Torrential rain was lashing the Loguetown port, dense raindrops splashing countless sprays on the flagstones, blurring the entire view.
Giyu Tomioka broke through the rain curtain, quietly arriving at the edge of the battlefield.
He instantly grasped the chaotic situation at the port.
At the center of the battlefield, Luffy was being pinned to the ground by Smoker, a Marine officer, with a strangely shaped weapon. Thick white smoke rose from Smoker's body, coiling tightly around Luffy like shackles, making all his struggles useless.
"Gum-Gum… damn it! Let go of me!" Luffy's face was pressed into the puddles, and he yelled, pounding the ground, but he couldn't break free from the jitte's restraint.
On the other side of the battlefield, his other two crewmates were also caught in a bitter struggle.
Zoro and Sanji were desperately entangled by over ten Marine lieutenants and dozens of soldiers. Although each of their attacks could repel an enemy, Smoker's subordinates were like an endless tide, making it impossible for them to break away and support Luffy.
Further away on the Going Merry, Nami and Usopp were leaning over the ship's rail, their faces filled with anxiety, but their shouts were swallowed by the wind, rain, and sounds of battle.
Tomioka's gaze finally returned to Luffy.
'The primary goal is to rescue him.'
This judgment formed in his mind instantly, and then, a more detailed tactical plan naturally emerged. The Marines holding Zoro and Sanji had to be taken down first, freeing the two of them to create enough opportunities.
Without a moment's hesitation, Tomioka moved.
His figure seemed to merge with the rain, and in the next instant, he had flowed into the center of Zoro and Sanji's battle. The Marine soldiers didn't even get a clear look at who had arrived, only feeling a sudden cold presence.
"Water Breathing, Second Form Modified: Flowing Dance."
Tomioka held his Blade with one arm; though the blade was still sheathed, he had transformed into a surging torrent!
He made no unnecessary movements, moving with incredible speed and angles, weaving and thrusting through the crowd. His scabbard looked like the hardest rock in a raging current, precisely striking the chins and wrists of every Marine soldier who tried to attack.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dull thuds sounded in quick succession, accompanied by painful groans and the clatter of weapons falling to the ground. In just two or three breaths, wherever Tomioka passed, Marine soldiers fell one after another, clearing a small area instantly.
Zoro and Sanji's pressure suddenly decreased, and both instinctively looked at the suddenly appearing Tomioka.
"Go support your Captain first." Tomioka's voice was steady and cold, yet carried a convincing decisiveness: "Leave this to me."
Zoro clicked his tongue, but his eyes were sharp: "Thanks!"
Sanji kicked away a Marine still trying to charge, spitting out his wet cigarette butt: "Saved! Mosshead, don't just stand there!"
Without any hesitation, the two immediately seized this precious opening, rushing like arrows from a bowstring towards Smoker, who was suppressing Luffy in the center of the battlefield!
"Hey! Smoke Man! Let go of our Captain!" Zoro roared, his three blades ready, revealing their chilling gleam, "Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
The incredibly sharp slash instantly swept through Smoker's smoke-transformed body, but passed through without any resistance, as if it had cut only empty air.
"How is that possible?!" Zoro's pupils contracted, his face showing an expression of disbelief for the first time.
Almost simultaneously, Sanji attacked from the side, "Collier Shot!" His leg technique was incredibly swift, but it also passed through Smoker's smoke-transformed waist. Not only did it cause no damage, but a few wisps of smoke coiled around his ankle, sticking to it!
"What kind of Devil Fruit ability is this?!" Sanji tried to break free, but found the smoke incredibly tough; the more he struggled, the tighter it coiled.
Smoker didn't even turn his head completely, only glancing at them from the corner of his eye, a mocking sneer playing on his lips.
"It's no use, East Blue pirates." His voice carried absolute confidence and disdain, "Before the power of a Logia Devil Fruit, your attacks are meaningless. I am smoke; physical attacks are ineffective against me."
While they were attacking in vain, Tomioka's figure was still moving in the background.
The Marine soldiers attempting to regroup couldn't even discern his movements, quickly falling unconscious under a series of precise scabbard strikes.
He swept the entire battlefield with extreme efficiency, ensuring no more fodder could interfere with the battle ahead.
In a short while, the only ones left standing at the port were Smoker, the three Straw Hat members, and Tomioka, who had just finished clearing the field and was slowly straightening up.
