A year passed in the blink of an eye.
By now, it was the year 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
On the western coast of Suikin Island, Smoker held a piece of bread, tossed it lightly in his hand, then flung it far into the air.
"Dark Vortex."
A wave of darkness surged outward, perfectly catching the bread.
Like sinking into a swamp, the bread slowly descended into the dark void.
Smoker withdrew the darkness and closed his eyes, silently focusing.
Then he opened them again.
"Release."
The bread gently floated up from the darkness, completely unscathed.
Smoker smiled at the result.
[Good. I can now manipulate gravity at will.]
[Crushing steel with sheer force or gently sinking bread into the void without damaging it—I've achieved both.]
After getting the [Dark-Dark Fruit], Blackbeard had become obsessed with flashy, brute-force moves. While they looked powerful, his mastery over the fruit was rudimentary at best.
Actually, it wasn't even proper development. The fruit's infinite gravity was one of its base abilities. Even a dog could pull off what Blackbeard did.
Smoker had halted his physical training for a year and dedicated himself entirely to developing the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Now, after that year, he could freely control darkness and gravity.
Take this "Dark Vortex" move for instance. When Blackbeard used it, he'd cover an entire town, destroying everything in range regardless of value or purpose.
Smoker's use, on the other hand, was far more refined. He could not only control the size and shape of the vortex but also adjust its gravitational force.
Thanks to that precision, he could treat the darkness like an independent storage space—similar to the [Swamp-Swamp Fruit].
From that perspective, it wouldn't be wrong to call the Dark-Dark Fruit a superior version of the Swamp-Swamp Fruit.
As he chewed on the bread, Smoker pondered.
[Compared to infinite gravity, just the right amount is far more practical.]
[The fruit is nearly developed to a usable stage. There are still ideas I want to explore, but I can't pull them off just yet. That'll come with time.]
[Still... this fruit eats through stamina fast. I just ate and I'm already hungry again.]
Finishing his bread, Smoker walked to a massive boulder, stretched out his hand, and cast a sheet of darkness over it like a black curtain.
The boulder vanished within seconds, leaving only a deep crater.
Smoker jumped into the pit and pulled out a small box.
Inside lay the [Smoke-Smoke Fruit].
Holding the fruit that was originally meant to be his, Smoker murmured to himself.
"I may not have eaten you, but I promise I'll find you a worthy owner."
As he spoke, his hand turned pitch black, and the Smoke-Smoke Fruit slowly sank into the darkness.
Back then, he hadn't had the strength to carry it with him, so he'd hidden it here.
Now that he was stronger, it was much safer to keep it on him at all times.
Smoker returned to town and headed to the docks.
There, a merchant ship named Barley was docked. A chubby merchant on board was anxiously pacing when he suddenly spotted Smoker. His eyes lit up, and he waved eagerly.
"Smoker-kun! Over here! Hurry up, we're about to set sail!"
"Coming!"
Smoker jogged over, leapt onto the ship, and landed lightly.
"Sorry, Uncle Boris. I'm late. Did I delay departure?"
Like the original Smoker, he was always kind to civilians.
Boris rubbed his round belly and chuckled. His fat jiggled with each laugh.
"No worries, no worries! I'm just thrilled to have you aboard on our way to Loguetown!"
"With so many pirates around lately, having you on board puts me completely at ease!"
Smoker smiled and nodded.
"Either way, I really appreciate you taking me to Loguetown. If not for you, I'd have been in quite a bind..."
A few days ago, the World Government had dropped a bombshell announcement:
The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had been captured, and would be executed in Loguetown in a few days!
Such a historic event, Smoker wasn't about to miss it.
When he heard that the Barley was headed to Loguetown, he quickly asked for a ride.
Boris had happily agreed.
Loguetown was the gateway from the East Blue into the Grand Line.
Though it had the strongest Marine presence in the East Blue, the surrounding waters were far from safe.
Smoker trained every day. Though he kept a low profile, the people of Suikin Island all knew he was strong.
Having such a powerful bodyguard aboard made Boris feel much safer.
