Becoming My Enemy

After the warship departed.

Smoker and Linley, also prepared, boarded the small boat and set off for Loguetown.

Smoker frowned as he watched Linley fumbling about.

"Hey, let me ask you beforehand, you don't actually know how to sail, do you?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I do!"

Linley replied with great confidence, "I followed the warship all the way here by rowing. Didn't you see?"

Smoker thought about it and realized it was indeed true, so he relaxed.

After all, the sea was unpredictable. Compared to a stable warship, a small boat was much harder to control, and even he wasn't very skilled in that area.

With an experienced sailor who could handle the small boat, this journey would be much safer.

Linley placed the Log Pose at the bow of the boat, sat down, and gently pushed off from the shore, letting the small boat leave the port.

Then he picked up the oars, spread out his book on his lap, and sailed while reading.

Taking this opportunity, Smoker satisfied his curiosity.

He had long wanted to know what book Linley was reading while sailing.

However, after only a few glances, his expression began to change.

The book read:

Introduction: Chapter 3.

How to control the direction of the boat on the sea.

"Hey..."

Smoker recognized the content and called out to Linley, asking, "Isn't that book the 'Beginner's Guide to Sailing Small Hand-Powered Vessels'?"

Linley nodded.

Smoker's face grew even more grim. "Isn't that book for beginners who don't know how to sail?"

Linley nodded and sighed, "It's a really good book. The content is explained very thoroughly."

"..."

Smoker was silent for a long time, and finally asked tentatively, "Hey, you're a Devil Fruit User, right?"

Linley nodded.

"You know I'm also a Devil Fruit User, right?" Smoker asked again.

Linley nodded again.

"Then you also know that Devil Fruit Users can't swim, right?"

Linley looked at Smoker as if he were an idiot and picked at his ear, "The Marines don't even teach that?"

"..."

Smoker fell silent once more.

He felt an urge to fly into a rage.

But the continuously receding island kept telling Smoker – no, you can't.

If this small boat capsized, he might become the most ignominiously dead Logia Devil Fruit User in the world.

At the same time, the culprit who caused him to die so ignominiously would likely die with him.

There was nothing more ignominious in the world.

Smoker could only sit at the back of the boat with a grim expression, saying nothing.

Looking at the receding island, Smoker silently prayed –

Hoping that book is really practical!

It takes about twenty-plus hours to row a small boat from an uninhabited island to Loguetown by human power.

But Linley's stamina was astonishing, and he hardly needed to rest, so he shortened this time to over ten hours.

Fortunately, Linley and Smoker did not encounter any storms or large waves along the way.

Thus, after a journey that Smoker found thrilling, the two finally saw land.

According to the plan.

Linley did not go directly to the port of Loguetown but first docked the small boat at a secluded stretch of coastline.

Smoker jumped off the small boat, rubbed his shoulders, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tsk, if you want to mess around again next time, I won't accompany you!"

After uttering his usual threat, Smoker turned and left.

He needed to find a place to change his clothes, then infiltrate Loguetown as an ordinary person, and wait for an opportunity.

Meanwhile.

After Linley saw Smoker off, he rowed his small boat in a wide circle, making it look like he was heading straight for Loguetown, and landed at the port head-on!

The moment Linley's feet touched the port.

Not far away, a surveillance Den Den Mushi had already transmitted this scene to a certain location in Loguetown.

In that dark room, Kuro watched the monitor's display quietly, a smile appearing on his lips.

He's finally here!

As long as he could kill that man, his plan would be realized, and he could completely shed his pirate identity, no longer having to live in constant fear!

Thinking of this, Kuro couldn't help but laugh heartily while sipping his carefully selected fine wine.

However, when he looked up at the screen again, he found that the surveillance perspective had changed.

The perspective of the surveillance Den Den Mushi was moving up and down, as if it had been taken by someone.

Seeing this, Kuro quickly picked up a regular Den Den Mushi beside him and dialed.

To avoid any surprises, he had already arranged for surveillance personnel near the port and carried another Den Den Mushi for communication.

Buru buru buru... Buru buru buru...

Click!

"Hello, what happened at the port!" Kuro asked.

However, an unexpected voice came from the Den Den Mushi.

"Is this [Kuro of a Hundred Plans]? This is our first time talking, isn't it?"

Kuro instantly recognized the owner of the voice – it was their target this time, the BOSS with a bounty of 100 Million Beli, Linley Barek!

Kuro's brow furrowed. "Linley Barek? How do you have this Den Den Mushi?"

"I took it."

Linley answered honestly, and then an completely out-of-place voice came from the Den Den Mushi.

"Yes, yes, boss, fifty skewers of grilled meat, extra spicy."

"..."

Kuro was silent for a moment, then asked in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, rowing and fighting are tiring, so I need to eat something beforehand," Linley said through the Den Den Mushi.

Then, as he spoke, Linley fiddled with the surveillance Den Den Mushi he had obtained.

"How do I use this thing? Oh, like this."

After a shake, Linley's face appeared on the surveillance screen.

At this moment, he was chewing on grilled skewers with large bites, while holding the Den Den Mushi he was talking to Kuro with.

"Hello, hello? Can you see me!"

Kuro pushed his glasses up with his hand and replied with a cold smile, "As expected of someone who caused a scene at Sabaody Archipelago and declared war on the Celestial Dragons. Your behavior truly cannot be judged by common sense."

"Oh my, you flatter me."

Linley ate the grilled skewers at an astonishing speed and asked, "Where's Makino? Is she alright?"

"Of course."

"I need to hear her voice."

Kuro waved his hand, and a subordinate brought Makino over, then tore the tape off her mouth.

Seeing Linley on the screen, Makino hurriedly called out, "Linley, don't come... Mmph!"

After she spoke only a few words, Kuro had his subordinate cover Makino's mouth again.

"You and I are both people who keep their promises, Linley Barek."

Kuro asked with a smile, "Can you tell me now how you found my men stationed at the port, and this surveillance Den Den Mushi?"

"Who do you think I am? Kuro, there's a limit to underestimating someone."

Linley finished the last skewer and smacked his lips.

The next moment, Linley's expression turned grim, and a suffocating rage almost burst through the screen!

"You know what? You've made an enemy of the last person you should have provoked."

In front of the port—

The three members of the Black Cat Pirates who were on surveillance were forcefully smashed into the brick ground, stuck upside down!