Natsuya vs. Smoker! Overcoming Weaknesses!?

Smoker stared at Natsuya.

A massive amount of white smoke suddenly surged from his body, coiling like ropes and chains, before sweeping violently toward Natsuya.

"White Vine!"

Seeing this, Nami gripped her small hands even tighter.

As for Tashigi and the others, their eyes lit up.

Although their entire squad had been wiped out, Colonel Smoker would surely be fine!

He was, after all, an invincible Logia-type Devil Fruit user!

Yet, just as Tashigi and the others were thinking this, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Those rope-like strands of white smoke reached the space in front of Natsuya and suddenly vanished.

It was as if an invisible, gaping abyss stood before Natsuya, swallowing all the smoke whole.

"Huh!?"

Tashigi and the others were stunned by the sight.

Smoker, however, furrowed his brows.

Right in front of Natsuya, an air-based door had manifested.

His smoke had simply plunged into that portal and disappeared.

"Is that the power of the Door-Door Fruit!?"

A thought stirred in Smoker's mind, and he immediately understood something.

But to fully grasp the nature of Natsuya's ability, he naturally needed to test it further.

Thinking this, white smoke billowed from Smoker's body and surged out once more.

"White Snake!"

"White Fist!"

As Smoker swung both fists, two streams of smoke shot out with a roar; one transformed into a white smoke fist, while the other spiraled like a python.

Yet, just like before, these smoke constructs vanished strangely the moment they flew in front of Natsuya.

The corners of Natsuya's mouth curled upward.

Without a doubt, the reason for this bizarre phenomenon was that he had opened a Different Dimension in front of him.

Thus, all that smoke had entered the Different Dimension.

When dealing with a smoke-user like Smoker, this defensive use of the Different Dimension was clearly more appropriate than Rashomon.

Of course, to defeat Smoker, mere defense would not suffice.

Natsuya smiled and suddenly raised his leg to kick.

"Tempest Kick!!"

With a flash of azure light, a sharp, piercing slash tore through the air.

"Colonel Smoker!"

Tashigi and the others were startled as they watched the azure slash slice Smoker's body directly in two.

However, Smoker's severed body quickly turned into smoke and coalesced once more.

Clearly, such attacks were ineffective against a Logia-type Devil Fruit user.

Tashigi and the others felt a wave of relief, but their hearts soon tightened again.

Natsuya's figure had suddenly appeared right in front of Smoker!

At that instant, Smoker's pupils contracted.

Without a word, he drew the Jitte from his back and smashed it fiercely toward Natsuya!

Bang!

Natsuya's fist collided with the Jitte.

Smoker's expression changed, and he stumbled back several steps.

Clearly, Natsuya's strength was significantly greater than his own.

However, his expression quickly shifted to one of joy.

Because, in the collision just now, Natsuya had made contact with his Jitte!

At the same time, noticing this, Tashigi and the others' eyes lit up as well.

"He was hit by the Jitte!"

"Great, he's going to lose his strength!"

They were well aware that Smoker's Jitte was a custom-made weapon embedded with Seastone.

In other words, if this weapon struck a Devil Fruit user, the user would be sapped of their strength, rendering them unable to use their Devil Fruit abilities.

Although Natsuya had repelled Smoker, he had made contact with the Jitte.

By all accounts, he should have been sapped of his strength, leaving him vulnerable to being captured by Smoker in one fell swoop!

However, just as Tashigi and the others were thinking this, a scene unfolded that left them utterly stunned.

After touching the Jitte, Natsuya merely raised an eyebrow and continued his assault on Smoker!

"What!?"

"He's actually fine!?"

Tashigi and the others were dumbfounded.

Smoker was also taken aback, but he had no time to dwell on it; he could only swing his Jitte and engage Natsuya in battle.

"White Snake!"

"White Blow!!"

Yet, as the fight progressed, Smoker grew increasingly alarmed.

During this time, Natsuya had touched his Jitte no fewer than ten times!

