Colonel Smoker.
The "White Hunter" of Rogge Town. The legendary Marine officer who once cornered the pirate Monkey D. Luffy—as recorded in the history books of later generations.
For the Marines of Rogge Town, Colonel Smoker was a wall that no pirate could easily overcome.
As a time traveler, Sugisawa Yuuto naturally knew him well. The man who had eaten the Logia: Smoke-Smoke Fruit. Stern, stubborn, a lone wolf—yet he carried his own brand of justice. Among the corrupt ranks of the Marines, Smoker was a rare clear stream.
Because of Smoker's watch over Rogge Town, few pirates in East Blue had managed to cross Reverse Mountain and reach the Grand Line in recent years.
Yuuto respected that about him. Truthfully, he would have preferred to avoid unnecessary conflict.
But—Smoker had come to block their path himself.
And Sugisawa Yuuto would never back down.
This was also the perfect opportunity for Erza and Mirajan to face a Logia user, the most troublesome type of Devil Fruit user for mages who knew nothing of Haki. Against such enemies, normal attacks were meaningless—their bodies dissolving into smoke, fire, or lightning at will.
"Sugisawa Yuuto! Captain of the Fairy Tail Pirates! Your journey ends here! I will never allow you to set foot on the Grand Line!"
Smoker's voice was firm, his expression unyielding. He raised his weapon—the jitte tipped with seastone, its presence enough to sap any Devil Fruit user's strength.
Yuuto corrected him with a calm smile.
"First of all, let's clarify—it's not the Fairy Tail Pirates. It's the Fairy Tail Guild."
"Hmph. Guild? Don't make me laugh. You razed an entire Marine base. At the end of the day, you're nothing more than reckless criminals!" Smoker spat coldly.
"Correction again," Yuuto chuckled, his eyes glinting. "I didn't raze it to the ground. There should still be a rather large crater left where Branch 166 used to stand."
"Bastard—!" Smoker's face darkened instantly. Yuuto's "clarification" was nothing short of provocation.
"Hey, Marine!" Erza suddenly shouted, her voice sharp and commanding. "If your so-called Marines hadn't joined hands with pirates, bullying civilians and oppressing the weak, would our president have needed to step in?!"
Smoker's expression turned grim.
He knew exactly what she was talking about. The corruption of Branch 166 and their collusion with Arlong's gang had been reported briefly in the World Economic News, though the World Government quickly suppressed the story. Most civilians were still in the dark.
But Smoker knew.
Erza's words left him momentarily speechless.
Finally, he ground his teeth.
"Even so… that doesn't give you the right to act freely. Those vermin in the Marines should have been punished by military trial—not by the hands of outlaws like you!"
Smoker's stance echoed the same reasoning as Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Yuuto simply waved his hand. "Enough talk. Erza—go and have some fun."
"Yes, President!" Erza replied crisply.
She handed the cart of supplies to Nami and strode forward, her crimson hair billowing in the salty wind.
"Requip—Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
A brilliant magic circle flared beneath her feet. The glow erupted outward, dazzling the onlookers as the power of the Magic Knight surged.
When the light faded, Erza's form had transformed.
Her simple silver armor was replaced by a magnificent battle dress of gleaming blades. Wings of swords spread from her back, holding her aloft. Behind her, dozens of floating blades hovered, gleaming with deadly intent.
In that instant, Erza resembled a goddess of war descending from legend.
"Whoa… Erza is so cool!!!" Nami gasped, her cheeks flushed as she watched Erza's transformation for the first time.
"It's too early to be surprised," Mirajan said with a smile. "This is only the tip of the iceberg of her strength."
As Erza's lifelong rival, Mirajan knew better than anyone just how terrifying her power truly was.
"Fairy Queen Erza… I've heard of you," Smoker muttered, feigning calm. "So this is your ability. You've got some skill, I'll give you that."
His expression remained stern, but inwardly, his heart roiled.
This power… it wasn't a Devil Fruit. It wasn't anything he understood. It was something beyond the natural order. Something foreign to this world.
"Mr. Smoker!"
The Marines of Rogge Town finally arrived, led by Sergeant Tashigi, the bespectacled woman who followed Smoker loyally. Seeing the scene before them, the soldiers hastily raised their rifles.
But before they could aim—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A storm of cold steel sliced through the air.
"Heaven's Wheel—Blumenblatt Sword Dance!"
The hovering blades shot forward like streaks of lightning.
In an instant, every rifle in the Marines' hands was severed cleanly in two.
Had Erza truly wished it, their heads would have rolled instead of their weapons. The street would have been drenched in blood.
Even Smoker felt a chill creep into his bones at the thought.
As for Tashigi—her wide eyes reflected only fear.
"Mr. Smoker… what… what kind of monster is this…?"
"Stay back, Tashigi!" Smoker barked. "Everyone fall back! She's not an opponent you can handle!"
"That is a wise choice," Erza replied calmly, her blades gleaming at her back.
"...Hmph."
Smoker snorted, his jaw tight.
"Then let me test for myself… the methods of the Fairy Queen!"
At his words, white smoke erupted violently, swallowing his form.
His body dissolved into vapor, soaring into the sky as his jitte tipped with seastone thrust forward with lethal precision.
"Heaven's Wheel—Triple Blades of Light!"
Swish!
Erza's form blurred, vanishing in a flash. She struck with impossible speed, her swords clashing against Smoker's weapon.
The two crossed paths in an instant—time itself seemed to pause.
The next heartbeat—
A triangular flash of sword light flared across Smoker's chest.