KABOOOOOM!!!!!
The explosion rippled through the air like thunder, and for a moment, the entire plaza seemed to pause in stunned silence.
The metal execution platform—the same structure where Gold Roger had met his end—groaned under the force of the blast, its old beams rippling and dislodging.
'Whew, perfect timing. Though I have to admit, that was cutting it closer than I'd like.'
The platform shuddered violently, tilting at a dangerous angle as the explosion's force traveled through its support beams. I watched with grim satisfaction as both Luffy and Buggy tumbled from their perch, the clown pirate's theatrical execution turned into an undignified fall.
CRASH!
Both figures hit the ground with heavy thuds, dust and debris raining down around them. The crowd scattered in panic, their morbid fascination replaced by the very real fear of being caught in whatever was about to unfold.
THUD! THUD!
The first drops of rain began to fall as the two figures hit the ground. The weather had been building toward this moment all afternoon, and now the heavens decided to open up and add their own dramatic flair to the proceedings.
Luffy bounced once—because of course he did, rubber physics being what they are—and rolled to a stop near the base of the execution platform.
He immediately sat up with that impossibly wide grin that somehow managed to be both relieved and completely unconcerned about having nearly lost his head moments earlier.
"Buhahaha! That was close!" he laughed, brushing half-burned dust and splinters from his vest like he'd just finished a particularly entertaining game rather than escaping death by inches.
"Looks like I survived!"
'Close? CLOSE?! You rubber-brained moron, that sword was about to separate your head from your shoulders, and you're treating this like it was some kind of amusement park ride.'
I let out a long, exasperated sigh that carried all the stress and panic I'd been holding in during that impossibly tense moment. Another half-second and we'd be having a very different conversation.
'Or rather, we wouldn't be having any conversation at all.'
Zoro arrived first, his swords still drawn and his expression thunderous.
"You Idiotic Captain!" he shouted, his usual stoic demeanor cracking under the strain of watching his friend nearly become a historical footnote.
"What the hell were you thinking, letting yourself get captured like that?!"
Sanji wasn't far behind, his tie askew and his normally perfect hair disheveled from our sprint across the plaza.
"Damn moron!" he barked, cigarette dangling from his lips as he gestured wildly. "Do you have any idea how close you were to death?!"
"If you ever do something this monumentally stupid again," I added, pointing my pistol directly at Luffy's head for emphasis, "I'll shoot you myself and save everyone else the trouble."
'I'm only half-joking about that. The other half is dead serious.'
Luffy's response was exactly what I should have expected from someone whose brain was apparently made of the same rubber as the rest of him.
"Shishishi! It's okay!" he declared with that insufferably cheerful tone that suggested he'd learned absolutely nothing from this experience.
"I have you guys to save me!"
'ARGH!'
The sound of three different people grinding their teeth in frustrated unison was probably audible from the next island over.
Even through my exasperation, I could feel something unexpected in my chest—a realization that it wasn't just me who'd been terrified of losing this rubber-brained idiot.
'It's not only me. Zoro and Sanji were just as worried about this idiotic captain as I was.'
Zoro's grip on his swords tightened, his knuckles white with barely controlled emotion. Sanji's hands were shaking slightly as he lit a new cigarette, the old one having fallen during his panicked sprint.
'We're all invested in keeping this moron alive, apparently.'
But before any of us could deliver the lecture Luffy so richly deserved, the sound of marching boots echoed across the plaza from multiple directions simultaneously.
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!
Marines poured into the plaza from every entrance, their formations precise and their weapons drawn.
They moved with the coordinated efficiency of people who'd been planning this moment, surrounding the entire area in a matter of seconds.
"SURROUND THE PLAZA!"
"DON'T LET ANYONE ESCAPE!"
"SECURE ALL EXITS!"
"CONTAIN THE PIRATES!"
'Oh, right. This day's complications aren't ending just yet.'
In the middle of this military precision, we were still surrounded by Buggy's remaining pirates, who looked just as trapped as we were but significantly more panicked about it.
