One Piece Chapter 233: Highest Powers of the World

A massive explosion violently rocks the town, sending a huge plume of smoke and debris high into the air with a loud "OOOOO" sound effect. Wooden planks and fragments of buildings are blasted outward from the epicenter. In the town below, several townspeople, including a man wearing a striped shirt, watch the destruction unfold in stunned silence. The scene then cuts to a close-up of a fist dripping with blood, the drops falling to the ground with a "Pota... Pota..." sound. A shocked townsperson stares wide-eyed at the sight, exclaiming, "WHA!?"

Bellamy's face is violently distorted as a devastating punch connects, sending blood flying and creating a massive impact with a "DOOOOM" sound effect. Below, Luffy stands calmly in the street, adjusting his straw hat, while the townspeople watch the aftermath in stunned silence. Sarquiss, sweating and panicked, yells out, "CUT IT OUT, BELLAMY! STOP ACTIN' STUPID AND PUT ON YOUR USUAL SHOW FOR US! AREN'T YOU THE BIGSHOT ROOKIE WORTH 55 MILLION!? BELLAMY!" A shot shows Bellamy completely knocked out, face-planted into the cratered ground. A terrified townsperson stammers, "Ha... C... come on... T-this isn't funny, Bellamy...! You're just jokin' around, right...!?...Say something!"

The townspeople begin to panic as the reality of the situation sets in. One man realizes, "THOSE TWO GUYS FROM DURING THE DAY... Ah..." Another yells, "Mnf- MAJOR TROUBLE!" as a piece of paper flutters down from the sky. A townsperson catches it—it's Luffy's wanted poster, clearly showing his bounty of 100,000,000 Berries. The man screams, "BOTH HAVE BOUNTIES HIGHER THAN YOU, BELLAMY!" Sarquiss looks on in absolute shock, speechless. Another pirate mutters, "I told you so, didn't I..." Sarquiss stumbles backward, yelling "AGH!" and "GAHH!" in disbelief. Luffy, looking intensely serious, demands, "GIVE IT BACK! THE GOLD!"

Total panic ensues as the townspeople flee in terror, screaming, "AAAAA AAAGH HHHHH HHHHH! HE'S THE REAL DEAL! HE BEAT BELLAMY!" They run frantically away from the scene, arms flailing. A wide shot shows the town buildings as the screams echo through the streets. Meanwhile, at the coast, Shoujou's ape crew members are busy repairing their ship. They chant "UHO! UHO!" and call out instructions to each other, "FIX THE SHIP!" and "RAISE THE BOW!" The sound of hammering, "Ton ten kan," fills the air as they work diligently on the vessel.

Zoro, carrying a large stack of wooden planks, talks to Nami. She asks, "What!? Don't fight, fight... Don't go, go... Make up your mind, woman. So why didn't you go?" Zoro replies, "But they beat you too. A fight that would only leave pity, is too painful to bother. Beat me? Those guys weren't even blocking our way." Nearby, Chopper in his heavy point form carries planks, calling out, "We need some more planks over here!" Sanji replies, "Ok! Thanks, racoon." Chopper angrily retorts, "I'M A REINDEER!" Sanji then yells at Zoro, "HEY, MARIMO-MAN! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SAYING TO NAMI!?" Zoro snaps back, "SHUT UP! GO AWAY, YOU'RE IN MY WAY!" Sanji asks, "Are you an idiot?" and Zoro replies, "The heck's that supposed to mean?" Back in town, Luffy walks calmly away from the defeated Bellamy, carrying a large sack over his shoulder. He says, "Found it, found it!"

Sarquiss, enraged and desperate, charges at Luffy with a large kukri knife, screaming "GAAAHHH!" Luffy stops walking and looks back over his shoulder, asking, "Where...?" Sarquiss yells, "COME AT ME THEN! THERE'S NO WAY A DAYDREAMIN' IDIOT LIKE YOU CAN BEAT US! HEY! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOIN', STRAW-HAT!?" Another pirate tries to stop him, shouting "STOP IT, SARQUISS!" but Sarquiss insists, "H-HEY, YOU! I'M STILL STANDIN', AIN'T I!?" Sweating profusely, Sarquiss tries to convince himself, "It... It must've been just a fluke!" Luffy turns fully to face him, pointing a finger straight up into the air, and simply says, "THE SKY."