With that many contacts, the power of the Seastone should have taken effect regardless, but Natsuya remained completely unaffected!

This bizarre situation left Smoker feeling deeply shocked.

Meanwhile, Tashigi and the others were equally bewildered.

In truth, the reason Smoker was able to capture so many pirates with such ease was not only due to his Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability, but also largely thanks to his Jitte.

This was because some pirates possessed Devil Fruit abilities that even Smoker's smoke could not counter.

In those instances, the Jitte, embedded with Seastone, played a vital role.

Once struck by this weapon, every ability user ultimately met the same fate: being captured alive by Smoker.

This time, in the eyes of Tashigi and the others, it should have been no different.

As long as Smoker used his Jitte, then no matter how strange Natsuya's Door-Door Fruit ability was, he would inevitably be defeated.

That was why their spirits had lifted the moment they saw Smoker draw his Jitte.

But to their utter disbelief, Smoker's Jitte had failed this time.

Natsuya had clearly made contact with the weapon, yet he showed no reaction at all!

Even as the fierce battle continued and Natsuya collided with the Jitte repeatedly—even taking a direct hit to his body—he showed not the slightest sign of weakness!

What on earth was going on!?

Natsuya, however, was not the least bit surprised.

This situation dated back to his previous battle with Arlong.

At that time, Arlong's attempt to subdue him with seawater had served as a warning to Natsuya.

After becoming a Devil Fruit user, seawater and Seastone had indeed become his weaknesses.

But in Natsuya's view, these weaknesses were not insurmountable.

Much like Luffy in the future.

Therefore, in the time since leaving Cocoyasi Village, Natsuya had not been idle.

While continuing to develop his Door-Door Fruit abilities, he had also begun grueling training to overcome this weakness.

The method to overcome a Devil Fruit's weakness was actually quite simple.

It was to make frequent contact and force his body to adapt to the enervation.

So, from that day on, Natsuya began bathing in seawater.

That's right, he bathed in seawater.

This was the training method Natsuya had devised!

At first, the agony was unbearable, but within a few short days, he had adapted.

By now, he could finish a bath in seawater without batting an eye.

Of course, he still felt some weakness, but it was no longer enough to strip him of his combat ability.

And this was precisely why Smoker's Jitte was ineffective against Natsuya now!

Unless Natsuya were to fall into the deep ocean or remain in prolonged contact with Seastone, these few mere touches could not affect him at all!

With Smoker's smoke ability and his Jitte both rendered ineffective against Natsuya, the outcome of the battle was predictable.

In less than a moment, Smoker was being suppressed and beaten by Natsuya!

Of course, without the ability to use Armament Haki, Natsuya seemed unable to truly harm Smoker.

Under his attacks, Smoker's body was scattered multiple times, only to stubbornly reform as if nothing had happened.

Relying on this, Smoker sneered at Natsuya, "Don't waste your energy; you can't hurt me!"

Upon hearing this, the corners of Natsuya's mouth suddenly curled upward.

"Is that so?"

As the words fell, he once again used Shave to dash toward Smoker.

Since Natsuya intended to strike at Smoker, he had naturally already devised a way to deal with Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability.

The next moment, he scattered Smoker's body once more, then suddenly reached into the billowing smoke and grabbed hold of something solid!

That solid object was none other than Smoker's weapon, the Jitte!

Yes, this was the method Natsuya had prepared to counter Smoker's smoke ability!

"You!?"

Smoker seemed to realize something, his expression changing drastically.

Natsuya chuckled, and while gripping the Jitte, he pinned Smoker's body directly to the ground.

Smoker tried to struggle, but he suffered the consequences of his own weapon; suppressed by the Seastone power radiating from the Jitte, his strength rapidly faded.

Natsuya did not hesitate in the slightest. He raised his left hand, surging with the power of the Door-Door Fruit, intending to open the Gate of Heart and steal the Smoke-Smoke Fruit.

But just then, a powerful hand suddenly grabbed Natsuya's left wrist!