Two Teams Reunite, Drug Withdrawal Strikes

"Ugh, that Smoker guy."

The sounds of the battle gradually faded away, and the White Knight shook his head helplessly in the procession escorting the children away.

The Logia Smoker focused entirely on melee combat, even using all the smoke abilities he had in Alabasta. This Smoker... is probably done for.

"What's wrong, Roman?"

Nami quietly approached the White Knight and whispered, "Although Smoker relentlessly pursues the Straw Hat crew, they don't actually dislike him. That's why Smoker Straw Hat crew has always avoided fighting him."

"Smoker is probably no match for Law. He really is... how should I put it?"

Although 'smoke' cannot be compared to the devastating Logia such as ice, magma, and lightning, it is still a Logia -Logia Devil Fruit!

In Smoker's hands, he can only bully weak opponents. Against skilled opponents, he is not only useless but also becomes a weakness.

Where is justice?!

'Smoke' includes not only traditional soot and water mist, but also fog-like substances formed by various solid dust particles as condensation nuclei, or pollutants generated by photochemical reactions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Theoretically, the Smoke-Smoke Fruit should even be considered a superior version of the 'Gas-Gas Fruit,' but the result is:

Even Caesar, a scientist who wasn't a combatant, knew how to develop practical skills like gas explosions, suffocation techniques, and poison gas infusions, while Smoker only knew how to throw punches...

Putting aside other considerations, simply creating a large area of smoke is enough. Even if the 'Hidden Mist Technique' can be broken by a master's Observation Haki, does that mean a master can stop breathing? Increasing the smoke concentration can easily create a suffocating effect!

Just like Morel from the Hunter x Hunter world, who isn't even a Logia. He's a master smoker, using various smoke rabbits, smoke clones, smoke cages, eight-pipe smokers, and purple smoke machine squads in a variety of flexible and varied tactics, defeating countless opponents stronger than himself.

Poor Smoker, he's been abandoned by the 'version'...

"Anyway, let's rest here for now. — Chopper, Sanji, come here for a second."

In a nearby abandoned, massive laboratory, Roman sliced through the metal walls with a few sword strikes. First, he had Franky install the lighting, then Nami and Brook led the children to clean up the place as a temporary base, and finally, he called Sanji and Chopper over.

"Sanji, these guys are yours to interrogate."

Roman pointed to the bio-armed personnel next to him, who were wrapped in his papers and turned into puppets.

Sanji is very gentlemanly towards ladies, but towards men... and as a former prince of the Germa Kingdom, he's no stranger to interrogation—though he was usually the one being tortured as a child.

"Leave it to me."

Sanji won't be polite to these guys who clearly have "I'm a bad guy" and "Illegal experimentation" written all over their faces.

"Mr. Roman, I'd like to check on the children's health..."

Roman nodded in response to the little reindeer's words.

"That's what I wanted to say—I've already used my Observation Haki to examine these children, and they don't have any physical 'hands or feet' on them: like explosive collars or subcutaneous signal generators or anything like that. So:"

"Since even the children sensed something was wrong and asked us strangers for help, how could the mastermind behind their kidnapping be so comfortable letting them roam freely?"

Another secret experiment, another Shichibukai. It just doesn't seem realistic that they'd let Roman and his group take the children away like that! Unless:

"Understood, Mr. Roman. But: — I hope it's not what I'm thinking,"

Chopper put down his backpack and took out various medical instruments, preparing to collect blood samples from the children for analysis. Roman, the White Knight, silently shook his head.

That's a real shame, just as you think!

"ROOM - Scalpel!"

On the other side of the battlefield, the battle ended immediately after Smoker's heart was taken by Law in one move.

The rest of the naval soldiers, whether it was Colonel Tashigi or the other G-5 soldiers, could only obediently wait to die in Law's domain... No! They couldn't even wish to die.

"Look, I told you there were warships floating in the sky just now!"

"This is really..."

With a series of thunderous footsteps, the giant half-human, half-crocodile "Tea Beard" carried Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Robin onto the battlefield, causing everyone to Guotou.

"Hehehe, isn't this Trafalgar?"

Luffy's Luffy instantly broke the tense atmosphere, making the air more lively.

"Is it Trafalgar Law?"

Robin recognized him at a glance—a normal pirate crew should know each other, after all, he was the famous 'Shichibukai'.

"Isn't this the guy we met at the Sabaody auction house?"

