Buggy D Clown

It seemed that the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin, wasn't going down so easily.

"Napoleon!!!"

Blood oozing from the gaping wound in her chest, Charlotte Linlin's face twisted in agony as she gripped Napoleon with her right hand, pressing the emperor's sword into the cavity where her heart once lay.

"Not yet! I haven't seen one piece yet!" she screamed, her voice low and filled with malice. "Mamama!"

"Mother!!!"

Napoleon cried out as its blade shimmered brightly, transforming into a radiant beam that sealed the enormous hole in Linlin's chest, halting the blood flow, but not the pain.

"Ahhh, ahhh!"

Despite the massive injury, Charlotte Linlin rose again, her disheveled hair falling around her face like a dark cloud. She smirked at Buggy, who hovered high above, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Mamama!" she bellowed, her voice dripping with venom. "Buggy, you want to kill me? Come then! Let's see who can kill who!"

With a furious roar, Charlotte Linlin's body was engulfed in an explosion of colorful light. The beams twisted and spiraled around her, coalescing into a massive, distorted guardian towering a hundred meters high.

At that moment, Linlin's entire form seemed to vanish within the surreal, swirling portrait.

Buggy's eyes narrowed. Was this Big Mom's final trump card?

Susanoo?

He barely had time to process the thought before he shot a crush spell toward the enormous, blurred giant.

Whoosh!

BOOM!

The platinum light collided with the giant, creating a small hole that rapidly healed itself.

Buggy raised an eyebrow, watching as the portrait quickly restored itself, unfazed by the attack. He glanced back at Linlin, still laughing maniacally in the distance, before focusing on the monstrous giant before him.

His observation haki, aided by his special ability—Voice of all things—allowed him to hear something no one else could: the agonized screams of countless souls trapped within the portrait.

It wasn't just a few souls. Buggy could clearly hear over one hundred thousand souls wailing in torment.

"So, this is the true secret of the Soul-Soul Fruit?" Buggy mused, his lips curling into a smile. "Absorbing all the souls of the dead to become one's own power. Fascinating..."

He turned his gaze back to Linlin, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Your ability reminds me of Gekko Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit," he continued, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "A similar concept, but you've taken it to an extreme. The more souls you collect, the bigger and stronger you become, huh?"

"Mamama!" Linlin clenched her fists in fury, her laugh dripping with disdain.

"Don't compare me to that trash, Gekko Moria! A loser who couldn't defeat Kaido!" she sneered. "My Soul-Soul Fruit is invincible! You'll understand soon enough!"

With that, she unleashed a powerful roar, her aura radiating with destructive intent.

"Soul Breaking Fist!!!"

After finishing her words, Big Mom's massive figure shot forward like a blazing comet, her body streaking through the air toward Buggy. In the blink of an eye, she threw a heavy punch, empowered by both Ba Chan and Armament Haki.

Buggy, unfazed, clenched his fist, wrapped in a mix of platinum, purple, and black tricolor lightning, and launched a counterattack, refusing to retreat.

BOOM!

CRACK!

RUMBLE!

The moment their fists met, the air erupted with a violent clash of Conqueror's Haki and supercharged Armament Haki. The shockwave sent bolts of lightning arcing into the sky, splitting the dense clouds above them, and creating a massive crack in the atmosphere.

Below, Nami, Pudding, and Robin watched in disbelief, their eyes wide as they gazed at the sky, now torn in half.

"The sky... it's split?!"

"Is this what a battle between the Four Emperors looks like?"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The battle escalated as Big Mom and Buggy exchanged punch after punch, each strike sending shockwaves that churned the sea and whipped the air into a frenzy. The surrounding skies continued to fracture under the sheer force of their clash.

However, despite her sheer power, Big Mom began to feel uneasy. With every blow, she could sense Buggy's strength growing, his momentum building with each passing second.

"Wait..." Realization hit her like a thunderclap. She stared at Buggy, wide-eyed and astonished.

"Your Armament Haki... it's reached the peak?! How is that possible?!"

"Just over a year ago, you weren't even close to mastering your Haki! How did you suddenly attain the realm of a God?! This... this is impossible!"

Buggy's hearty laugh echoed through the tumultuous battlefield, his expression filled with mockery.

"Hahaha!" He looked at her, his gaze unfazed, and smirked. "Charlotte Linlin, so you've finally caught on, huh?"

"At first, I considered hiding my full strength, maybe even giving you a fatal blow while you underestimated me. But now it seems there's no need for that. After all, you wanted to use your Soul-Soul Fruit to attack my soul, didn't you?"

He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'll admit, your abilities are pretty terrifying. If someone else had faced you, without having reached the level of armed power or possessing my unique skills, they might've been gravely wounded, their soul crippled and might even die on the spot."

Big Mom's face froze in shock, her disbelief etched across her features.

"What!?" Her voice trembled, but her expression was one of complete astonishment. She hadn't expected Buggy to figure out the secret of her Soul-Soul Fruit so quickly. After only a few attacks, he had seen through her abilities—abilities she had kept hidden for years.

"How did he..."

"Know.....!"