Their colorful costumes and theatrical makeup made them look like circus performers who'd wandered into a war zone by mistake.
From the rubble and ashes of the fallen wooden part of the platform, Buggy's voice rose in a shriek of pure rage.
"YOU!" he screamed, pointing dramatically at me.
"Dead-Eyes! How dare you shoot at me! That was MY execution! MY moment of triumph!"
'Your moment of triumph, my ass. That was attempted murder, you delusional clown.'
Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette, his eyes scanning the Marine positions with professional assessment.
"What now?" he asked, his voice carrying that particular strain that comes from being trapped with no obvious escape route. "There's no way out."
"No choice then," Zoro shifted into a combat stance, his three swords gleaming despite the gathering rain.
"We fight our way out," he said with the simple certainty of someone who'd solved most of life's problems with sharp steel.
'Fight our way out through dozens of Marines plus a crew of angry pirates in the middle of a crowded plaza full of civilians? That's not a plan, that's a recipe for a disaster.'
"No, that's too dangerous. We will be surrounded by fire from all sides." I said firmly as I already had a suitable/unsuitable escape route.
'The only thing missing is an opening.'
I looked at the collapsed execution platform, its tall metal structure now standing at an obvious angle. The base supports were bent and dislodged but still intact, holding the massive weight of what used to be Loguetown's most famous landmark.
'That could actually work.'
"Zoro, Sanji," I called out, pointing at the platform's foundation. "Destroy the ground base of that platform."
Both of them stared at me like I'd suggested we all start juggling flaming swords while singing sea shanties.
"What? Why?" Sanji asked, his cigarette nearly falling from his lips.
"Just do it!" I insisted, drawing on the supernatural power of the Barbossa sword.
'This is either going to be brilliant or we're all going to die horribly. But at least it'll be interesting.'
Zoro exchanged a glance with Sanji, shrugged in that way that suggested he'd followed stranger orders before, and raised his swords. "You heard him," he said.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Zoro's three-sword style carved through the base like they were made of paper, his blades moving in perfect coordination to slice through the thick concrete that had been holding the platform upright.
CRACK! SMASH! WHOMP!
Sanji's kicks followed immediately after, his enhanced leg strength shattering what remained of the foundation with bone-crushing impact. The sound of debris mixed with the increasingly heavy rain as the platform's base disintegrated under their combined assault.
The entire structure began to wobble ominously, thousands of kilograms of metal swaying like a tree in a hurricane.
'Now comes the tricky part.'
I focused all my concentration on the Barbossa sword, feeling its power extend outward toward the collapsing platform.
The sword's ability was designed for controlling ships, but this platform isn't a ship, and it's not a small thing like a bullet either, so the hold of the sword is not as strong.
However, a simple move is enough.
'Come on! Work with me here!'
CREEEEAK! GROOOOAN!
The platform began to respond, slowly but surely tipping in the direction I was mentally pushing it. The sound of stressed metal filled the plaza as the entire structure started its inexorable fall toward Buggy and his scattered crew.
"Wait, wait," Buggy screamed as he realized what was happening.
His pirates scattered like roaches when the lights came on, their theatrical bravado evaporating the moment several tons of wood began falling toward their heads.
"WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!"
The repetitive screaming continued as Buggy himself tried to run, his red nose bobbing comically as he scrambled to escape the shadow of the falling platform.
CRASH! BOOM! SMASH!
The platform hit the ground with the sound of thunder and destruction, creating a cloud of dust and debris that billowed across half the plaza. The impact was so violent that I felt the vibrations through the soles of my boots, and several Marines stumbled as the ground shook beneath them.
Chaos spread across the plaza like spilled paint. Civilians screamed and ran, Marines shouted contradictory orders, and somewhere in the dust cloud, Buggy's voice could be heard cursing in ways that would make a sailor blush.
'Phase one complete. Now for the really stupid part.'
"Luffy!" I turned to Luffy and pointed at a large building at the edge of the plaza, its roof easily four stories above the ground level. "Rocket," I said simply.
