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Chapter 61: Ganyu VS Smoker
"It... it's useless again?!"
The Marines were dumbfounded; another ability user who could ignore bullets!
It was hard to imagine that the bullets, which had once been invincible against pirates in the East Blue, were now completely ineffective.
What made Ganyu even trickier than Luffy was that she could fly and stay airborne, leaving them with no means of counterattack other than firearms.
"If only Captain Smoker were here."
Many Marine soldiers had the same thought in their minds.
Why hadn't their powerful commander, who possessed the Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability, appeared yet?
Were they really going to stand by and watch these pirates escape Loguetown so easily?
Bitterness filled the sailors' hearts as they could only gaze helplessly at the incredibly mysterious and beautiful figure in the sky, a deep sense of powerlessness washing over them.
"Frostarrow, aren't you being a bit too arrogant!"
Just then, an angry shout rang out.
A plume of white smoke erupted from the town at an alarming speed.
A man with short gray hair, wearing a Marine jacket that billowed behind him, used the propulsion of the smoke jet to soar into the sky, flying straight towards Ganyu!
"White Snake!"
Billowing white smoke gathered in front of him, instantly transforming into a ferocious white giant python. It opened its huge, smoke-filled mouth, carrying an aura that devoured everything, and lunged fiercely at the blue-haired girl suspended in the air!
"Captain Smoker!"
"You finally arrived!"
Seeing this scene, the Marines' morale, which had been somewhat low, was immediately boosted, and they erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
Their Marine captain had finally arrived at the most critical moment.
On the other side.
Luffy and his companions boarded the Going Merry. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned his head, his gaze sharp as he looked at the white smoke rising into the sky.
Who is this?
Although he couldn't immediately distinguish the power of the white smoke, his intuition told him that this Marine officer was by no means ordinary.
"The Marine captain of Loguetown is likely an ability user with smoke-related powers."
Zoro added seriously, arms crossed, "I fought him before, and he's very strong."
"Is that the Marine captain known as 'Smoker'? I've heard of him; he's a tough Marine!" Nami looked at the battle in the sky, her eyes filled with worry.
Knowing that Ganyu would face such a powerful enemy alone, she couldn't help but feel a chill.
What?! Is Miss Ganyu in danger?
Sanji couldn't sit still anymore; he rushed to the ship's edge, anxiously watching the white smoke drift towards Ganyu. "I must go save her!"
"Wait, Sanji!" Usopp quickly stopped him, helplessly pointing at the sky, "You can't fly, so it's useless to go."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Sanji's head.
He pounded the railing angrily, his face full of resentment: "Damn it!"
This was an excellent opportunity for him to show his gentlemanly demeanor to Miss Ganyu and win her heart, but he could only watch helplessly because he couldn't fly.
Luffy stared at the distant battle, silent for a moment, then suddenly issued the captain's order: "Set sail!"
Except for a somewhat resistant Sanji, all crew members obeyed his command.
Just as the Going Merry began to slowly turn around, the battle in the air had reached a fever pitch.
Bang!
A heavy punch accompanied by white smoke attacked Ganyu, but it was firmly blocked by an ice barrier that suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Stop right there!"
Smoker roared, the white smoke behind his fist suddenly accelerating, making a loud noise like an engine roaring.
A powerful force suddenly erupted, shattering the ice crystal barrier, turning it into countless ice fragments that scattered in all directions.
Almost simultaneously, the giant python formed by white smoke below also lunged down, forming a pincer attack with Smoker's fist from above and below!
Bang!
Facing such a powerful attack, Ganyu remained calm, meeting Smoker's fist with a palm. Then, she used the force to retreat, narrowly avoiding the white snake attacking from below.
As she drifted backward, she had already drawn her bowstring, nocked an arrow, and a cold light shot out!
Smoker seemed too late to dodge and was hit right between the eyebrows by the ice arrow.