Big Mom's mind struggled to accept the truth, her expression twisted with disbelief as she roared, her voice trembling with rage.

"How could you know the ultimate secret of my fruit?!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Linlin," Buggy said coolly, his gaze never wavering as he looked at her indifferently. He pointed toward the enormous soul figure looming behind her and added,

"Every time you attack, that giant behind you throws a punch as well. When I'm facing the combined assault of you two, the effects are obviously different. How could I not notice? Moreover, your fruit isn't as invincible as you think."

He smirked, his voice filled with certainty. "Because my fruits are superior to yours."

With those words, platinum light surged from Buggy's body, blazing upwards like a beam from the heavens. It enveloped him, transforming him into a figure of divine radiance, as though a god had descended upon the battlefield. His presence became sacred, untouchable.

Bathed in this celestial light, Buggy raised a hand in a casual wave toward the stunned Big Mom, his voice calm yet brimming with authority.

"Come on. I don't even need to use my Devil Fruit abilities to defeat you. I'll send you on your way now. By the way, should I call you Charlotte Linlin, or Mountain Witch, Mother Carmel?"

Big Mom's expression froze at the mention of the name, her giant form visibly shaking with fury. Even the colossal Menos Grande-like shadow behind her seemed unstable for a brief moment before it distorted and transformed. The phantom's face twisted, revealing a grotesque version of Carmel's face, one Buggy recognized all too well.

"How could you possibly know?!"

Both Big Mom and the soul of Carmel behind her spoke in unison, their voices laced with shock and disbelief.

Buggy spread his arms, the confidence in his tone unwavering.

"I know far more than you realize."

He grinned as he continued, his voice dropping to a more thoughtful tone.

"Actually, what I'm more curious about now is... which one of you devoured the other first?"

"Shut up!!!"

Charlotte Linlin's rage reached a boiling point, and her massive body lunged toward Buggy in a fit of fury.

But the Carmel soul behind her remained eerily calm, her cold eyes staring at Buggy with disdain. The phantom's form flickered and shifted again, as it gathered its energy. In an instant, Carmel's face disappeared, replaced by a gigantic, gaping mouth that loomed in the air, writhing and snapping.

Buggy's brow furrowed as he took in the sight.

"One person, with two souls?" A realization hit him, and he muttered under his breath, "So it's possible Carmel took the lead at first, but Big Mom eventually gained control after she grew stronger..."

Otherwise, it should be Carmel who controls the body now. Perhaps Carmel had tried to devour Big Mom but failed in the end. Instead, she merely used the power of the Soul Soul Fruit to preserve her soul, becoming a unique entity inhabiting Charlotte Linlin's body.

The strange abilities of the Soul Soul Fruit were intriguing. Could absorbing souls make you stronger? If so, wouldn't this ability be invincible in the Shinigami world?

Buggy clicked his tongue in thought. If he didn't have to worry about any unforeseen complications, he would love to explore the true depths of this fruit's power. A Devil Fruit ability not even recorded in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia—one that had been erased by the Five Elders, just like the Nika fruit.

His mind raced with these possibilities, but Buggy had no intention of engaging with the Soul Soul Fruit's full potential. Though the fruit was powerful, and had saved Charlotte Linlin from death more than once, Buggy was determined to keep his distance, not wanting to stir up trouble.

But now… Big Mom had gone all in.

"Soul Devourer!!!"

At that moment, just as their fists collided with a thunderous crash, a twisted, terrifying grin spread across Big Mom's face.

"Buggy, your body is mine now! Go, Witch! I have fulfilled my promise to you!" she laughed cruelly, her voice tainted with madness.

As she spoke, the phantom of countless souls behind her transformed into a monstrous mouth, swallowing the two of them whole in a single, terrifying gulp.

Bang!

At the same time, Big Mom was sent flying backward by the force of Buggy's punch. Her massive body slammed into the ground, causing a shockwave. But despite the blow, she managed to escape the reach of her monstrous shadow.

"Mamama!!!"

Even though blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and the flesh of her right hand was shredded, revealing the white bones wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, Big Mom grinned widely, unbothered.

"Clown Buggy!" she roared, her voice dripping with malicious joy. "I'll tell you this—no one in this world can escape the devouring power of the Soul Soul Fruit! This is the ultimate secret of my ability! Take my secret with you to your grave!"

She paused, her grin widening. "Or maybe, not long from now, we'll become the best of allies, just like Kaido!"

Buggy's scalp tingled at the thought of what Big Mom had just said, her words sending an eerie chill down his spine.

In the distance, Nami, Pudding, and Robin's eyes widened in horror. They had just overheard a terrifying secret. Even Buggy, who was being swallowed by Carmel at that moment, showed a look of shock on his face.

Was Kaido's soul devoured by Big Mom? It all clicked into place.

No wonder their relationship had always been so close. Even when Big Mom was gravely injured and on the brink of death, Kaido—despite his near-death state—hadn't hesitated to take her away and make sure she survived. Was this the secret behind their bond?

A flicker of pity flashed across Buggy's eyes.

It turned out that the so-called "strongest creature in the world" had long been a puppet. Perhaps even Kaido himself had no idea. Perhaps this might be the secret to his suicidal tendencies.

