Boom
A thunderous roar tore through the air, like the heavens themselves had split open.
Smoker's mind went blank.
The shockwave struck not just his body but his very spirit — his eyes dimmed, and he fell into unconsciousness before he even hit the ground.
To an ordinary fighter, striking a Logia user was impossible without Haki.
Even a master of top-level swordsmanship would find their blades pass harmlessly through smoke.
But Ron's "Ultimate Sword Technique: Sky-Splitting Intent" was beyond ordinary measure.
Sword intent true sword intent didn't simply wound the body.
It crushed the will.
It made even the soul tremble.
"Captain Smoker!"
Tashigi rushed forward, catching her superior before he collapsed completely.
Ron's calm voice drifted across the wind soft, but filled with a faint note of regret.
"Even with nine-tenths of my strength held back… he still couldn't endure it."
He looked down at Smoker, shaking his head.
"Too weak, after all."
He had hoped Smoker might push him — might at least demonstrate the full potential of the Marine Six Styles.
But that hope had been shattered as easily as the smoke.
Turning to Tashigi, Ron gave her a polite smile.
"Thanks, glasses girl. And… tell him there won't be a next time."
Then, with an easy motion, he clapped Zoro's shoulder.
"Let's go. Straw Hat and his crew should still be around town. Before we leave Loguetown, I'd like to see them once more."
He smiled one last time at Tashigi and waved.
"See you next time, glasses girl."
She stood there, frozen.
Watching their silhouettes fade into the crowd, her heart twisted with conflicting emotions.
Smoker was alive — merely unconscious — but the weight of Ron's words lingered.
Strength.
Control.
Mercy.
Qualities she rarely saw together in one man.
And all at once, admiration mixed with something else — something she couldn't quite name.
At Loguetown's harbor—
The Straw Hat Crew stood on deck, waving toward the Themis as it prepared to set sail.
"See you again, Brother Ron!" Luffy shouted, grinning from ear to ear. "Let's fight again someday!"
Ron raised a hand in reply, a small smile on his lips.
He glanced from the Straw Hats' carefree faces to the graceful sisters waiting aboard his own ship.
A rare warmth stirred in his chest.
The Themis cut across the waves, leaving Loguetown behind.
Its deck was piled high with supplies — fresh fruits, meats, grains, and barrels of water stacked to the brim.
Nami approached, looping her arm gently around Ron's.
"Thanks for the hard work," she said softly. "These provisions should last us all the way through the Grand Line."
Her tone was light, but her eyes searched his face carefully.
"Everything went smoothly in town, right?"
Nojiko, standing nearby, leaned closer — as if casually — but her gaze lingered on him longer than it should have.
In that fleeting look, a flicker of emotion rippled through her heart.
Ron smiled. "Smooth as always. Just happened to meet Straw Hat's crew — we shared a meal before leaving."
Nami gave him a knowing look. "And let me guess — you paid again?"
"Haha! Caught me," Ron admitted, scratching the back of his neck.
"Ron was in a good mood today — and honestly, they didn't have a single berry to their name."
He laughed, then sighed softly.
"Zoro at least got lucky — stumbled upon two fine blades, the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri.
As for Luffy and the others… they're still broke as ever."
A hint of fondness crossed his face.
"I left Usopp some money before I left — just enough to get them by."
Nami nodded, smiling gently. "You did enough. Go rest — we'll take care of the supplies."
Before Ron could argue, she and Nojiko had already begun sorting through the mountain of food.
The two sisters moved gracefully, dividing, cleaning, and storing everything with quiet coordination.
Ron chuckled and surrendered, dragging a lounge chair over and sinking into it.
From where he sat, the soft lamplight played across their figures — serene, diligent, and strong.
And for a brief moment, he forgot the sea's dangers entirely.
His thoughts drifted back to Loguetown — to his encounter with Luffy.
He had studied the boy's powers out of curiosity, watching the Rubber Man stretch and bounce with impossible flexibility.
The system had chimed again, yet the result puzzled him.
[Detected: Paramecia-type — "Gomu Gomu no Mi." Match Level: Medium. Quality: Mid-Tier.]
That didn't make sense.
Because the Rubber Fruit wasn't just a Paramecia.
It was the Mythical Zoan — Human-Human Fruit, Model: Sun God Nika.
One of the strongest fruits in existence.
And yet… only rated as mid-tier?
After pondering for a while, Ron understood.
The fruit's true power only revealed itself after awakening.
Before that, it was nothing but a simple rubber ability ordinary, unimpressive.
Only through awakening did it become divine.
That explained everything.
Still, another mystery had surfaced.
His body's Bloodline Factor Awakening.
Whether it was Logia, Zoan, or Paramecia — all depended on his subconscious will.
If his heart rejected a fruit, the awakening would halt automatically.
If he truly desired it — it would complete.
That, he now realized, was the key.
"Meaning…" he murmured, "I can only awaken powers I truly want."
That thought brought him peace.
He no longer needed to worry about being forced to accept an ability he despised.
The choice — the evolution — was his alone.
And if someday he could wield one ability from each of the three classes…
Which would he choose?
The possibilities stretched as endlessly as the sea itself.
Night fell quietly.
The moon rose, bright and full, painting silver paths across the calm water.
Tonight's watch belonged to Nami.
For once, Nojiko could finally rest.
But even as she lay beneath the soft glow of the lantern, sleep wouldn't come.
She turned over again and again, eyes half-open, reflecting the pale moonlight that slipped through the window.
Something fluttered in her chest — a quiet, secret warmth she couldn't name.
Outside, waves lapped gently against the hull, whispering like a lover's voice through the night.
And in that hush, her heart skipped a beat.
Her lips parted just slightly.
A blush bloomed across her cheeks, soft as the rising dawn.
And as the Themis sailed deeper into the moonlit sea, Nojiko lay awake heart unsteady, breath quickened caught between dream and desire.
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