"Hahaha, kill these Marine dogs!"
"Don't let these world government lapdogs escape!"
"Slaughter them all!"
"That feeling... that incredible power! I've never felt anything like it!"
"They are nothing! Even if there were ten times as many of them, I could tear them all apart!"
In the northeastern wilderness outside Logue City, a pale Marine trembled as he clutched his rifle and stumbled backward in retreat. Terror had completely consumed his features, turning his face into a mask of pure terror.
Under the cover of darkness, his comrades, each and every one of the Marines sent as reinforcements, had been torn apart like fragile dolls by these creatures that no longer resembled anything human. Even when their bullets found their mark, piercing flesh and drawing blood, the damage seemed negligible.
The pirates acted as if they felt no pain.
One by one, his teammates had fallen, slaughtered in the most brutal ways imaginable. The sight had shattered his will to fight, leaving him hollow and broken inside.
In the suffocating darkness, those twisted faces and murderous crimson eyes glowed like demons crawling straight from hell itself. A pack of devils reveling in carnage!
"Ahhh!"
Finally, the last surviving soldier couldn't take it anymore. He screamed, threw his weapon aside, and turned to flee. But as he turned, he crashed directly into a chest as solid as a steel plate, and the impact sent him tumbling to the ground. His Marine cap flew off and landed in the mud.
Standing before him was a man over two meters tall, both arms covered in battle scars, his face twisted into a savage mask of cruelty.
The pirate casually dug out a bullet that had lodged beneath his skin, sucking the blood from his fingers before revealing a row of yellowed teeth. He stared down at the frightened Marine and laughed with dark pleasure.
"Why are you running? Where is your white hunter? What was his name? Smoker, right?"
"Why didn't he come?"
"Could it be that he got scared when he heard the news?"
The pirate crouched down, his massive hand clutching the Marine's skull as he spoke with mocking amusement.
His words elicited raucous laughter from the other pirates surrounding them.
"What kind of monster are you? You... you're not human anymore..."
The marine stammered, his voice cracking with fear.
The pirate before him, while still roughly human in appearance, now had a thick layer of keratin covering his skin. Dark lines that resembled blood vessels pulsed beneath the surface, and his features had taken on distinctly inhuman characteristics. His eyes in particular... they belonged to something else entirely.
He looked more like some unknown alien species from the depths of the ocean.
"Yes... we are no longer human," the pirate said, extending his unnaturally long tongue in a display of sadistic pleasure. "We have been chosen by God to evolve into something far more sacred."
He began to apply pressure with his fingers, and the soldier's skull creaked ominously under the strain.
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
The screams of agony only made the pirates laugh harder.
Suddenly, distant thunder rumbled across the sky and a light drizzle began to fall.
After crushing the skull of the last surviving soldier, the pirate slowly rose to his feet.
"Shall we go into town and massacre the rest of the marines?"
"Hey, calm down. You got a death wish? The captain said to wait for him here..."
"Even with all this new power, this Smoker is not someone to be taken lightly. I'd suggest not getting too cocky."
"Huh?"
After easily destroying an entire Marine patrol, the pirates' arrogance had swollen to dangerous levels. They began to argue among themselves, testosterone and bloodlust thick in the air.
Strong undercurrents of tension flowed between them.
Though they had all sworn allegiance to the same leader, these were men who had once been notable figures throughout the East Blue. Each had commanded his own crews before this night. Some carried bounties approaching ten million berries. Many knew each other's reputations. They feared Oboro and respected their new captain.
But that didn't mean they got along.
Their new captain had made it clear that the larger fleet structure was still being established. At this crucial juncture, whoever could suppress the others would naturally claim a high-ranking officer position.
The future benefits would be considerable.
When they eventually sailed to the Grand Line and made their mark on the wider world, earning spots on the World Government's most wanted lists, these early positions would determine their place in the hierarchy.
This opportunity had made them all look down on the East Blue as nothing more than a "rookie's paradise.
Power, fame, status, wealth... all of it would soon be within their grasp!
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, the pirate's enhanced hearing picked up something unusual. "Is that something approaching?"
The others turned to look in the same direction.
At the edge of the horizon, a brilliant light cut through the darkness.
It was accompanied by the thunderous roar of an engine.
A motorcycle.
"A fool who does not know when to stop..."
Seeing the motorcycle approaching, one pirate, intoxicated with his newfound strength, stepped forward from the group to meet it head-on. He had not yet sated his bloodlust. But as soon as he opened his mouth to laugh, a massive wall of thick white smoke came crashing down on him.
Like a rolling tsunami.
"Look out! It's him, Smoker!"
Someone shouted a warning.
But it was too late.
The billowing white smoke instantly filled the entire area, separating each pirate from his companions. Everything disappeared in an impenetrable wall of white; they couldn't see a thing.
The pirate, still trying to show off, hadn't even processed what was happening.
The smoke behind him suddenly condensed to form Smoker's torso.
His jitte struck the side of the pirate's skull with lightning speed.
With that single blow, the pirate, who moments before had nonchalantly dodged bullets, instantly saw stars. Blood spurted from his mouth as he staggered and collapsed.
But Smoker's leather-gloved hand immediately grabbed the pirate by the hair and lifted him bodily from the ground.
It looked as if he intended to scalp the man alive.
Pain mixed with panic flooded the pirate's face.
Smoker grabbed him and soared into the sky, carrying his prisoner to a commanding height.
"So... you stinking rats are the ones causing trouble around here?"