"Set sail!"
With that shout, the Barley slowly pulled away from the dock.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Loguetown drew ever closer.
One day, while Smoker was sunbathing on the deck, a sudden commotion erupted.
"Another pirate ship?! That's the eighth one today!"
"Eight this morning alone..."
As news of Roger's execution spread, forces from across the sea were converging on Loguetown.
In just a few days, the Barley had run into dozens of pirate ships.
At first, the crew had been on edge, fearing attacks and plunder.
But when they realized the pirates didn't even care to acknowledge them, they gradually relaxed, some even started critiquing the ships out loud.
"Whoa, that pirate ship's design is wild!"
"Yikes... you're right. Look at the color, the shape—what kind of freaks are on that thing?"
"Wild, huh?"
Smoker's curiosity was piqued.
What kind of pirate ship could earn that label?
He stood up for a look and instantly flinched at the sheer flamboyance.
A garish pink ship loomed in the distance, its figurehead shaped like a flamingo wearing sunglasses.
Arrogant and absurd in every way.
"The Donquixote Family, huh? That guy really was there when Roger was executed..."
Of the three humiliating defeats in his future, two would come at the hands of that crew.
Smoker had no love for them.
But the current him was no longer the same. Maybe he could even test himself against Doflamingo?
He felt a spark ignite within.
But as he glanced at the endless sea around him, that fire was quickly extinguished.
Nope.
Doflamingo could fly, Smoker couldn't.
If the guy got pissed and sank the ship, Smoker would be fish food.
Even if he was willing to risk his life, there were innocent people aboard.
With that in mind, Smoker turned to Boris.
"Uncle Boris, let the captain know to steer clear of that pirate ship up ahead."
Boris blinked in surprise.
"Why? Those pirates are headed to Loguetown too. There's no reason they'd attack us."
Smoker sighed inwardly.
It had only been a few days, and their sense of caution had already dulled this much.
Have you ever seen a wild beast that guaranteed it wouldn't bite?
Still, he kept his tone calm and patient.
"They're not like the ones we've seen so far. Better safe than sorry."
That ship didn't just have Doflamingo, it had his freakish subordinates too.
They once burned down an entire city just because Doflamingo tripped while walking.
A pack of rabid dogs, the lot of them.
By now, Doflamingo had likely unified the North Blue's underground world. He probably wouldn't waste his time on a tiny merchant ship.
But who knew what one of his lunatic crew might do?
They could just yell, "Your ship's too close! It made our king lose his bladder!"—and then start a fight.
Better to avoid trouble altogether.
Though still confused, Boris could tell Smoker was serious and didn't argue.
And once the captain saw their patron insist on a course change, he agreed without question.
The Barley quietly changed course and veered away.
Meanwhile, aboard the pink flamingo ship...
Doflamingo was reading a newspaper, a half-empty bottle of red wine beside him.
Pica suddenly burst through the door.
"Doffy! That merchant ship just changed direction!"
"Huh?"
Doflamingo raised an eyebrow and walked over to the window, watching the Barley shrink into the distance.
They'd been delayed by a recent storm, and their wine supply was running low.
Spotting the merchant ship, they were just about to raid it for drinks.
But the moment he gave the order, the other ship turned tail and fled like it had read his mind.
Doflamingo furrowed his brow for a moment, then shrugged.
"Whatever. Not worth delaying our schedule over."
"Yes, Doffy!"
Because of the detour, the Barley arrived at Loguetown half a day later than planned.
By then, the docks were already packed with people.
After circling the harbor several times, they finally found a spot to anchor.
As soon as they docked, Boris found Smoker.
"Smoker-kun, I'll be busy unloading cargo these next few days, so I won't be able to look after you."
"We're heading back in three days, don't be late!"
Smoker nodded.
"Got it, Uncle Boris! I'll be back in time. See you!"
Without another word, he leapt off the ship and darted into the crowd like a gust of wind.
Boris watched his fading silhouette and smacked his lips with a bit of envy.
"Man... youth really is a beautiful thing."
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter