Chapter Forty-Two: Encounter with Blackbeard at Night

Buffon quickly reviewed all the Devil Fruit abilities he had copied in his mind, then decided to give up on taking any more. At present, he already possessed the powers of Gas, Microscope, Flame, Underworld, Stitch, Paw, Scissors, Hormone, Swallow, Silence, and Transparency—eleven abilities in total. This meant that the limit of the “Character Illustrated Handbook’s” ability to copy Devil Fruit powers was eleven. Having figured this out, Buffon felt neither disappointed nor regretful; as long as he chose the right combination of abilities, he would remain a force to be reckoned with.

“Victory Eleven isn’t bad at all!” Buffon praised inwardly, then turned to Dalton, who was still confused, and said, “Guard your kingdom well. I’m taking Wapol with me.” With that, he stood up and dragged the three men, who had been stitched together, out of the castle.

The soldiers, already disgruntled by Wapol’s tyranny but previously cowed by his might, felt no urge to stop Buffon now that Wapol was defeated and Dalton was free. Instead, they rushed to Dalton’s side.

Chopper, who had only just recovered from being thoroughly amazed by Buffon’s miraculous medical skills, hurried after Buffon. Seeing Buffon about to leap off the cliff with the captives in tow, Chopper shouted, “Doctor Buffon, where are you going?”

Buffon looked back and replied calmly, “Back to my ship.”

“Can you take me to see your pirate ship?” Chopper asked.

Buffon didn’t refuse; he simply beckoned him over. Chopper, delighted, scampered after him on short legs. Buffon picked Chopper up in one arm, hoisted the three captives in the other, and leapt off the cliff.

Startled, Chopper clung tightly to Buffon’s clothes and cried, “Doctor Buffon, we’ll die if you jump like this!”

Buffon shook his head, his voice steady, “We won’t. Don’t worry.” Then, using Paper Art from the Six Techniques, he floated gently toward the harbor.

Sensing there was no danger, Chopper dared to open his eyes and look down, but immediately shut them again, clinging desperately to Buffon.

After more than ten minutes, Buffon drifted to the Juventus, setting Chopper down. “Chopper, we’re here.”

Chopper opened his eyes, looked at the large ship at the dock, then gazed back up at the peak from which they’d just descended, his face lighting up. “Doctor Buffon, did you eat the Bird-Bird Fruit?”

Buffon shook his head, not answering. Instead, he pointed to the Juventus. “That’s my ship. Would you like to come aboard and have a look?”

Chopper nodded eagerly and followed Buffon onto the ship. Having never left Drum Island or set foot on a vessel, Chopper felt as if a door to a new world had opened; he began spinning in circles on the deck, full of wonder.

It wasn’t until Saulo emerged from the cabin that Chopper was startled, quickly hiding behind Buffon, only his body sticking out as he whispered, “Is he a giant?”

Saulo, equally curious about this talking little creature, asked, “Captain Buffon, is this your new pet?”

Buffon shook his head. “A reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit.”

Saulo nodded thoughtfully, then picked Chopper up and placed him in his palm, turning him over in fascination. Hearing Saulo address Buffon as captain made Chopper less afraid, and he even greeted Saulo.

At this moment, Ace emerged as well. He glanced at Chopper, then at the three men stitched together on the deck, and asked curiously, “So that’s the tyrant Wapol? And how did you manage to trick this little fellow onto the ship as well?”

Buffon nodded, then turned to Chopper. “We’re leaving now. You should hurry back to your Doctor Kureha. The country will need you to treat many patients.”

Chopper looked at Buffon and asked timidly, “Doctor Buffon, can I go to sea with you?”

Buffon shook his head and gently carried Chopper off the ship. As he set Chopper down, he noticed Chopper’s hat was worn and tattered. He removed the hat and began to undo the stitches.

“No! That was left to me by Doctor Hiruluk!” Chopper protested angrily.

“I’m just going to mend it for you,” Buffon replied, his hands never stopping. In moments, the old hat unraveled into a coil of pink cotton thread. Buffon’s fingers flew as he wove in threads produced by the Stitch-Stitch Fruit. A few minutes later, a brand-new hat, identical to the original, appeared in Buffon’s hands. He gently placed it on Chopper’s head.

“Chopper, you must wait for your true companions—they are not us. When the cherry blossoms bloom all over Drum Island, your real friends will come to take you away.” With these words, Buffon turned toward the ship.

Chopper bit his lip hard, struggling not to cry aloud. Standing at the ship’s rail, Buffon turned back and called, “Tell your Doctor Kureha—don’t ever reveal my name to anyone!”

Chopper nodded vigorously, tears streaming down his cheeks. Then, rummaging through his backpack, he pulled out an Eternal Pose and threw it up onto the ship with all his might.

Buffon caught the compass, glanced at it, smiled, and returned to the cabin.

Inside the cabin, Saulo spoke up, “I just got in touch with Moria. They’ll be here by noon tomorrow. Should we wait?”

Before Buffon could reply, Ace interjected, “I don’t want to wait!”

Buffon weighed their options. With their current strength, if they were to clash with Blackbeard on land during the day, they would be at a disadvantage. If it were at sea, at night, the advantage would shift in their favor.

Before he could issue the order to set sail, the Den Den Mushi at his side rang:

“Buffon, that ship is heading toward us. Looks like they’re about to attack—bring Ryuma and the others and help us!”

Perona’s voice was urgent, though what exactly she’d seen was unclear.

Buffon hung up and ordered the crew to set sail.

Two hours later, from the crow’s nest, Buffon finally spotted Moria’s ship, with Blackbeard’s raft-like vessel nearby.

At that moment, Ace’s voice called from the deck. “Buffon! Is that Teach’s ship?”

Ace, lacking Buffon’s keen eyesight, couldn’t see Teach battling the zombie army on deck.

“Yes!” Buffon shouted, then jumped straight into the sea.

Buffon swam to the stern of the ship, pressed his palms firmly to the hull, and muttered, “Fishman Karate Secret Technique: Buraikan!”

Instantly, a massive sphere of water formed at the stern of the Juventus, its force propelling the ship rapidly toward the converging vessels.

Ace, standing on deck, glanced at the gigantic water sphere and, with an exaggerated expression, asked Saulo, “Is Buffon a fishman?”

Saulo spread his hands and shook his head. “I don’t think so!”

In the blink of an eye, the Juventus was alongside the other two ships, and Ace could now make out Teach’s figure. His eyes blazing, Ace shouted across to the other vessel, “Teach!”

Hearing Ace’s shout, Blackbeard’s crew all stopped and turned to look. Moria, in the midst of battle, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was the Juventus arriving. To be honest, in the brief time they’d been fighting, he had already formed a judgment about these five previously unknown opponents. Especially the one missing three teeth, with a dark red scarf on his head—Moria sensed that unless he went all out, he might very well meet his end here.

Now, Blackbeard turned to Ace and roared, “Oh, so it’s Captain Ace! Zehahahahaha!”

Ace leapt to Moria’s ship, faced Blackbeard, and said coldly, “Enough! I am no longer your captain. That title is reserved for those worthy of respect.”

At this point, the man beside Blackbeard, wearing purple overalls and a top hat, spoke with a hint of disdain, “So you’re Fire Fist Ace?”

Buffon, now back on the Juventus, recognized him at once as Lafitte, the “Demon Sheriff” and Blackbeard Pirates’ navigator.

Ace, no longer the easygoing man he’d been back on Drum Island, replied coolly, “That’s right. Pleased to meet you.” He clenched his fist, flames gathering, and pointed it at Teach.