A caption reads, "Previous day at noon, At a certain island in the Grand Line..." showing a skull-shaped island surrounded by clouds. Inside a dark cave, Buggy's crew is exploring. They ask nervously, "Are you sure this is the right place?" "WHAT!?" "Captain!" "Captain!" Buggy looks terrified, sweating as he says, "WHO KNOWS JUST WHAT KIND OF MONSTER MIGHT COME OUT...! OR WHAT KIND OF HELLISH TRAP THAT MIGHT SPRING UPON US...!" His crewmates try to reassure him, "There's bound to be guards or booby traps around treasure!" "Yes, yes, just keep walking!" "Is this really the legendary cave that the notorious Capt. John who'd do anything for gold hid his treasures in?" "So don't let your guard down or you'll lose your head!"

Buggy, looking annoyed, commands his crew, "Alright, let's all work hard today as well to get this tunnel dug!" The crew enthusiastically replies, "YES, CHIEF!" They are shown swinging pickaxes and digging. One says, "You said it! Our sweat will dig this tunnel, And transform into society's happiness!" Another adds, "Right, and a drink after some good ol' hard labour is... Wait-" Buggy turns to a man and says, "Right, foreman!?" The foreman replies, "Ahh! What a wonderful thing it is, to sweat for such an endeavour!" Buggy suddenly realizes something is wrong and says, "Umm-" The foreman asks, "Ah! Hey there! You the new hands on site?" Buggy erupts in anger, yelling, "JUST WHY THE HELL, AM I SWEATIN' BUCKETS IN HERE!?" as a massive explosion blasts the tunnel, sending a crewmate screaming "Kyaaaaa!"

Buggy yells furiously at his crew, "WHO'S SAYIN' I HAVE A BIG RED-NOSE!?" The crew sweats, saying, "Are you tryin' to get our captain all red-faced?" "Hey, show some more tact, you idiot! Our captain just got the wrong island by mistake!" "So there was no Capt. John's treasure." Buggy then talks to Mohji and Cabaji, "When a witch eats children, she fattens them up first... Consider a witch! See where I'm going with this?" Mohji asks, "Huh? What do you mean by that, cap'n?" Cabaji scoffs, "Hmph! Let those flashy idiots dance around as much as they want!" Buggy explains, "They've already become full-fledged pirates of Grand Line. With bounties of 100 million and 60 million, So the higher Straw-Hat's bounty rises... AHH! I get it! Then the higher your bounty will be when you kill him!" The crew laughs, "GYAHAHAHA! EXACTLY!" Buggy asks, "That's great, captain! Should we celebrate then?" and the crew cheers, "YOU BET YOUR ASS WE DO!"

Buggy's crew is throwing a wild party, drinking and dancing. Buggy yells, "Enough horsing around!" Alvida is sitting elegantly on a couch, holding a drink. She asks, "So how do you even plan to kill him!? You don't even know where Luffy is right now," Buggy grins and points, "We've got a guy who can tell us all about where to find Luffy! See, look!" He points to someone off-panel. "Oh, if it's Luffy you wanna see, I can tell you how." Buggy then says, "Aww, don't be like that, Alvida! C'mon, have a drink and party with us for a while!"

Ace is seen eating and drinking heartily. He says, "Oh, there's no need for polite introdu- The smell of good food and drinks lured me here. My name's Ace, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Buggy's crew is shocked, yelling, "WAIT, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?" Ace casually replies, "Woops, my bad for crashing your party without first saying hello." A crewmate recognizes him, "Captain! Captain, that's 'Flame-fist!' Flame-fist Ace!" Buggy angrily grabs Ace by the collar, yelling, "I'M ASKING WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THAT YOU CAN JUST TRESPASS ON MY SHIP! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR FLASHY NAME!" Suddenly, Ace falls asleep mid-chew, "Zzz..." Buggy and his crew are dumbfounded, screaming, "HE FELL ASLEEP!" Ace wakes up just as suddenly, chewing, and asks, "Oh, you know about pops?" Buggy is shocked, "WHITEBEARD!?" A crewmate explains, "He's the commander of Whitebeard Pirates' second division!"

