Chapter 56: Smoker Blocks the Way
"Luckily, you mentioned it now. Otherwise, we'd be in trouble once we enter the Grand Line!" Nami said with a look of relief.
"Don't celebrate too early! We don't know if Loguetown even sells Grand Line compasses," Lister said.
"A place as big as Loguetown should have them, right!" Nami said expectantly.
"I think so too. But no matter what, we have to search carefully," Lister said.
"Right!!!" Nami nodded.
Afterward, they went around the shops in Loguetown, asking if they sold Grand Line compasses.
Unfortunately, after asking more than ten shops, not a single one sold Grand Line compasses.
Just as Lister and the others were feeling discouraged.
A shop owner pointed them in a direction.
Telling them to check out the older shops, where they might have some luck.
Suddenly, Lister had an idea.
He led Nami to those older-looking, less crowded shops to ask.
...
At the same time.
The Marines in Loguetown seemed to have discovered that the Money Pirates had entered Loguetown.
*Knock, knock, knock!!*
At the Marine base, the door to Smoker's office was knocked.
"Come in!"
As soon as the Marine who knocked opened the door, a thick cloud of smoke billowed out of the room, causing the Marine to cough, his eyes watering.
"It's just a little smoke, what's the big deal? If you have something to say, say it quickly. If not, get lost!" Smoker glanced at the Marine, speaking irritably.
"Reporting, Captain Smoker! We've spotted traces of the Money Pirates in Loguetown!!"
The Marine quickly saluted and reported.
"That bunch of bastards is finally here?" As soon as Smoker heard this, he immediately perked up.
After the combined Marine fleet led by Commodore Brin-Brin failed to encircle the Money Pirates.
The news quickly spread to all the bases in the East Blue.
Even Marineford knew about this.
How could Smoker, who had high hopes placed on him, not know about this?
So, recently, he had been paying extra attention to the Money Pirates and Lister.
During this period, he continuously dispatched plainclothes soldiers, scattering them throughout Loguetown.
Now, he finally had news.
"Did you find 'Butcher' Lister?" Smoker asked again.
"We found him. He seems to be shopping with a group of girls right now!" the Marine soldier said.
"He has the leisure to go shopping?? He's got guts." Smoker sneered.
"Where's that girl Tashigi??"
"Sergeant Tashigi seems to have gone out to get her glasses repaired," the Marine replied.
"Hmph, dropping the ball at a critical moment. Forget it, we won't wait for her.
Assemble all soldiers immediately!" Smoker stood up, full of drive.
"Yes!!!"
After the Marine responded.
He immediately took action.
...
At this time, Lister didn't know Smoker was making his move.
After visiting a few more old shops, he finally found several Grand Line compasses.
Without hesitation, Lister bought all of them.
With the Grand Line compasses finally bought, Nami's anxious heart settled.
Their goal for this trip was accomplished.
Lister and the others didn't continue shopping and prepared to head back.
However, as they were walking down the street, they gradually felt that something was wrong.
The street that had just been crowded with people was now almost empty.
The one or two people they saw were also in a hurry.
After seeing Lister, they showed even more tension, dodging to the side.
"Lister, something's not right!" Nami's heart sank, and she spoke to Lister uneasily.
"It seems the Marines have discovered us. They've probably set up an inescapable net around here, waiting for us to walk right into it!" Lister said gravely.
"Then what do we do??" Nami asked, a little uneasy.
"There's no other way. We can only meet force with force!" Lister said gravely.
In truth, it wasn't that he had no options.
As long as he ducked into one of the nearby residential houses and took a few hostages.
With Smoker's personality, he would probably let them leave first and then pursue.
But Lister, even as a pirate, disdained using such underhanded tactics.
"Alright, don't overthink it. We'll just walk straight ahead. No matter what happens, I'm here!!" Lister reassured Nami.
Seeing Lister so confident, Nami gradually calmed down.
Lister's group crossed the street and had just turned onto Loguetown's main road.
They saw countless Marines in formation, waiting.
Upon seeing Lister and the others appear.
The Marines all raised their guns, aiming at Lister's group.
Just waiting for Smoker's order.
To open fire and gun Lister and the others down.
"'Butcher' Lister, I've finally caught you. Surrender obediently. There's no escape!"
"I'll say it again, I don't like the epithet 'Butcher'. You can call me 'Speed Demon' Lister, 'Swift Sword' Lister, or even 'Handsome' Lister, but you cannot call me 'Butcher' Lister!" Lister said faintly.
Showing no sense of urgency from facing a large army.
"Also, let me make one more point. I'm not trying to escape. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken this street!
Loguetown has many paths. Any random alley could have avoided this place."
"Well, in that case, you're very confident in your strength! You think you can leave leisurely while surrounded by me and a thousand soldiers?" Smoker smiled playfully.
"You could say that!" Lister said faintly.
"Fine. Since you're unwilling to be captured, I'll take action personally!" Smoker didn't order them to fire.
After all, on the other side, besides Lister, the rest were all girls.
Perhaps they were guilty, or perhaps they were forced.
But either way, Smoker wouldn't let them die so young.
"White Fist!!"
Smoker's arm turned into thick white smoke, condensing into a giant fist that shot violently towards Lister's location.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
Lister fiercely swung his sword.
A giant slash wave, several meters long, shot out.
With a *pfft*.
It instantly broke through Smoker's White Fist.
And continued slashing towards Smoker himself.
*Bang!!*
The moment Smoker's body was hit by Getsuga Tenshō, it exploded into a cloud of white smoke.
The next moment, Smoker's head re-condensed, floating in the air, looking down on Lister.
"No wonder you could break out of the encirclement of thirty-two warships. You're pretty capable! Unfortunately, I'm a user of the Logia-type Moku Moku no Mi (Plume-Plume Fruit).
All of your attacks are useless against me!" Smoker sneered.
The reason he said this wasn't to show off his ability, but to attack Lister on a mental level.
To make him feel fear, to make him feel powerless.
"No way!!" Lister wasn't scared.
But Nami and the other girls were.
Being cut, he just turns into smoke.
He can't be killed at all.
What do we do!!
"Don't listen to his nonsense! Logia-types are formidable, that's true, but they're not truly invincible!" Lister said calmly.
"Next, watch me defeat him!"
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