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Aboard the Going Merry.
Unlike Shaka, who saw right through Usopp and Nami's act of pretending to faint, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and the others were thrown into shock when Nami collapsed as well.
Luffy, in particular, clenched his fists in fury, glaring at the golden Buddha in front of him. "You bastard! What did you do to my crew?"
"Luffy, don't be reckless!" Zoro and Sanji quickly held him back.
Robin acted even faster, using her Flower-Flower Fruit ability to cover Luffy's mouth, preventing him from saying something that might anger this mysterious being.
The entity before them was terrifying beyond words. Just its mere presence was enough to make them tremble, sapping their will to fight and crushing any thought of resistance.
"Tony Tony Chopper..."
The golden Buddha turned its gaze to Chopper, ignoring Luffy's outburst as if it was beneath its concern.
"Compassion, compassion. You may be a reindeer, timid as a mouse, but you have a kind heart and uphold the duties of a doctor, accumulating virtue through your actions. While you have also taken lives, your merits balance out your sins..."
Chopper, trembling with fear, looked up in confusion and unease. The Buddha's voice remained indifferent:
"You are exempt from punishment. Upon death, you may enter reincarnation and be reborn as a human."
"Huh?!" Chopper's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, quickly turning to joy.
But as he glanced at Nami and Usopp, fear gripped him again. He dropped to his knees, crying and pleading, "Buddha, please, have mercy! Spare Nami and Usopp! They're good people—they never harm others without reason!"
Robin, Zoro, and Sanji were just as stunned.
The Buddha had effortlessly called out their names and knew their personalities and past deeds down to the last detail.
The realization sent chills down their spines.
"Monkey D. Luffy, do you recognize your sins?" The golden Buddha ignored Chopper's desperate pleas and turned its gaze to Luffy.
"Quit your creepy nonsense! I'm not listening to a word of it!"
Luffy's eyes burned with determination. Clenching his teeth, he launched himself forward, fists swinging wildly. His rubbery arms stretched, his fists becoming a blur as he unleashed a furious barrage of punches toward the towering Buddha.
"Gum-Gum Gatling!"
"Luffy, stop!" Robin, Zoro, and Sanji shouted, alarmed by his recklessness.
"Namo Shakyamuni Buddha."
Without changing expression, the golden Buddha calmly raised a massive, glowing hand.
"Foolish and stubborn."
BAM! BAM! BAM!
With effortless grace, it deflected Luffy's relentless assault, sending his fists flying off-course. The uncontrolled punches smashed into the surrounding area, destroying ghost ships and wrecked vessels nearby.
Then, with a simple flick of its fingers, an invisible force blasted through the air at lightning speed.
Luffy had no chance to dodge.
BOOM!
The impact sent him hurtling backward like a cannonball, slamming into the Merry's mast.
The massive mast groaned and shook violently under the impact, but it did not break—Shaka had controlled his strength.
"Ow! Ow! That hurts! That really hurts!"
Luffy rolled on the deck in pain, his fists swollen to several times their normal size, throbbing red and pulsating with heat. The burning agony made him cry out in anguish, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.
"Luffy!"
"Wait, isn't he made of rubber?"
"How did his fists swell up just from being deflected?!"
Zoro, Sanji, and Robin stared in disbelief at Luffy's condition. His fists looked like overcooked pork knuckles, and the sheer pain he was in was enough to make even them shudder.
"Monkey D. Luffy..."
The golden Buddha remained seated in swirling clouds, looking down at the fallen Straw Hat captain with an unshakable, divine authority.
"Your sins are heavy. You have taken countless lives, and your crimes cannot be forgiven. Your punishment: fifty years in the Cauldron of Boiling Oil, followed by another fifty years in the Hell of Saws, before you may reincarnate as a monkey."
Robin broke out in a cold sweat. Staring at the Buddha, she whispered in doubt, "Could this be... the ability of some special Devil Fruit?"
Zoro, on the other hand, had already drawn his swords, ready to fight.
Sanji, too, raised his right foot, prepared to strike at any moment.
"Black Leg Sanji..."
The golden Buddha ignored their readiness for battle and turned its attention to the Straw Hats' cook.
"Oh? Is it my turn now?"
Lighting a cigarette, Sanji fought against the immense pressure, forcing himself to stay calm.
"You pride yourself on your chivalry, yet in truth, you are a lecherous, shameless pervert. Your punishment: fifty years in the Hell of Bronze Pillars, after which you may reincarnate as a duck."
"I refuse!" Sanji declared, cigarette hanging from his lips as he stared defiantly at the towering Buddha. "No way in hell am I coming back as a duck!"
"Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro..."
The golden Buddha turned to Zoro, its cold and authoritative gaze unyielding.
"You are a relentless killer. Your sins rival those of the Straw Hat. Your punishment: fifty years in the Hell of Blades, before reincarnating as a shark."
"Lay down your sword, and you may attain enlightenment. End your life now."
The voice boomed like thunder, shaking the very air. The weight of its words was suffocating, instilling an instinctive fear that urged those who heard it to kneel and submit.
"Sorry, but I can't do that."
Zoro's forehead was lined with sweat, his breath heavy under the immense pressure. Yet his eyes remained sharp and resolute.
With a swift motion, he tore off the green bandana from his arm and tied it around his head. Holding his swords tight—Sandai Kitetsu in one hand, Yubashiri in the other, and Wado Ichimonji clenched between his teeth—he stood firm.
"My goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman. Until I achieve that dream, I refuse to die!"
"Even if I fall into hell, I'll crawl my way back up! My name will echo through the heavens!"
Robin stared at him in awe.
Even Luffy, bruised and battered, stood back up, clenching his fists.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all glared at the golden Buddha, teeth gritted in defiance.
"The power of the Dharma is infinite. If you refuse to follow my guidance, the only path left to you is death."
A terrifying aura exploded from the golden Buddha.
Its colossal body rose to its full height, radiating an overwhelming pressure that made the entire Straw Hat crew shudder uncontrollably.
Chopper, Dr. Henzo, and even the supposedly unconscious Nami were deathly pale, trembling in fear.
Their fate hung in the balance.
"....."