For a moment, Luffy just stared at me with that blank expression that suggested his brain was buffering while it processed my request. Then understanding dawned across his features like sunrise, and that impossibly wide grin spread across his face.
"Ohhh!" he exclaimed with delight. "I get it!"
Zoro and Sanji both looked at me, then at Luffy, then back at me with expressions that suggested they were beginning to understand exactly what I had in mind—and they weren't happy about it.
"Oh no," Sanji muttered, his cigarette finally falling from nerveless lips. "No no no no no."
"You've got to be kidding me," Zoro added, but there was resignation in his voice that suggested he knew this was happening whether he liked it or not.
'Sometimes the most effective solutions are also the most terrifying ones.'
This is definitely one of those times.
The Marines were closing in from all sides, their organized advance cutting off every conventional escape route. In moments, we'd be surrounded completely, with nowhere to run and no choice but to fight our way through dozens of armed soldiers.
"This is your final warning!" the commanding officer shouted over the rain. "Surrender now and you won't be harmed!"
STRETCH!!
Luffy paid them absolutely no attention as he took a few steps away from us. His arms stretched, rubber limbs extending toward the distant rooftop with precision.
His hands found purchase on the edge, gripping the stonework with the kind of confidence that comes from having done this sort of thing before.
"Get Ready!" Luffy called out cheerfully, as if he were about to give us a pleasant carriage ride rather than launch us through the air like human ammunition.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
"I'm going to kill you both," Zoro muttered, his words directed at both Luffy and me.
"This is insane," Sanji added, but he was already bracing himself for what was coming.
'Insane? Absolutely. Effective? We're about to find out.'
"ROCKETOO!"
WHOOOOSH!
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"
"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The world blurred into streaks of gray and brown as we shot through the air like a human cannonball.
The plaza fell away beneath us, and for a heart-stopping moment, we were flying—really flying—through the rain-soaked sky.
The wind whipped through my cloak, the rain stung my face, and somewhere behind us, I could hear the baffled shouts of Marines who were suddenly staring up at four pirates who had just defied gravity itself.
"WOOOOOHOOOO!" Luffy laughed with pure joy, his voice carrying across the town as we flew through the stormy sky.
"SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Sanji screamed, his usual composure completely abandoned in favor of panic-induced profanity.
"HACHIMAN!" Zoro shouted over the rushing wind, his voice carrying a note of accusation that suggested he was holding me personally responsible for this aerial adventure.
"OUT OF EVERYONE, WHY ARE YOU THE ONE ENABLING HIM?!"
'Because sometimes enablement is the difference between escape and capture, you directionally-challenged swordsman.'
"It's not that bad," I protested, adjusting my cloak against the wind and rain. "Look! The rooftops are high here. We won't fall to the ground if we're careful."
THUD!
As if to demonstrate my point, I fell to the closest roof with ease. The tiles were slick, but manageable with proper balance.
Luffy was already bounding from roof to roof like some kind of rubber-powered superhero, his laughter carrying back to us on the wind. The sight was simultaneously ridiculous and impressive.
While Zoro and Sanji rolled, tumbled, and scrambled to find our footing on the wet tiles.
'Superhero landing, achieved. Sort of.'
"Where are we going?" Sanji asked as we began jumping from roof to roof, our feet splashing through puddles of rainwater that had collected in the gaps between tiles.
"To the docks," I replied, leaping across a narrow alley to the next building. "We need to get off this island as soon as possible and head for the Grand Line."
"What about the Going Merry?" Luffy called out, his voice bright with concern for our ship despite the chaos surrounding us.
"Nami and Usopp went to bring it," I explained, timing my next jump to land on a stable section of roofing. "We're meeting them at the dock."
'Assuming they made it there safely. Assuming the ship is ready. Assuming we can reach them before the Marines figure out where we're going.'
The wind and rain were getting progressively heavier, turning the already treacherous rooftop navigation into something approaching suicidal. The tiles beneath our feet were becoming slick with water, and more than once I felt my footing slip dangerously.