Smoker finally became a little more serious. He released the smoke coiling around Sanji's ankle, his gaze sweeping past Luffy and landing on the one-armed swordsman.
This guy had taken down all his subordinates in just a moment.
Tomioka said nothing. The next second, he was already facing Smoker. Water splashed slightly under his feet, and his figure vanished abruptly, reappearing moments later, closing in on Smoker!
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
The blade was still sheathed, but the thrust, condensed at the tip of the scabbard, was incredibly fast, carrying a sharp shriek that pierced the rain curtain, aiming directly for Smoker's face!
Smoker didn't dodge or evade; he even deliberately moved his forehead forward.
Whoosh—!
The scabbard, as expected, pierced through his head, trailing a few wisps of white smoke.
"You don't even draw your blade," Smoker's voice carried a hint of annoyance at being underestimated, "What do you take me for? A mere grunt?"
Tomioka's eyes showed no fluctuation. With the attack ineffective, he instantly leaped back, putting several meters of distance between himself and Smoker again.
'Physical attacks... completely ineffective.'
A conclusion formed immediately in his mind, unprecedentedly tricky.
'A power similar to that splitting man, but he turns into smoke, allowing him to evade attacks more thoroughly... I need to find other methods.'
He quickly scanned, instantly locking onto Smoker's arm that was pinning Luffy with the jitte, and that unique weapon itself.
That object, it seemed, could restrain Luffy, who had just been able to stretch his arms at will.
The strategy changed instantly.
Clang—!
This time, the Blade finally left its scabbard! The cold blade cut a frosty gleam through the rain. Water Breathing technique activated, and subtle water vapor began to coil around the blade. Tomioka charged again, his target clear—to cut off that jitte!
Smoker's eyes sharpened; he sensed a completely different kind of danger from this strike!
"White Blow Smoke!"
He suddenly opened his mouth and spewed out a large amount of dense white smoke, forming a white smoke fist that rushed towards Tomioka.
However!
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"
Tomioka's charge didn't stop. He swung his Blade upwards, unleashing a massive, water-like slash! The slash was like a colossal waterfall flowing in reverse, cleaving through the dense smoke and sweeping it clean!
Tomioka's figure immediately burst out from the smoke-cleared path, his Blade's momentum undiminished, still accurately slashing towards the jitte!
This guy's slash can actually affect smoke?
Smoker didn't have time to think. He instinctively flipped his wrist, bringing the Sea Stone-embedded tip of the jitte up to block!
Clang—!!!!!
An incredibly piercing clash of metal exploded! It even drowned out the sound of the wind and rain!
At the point where the blade and jitte violently collided, a fine mist of water exploded outwards!
Smoker felt a tremendous force transmit through the jitte, numbing his entire arm. His hand throbbed with pain, and the jitte was almost knocked out of his grasp!
"This guy… such incredible strength!" Smoker was inwardly horrified.
Left with no choice, he instantly elementalized and retreated, releasing his absolute suppression on Luffy and Sanji. He drifted back several meters before reforming his body.
"Yay! We're saved, finally!" Luffy sprang up from the ground, stretching his body.
Sanji also took the opportunity to escape, stumbling a couple of steps before regaining his footing.
Smoker raised his jitte, looking grimly at the spot where he had blocked. He saw a clear slash mark left on the incredibly hard Sea Stone tip!
He looked up, his gaze at Tomioka filled with shock and intense interest.
"I warned you in the tavern not to meddle…" Smoker's voice deepened, imbued with genuine anger.
"To even leave a mark on Sea Stone… East Blue, truly a formidable fellow has arrived."
The smoke on his body began to churn violently, his aura continuously rising.
"But today, all of you will be arrested by me right here!"
Just as Smoker was about to unleash a more ferocious attack, Tomioka tightened his grip on his blade again, and Zoro and Sanji adopted defensive stances—
Whoosh… The wild wind at the port, without warning… stopped.
Raindrops still fell vertically, but the howling wind had vanished, and the entire world plunged into an eerie, suffocating silence.
This silence lasted only a moment.
The next second!
Rumble rumble rumble!!!!
An incredibly violent whirlwind, without any warning, suddenly materialized above the port! It swept up the puddles on the ground, shattered wooden crates, and scattered weapons, forming a colossal, terrifying vortex connecting heaven and earth!
Smoker's "White Blow Smoke" that had just erupted, ready to cover the entire area, was like a child's prank in the face of this colossal storm. It was instantly torn apart and scattered by the raging whirlwind, completely gone!