Buggy sweats profusely, recalling a memory. "Remember this one flashy piece of advice if nothing else, you fools! NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES... NEVER LAY A HAND ON WHITEBEARD'S CREW!" A crewmate argues, "Your fame will sky rocket if you kill Flame-fist Ace here and now!" Buggy screams, "I SAID NO!" The crewmate persists, "What do you mean no!? This is our chance, captain!" Buggy, looking terrified, explains, "WHITEBEARD IS... AN ALMOST LEGENDARY MONSTER WHO, ALONE, FOUGHT AGAINST THE PIRATE KING ROGER TO A STANDSTILL! WITHOUT A DOUBT, HE'S THE WORLD'S STRONGEST PIRATE AS OF NOW! THE MAN CLOSEST TO ONE PIECE, YOU MIGHT SAY!" Alvida adds, "And if there's one thing Whitebeard doesn't forgive, it's the death of his crewmates! No matter what! That's the kind of man he is! You're pretty knowledgeable about him, aren't you..." Buggy replies, "Of course I am..."

Buggy looks serious as he says, "IN THE PAST... I'VE RUN ACROSS HIM HERE IN THE GRAND LINE...!" Ace fully wakes up and says, "Oh, so you know my pops?" The crew panics, "HE WOKE UP!" Ace looks around and says, "What's going on? Don't be shy, isn't this a party! Let's have some fun!" Buggy quickly changes his tune, laughing, "Ah, that's right! This IS a party!" Ace laughs, "So you know how to handle a drink or two, eh!? Gyahaha! Drink up, drink up!" Buggy joins in, "GYAHAHA!" Ace notices Richie the lion and says, "Oh, you guys have a lion? C'mere! Jump through this flaming ring!" Richie looks confused, "GRR!?" Buggy cheers him on, "JUMP, RICHIE! AHAHAHA!"

A caption reads "Holy Land, Marie-Joie" above a sprawling, magnificent castle. Inside, a massive building with guards stationed outside is shown. A voice asks, "What...?" Another voice says, "Red-hair has what...!?" Inside, a government official in a suit reports to someone off-screen, "Yes. He's showing signs of ominous movement... But he didn't go himself, did he?" The official continues, "No, sir... He is using a messenger in his stead, but...! Even the idea of contact between Whitebeard and Red-hair is too dangerous!"

A large spread reveals the "World Government's Supreme Authority 'Gorousei' (Five Elder Stars)". Five older men are gathered in a grand room. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, holding a sword, says, "More importantly, we must appoint another member to the Shichibukai to fill Crocodile's absence. Even a single hole must not be overlooked." Shepherd Ju Peter, with blonde hair, adds, "A rupture in the 'Three Great Powers' can cause a tremor that will shake the entire world. We must maintain the balance." Topman Warcury, with a large mustache, suggests, "We should observe the situation for now instead of acting hastily." Jaygarcia Saturn, holding a cane, argues, "But he's not a man bent on trying to change the world. If we just allow Red-Hair to run amok unchecked, it will be difficult for us to contain the possible consequences." Marcus Mars, standing tall with long white hair, agrees, "Hmm... True, indeed..."

A marine reports, "Yes, an invitation has been sent to all Shichibukai members for that purpose, but... It is difficult to say how many of them will show... They are pirates, after all, a rather unruly and fickle bunch..." The scene shifts to show two massive figures arriving. The marine announces, "MARINE HQ REPORTING TO MARIE-JOIE: THE ROYAL SHICHIBUKAI MEMBERS, DONQUIXOTE DOFLAMINGO, AND... BARTHOLOMEW KUMA HAVE ARRIVED...!" Doflamingo stands tall in his feathered coat, while the towering Kuma holds a Bible. Back with the Five Elders, one says, "Crocodile... What a mess you've left for us... And the man who took him down... He must also not be allowed to run loose for long... Monkey D. Luffy..." A hand is shown holding Luffy's wanted poster.

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