What they were facing here wasn't just a gap in strength. It was a chasm in abilities and soul power. No matter how powerful Kaido was, he couldn't match the might of a soul like Carmel's. Her ability to devour and control thousands of souls was unparalleled.

Buggy realized then that Kaido might have been silently consumed, enslaved by Charlotte Linlin, just as she had done to countless others.

Robin, ever sharp, immediately picked up on the implications. Her eyes widened, and her expression shifted into one of urgency as she turned to Nami.

"Nami, Buggy's in grave danger! We have to save him, no matter what!"

Nami's face hardened as flames flickered at the corners of her mouth. She gripped Robin's hand and said with determination, "Let's go, Robin! I won't let that old hag control him or we all will die here!"

Robin smiled, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. Their bond was unspoken but undeniable—they had always been there for each other.

With a powerful beat of her jet-black dragon wings, Nami soared into the sky, pulling Robin along with her.

Just as they neared the battlefield, Buggy's maniacal laughter echoed down from above.

"Hahaha!"

Everyone looked up instinctively, and there they saw Buggy, suspended in the air, one hand pressed against his forehead as he laughed.

"Charlotte Linlin? Carmel? Soul Fruit? Hahaha, this is getting good! I want your powers now, more than ever!"

"Charlotte Linlin, Carmel—haven't I already told you? My ability is the power to crush everything! And that includes your very soul."

A wicked grin spread across Buggy's face. "This is your final card, isn't it? Well then, let me crush it—your soul!"

As Buggy finished speaking, the platinum light surrounding him flared outward in an overwhelming burst. The massive soul phantom that had once swallowed Buggy began to swell, growing to hundreds of meters in size, its terrifying form distorting as it tried to maintain control.

Then, with an ear-splitting crack, the distorted phantom composed of hundreds of thousands of souls began to be pierced by beams of platinum light.

The golden beams pierced through the phantom's body, tearing it apart and sending it into a violent collapse as if shattering the very core of its being. The once mighty soul phantom was reduced to nothing, the horrific display of power leaving Charlotte Linlin and Carmel in stunned silence.

"No!!! This is impossible!!!"

The platinum light surrounding Buggy intensified, pushing the soul phantom to its breaking point. With a final, deafening "boom" and the screams of Carmel echoing in the air, the phantom shattered into countless glowing dots, scattering across the sky.

"Ah!"

Big Mom, still grinning manically below, suddenly froze. Her eyes went white, and her body trembled violently as she screamed in agony.

Whoosh!

Buggy wasn't about to waste such an opportunity. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Big Mom, and the countless platinum beams of light followed, swirling around him like a streak of brilliance in the sky.

Two balls of white-gold light, wrapped in black-purple lightning, formed in his hands, crackling with power.

"It's over, Charlotte Linlin!" Buggy declared, his voice cold and final.

Boom!

The two spheres of energy shot out, one striking Charlotte Linlin's head from the left, the other from the right.

SCOFF!

There was no scream. The terrifying force and energy collided, and within an instant, Charlotte Linlin's head was reduced to nothing but pulverized remains.

Chi chi chi chi!

The overwhelming surge of energy was instantly contained by Buggy's might. As the force reached its critical threshold, the space between the two orbs of light flickered, becoming as clear as glass. The ground shattered beneath them, and all the devastating energy surged into the cracked pocket of space.

In the blink of an eye, the energy that should have caused a catastrophic explosion dissipated completely.

The shattered space created by Buggy's [Nuclear Crush] slowly began to heal, returning to normal after just a few seconds.

Now, only the headless body of Charlotte Linlin remained standing on the broken reef, a lifeless shell of her former self.

"Chop and Strip!"

Buggy uttered a low command, raising his hand to unleash a white-gold light curtain. With a casual swipe, the curtain wrapped around Charlotte Linlin's body and shot out from behind her without resistance, transforming into a small ball of light.

It worked!

Joy flashed in Buggy's eyes as he snapped his fingers.

Snapped!

Without missing a beat, he activated the phone bug in his hand, sending a voice transmission to Blueno.

Crunch!

Moments later, Blueno stepped through the space gate, his usual composure faltering when he saw the lifeless form of Big Mom.

"Captain Buggy, what the fu**! That's... Four Emperors... Big Mom!?" Blueno stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Even though Blueno was accustomed to witnessing Buggy's outrageous feats, the sight of Charlotte Linlin's body left him momentarily speechless.

In the distance, Robin, Nami, and Pudding were equally stunned, their expressions frozen in shock.

The terror that had ruled the New World for decades, the Four Emperors' Charlotte Linlin—was she really... dead?

"Yes. Terribly dead," Buggy replied nonchalantly, waving his hand dismissively.

"Go grab the fruit."

Blueno, already well-versed in Buggy's demands, nodded quickly. Without hesitation, he entered the space gate, emerging moments later with an apple. He handed it over to Buggy, who held it out as the small ball of light in his hand transformed.

With a grin spreading across his face, Buggy looked at the fruit now resting in his palm.

"Soul Soul Fruit...Banzai!!!"

---

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