The powerful wind pressure even made it difficult for his elementalized body to maintain its form.
"Whoa! It's so cool!" Luffy, carefree, spread his arms, enjoying the sudden strong wind.
"This wind?! What's going on?!" Zoro and Sanji both struggled to maintain their footing in the gale; this phenomenon was simply too bizarre!
Smoker struggled to reform his body, his face for the first time showing an expression of disbelief mixed with anger: "…?! This is definitely not a naturally formed storm! Who on earth is responsible?!"
As for Tomioka, his senses were far keener than anyone else's.
The moment the whirlwind erupted, he clearly felt it.
This storm contained an immense power! This definitely didn't seem natural; rather, it was… some kind of interference beyond his comprehension!
Just like that time at the execution platform. The lightning that struck from the sky at the moment Luffy was about to be cut down, it was just like this storm now.
'There's a monster…' This thought had just flashed through his mind.
"Idiots! Get on the ship! This wind is our only chance!" Nami's desperate shouts came from the Going Merry, filled with urgency and a kind of frantic joy at grasping a lifeline.
"Let's go!" Luffy reacted incredibly fast, letting out a laugh. His rubber arm stretched out, grabbing Zoro, Sanji, and Tomioka, who were closest to him!
"Hey!"
"Wait!"
Zoro and Sanji only managed two short exclamations of surprise. Tomioka merely cast a silent glance at the rubber arm wrapped around his waist, offering no resistance.
"Gum-Gum—Rocket!"
Using the elasticity of his rubber body, Luffy launched the four of them like cannonballs, catapulting them towards the Going Merry, which was about to set sail!
The four landed heavily on the deck, barely making it.
"Set sail! Quick, set sail!" Nami almost jumped as she commanded.
Usopp and Sanji immediately rushed to the mast.
Whoosh—!
The storm at the port, as if alive, precisely filled the Going Merry's sails!
The Going Merry groaned, and the next moment, it was as if an invisible giant hand had given it a powerful shove. Its bow lifted high, and then, at an almost frantic speed, it cut through the waves, rushing out of Loguetown port and sailing directly towards the tumultuous seas leading to the Grand Line!
"Damn it!!!"
Smoker's furious roar came from behind, but his elementalized body couldn't advance against the earth-shattering gale before him. He could only watch helplessly as the pirate ship with the sheep's head vanished into the vast curtain of rain.
Just as he was burning with rage, a low and authoritative voice, as if speaking directly behind him, yet also seeming to come from the howling wind, said:
"What reason is there to stop a man from setting sail?"
Smoker suddenly froze, looking in the direction of the voice.
Not far away, on the rooftop of a tall building, a tall figure in a dark green cloak stood majestically amidst the storm. The shadow of his hood completely obscured his face; only a stern silhouette could be seen.
"Who on earth are you?!" Smoker demanded sharply. He could feel that this terrifying storm and this person were absolutely connected!
The figure did not answer directly, but continued speaking, his voice calm yet undeniable:
"Inherited will, the changing of times, people's dreams… these are all unstoppable."
"…" Smoker clenched his cigar, his smoke-transformed body trembling violently in the wind. He wanted to rush towards the building but found that the terrifying wind force only allowed him to remain in place, unable to elementalize.
"As long as people continue to seek the answer to freedom, all of this will never cease!"
After speaking these final words, the green figure vanished like a phantom, quietly merging with the wild wind and disappearing without a trace, as if he had never appeared.
Only Smoker remained, standing bewildered in the gradually subsiding storm, pondering the profound words, his expression becoming incredibly grim.
Tomioka stood at the violently pitching stern, letting the rain and sea wind lash his face. He silently looked back at the gradually shrinking island known as Loguetown, his gaze deep.
In his ears, he heard the rubber Captain's hearty laughter of survival, the Mosshead swordsman's grumbling complaints, the curly-browed cook's eager greetings to the navigator lady, the long-nosed man's exaggerated boasting about the terrifying ordeal they had just faced… He finally looked at these boisterous and energetic individuals before him.
'Comrades'… this word was not unfamiliar to him. Once, he too had a group of comrades he could entrust his back to, fighting with their lives on the line.
But that bond, in the end, brought… more profound loss.
Tomioka silently averted his gaze, looking towards the bow of the ship as it cut through unknown, monstrous waves.
He was merely accompanying them temporarily to find his way home.
Nothing more.
[2410 Words]
[Power Stones Required]