Capítulo 9: Taking Charge of Clowns
The battlefield at Marineford was absolute chaos. The ground shook with the clash of pirates and Marines, the air filled with cannon fire and smoke. Everywhere Blake looked, destruction reigned, but he remained calm, unshaken by the madness unfolding around him.
He had been pulled into the company of Buggy and Mr. 3, two of the most unlikely allies he could have found himself with, but for now, they were helpful. Even if Buggy was more of a clown than a captain, his presence drew attention away from Blake, allowing him to operate in the background.
Staying close to Luffy in this pandemonium would have been a solid plan, but it wasn't his style of operation.
Blake had observed Luffy for some time now, and one thing was clear—he was reckless. Luffy charged ahead, driven by raw determination and strength alone, rarely pausing to think about strategy. That kind of blind charge would get most people killed, but somehow, Luffy managed to push through. Still, it was dangerous, and Blake could already see how easily the Marines could exploit it.
"He's strong, but strength alone isn't going to win him this war," Blake mumbled.
He had seen Luffy darting ahead, diving straight into the fray without a second thought. Admirable, but not smart. Blake made a decision. He wasn't going to fight alongside Luffy directly. Instead, he would support from the shadows, keeping an eye on the reckless Straw Hat captain while using his abilities in calculated bursts.
Blake sighed as he glanced at his new "allies"—Buggy the Clown, the self-proclaimed pirate king, and Mr. 3, the wax-wielding former Baroque Works agent.
The pair had gathered a ragtag group of escaped prisoners from Impel Down, forming their own chaotic little band. And Blake? He somehow found himself drawn into their orbit, much to his initial amusement.
Blake stood tall, watching as Buggy flailed about dramatically, boasting to the surrounding prisoners about how he would lead them to victory and claim glory for himself. Buggy's exaggerated movements and loud proclamations had attracted quite the crowd, but Blake could see through it immediately. This man was a joke—just an opportunist looking for fame.
He stepped closer, his gaze fixed on Buggy's bright red nose. Its absurdity was hard to ignore. Without missing a beat, Blake crossed his arms and called out, his voice calm and cutting.
"Hey, Big red nose. Are you planning on doing something useful or just putting on a circus show?"
The crowd around them fell silent, eyes darting between Blake and Buggy. Mr. 3 froze, his wax-covered face betraying a hint of concern. As for Buggy, his eyes bulged out of his head, his jaw dropping in shock.
"W-What did you just call me?!" Buggy shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at Blake. His face turned red with fury—whether from anger or embarrassment was anyone's guess.
Blake didn't flinch. Instead, he casually approached Buggy, standing a full head taller than the clown pirate. His eyes narrowed slightly, and at that moment, gaze intimidation kicked in. The effect was immediate—Buggy's bravado crumbled under the weight of Blake's calm, piercing stare.
Buggy took a nervous step back, sweat beading on his forehead.
"H-Hey, you can't just call me Red Nose! I'm Captain Buggy, the future Pirate King! Show some respect!". Blake raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged.
"Sure, 'Captain.' Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Despite their comical antics, Blake kept his attention elsewhere. His focus was on Luffy.
Blake stood at the edge of the battlefield, his eyes tracking Luffy's movements. With Heimdall's future sight, he could anticipate the dangers coming toward Luffy before they happened, and his enhanced vision allowed him to pinpoint threats across the battlefield.
There, he spotted a Marine officer preparing to launch an attack on Luffy from a distance, his weapon raised and aimed at the Straw Hat captain. Blake moved swiftly, his fingers sparking with the power of Mikoto's Railgun. With a quick, subtle flick, he launched a small, electrically charged projectile.
The attack hit its mark, taking out the Marine with a precise shot. Blake didn't use the full power of Mikoto's Railgun—just enough to neutralize the threat without drawing attention to himself. He preferred to remain in the background for now. Let the heavy hitters fight on the front lines. Blake would support Luffy silently, without making himself a target for the Admirals just yet.
As Luffy charged ahead, Blake saw something that made him pause. Several Marines, not as strong as the Admirals or higher officers, had locked their sights on Luffy, their weapons raised. Blake could see it—their attacks would hit home if Luffy didn't dodge.But instead of rushing in to block the attacks, Blake had a different idea.
With a subtle gesture, he activated his Mirror Knight card. Using the light around him and the reflective surfaces of the battlefield, he created a series of illusions over Luffy's form. The Marines, who lacked observation haki, would see multiple images of Luffy flickering around the battlefield, making it impossible for them to pinpoint his exact location.
The confusion was instant. The Marines hesitated, their attacks faltering as they struggled to figure out which Luffy was real. In that moment of hesitation, Luffy moved, charging forward without realizing the danger he had just escaped.
Over the past day, he had learned how this specific power worked and its current limitations through quiet experimentation. He had discovered that he could conjure mirror-like surfaces about 1 meter by 1 meter wherever he could see. These mirrors could be angled however he wanted, creating reflective barriers that refracted light and altered perceptions. It wasn't just about creating simple reflections—these mirrors could be used to manipulate the battlefield, disorient opponents, or even bend light to hide Luffy's movements.
The mirrors weren't entirely invisible, though. They had a medium level of stealth—if someone was paying close attention, they could spot the faint shimmer in the air where the mirrors were placed. However, unless someone actively focused on them, the mirrors blended in with the environment just enough to give Blake an advantage.
At the moment, Blake could summon up to three mirrors at a time, each one requiring his mental focus to maintain. He could position them across the battlefield to create illusions, deflect attacks, or even redirect light-based abilities. But there were limits. He couldn't stretch the size of the mirrors beyond their current dimensions, and three was the maximum he could manage.
He suspected that, with more proficiency, he might be able to create larger mirrors or perhaps even increase the number he could control at once. The potential of the Mirror Knight card excited him—there was so much more to learn, and the possibilities were endless.
Blake smirked, satisfied. "Reckless as ever," he muttered, but his tone showed a hint of admiration. For all of Luffy's recklessness, his determination was impressive. Meanwhile, Buggy and Mr. 3 had been doing their best to avoid the thick of the battle, but their antics only made them more noticeable. Buggy was still ranting and raving about becoming the Pirate King, drawing unwanted attention to their group with every exaggerated movement.
Blake, keeping one eye on Luffy, sighed and turned his attention back to his two "allies."
"Red Nose," Blake called out, his voice calm but commanding. The insult landed perfectly as Buggy's face twisted into a mask of outrage.
"It's not Red Nose! It's Captain Buggy, the Pirate King!" Buggy shouted, pointing at Blake with wild gestures. But Blake wasn't fazed.
"Sure, Rudolph. Whatever you say," Blake replied, his voice dripping with casual indifference.
Before Buggy could scream another retort, Blake locked eyes with him. His gaze narrowed, fixing him. The effect was immediate. Buggy's bravado evaporated under Blake's piercing stare, his body trembling slightly as he took a nervous step back. Blake let the silence hang in the air for a moment before speaking again, his tone even.
"You're going to get yourself killed if you keep drawing attention like that. So why don't you let me handle this, and you follow along quietly?"
Buggy gulped, clearly weighing his options. But with the intense gaze still on him, he quickly nodded.
"R-Right. Good idea."
Blake smirked. "Thought so."
From that point on, Buggy and Mr. 3 fell in line, following Blake's lead without question. The prisoners who had rallied around Buggy soon noticed the shift in command. They no longer looked to Buggy for direction; their eyes were on Blake, who led with calm authority.
Every time Buggy tried to reassert himself, Blake shut him down with a single glance. It became a running gag in their group—the louder Buggy got, the more he was forced into submission by Blake's silent dominance.
As the battle unfolded, Blake maintained his role as the unseen support. He watched Luffy closely, stepping in only when necessary. Whether taking out long-range threats with Mikoto's Railgun, creating illusions to protect Luffy, or using future sight to anticipate attacks, Blake was always two steps ahead.
And yet, through it all, Blake remained unnoticed by the heavy hitters of the battlefield. He didn't engage with the Admirals or the higher-ranking Marines. That time would come. He was content to watch, observe, and support Luffy's reckless charge from afar.
But he knew there would be a moment when he couldn't stay in the shadows as the war raged on. Eventually, Blake would have to step into the spotlight, and when that time came, the battlefield would feel the full weight of his power.
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