However, apart from Robin, the other four members of the Straw Hat crew still only remembered Law as a bystander on the Sabaody Archipelago...

"Thank you so much for healing my wounds after the Marineford War! I'm so grateful!"

"By the way, where's your talking bear?"

Facing the overly friendly Luffy, Law, with his aloof expression, slowly spoke.

"You're welcome. I just did it on a whim."

"Don't forget, we're all pirates..."

"Hehehe, I know."

However, Luffy of thinking is beyond the comprehension of normal people.

"We are indeed enemies when it comes to seizing the 'Greatest Treasure.' But we also owe you a lot two years ago—we met Jinbe and then we met you again. We were really lucky!"

·········

Luo: Who's talking to you about some Greatest Treasure? Don't be so familiar with me!

"You didn't come here to see me, did you?"

Ignoring the 'Tea Beard' creature's beckoning and pleading expression, Luo maintained his aloof demeanor and pointed in the direction Roman and the others had left, saying, "Your companions are over there."

"Thanks, Trafalgar!"

Luffy a whirlwind, just as he had arrived in a whirlwind.

After taking Smoker's heart, Law turned and left. —Today, the island was filled with both the Marines and the Straw Hat crew, far exceeding his ability to handle. Moreover:

The Straw Hat crew... Star Sea crew with a total bounty exceeding 900 million two years ago and three Supernovas.

If we use them, we might be able to take down that guy:

Donquixote Doflamingo!!

I will avenge Mr. Corazon. Just you wait and see!

"Haha, you guys did a great job with this place."

"Dragons, birds with human faces, centaurs... and carrying Luffy while swimming in a freezing lake..."

Looking dejected Usopp said he never wanted to experience that 'adventure' again, but he soon began to put his 'specialty' to good use:

"Hahaha, next I'm going to talk about: The great sea warrior Usopp bravely fought the evil dragon—"

"Oh oh oh oh!"

A group of children, their eyes shining, began to listen to Usopp parts fake and one part true.

On the other side:

"The interrogation has yielded results,"

Sanji, wiping the blood from his hands, entered the temporary shelter. He was the kind of person who had once brutally beaten a group of Marines who came for a meal; beating these clearly not-so-good people was no big deal for him. Facing the White Knight, Nami, Zoro, Robin, Brook, and the others, Sanji shared the information he had gathered:

"These children were all normal when they came here,"

"But under the treatment of the 'master' here, their bodies began to grow larger. — The longer the child stayed, the bigger they became! This wasn't 'treatment' at all, but rather—"

"As expected, it is the 'human gigantification experiment'."

Nami sighed. The evidence and witnesses were right in front of her; her last shred of hope was extinguished. These children...

"Scumbag!"

Sanji angrily threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. You see, 'human experimentation' is something he hates and detests the most! His mother, sister, and those 'brothers', and even himself, were all tragic products of 'human experimentation'.

"This is 'NHC10'?!"

Chopper, who was analyzing the children's blood, exclaimed in surprise, causing them all to Guotou.

"Although it was only a trace amount, the substance 'NHC10' was extracted from the children's blood, which means..."

What is NHC10?

Chopper responded angrily to Luffy, who suddenly stretched out his neck.

"This is a type of stimulant... strictly prohibited in all countries. It's used medically as a painkiller, but even for medical purposes, the dosage needs to be strictly controlled because this thing..."

"It can be addictive."

The White Knight next to him picked up the conversation, "To put it simply, it's like Sanji's cigarettes and Zoro's sake; they feel uncomfortable if they're without them."

"Hey, I haven't had a drink in two years!"

"Even if I don't smoke, cigarettes and such..."

"However, the consequences of this 'NHC10' are far greater than those of tobacco and alcohol. If a person does not ingest this stimulant for a period of time, they will:"

"Ugh, it hurts so much!"

Just then, the largest little girl suddenly knelt down on the ground.

Despite the warm room, she trembled all over, and tears and snot began to flow uncontrollably.

"Sinde!"

"What's wrong with you?"

However, as this child began to act strangely, the other giant children started rolling around in pain and crying, clearly in extreme discomfort.

"Moza, even you..."

Even the black-haired little girl who mustered the courage to stop Nami for help was so distressed that she pressed her head firmly against the floor, causing Roman, one of the White Knight, to sigh.

Caesar experimented on children and controlled them with drugs...

That's outrageous!