirates, panic and exhilaration spread in equal measure.

"This kind of conqueror's... even Red-Haired Shanks' Haki has never felt like this!"

"I don't care what anyone says—Captain Buggy is already the strongest man in the world!"

At that moment, there was no doubt.

Buggy—their captain—stood at the peak of power.

Even the Five Elders, including Saint Saturn, had to address Imu with the utmost reverence. That alone spoke volumes. Imu's strength was beyond comprehension.

If Dragon had even the slightest doubts before today, they had been completely erased.

Now, he was certain—with Buggy's current power, there was no one left in the world who could stand against him.

As long as they remained united and didn't give the World Government an opening to strike, then perhaps—just perhaps—Imu might not even be a match for Buggy.

Of course, it was still too early to make such a bold claim.

For now, he could only watch and see what Buggy would do next.

"This is what victory tastes like!"

Buggy, oblivious to Dragon's internal calculations, let out a roar of laughter. His voice boomed across the battlefield, as wild and untamed as the sea itself.

"Listen up, boys! From this day forward, the World Government is nothing more than a stepping stone beneath our feet!"

A grin stretched across his face, full of confidence and unshakable dominance.

"Now, go! Help Vegapunk clean up this mess!"

Buggy raised a fist, the very air around him crackling with power.

"The assembly line factory of our Crimson Empire is safe! That means we're done here—so let's head back and throw the biggest damn banquet the world has ever seen!"

"OH-OH-OHHH!!!"

The crew erupted in cheers, their voices shaking the very foundations of Egghead Island.

Before this battle, they had braced themselves for a fight to the death.

They had expected a war that would eclipse even the Battle of Wano.

And yet—

It had been far easier than they ever could have imagined. Because Buggy was simply too strong. He had killed Saint Saturn, the highest authority of the World Government, who is known to the world. Even his crew had been left shaken, barely able to believe what they had witnessed.

And the enemy?

The so-called Knights of God, the Celestial Dragons' elite forces, and the Cipher Pol agents?

The moment they saw one of the Five Elders obliterated in a single blow, their will to fight shattered like glass.

If they hadn't been trapped on the island, with every ship destroyed and the surrounding sea filled with ambushes, they would have turned and fled without hesitation.

Even still, their combat ability had been cut in half from sheer terror alone.

Then Buggy had taken things one step further—

Seizing the Kaido clone, the Golden Lion clone, and the Captain John clone... and draining them dry.

That moment had burned itself into the minds of the Knights of God.

A nightmare they would never escape.

They had descended from the Holy Land, believing themselves to be unstoppable, expecting a battle that would reshape the world in their favor.

Their grand plan?

Crush Red-Haired Shanks first.

Then eliminate Blackbeard.

And finally, all of them together—take down the so-called "Godslayer" Buggy.

Yet reality had slapped them in the face.

The only thing they had managed to accomplish was briefly suppressing Shanks—and even then, it had taken both Saint Saturn and Saint Jaygarcia fighting side by side just to force a draw.

At that moment, they had begun to realize just how massive the gap was between themselves and the true monsters of the sea.

That was why Saturn had made the tactical decision to ignore Blackbeard for now. Instead, they had decided to take out Vegapunk first—

And walked straight into the lion's den. They hadn't just underestimated Buggy—they had been played from the very start.

Now?

They were nothing more than toys in his hands. Their supposed leader, Saint Saturn, had been obliterated in an instant.

Their three strongest clones—Kaido, Golden Lion, and Captain John—had been drained of their power.

The contrast between expectation and reality was simply too much. The so-called Knights of God—proud warriors of the Celestial Dragons—completely broke down. Their belief in absolute victory was shattered, leaving behind nothing but desperation. With nowhere to run, they launched one final, frantic charge—a last-ditch effort born from hopelessness. It was useless. Buggy crushed them.

And just like that, the battle on Egghead Island came to an end. The Buggy Pirates emerged victorious—a complete and utter triumph.

When Garp, Sengoku, Kizaru, Momousagi, and the other Marines woke up the next morning in Adam's Palace Villa, the first thing they heard was a voice yelling outside. Loud. Annoying. And extremely energetic.

There was no avoiding it—not after another night of drinking, reminiscing, and, of course, another Uta concert. For those few Marine executives who had been granted a rare vacation (Garp and Sengoku, of course, didn't count—they did whatever they wanted), it had been a night of indulgence.

Then—

"WAKE UP, YOU LAZY MARINES!!!"

The booming shouts of Marine soldiers echoed from outside. Almost instinctively, they all scrambled out of their rooms to see what was happening. And then— Their expressions changed instantly.

They weren't alone. A crowd had already gathered at the viewing platform of the Divine Tree Adam. At the very front stood Uta, looking as energetic as ever. But no one was looking at her. No—everyone's eyes were fixed on the sky.

A massive, glowing rift had opened in midair— A space gate. And from within that portal, something huge was emerging. A floating island. Slowly, majestically, it drifted out of the gate, as if being relocated across the world.

Sengoku, Garp, and the other Marines stared in shock. This—this was—

"Impossible...!"

The sight was almost too familiar. A floating island appeared from thin air—this was a power they had seen before. The ability of the Golden Lion—Shiki. But this—this-this was on another level. Even for them, it was unbelievable.

And then, amidst their growing shock, one voice cut through the silence.

"Oi, oi, oi..."

Kizaru's usual lazy drawl was nowhere to be found. His face had twisted into something that could almost be called genuine concern.

"What the hell are the Buggy Pirates trying to do?"

His voice was low, serious, and uncertain. Momousagi, sensing the unusual shift in his tone, turned to him in confusion.

"What's wrong, Admiral Kizaru?"

Garp and Sengoku also narrowed their eyes. The island looked familiar, but neither of them could place it immediately. They turned toward Kizaru, who looked increasingly disturbed.

"What do you mean, brat?" Garp demanded.

"Spit it out already," Sengoku snapped.

Kizaru grimaced. Then, with a reluctant sigh, he pointed toward the floating island and said:

"That island... that's Vegapunk's research base."

"WHAT?!"

A shockwave of disbelief exploded through the Marines. Sengoku's eyes widened. Garp's jaw dropped. Momousagi stiffened in shock. The Marine soldiers around them let out collective gasps. And it wasn't just the Marines— Even the underground kings, the ruthless brokers who thrived in the shadows, had their attention snapped toward the sky the moment the news reached them.

Even Uta, the ever-composed singer, found herself unable to hold back her exclamation of shock.

"How the hell did they get their hands on that?!"

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