SPLASH! SLIP!
"These roofs are getting too slippery!" Zoro shouted, his usually perfect balance challenged by the increasingly hazardous conditions. "We should go down to street level!"
'He's right. Staying up here is just asking for someone to slip and break their neck.'
"Agreed!" I called back. "Time to return to solid ground!"
What followed was perhaps the most ridiculous display of individual descent techniques I'd ever witnessed.
WHOMP!
Luffy, predictably, simply jumped off the roof with complete confidence that everything would work out fine with his rubber body.
THUD! THUD!THUD!THUD!
Sanji's descent was a thing of skill—he leaped stylishly between the two buildings with the ease that would make a professional acrobat weep in envy.
Step Step Step Step!
I channeled Hamon through my boots and simply ran down the side of the building, the supernatural energy allowing me to maintain traction on the vertical surface as if gravity were merely a suggestion.
SCRAAAAPE!
Zoro, in a display that was both practical and completely unnecessary, drew one of his swords and used the blade to control his slide down the wall, carving a groove in the stonework as he descended.
The four of us looked at the way each of us was descending to the ground, and one thought came to my mind.
""""Show-offs,""""
We all mutter these words at each other at the same time, like it was choreographed, while being half in the air.
"Pfft!" "Shishi!" "Heh!" "Haha!"
We all looked at each other, and a laugh escaped from us as a reaction, realizing that we had had the same thoughts as each other for a moment.
'Ah damn, I am starting to get into their rhythm.'
But…I am not sure if it was a bad thing.
We reached the ground of a narrow alley between buildings, water running off our clothes and weapons. The rain was coming down in sheets now, turning the cobblestones slick and creating small rivers in the gutters.
"Alright, the docks are this way," I said, orienting myself based on the harbor's position relative to the plaza. "But we need to be careful. The Marines will now be patrolling the roads to the docks."
'And they'll be looking for us specifically. Our little display at the execution plaza guaranteed that we're now at the top of their priority list.'
We moved through the streets with as much stealth as four soaking wet pirates could manage.
The rain provided some cover, keeping most civilians indoors and reducing visibility. But it also made our footsteps echo more loudly on the wet stone.
SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!
Our boots pounded through puddles as we sprinted through Loguetown's winding streets, the sound of our passage mixing with the drumming of rain on rooftops and the distant shouts of Marines who were undoubtedly trying to track us down.
'Almost there. Just need to reach the docks, find the Going Merry, and get out of here before—'
"HALT! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
A patrol of Marines appeared at the intersection ahead of us, their uniforms soaked with rain but their weapons covered, dry, and ready. They moved to block our path with the kind of professional coordination that suggested they'd been expecting us.
'Of course. Of course, there's a patrol here.'
"STRAW HAT PIRATES!" the patrol leader shouted, raising his rifle. "SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY!"
"Let's Run," Zoro suggested, water dripping from his hair.
"""Yeah,""" The rest of us agreed.
We veered left down a side street, the Marines' shouts following us as they gave chase. The narrow alleyways of Loguetown became a maze of twisting passages and dead ends, each turn potentially leading us toward safety or directly into another patrol.
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!
"The wind's getting worse," Zoro commented.
"So is the rain," I added as I used the Hamon to surge off the Water on my cloak and hat.
"Jeez, these guys are so persistent. Should we just stop and fight them off?" Luffy asked as he glanced at the patrol we just passed.
"Don't, there'll be no end to them," Sanji replied.
"Moreover, a storm is coming, we need to get out of this city as soon as possible, or we will be stuck here with the Marines," I added as I checked the direction with my Compass.
The Sparrow Compass indicated that the Going Merry is alright and moving, and it is in the same location as Nami and Usopp, meaning that they succeeded in their task.
'All we have to do now is to reach the docks, but…'
The sound of military boots on wet stone echoed from multiple directions as more Marines converged on our position. They were coordinating their search, using their knowledge of the town's layout to try to corner us.
'They know these streets better than we do. Looks like we would have no choice but to battle soon.'
But as we rounded the next corner, our luck ran out.
"HALT!"
Standing directly in our path was a figure that made my blood run cold. A woman in a Marine jacket, her hand resting on the hilt of a sword that looked familiar.
She was the Marine swordswoman whom we met at the sword shop, the one who looked exactly like Zoro's childhood friend, and who had an unhealthy obsession with collecting famous swords from pirates.
'Tashigi was her name, I think. Just the person we needed right now.'
"Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, and the Dead-Eyes Hikigaya Hachiman!"
Her voice was loud enough that we could hear her from afar, and why the need for the nicknames?
"To think that the famous hero of the East Blue would fall down to be a filthy pirate, and would be in the same crew as the notorious Pirate Hunter!"
"And you! Roronoa Zoro! How dare you deceive me like that?!" the woman declared with righteous indignation.
'The wording! Be careful with your wording, woman! The way you worded it is so strange, you know? It could be easily misunderstood!'
"You bastards! What have you done to that lady?!" Sanji entered his righteous pervert mode immediately, just as expected.
"You didn't even ask my name, you know!" Zoro ignored him and talked to the woman directly, but his choice of words didn't make it look any better.
"Enough, you pirates!" she declared, her voice carrying the righteous authority of someone who genuinely believed she was fighting for justice.
"Roronoa Zoro! Dead-Eyes Hikigaya! You have chosen the path of evil, and now you must surrender your treasured swords to justice!"
'Path of evil? Lady, you have no idea what we've been through or why we're here. Your black-and-white worldview doesn't account for the complexity of our situation.'
Zoro stepped forward, his hand moving to his sword hilts with practiced ease.
"I'll handle her," he said grimly. "You guys go on ahead."
'Of course, he wants to fight her. Because dealing with someone who looks like his dead childhood friend is exactly the kind of emotional complexity Zoro handles by hitting it with swords.'
"Don't you dare harm a lady!" Sanji called back as we continued running, his chivalrous instincts overriding practical considerations even in the middle of a chase.
'Your code of honor is going to get you killed someday, Sanji.'
We left Zoro to deal with Tashigi and continued toward the harbor, but our troubles were far from over. Another patrol of Marines appeared ahead of us, smaller than the first group but no less determined to stop our escape.
'Time for a practical demonstration of why we have a reputation.'
BANG! CRACK! WHOMP!
The brief skirmish was over in seconds, leaving us standing among unconscious Marines while the rain continued to fall around us.
'Efficient, but every second we spend fighting is another second for reinforcements to arrive.'
VROOOOM!
But as we prepared to continue our run to the harbor, a new sound cut through the rain and chaos—the low rumble of an engine that had no business existing in this world.
A motorbike appeared at the end of the street, its rider's white jacket billowing in the wind as he accelerated directly toward us. The machine moved with impossible smoothness, leaving no tracks in the rain-soaked street.
'A motorbike? In a world that doesn't have crude oil or internal combustion engines?'
The motorbike was a strange thing here, as this world doesn't have cars or motorbikes due to the absence of crude oil, another unexplainable phenomenon that should be impossible according to my admittedly humble science knowledge.
But even with my humble science knowledge, I still knew that it was impossible. As long as there are ancient fossils in the earth's layers, crude oil has to exist, even if the conditions for its existence are not that common.
After all, even if it were uncommon conditions, it is not that rare, and with how vast this world is, not even hearing about it is still impossible.
'But that mystery can wait or even be ignored as this is not the time for it.'
The rider brought his unusual vehicle to a stop directly in front of us, close enough that I could see the details of his face and the multiple cigars clenched between his teeth.
Captain Smoker. The White Hunter. Commander of Loguetown's Marine base and bearer of the Moku Moku no Mi—the Smoke-Smoke Fruit.
'And the person I didn't want to meet the most on this island.'
If it were him, then the motorbike must be powered by his Devil Fruit ability. Using the smoke to provide propulsion through some kind of modified exhaust system or something.