However, the expected bloody scene did not appear. Half of his face disappeared into the air like smoke, and his entire body turned into a wisp of white smoke, slowly drifting away.
"I've already seen your ability!"
Suddenly.
Smoker's voice came from behind Ganyu.
Before everyone could react, a wisp of white smoke quietly drifted behind her, recondensing into Smoker's appearance.
It turned out to be true.
The white snake's attack below was just a feint; his real fatal blow was using the smoke's characteristics to teleport and launch a surprise attack!
He shattered the girl's barrier defense with one punch, forcing her to fall backward, then used his ability to flash his main body behind her, thus forming a decisive blow.
He raised his special weapon, the Nanashaku Jitte, and stabbed the part tipped with Seastone into the girl's half-exposed back.
If this attack succeeded, any ability user would immediately lose their power and fall from the sky.
Meanwhile, the Marines below were on high alert, ready to surround her the moment she landed.
In fact, if it hadn't been for someone suddenly appearing earlier and delaying time, Smoker would have arrived at the scene long ago and eliminated this group of promising rookie pirates.
However, catching one of them was better than letting them all go. He was even prepared to give up Loguetown, which he had guarded for many years, to chase these pirates into the Grand Line.
In his view, this group of rookie pirates would inevitably pose a significant threat to the Marines in the future and must be completely eliminated before they grew up.
Bang!
As expected, the Seastone tip of the Nanashaku Jitte hit the girl's smooth back.
Seeing this scene, Smoker quickly weakened his strength.
He worried that if he used too much force, he might pierce the girl's back, and he didn't want to see such a bloody scene.
After all, "Frostarrow" wasn't one of those evil pirates on the high seas he felt he had to kill.
However, the next moment, Smoker's expression suddenly froze, his eyes wide open as if he had seen something incredible.
"How... how can you...?"
The jitte struck that smooth, white back, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no reaction whatsoever.
The expected scene of the ability user falling weakly to the ground did not appear. The girl suspended in the air didn't even shake, as if the blow enough to incapacitate any ability user was nothing more than a gentle tap.
The blue-haired girl slowly turned her head, extended a slender hand, and unhesitatingly grabbed the part of the jitte tipped with Seastone.
She... actually actively approached the Seastone!
"Impossible! How are you fine? Aren't you an ability user?"
Smoker's eyes widened, and he let out a low growl of disbelief.
In an instant, his brain worked quickly, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
I thought of the only possibility.
It is said that a very few powerful individuals in the New World of the Grand Line, through long-term contact with Seastone, have developed a certain degree of resistance to its effects.
Could this blue-haired girl actually be a powerful figure?
Regardless of how confused Smoker was at this moment, Ganyu had no intention of talking to this stubborn Marine soldier.
She tightly gripped the weapon, releasing the Qilin power hidden beneath her delicate girlish appearance.
Smoker's expression changed abruptly. He felt an unimaginably terrifying power surging from the weapon, and his hand involuntarily let go. He could only watch helplessly as his weapon was snatched away by his opponent.
"What do you want to do...?"
The girl naturally waved her limbs, pointing the top tipped with Seastone at him, and Smoker immediately felt an ominous premonition.
"White...!"
He hurriedly activated his Fruit ability, trying to restore his body to its natural state to escape.
But it was too late.
The iron tip inlaid with Seastone hit him right in the chest. His disintegrating body was forced to reorganize, and Smoker let out a groan, powerless to resist, falling straight down.
Splash -
A loud noise cut through the unfrozen sea surface, splashing waves.
The strongest Marine officer in Loguetown fell into the sea in front of everyone.
The Marines below were stunned, unable to believe their Captain Smoker had been defeated so easily.
"Captain Smoker!"
After a while, someone exclaimed, and several sailors immediately jumped into the sea to rescue the fallen man.
Ganyu watched their movements for a while, then gently released her hand, and the jitte fell from the sky, landing on the harbor ground with a "clang."
Then, without pausing in the slightest, she turned and flew towards the Going Merry.