Big Daddy Pirates crew members saw their captain openly fighting the Marines in Loguetown. One by one, they shed their disguises and charged out, bristling with fury.
These wanted criminals might cower, keep their heads down, or even flee rather than fight when faced with a Marine officer like Smoker.
But they weren't afraid to hunt down Marines, and they eagerly rushed into battle.
Roronoa Zoro spotted a familiar figure among the Marines. The female Marine with a sword looked exactly like his childhood friend, Kuina.
He couldn't help approaching her and starting a sparring match.
But this woman was nothing like Kuina, and her swordsmanship was a mess. He was a little disappointed.
Smoker, fighting Daddy, saw Loguetown descend into utter chaos and grew even angrier. But he couldn't do a thing to Daddy—in fact, he had to watch out or Daddy might kill him!
Daddy was vicious. Every move of his was a deadly strike aimed at a vital point, each one meant to take a life.
And the bastard didn't just have Seastone weapons; he'd also learned Armament Haki, completely shutting down Smoker's abilities!
The Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit power that had always served him so well in East Blue now forced him to remind himself not to rely too heavily on his intangibility. Otherwise, Daddy really might badly wound him!
"Hand over the Six Powers, and I'll let you go this once!"
Daddy struck Smoker in the chest again with an Armament Haki-coated fist and spoke coldly. He didn't want to stay in Loguetown for long. Once he'd destroyed the Barto Family and found a cook, they would leave immediately!
"What the hell are you talking about? Do you think a Marine who believes in justice would give in or fear death?"
Smoker charged at Daddy again without the slightest fear. In his eyes, retreat simply wasn't an option!
At worst, he'd die a glorious death. Even his coffin could be draped in the banner of honor!
"Then let's see if your connections can get here in time to save you!"
Daddy's expression grew colder, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. He didn't believe Aokiji Kuzan could show up in East Blue and save Smoker in time!
But in the next instant, it was as if the Goddess of Fate had decided to look after Smoker and mock Daddy.
A striking woman in a red peaked cap, with short purple hair and blunt bangs, sunglasses, and a large flag slung over her back, appeared leisurely in the riot-torn streets of Loguetown.
"Scum! Vermin! You worthless cowards! Pick up your weapons and kill those pirates!!"
Seeing Loguetown engulfed in chaos, with fighting everywhere, the striking woman in red—who had only come to sample the local cuisine—could no longer stand the slaughter and looting.
The East Army commander of the Revolutionary Army had revealed herself.
Belo Betty began waving her red flag, activating the Pump-Pump Fruit's power and rallying the spirits of the civilians being hunted and robbed by pirates.
The battle's momentum in Loguetown reversed in an instant.
Daddy frowned when he saw a Revolutionary Army member appear in Loguetown. How had he run into her?
The East Army commander was in charge of Revolutionary Army affairs in East Blue, but she was usually stationed in the Grand Line. He hadn't expected her to show up in Loguetown.
"Revolutionary Army!"
White Hunter Smoker looked at Belo Betty with a grave expression. Pirates were the Marines' enemies, of course, but the Revolutionary Army was an even greater threat.
According to Marine Headquarters' orders, fighting the Revolutionary Army took priority over fighting pirates!
Even though this East Army commander was currently saving civilians, the Marines still had to move against the Revolutionary Army!
With the Pump-Pump Fruit rallying them, the civilians swiftly subdued the various pirate crews causing trouble in East Blue.
Even the Big Daddy Pirates crew found themselves surrounded by civilians brimming with fighting spirit.
Daddy's expression turned grim. Faced with Belo Betty, whose bounty was over four hundred million, he had no confidence that he could take her on!
"Smoker! You're in luck. I hope we meet again in the Grand Line!"
After a moment's thought, Daddy stopped attacking Smoker and immediately ordered his crew to retreat!
With Daddy working hard to cover them, sealing off their rear with a giant barrier, the Big Daddy Pirates crew finally escaped the civilians' pursuit and retreated at top speed.
Belo Betty's Pump-Pump Fruit was truly terrifying. It could let an ordinary person wield the strength of someone with a bounty worth tens of millions of Beli.
Civilians were beating up wanted pirate lackeys like the Cat Brothers and Iron Wall Pearl.
Daddy's memory of the original story told him that in Lulusia Kingdom in the Grand Line, Belo Betty had once used the Pump-Pump Fruit to empower a girl selling milk, who then defeated Peachbeard—a pirate with a bounty of 52 million Beli—with a single swing of her club!
What an absurd boost!
A single use of her Pump-Pump Fruit could let ordinary people defeat the Peachbeard Pirates, whose bounty far exceeded East Blue's highest.
He had to admit, if the Big Daddy Pirates didn't flee now, the civilians empowered by the Pump-Pump Fruit really would beat them into the ground!
Daddy hadn't expected to be driven out of Loguetown in such a humiliating way!
He hadn't even had the chance or time to find a cook.
Meanwhile, Nami and Honey Queen had finally brought a red-haired female cook back to the Dreadnaught Sabre after cajoling, tricking, threatening, and forcing her.
She was the hot favorite to win this year's Cooking Competition, [Flame-Burning Carmen], known as the Passionate Woman.
Because of the pirate riot, the annual Loguetown Cooking Competition had been forced to end, and the pirates had even stolen the winner's prize money.
Nami kept trying to call Daddy on a Den Den Mushi to claim credit, but he was too busy evacuating at full speed with his crew to answer.
Fortunately, Belo Betty had no intention of pursuing the Big Daddy Pirates. After rallying Loguetown's civilians and helping them suppress the pirate riot, she had mysteriously vanished.
As a top fugitive of the World Government, she didn't want to linger in Loguetown after revealing herself. It would be a huge hassle if the Marines and CP0 hunted her down.
She might even face a warning and punishment from Revolutionary Army Leader Dragon.
Smoker knew he couldn't do anything to Daddy for now, so he could only start by arresting the pirates knocked down by the civilians.
He was very unhappy about benefiting from the Revolutionary Army's help, but he wouldn't let the pirates go over such a petty reason!
Daddy and the Big Daddy Pirates crew were retreating at top speed. Zoro, Kuro, and the others were seeing for the first time just how bizarre and powerful a Devil Fruit ability could be—one that could turn an ordinary person into a super soldier.
If an ability like that were used in an army, it would be terrifying!
A huge thanks to Great Wildfire, the author of Pirates: I Open Susanoo with the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, for providing this story.
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