"Who are you?" Luffy asked with his characteristic blend of curiosity and complete lack of concern for potential danger.
Smoker took a long drag from his cigars before answering, smoke curling around his face like a living thing.
"Captain Smoker, Marine Headquarters," he said, his voice carrying the authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed. "And I won't allow a dangerous group like you to enter the Grand Line."
'Dangerous group. If only you knew how accurate that assessment really is.'
WHOOOOSH!
Smoker didn't wait for our response. His arms began to transform, flesh becoming smoke as they stretched impossibly far beyond normal human limitations.
"AHH!"
The smoke arms extended four meters in an instant, wrapping around Luffy with the consistency of solid matter despite their gaseous appearance.
'Logia Devil Fruit. Physical attacks won't work unless...'
I immediately unsheathed the Barbossa sword and channeled Hamon through the blade, the supernatural energy crackling along the steel as I swung at the smoke holding Luffy captive.
'Hamon—Severing Tide!'
WHOOOOSH!
The sword passed through the smoke like it was cutting air. No resistance, no effect, nothing but the whistle of steel through empty space.
Sanji had the same idea, launching himself at Smoker with a powerful kick aimed at the Marine's head. His boot connected with what should have been solid flesh, but instead passed harmlessly through a cloud of smoke.
WHOOSH!
"What the hell?" Sanji cursed, landing awkwardly as his attack met no resistance.
'As expected, Logia users are effectively untouchable unless you have specific counters. And Hamon, unfortunately, isn't one of them.'
I clicked my tongue in frustration. All that power, all those supernatural abilities, and we might as well have been ordinary humans facing a natural disaster.
Smoker's expression shifted to annoyance at our attacks.
"Don't have time for runts," he muttered around his cigars, then gestured with his free hand.
WHOOOOSH!
A wave of smoke erupted from his position, rolling toward us with the consistency of a tsunami. The first wave hit Sanji square in the chest, the impact was solid despite the gaseous nature of the attack.
SLAM!
Sanji flew backward, his body crashing into the wall behind him with enough force to crack the stonework.
"Arrgh!"
He hit the ground hard, rain washing over his stunned form.
"Sanji!!" Luffy cried.
'Smoke that hits like a sledgehammer. Lovely.'
The second wave was aimed directly at me, and only my Mantra gave me enough warning to dive to the side before it could connect.
'Thank you, supernatural danger sense.'
As I rolled to my feet, I tried something desperate—using the Barbossa sword's power to control the smoke directly.
The sword's power reached out, trying to grasp and manipulate the smoke surrounding us.
But it failed completely.
'Of course it failed. For the sword, the smoke is a living thing—as part of Smoker himself. It won't control living creatures.'
Smoker's expression showed genuine surprise at my evasion.
"Dead-Eyes Hikigaya," he said, recognition clear in his voice. "I see, the reports about your abilities weren't all exaggerated nonsense."
'Great. I am famous enough to not only have reports written about me, but even have an impression.'
That's exactly what I needed—more attention from Marine Headquarters.
"I'll deal with the tricky one first," Smoker continued, his form beginning to shift and billow as he prepared another attack.
But before he could launch it, Luffy managed to break free from his smoky restraints long enough to throw a punch.
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
WHOOSH!
His rubber fist stretched toward Smoker with tremendous force, but like our previous attacks, it passed harmlessly through the Marine's transformed body.
Smoker barely seemed to notice the attack. Instead, he slammed Luffy back to the ground with casual efficiency, smoke coiling around our captain to keep him pinned.
"I'll get the troublesome one first," he repeated, his attention returning to me as another wave of smoke prepared to engulf my position.
'Tsk! Time for desperate measures.'
I clicked my tongue again and pointed my pistol at the approaching smoke. And the Hamon Ether circle appeared from the second muzzle.
I used the Ether circle to create a flow of air, and I channeled the Barbossa sword's abilities to turn it into a powerful gust of wind.
VRRROOOOOOOO!