Smoker's voice dripped with menace as he hovered in the air. He used his Devil Fruit ability to create openings in the smoke below, allowing him to clearly see each trapped pirate.
"Hmm?"
Smoker frowned, confusion creasing his features.
Even with the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the scene, he quickly scanned the area and realized that the masked man in the suit was not one of them.
"What the hell are you supposed to be?" he demanded, staring at the struggling pirate in his grip, studying the creature's inhuman appearance with growing confusion.
He had never heard of or encountered such a species before.
"Where is this man?!"
Smoker pressed his jitte to the pirate's throat, demanding answers.
His instincts screamed that something was very wrong with this whole situation!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Tashigi returned to the Marine base in Logue Town in a state of confusion and worry.
She clutched a Den Den Mushi in her hand, anxiety gnawing at her thoughts.
This was the first time she'd felt such a "tense" atmosphere since her arrival in Logue Town.
She had studied the God Slayer's file extensively.
Given the astronomical bounty on his head, she couldn't help but worry about Smoker's safety.
But after all this time, the Den Den Mushi had remained ominously silent.
Without her noticing, the light drizzle had intensified into a full-blown downpour. Tashigi raised her hand to shield herself from the rain and quickened her pace, breaking into a jog.
Due to the need to conduct an extensive search both inside and outside the city, every available person at the base had been assigned to the field. The remaining personnel consisted mainly of fresh recruits, clerks, and specialists in non-combat roles. She had to return quickly to process and transmit the information and intelligence gathered from various locations during this operation. If the situation changed, she would have to inform all the field commanders and Smoker immediately.
"With this heavy rain, the search will be even more difficult..."
After running for a while, she could see the base entrance in the distance. Tashigi ducked under a tree to adjust her clothes.
Especially her glasses, which were covered with water droplets that made her vision blurry.
She muttered to herself as she lowered her head to clean her lenses.
At that moment, a shadow suddenly fell over her.
"Excuse me... is that the Marine base ahead?"
The question came without warning.
Tashigi froze and looked up. She couldn't see clearly, but there seemed to be a man standing in front of her. Strangely, she hadn't heard any approaching footsteps.
The person seemed to have come out of nowhere.
Her expression was somewhat naive, and her mind took a moment to catch up. She answered instinctively, "Yes, it's just ahead... Who are you...?"
At first she thought it might be a colleague, but then she realized that if it was a Marine, how could he not know the location of the base? Besides, it was late at night and it was raining heavily. Apart from their own people, there wasn't a soul to be found in the city. How could an ordinary civilian wander around looking for the naval base?
Besides, if this person were a permanent resident of the island, he would be familiar with all the local landmarks. Why would they need to ask for directions?
Before Tashigi could finish her sentence, she quickly put on her glasses and moved her hand to the hilt of her katana, preparing to draw.
Time seemed to freeze!
A flash of searing pain accompanied by the sight of a blood-stained blade receded from her vision. Her body convulsed as if struck by lightning, her limbs weakening as she slowly collapsed.
When she hit the rain-soaked ground, she finally saw clearly.
The man standing before her had removed the smiling mask he'd been wearing, revealing a sinister grin as he looked down at her slowly fading consciousness.
It was him!
"Cunning Fox Dom."
The name immediately appeared in Tashigi's fading mind.
But it was too late...
She lay there, unable to make a sound, desperately wanting to scream... The blood flowing from her abdomen quickly collected in the muddy water, turning it crimson.
Before her vision went completely dark, she saw another figure standing in the distance.
Lightning suddenly split the sky. Under the white curtain of light, she could see a man wearing an impeccably tailored black suit. Even in the pouring rain, his posture remained as elegant as a gentleman's. He didn't look the least bit disheveled.
God Slayer!
Those last words formed in her mind as Tashigi completely lost consciousness.
"Boss... why didn't you kill her? Is there something special about this woman?"
Dom sheathed his weapon, bent down to retrieve the Den Den Mushi and slowly approached Oboro.
"There's no point in killing her right now," Oboro replied calmly as he approached. "Like Smoker, she's an important part of helping us send a message to the Navy and the World Government. She's just a tool."
"Oh."
Dom didn't quite understand.
But he knew that Smoker had been thoroughly betrayed by his boss.
Now, the Marine base on the island was at its most vulnerable.
Smoker probably never expected them to use a diversionary tactic and actually dare to target the Marine base itself!
Of course, Oboro recognized Tashigi. Although she was also an important character, she was too weak at this stage. If she was killed now, the resources his system could extract would be of minimal value. She lacked practical combat experience, and her skill cards, especially her swordsmanship, were relatively mediocre.
They were inferior to the cards he already had in his collection.
He hadn't expected to meet Tashigi here. It was pure coincidence.
As they continued, Oboro and Dom got closer to the naval base. The outline of the entrance building was already visible ahead of them.
They could even see the guards standing at their posts.
"Boss... should I kill them all?"
Dom rolled his shoulders, excitement building in his voice.
"Do what you want...but make it quick. These pirates won't hold Smoker's attention for long."
Oboro spoke with casual indifference. "Just running away would be boring."
"Let's take this opportunity to give the Marines a gift. After all, an Admiral will be arriving soon, and I hope they'll appreciate it."
"Understood!"
Dom chuckled and stepped forward with predatory confidence.
"Who goes there?!"
The guards quickly realized that something was wrong.
But their challenge was answered by a silent, ghostly figure racing toward them with supernatural speed.
And the glint of cold steel.
Moments later, the piercing wail of alarm sirens shattered the night air throughout the Marine base.