Smoker's Fury

The scorching sun relentlessly baked the boundless sea of sand, and the air distorted slightly due to the high temperature.

Roy walked alone through the yellow sand, his cloak Hunting Roar in the fierce wind, when suddenly—

His Observation Haki flickered slightly as he detected a faint human presence emanating from ahead.

"Um?"

Roy raised an eyebrow, and his figure vanished instantly into the sandstorm.

The next moment, he appeared at the source of that aura.

Amidst the swirling sandstorm, a woman stood quietly, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

She had long, clear blue hair, as blue as the sea, which shimmered under the bright sun.

Those bright, star-like eyes stared directly at Roy, as if trying to see into his heart.

She was draped in a thin white veil, dancing lightly in the gale, the curved sword at her waist inlaid with gemstones, reflecting a dazzling, eerie light.

Roy's gaze faltered slightly, a complex emotion flashing through his mind.

"Blue hair again... tsk."

He couldn't help but think of that Goddess who always made foolish mistakes.

However, he quickly suppressed that fluctuation, and his expression returned to its cold indifference.

"You waited for me here on purpose, is there something you need?"

The woman's lips curled slightly upward, her smile composed and unperturbed by his indifference.

Her voice was clear and bright. "Unknown powerful figure, nice to meet you for the first time."

My name is Nefit Lily.

Roy's pupils contracted slightly at that moment.

East Blue · Loguetown

After bidding farewell to Grandpa Rock and Airin Irene, Ace, Luffy, Nami, and Nojiko boarded a small Warship to return home.

When they passed through Loguetown, Luffy suggested, "Hey! Let's go see Uncle Smoker while we're at it!"

Ace shrugged and smiled, "Sure, I'll say hello too."

However, as they approached the Marine Branch, they heard a deafening roar erupt from inside, "Let me go! Tashigi!!"

"I'm going to kill those worthless Pirates!!"

Luffy's eyes widened. "Whoa! Uncle Smoker is going to explode!!"

Nami's forehead was sweating. "... That voice doesn't sound like it's welcoming us."

At the base entrance, Tashigi was seen clinging tightly to Smoker's trench coat, her Glasses nearly falling to the ground, her voice trembling with tears:

"Commander Smoker!! Please calm down!! Headquarters has ordered you to defend Loguetown; you cannot leave without permission!!"

Smoker was furious, and he looked like he was about to turn into a puff of Smoke and rush out.

Seeing this, Ace rushed forward and grabbed Smoker's arm. "Calm down, Uncle!"

Luffy also rushed over excitedly and hugged him tightly from the other side. "Uncle, don't explode!!"

Smoker was being held tightly by the two men, one on each side, his forehead veins bulging. "You two brats!! Let me go!!"

He struggled desperately, cursing, "If I can't get to the Grand Line, I'll tear this whole base apart!!"

"Ace! Luffy! Please help me persuade Commander Smoker!!"

When Tashigi saw that her reinforcements had arrived, tears welled up in her eyes.

After a period of chaos, Smoker was finally pinned to a chair, his chest still heaving violently.

Ace shoved a glass of chilled juice into his hand and laughed, "Alright, uncle, what's wrong with you? Why are you so angry?"

"What's wrong?!"

Smoker slammed his fist on the table, nearly knocking over a cup, and gritted his teeth as he tossed a piece of intelligence from his pocket. "See for yourselves!!"

Everyone was taken aback, and Nami and Nojiko went over to them.

The intelligence report contained several lines of alarming text:

--The "Effort Pirates" are refused a doctor in the White Healing Kingdom, and in their anger, they severely injure several Guards!

--Breaking News: The "Effort Pirates" are suspected of having made contact with Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!

"The Effort Pirates...? What kind of weird name is that?" Luffy scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.

Smoker was so angry that Smoke billowed from his mouth. "These idiots!!"

"They actually slipped out from the East Blue, which Laozi was guarding!!"

He grew angrier and angrier, his voice booming throughout the room. "I've guarded Loguetown for so many years, and I haven't even let a single sea cat escape!!"

As you all know—no Pirate from the East Blue has ever successfully entered the Grand Line!

"And now look what happened! A bunch of good-for-nothings called 'Effort' suddenly appeared, and they even managed to escape right under my nose!!"

"This is absolutely a stain on my life!!"

In the end, Smoker slumped onto the table, gritting his teeth as if he wanted to tear the intelligence to shreds.

Ace couldn't help but cover his face. "So that's why..."

Nami's lips twitched. "... What kind of bizarre reason is that?"

Nojiko was trying so hard to suppress her laughter that her shoulders were shaking.

Tashigi stamped her feet anxiously, "But... but sir, headquarters orders you to stay in Loguetown, you can't leave!"

Smoker snorted coldly, his face grim. "Then let headquarters find someone else to guard it! I'm going to personally drag those useless Pirates back!!"

Ace sighed and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, uncle, we'll keep an eye out for you next time we're on a mission!"

Luffy added with a carefree laugh, "Yeah, yeah! We'll definitely help you beat that 'Effort Pirates' back!!"

"You two..."

Smoker clutched his forehead, unable to catch his breath for a long time, finally managing to utter, "The name of the Shield of the East Blue... must not be tarnished!!"

He looked up at Ace, Luffy, Nami, and Nojiko, his brows furrowed, when suddenly a glint of light Flash in his eyes.

"You guys... went back to the East Blue to visit your grandparents, you must have come in Warship, right?"

"Huh?"

Ace was stunned, before he could react, Nami's expression immediately changed, and she hurriedly waved her hands:

"Vice Admiral Smoker! We dare not... This ship is a temporary mission vessel assigned to us by headquarters; lending it out would be court-martial!"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Smoker suddenly transformed into a billowing Smoke, shooting straight into the sky, the sound echoing throughout the entire base:

"Hurry up and start the Warship!! I'm going to go to the Grand Line and personally slaughter those scum!!"

"Commander Smoker--!"

Tashigi's expression changed drastically. Panicked, she grabbed her sword and chased after him, shouting as she ran, "Please calm down!!"

Nami was completely speechless, covering her forehead and sighing, "What kind of mess is this...?"

Nojiko sighed, silently took out her Den Den Mushi, and dialed the Marine Headquarters.

The Den Den Mushi clicked twice, transforming into the voice of Navy Staff Officer Tsuru.

"I understand the situation... Let him cause trouble. Headquarters will send someone to Loguetown in the next couple of days."

Nojiko the Den Den Mushi and looked up at Ace: "The Chief of Staff said, let him cause trouble."

Upon hearing this, Ace sighed and covered his forehead in exasperation, "Sigh... Uncle Smoker, his temper is still the same as before, always wanting to rush to the front lines."

"Hey-hey!"

Luffy completely ignored the situation, raising his hands high and his eyes sparkling. "Let's go! Let's catch some Pirates!!"

"Idiot! Behave yourself!!"

Nami slapped Luffy right on Luffy head.

Meanwhile, Punk Hazard is located off the coast.

In the endless fog, a colossal ship, entirely black with a massive dragon head adorning its prow, slowly cleaved through the waves.

The Red Force appeared on the sea surface near Punk Hazard.