For a moment, it actually worked. The wind scattered Smoker's smoke attack, clearing the air around me and giving me a brief reprieve.
But it was only temporary. Like any competent anime villain, Smoker adapted quickly to the new threat.
"Interesting trick," he acknowledged, his voice carrying a note of professional appreciation. Then his expression hardened.
"But still just a trick!"
He increased the force and volume of his smoke attack, spreading it wider to prevent me from countering with wind alone. The gray substance billowed around me from multiple directions, cutting off escape routes and slowly constricting like a noose.
'Shit…'
I pointed my Hamon Ether circle at Smoker's main form, a sphere of compressed air appeared in the middle of the circle.
'Hamon—Wind Cannon!'
KABOOOMM!!!
The wind blast was spectacular—powerful enough to disperse the smoke, clear away the falling rain in a wide cone, and blast sections of the buildings behind Smoker into rubble.
'Good thing my Mantra sensed no one inside those buildings.'
WHOOOOOOM!
The sound was deafening, echoing off the surrounding structures like thunder. For a moment, the entire street was clear of smoke, rain, and any other atmospheric interference.
'Please tell me that worked. Please tell me I didn't just waste my—'
The smoke began to curl and accumulate around me again, reforming into Smoker's familiar shape as he emerged from the dispersed cloud completely unharmed.
'Right, it didn't work. Because nothing is ever that simple.'
"You really are dangerous," Smoker's voice emerged from the smoke as it coiled around me like living rope.
"The reports were really accurate. I can't allow someone like you to run free now that you've become a pirate."
The smoke tightened around me, restricting my movement and making it difficult to breathe.
'This is bad. Really bad.'
Before Smoker could finish his threat, Sanji appeared behind him like a vengeful ghost, his leg snapping down in a fast and devastating spinning kick aimed at splitting the smoke-form in half.
WHOMP!
The kick connected perfectly, cleaving through Smoker's smoky body with surgical precision. For a moment, the Marine Captain was literally divided in two, his right and left sides separated by the force of Sanji's attack.
'Nice timing, Sanji.'
But even as I thought it, Smoker's form began to reform, the two halves of his smoke-body flowing back together with liquid grace.
However, it still gave Luffy the opening he needed.
"Gomu Gomu no—"
STRETCH!
"BAZOOKA!!"
Luffy's arms stretched back for his signature double-palm strike, but instead of letting his hands connect with Smoker's reforming body, he stopped them just short of contact.
WHOOOOSH!
The air from his attack created a powerful gust of wind that scattered Smoker's smoke-form across the entire street, dispersing him so thoroughly that it took several seconds for him to begin reforming.
'Smart thinking. If you can't hit him, at least you can buy us time by constantly dispersing his form.'
With me free from Smoker's smoke restraints, Sanji and I regrouped next to Luffy, all three of us watching warily as our opponent slowly pulled himself back together.
'Three of us, one of him. But he's effectively invulnerable to physical attacks, which means we're fighting someone we literally cannot touch.'
Smoker's form solidified completely, his expression now showing genuine respect alongside his determination to stop us.
"Not just the treasure hunter who's troublesome," he acknowledged, his cigars somehow still burning despite being transformed into smoke moments before.
"All of you are more dangerous than the reports indicated."
"Damn it!" Luffy cursed, staring at Smoker with obvious frustration. "He doesn't get hurt no matter what we do! It's like fighting air!"
"What kind of ability is that?" Sanji asked, his usual confidence shaken by the complete ineffectiveness of his attacks.
'Time for a quick education in the fundamentals of this world's power system.'
"Logia type," I explained grimly. "A Devil Fruit ability similar to Luffy's, but instead of changing your body's properties, it lets you transform into and control a natural element."
Both of them stared at me with expressions that suggested I'd just told them that gravity was optional.
"Such abilities exist?" Sanji asked, his voice carrying a note of disbelief.
"How are we supposed to fight something like that?" Luffy added, his usual confidence replaced by genuine concern.
