The pirates sat and forgot, and they really believed the nine truths and one lie.

This luxurious yet empty banquet hall is usually where Bucky the Joker and his core crew indulge in revelry and drinking.

At this moment, all the cadres were outside carrying out their missions, leaving only absolute silence in the banquet hall, and the tense standoff between men reminiscent of Roger's ship from the old era.

Barrett, despite his physical weakness, stood as straight as a javelin and stepped forward, his beast-like eyes scrutinizing and defiant as he stared at Bucky, who sat high on the throne.

An invisible yet powerfully penetrating Observation Haki emanated from Barrett, sweeping mercilessly toward Buggy. The Observation Haki attempted to penetrate the clown's face paint and probe its true nature.

Bucky's reaction to this almost offensive probing was minimal, but the painted smile on his lips only deepened.

He didn't stop them; instead, he leisurely swirled the wine in his glass, the crimson liquid drawing elegant arcs on the glass, as if to say, "Look and see as you please; the answer is more meaningful when you see it with your own eyes."

In Barrett's perception, the Bucky before him was completely different from the red-nosed apprentice in his memory who was trembling with fear on Roger's ship and often ordered around by his seniors.

Although Bucky's actual height is not as imposing as Barrett's, the powerful aura that emanates from his very bones, as if he is above all others, is undeniable.

It was an extremely chaotic and indescribable aura of dominance, completely different from Roger's boldness and openness, and Garp's uprightness and grandeur. It was more bizarre and elusive, as if it contained endless chaos.

If this aura is an act, then Buggy is undoubtedly the world's best actor. Just the faint aura emanating from him is enough to scare away many pirates.

Unable to find anything, Barrett slowly withdrew his Observation Haki, but his gaze remained fixed on Buggy.

The other party's arrogant and domineering attitude made Barrett, who had just regained his freedom and was proud and arrogant, feel inexplicably irritated.

"Are you really Bucky the Clown?"

Barrett, with undisguised suspicion, said, "You've changed far too much..."

Upon hearing this, Bucky downed the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp. Then, he casually opened the empty glass, and a soft white light flashed and disappeared in his palm.

The seemingly exquisite glass, right under Barrett's gaze, did not shatter without a sound. Instead, it was disintegrated from its most basic structure by an invisible force, instantly breaking down into the finest particles, leaving not even a speck of dust behind, and completely disappearing into the air.

"What does it matter if it's real or fake?"

Bucky's voice carried a nonchalant mockery. He grinned, and the smile was no longer a bitter one, but a knowing smile that seemed to understand the absurdity of fate and was full of amusement.

"I am the Joker, and I am the Joker. I have become the way I am today, which is a kind of historical process..."

Barrett still had doubts, but he now understood that it was pointless to dwell on whether the person in front of him was really Barrett himself.

It doesn't matter who is under this skin; what matters is the power he displays and the forces he commands, which are real and authentic.

The Clown Pirates' incredibly powerful officers—Kokushibo, Acnologia, Orochimaru, Black Sperm, and others—are all terrifying beings capable of stirring up storms.

Their combined strength has forged this clown before us, his unfathomable depths making him fully qualified to be called the Emperor of the Sea. Whether the World Government acknowledges it in the newspapers or not, Bucky is not much different from the Emperor of the Sea.

Barrett took a deep breath, no longer dwelling on the issue of identity, and cut straight to the point, "I don't care whether you are Bucky or not. What you want from me is the permanent Log Pose to Laugh Tale, right?"

"I won't give it to you just by talking. After all, it's something Roger left behind; neither you nor I are qualified to use it."

Before he finished speaking, Barrett's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Although he was extremely weak due to deficiency of both qi and blood, an extremely domineering and destructive aura suddenly burst out from his body.

The blue-purple aura, like a tangible lightning bolt, swept through the spacious banquet hall like a burst dam.

The air vibrated violently, the expensive chandelier swayed wildly, and the oil paintings on the walls rustled. This domineering aura was filled with an arrogant disdain for the world, which was the same as the performance of the Devil's Descendant, who was second only to the captain himself on Roger's ship back then.

At the center of this powerful storm, Buggy's carefree smile finally faded, replaced by a hint of appreciation. Barrett was just the right person to fill the vacancy in the Clown Pirates' executive position.

"Barrett, you've been imprisoned for so many years, but your Conqueror's Haki hasn't faded at all..."

Bucky's voice remained steady, a nostalgic look crossing his face covered in paint. "The old guys from Roger's ship, all those who've survived to this day have fallen silent. You, however, have truly not disappointed me too much..."

A completely different kind of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Buggy's seemingly thin body.

This domineering aura presents a strange, chaotic color between red and white, with a more mixed and elusive aura, as if it has merged countless different wills and emotions. In its madness and chaos, it also carries an absolute majesty that transcends all things.

Two peak Conqueror's Haki, like two meteors, collided violently in the center of the banquet hall, and invisible shockwaves spread wildly in all directions.

The long tables covered with white tablecloths, and the exquisite silver tableware, crystal-clear wine bottles and glasses around them, were all shattered into dust as if made of paper under the pressure of these two overwhelming forces.

Food and wine were spilled all over the floor, and the entire banquet hall instantly became a mess. In the blink of an eye, this place of enjoyment seemed to be turning into a battlefield.

"Is this all you've got?"

Barrett gritted his teeth, forcing his weakened body to push his Conqueror's Haki to its limit, yet he let out a disdainful sneer.

He could sense that Bucky's Conqueror's Haki was very strong, but compared to the kingly aura of Captain Roger in his memory, which was as fiery as the sun and could illuminate the entire sea, it seemed to lack a certain purity.

Upon hearing this, Bucky's smile widened suddenly, almost reaching his ears, looking strangely excited. "Oh, how about that?"

With a low shout, the already raging chaotic overlord color suddenly surged again, becoming even more turbulent and aggressive.

They were no longer simply contending with Barrett's blue-purple domineering aura, but began to devour the space covered by Barrett's Conqueror's Haki inch by inch, like greedy beasts.

Within minutes, the situation on the field underwent a stunning reversal. Bucky's Chaos Conqueror's Haki, which was initially evenly matched, gradually gained an absolute advantage.

It was like an invisible cage, suppressing Barrett's domineering blue-purple aura that represented the glory of the old era, forcing him to retreat step by step and shrink his range of activities.

Barrett's relaxed expression had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness and a hint of disbelief and shock.

Veins bulged on his forehead as he struggled to maintain his domineering presence, yet he still couldn't stop the chaotic colors from closing in.

An absurd and chilling thought flashed into Barrett's mind: Could this guy's Conqueror's Haki, this absolute sense of oppression, be... could it have surpassed Captain Roger's back then?!

The thought made Barrett's heart skip a beat. If it were true, then the power possessed by the Joker Bucky would be terrifying.