Smoker stood at the bow of the small boat, watching as the pirate ship in the distance slowed down well before coming within range. This behavior struck him as odd. Beside him, the lieutenant from the local Marine base suddenly turned pale. "Their cannonballs have a long range... They're about to fire!"
No sooner had the lieutenant spoken than a burst of fire and smoke erupted from the bow of the pirate ship. The Buggy Ball was a weapon whose destructive power the lieutenant was all too familiar with. A single shot could blast through fortress walls, and ordinary ships wouldn't stand a chance against its devastation. Even if not directly hit, the resulting shockwaves and waves could easily capsize a small boat.
Believing the end was near, the lieutenant braced himself for the worst. However, before the shot even reached them, Smoker had already leapt into the air, positioning himself directly in the path of the cannonball.
The lieutenant's jaw dropped in disbelief. The next moment, a deafening explosion forced him to cover his ears tightly as the cannonball detonated in mid-air above their boat. The shockwaves alone caused the small vessel to rock violently.
Amid the fiery explosion, a mass of orange flames and smoke filled the sky, seemingly consuming Smoker entirely. To the stunned lieutenant, it looked as though the Marine commander had been obliterated, leaving no trace behind.
"Commander Smoker!" the lieutenant cried out, his voice trembling with despair. "Why would you throw your life away like that?"
On the pirate ship, the captain, who had been observing the situation through a telescope, was equally dumbfounded. Watching Smoker deliberately intercept the cannonball, he asked his crew in disbelief, "Have the Marines gone mad from the way we've been tormenting them?"
What happened next, however, shocked both the Marine lieutenant and the pirate captain even more. As the flames dissipated, the smoke in the air grew thicker, gradually coalescing into a humanoid figure.
"Logia-type Devil Fruit!" The same thought simultaneously flashed through the minds of the pirate captain and the Marine officers.
In the East Blue, the name Morgan William was synonymous with Logia-type Devil Fruits. His notoriety, coupled with widespread news coverage, had demystified the term "Devil Fruit" for the region's inhabitants. People now understood the existence of these mystical powers, particularly the invincibility of Logia users.
"This cannonball's power is truly extraordinary," Smoker remarked, exhaling a puff of smoke. His lower body remained in a semi-elemental state, resembling a genie from a fairy tale, with his upper body seemingly supported by a swirling mass of smoke. As he slowly descended back onto the small boat, he reverted to his normal form.
A Marine officer from Headquarters, anticipating Smoker's needs, promptly handed him a gas mask.
Taking the mask, Smoker leapt into the air once more, releasing a large burst of smoke from his waist. Propelled forward by the smoke, he hurtled toward the pirate ship.
The pirate captain, now in a state of panic, frantically ordered his crew to set sail and put as much distance as possible between themselves and Smoker. Logia-type Devil Fruit users were said to be impervious to conventional weapons, and they had just witnessed Smoker emerge unscathed from a direct hit by a Buggy Ball. They knew they stood no chance against him.
By the time the Marines' small boat finally caught up with the pirate ship, the battle was already over.
Pirates lay unconscious or severely injured across the deck, while the pirate captain had been securely tied up and tossed onto the ship's planks. Smoker sat on top of the captain, casually holding a bright red cannonball adorned with a skull emblem.
With a cigar clenched between his teeth, Smoker seemed utterly unconcerned about the potential danger of the cannonball in his hands. He even brought his face close to it, studying it intently and occasionally tossing it lightly in the air.
The pirate captain, pinned beneath him, was paralyzed with fear, not daring to move. He was terrified that any sudden motion might cause Smoker to accidentally detonate the explosive.
When the local Marine officers boarded the pirate ship, their gazes toward Smoker had completely changed. Their eyes were filled with admiration and awe.
"You," Smoker said, gesturing with the Buggy Ball in hand, "head to the ammunition hold and bring all the explosives marked with this symbol onto our ship. These pirates' weapons need to be sent to the Vice Admirals for inspection."
Smoker was fully aware that his earlier act of intercepting the cannonball had looked impressive, but it was merely a display of the unique advantages granted by his Logia-type powers. It didn't diminish the actual threat posed by the Buggy Ball.
On the contrary, having experienced its power firsthand, Smoker was even more convinced of its danger. He knew that any other Headquarters officer of his rank would not have been able to withstand a direct hit from such a weapon.
Once his subordinates had followed his orders and transferred the ammunition to their ship, Smoker dismissed them, leaving only himself and the terrified pirate captain on the deck.
Smoker looked down at the captain, who was staring at the cannonball in his hand with wide, terrified eyes. Smirking, Smoker pressed the Buggy Ball against the captain's face.
With one hand holding the cannonball in place, Smoker used the other to tap the ashes from his cigar directly onto the explosive.
Some of the ashes fell onto the pirate captain's face, causing him to scream in terror. "Get it off my head! Get it off!"
Ignoring the captain's pleas, Smoker asked coldly, "How does Morgan William's group contact you? Where are they now?"
The pirate captain remained silent, prompting Smoker to shake the cannonball slightly against his head. Removing the lit cigar from his mouth, Smoker waved it threateningly near the cannonball, as if about to extinguish it on the explosive's surface.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" the pirate captain blurted out frantically. "It was Sherlock, the manager of the Flash Gold Bank and the Four Seas Trading Company, who contacted us. He's the one who gave us these weapons and forced us to carry out the attacks on the Marine bases. I'm innocent!"
Smoker rolled his eyes at the captain's final claim but pressed further. "Where are Sherlock and his men now?"
"I don't know!" the pirate captain admitted honestly. "After delivering the weapons and explaining the plan to us captains, I never saw them again."
Smoker's brows furrowed deeply as a flood of questions raced through his mind. "They didn't leave anyone to monitor you? They weren't worried you'd back out? And why are you obeying them? You should know that Morgan William has already fallen from power."
"We had no choice," the pirate captain choked out, his voice trembling with a mix of frustration and despair. His eyes reddened as he continued, "All our money is controlled by William. We don't even know where he's hidden it. If William doesn't get out, everything we've fought for over the years will be gone!"
Smoker froze. "What did you just say?"
The pirate captain could no longer hold back his emotions. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he wailed uncontrollably. It was unclear whether his fear of the Buggy Ball or the thought of losing his hard-earned fortune caused his breakdown. "The wealth of dozens of pirate crews is all stored in the Flash Gold Bank. Morgan William transferred all the money to a secret location before his capture. Sherlock is using that money to threaten us—we have no choice but to obey!"
Though the pirate captain's account was likely riddled with excuses and exaggerations, painting himself as a victim, Smoker was no longer interested in dissecting the lies. His focus was on a far more pressing issue.
"You're saying that Morgan William's group hasn't been monitoring you or expending resources on you during this time," Smoker said, removing the Buggy Ball and staring intently into the pirate captain's eyes. "They've been freely operating in the East Blue this entire time?"
🔥 Want to read the next 50+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]