'Good question. In the original timeline, this fight was resolved by... what exactly? I can't remember if it was luck, intervention from someone, or just plot armor.'
"I don't know," I admitted, but my mind was already working through the possibilities.
'Actually, I do know. But it requires using that card. The one I was hoping to save for a more desperate situation.'
Looks like this qualifies as one.
Sanji caught my eye and seemed to read something in my expression that the others missed.
"Oi, could we use that—?" he asked quietly, his voice pitched low enough that Smoker wouldn't overhear.
"It's uncertain," I interrupted him before he could say anything that might give away my plan, and continued carefully,
"But our only choice is to attack him with everything we have. Keep him distracted continuously until he has to materialize again."
"No matter how long he stays in his smoke form," I continued, "he'll have to return to human form eventually. When he does, we hit him with everything we have and make it count."
I subtly rotated the cylinder of my pistol as I was talking, feeling the mechanism click as it moved from one ammunition type to another.
The special bullet settled into the firing chamber with a soft sound that was lost in the rain.
Both Luffy and Sanji nodded at my words, though I could see the concern in their expressions. This wasn't going to be an easy fight, and we all knew it.
'One shot. I get one shot at this, and if it doesn't work, we're probably all going to jail.'
"Luffy," I said aloud, "use your strongest continuous attack. Sanji and I will flank him from the sides."
'Coordination is key. We need to keep Smoker's attention divided so he doesn't notice what I'm really planning.'
"Let's do it!" Luffy declared with renewed enthusiasm, apparently energized by having a plan of action.
Sanji nodded grimly, his earlier concerns replaced by focused determination. He'd caught on to what I was really planning, even if he didn't know how I was going to do it exactly.
'Here we go.'
We charged at Smoker from three directions, our footsteps splashing through puddles as we moved with coordination. The rain continued to fall around us, adding dramatic flair to what was probably going to be either our greatest triumph or our most spectacular failure.
Smoker pulled his jitte from his back, the weapon gleaming despite the rain and poor lighting.
"Playtime is over," he announced grimly. "I'll take you all down now."
'Famous last words.'
"You can try!" Luffy challenged, stretching his arms back in preparation for his attack.
Just as smoke began to gather around Smoker's form and Luffy's hands snapped forward for his assault, I raised my pistol and took careful aim.
'One shot. Everything depends on this one shot.'
BANG!
The Seastone bullet flew true, cutting through the rain and smoke with deadly precision.
THUNK!
"ARRRRGG!!!"
It hit Smoker center mass, and instead of passing harmlessly through his smoke-form, it buried itself in solid flesh.
'IT WORKED!!!'
The smoke around Smoker immediately dissipated, his Devil Fruit power deactivating as the influence of the Seastone bullet took hold.
He staggered backward, his hand moving to his side where the bullet had struck, his expression shocked and pained.
"What...What have you—?" he gasped, looking at me with a mixture of confusion and shock.
'Seastone, my friend. The one substance in this world that can neutralize Devil Fruit powers. And I just shot you with it.'
After we got the Seastone from the Marine base today, I put a Seastone handcuffs into my Stand and transformed it into bullets.
Then I loaded some of the bullets into my pistol instead of the rubber bullets.
I wanted to keep it hidden in case there are other solutions to Logia Devil Fruit abilities, instead of just wasting it like this.
'But looks like this is our only option.'
Now weakened, vulnerable, and injured, Smoker didn't get a chance to finish his question as he was met with Luffy's attack.
"Gomu Gomu no—!"
BASH! BASH! BASH!!!
"GATLING!!"
BASH BASH BASH BASH BASH BASH BASH!!!!!
Luffy's myriad fists descended on the now-vulnerable Marine captain like a rubber hurricane. Each punch landed with tremendous force, and without his Logia intangibility to protect him, Smoker took every single impact.
CRASH!
The final blow sent the Marine captain flying across the street, his body smashing through the wall of a building in an explosion of brick and mortar.
Dust and debris filled the humid air as the structure partially collapsed from the impact.
…
A/N: Sigh, that's it for now.
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