Smoker

Tap, tap, tap...

As Rody and his group prepared to head for the harbor docks, a rapid, synchronized march suddenly sounded behind them. Turning around, they saw Smoker—a vicious-looking, white-haired man with two cigars clenched between his teeth—riding his motorcycle, Billower Bike, followed by a group of running Marines.

Smoker dismounted his bike, his gaze sweeping over Rody's group one by one. Was that red-haired man with strange markings on his face the Slayer? He looked exactly like the man on the wanted poster. The woman in his arms should be Little Thief Cat, while beside him stood a red-haired woman and a stern old man dressed neatly.

But what was that thing beside him? A motorcycle that could walk? Smoker gave Windfire Wheel several puzzled looks before turning to the Slayer, who was studying him. His vicious face was filled with solemnity. "Slayer, surrender."

The Marines who had followed him raised their rifles and aimed them at Rody's group.

"Lord Rody, that is Marine Colonel Smoker, the officer stationed in Loguetown. He is a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, a Marine colonel known as the White Hunter," Mike introduced.

"Oh? I was just curious what an attack from a Logia-type user would feel like."

Rody stepped forward two paces and looked at Smoker with a smile. "Come on. If you want to catch me, let me see what you, the White Hunter, are capable of!"

Seeing Rody's reaction, Smoker no longer wished to waste words. He extended his right hand toward Rody and shouted, "White Out!" His arm then turned into smoke, forming a spiraling column that surged toward Rody and easily captured him.

Rody felt his body being bound by dense smoke that seemed almost solid. Yet to him, the force restraining him was not particularly strong. With a little strength, he could break free.

"Got him!"

"Great! Colonel Smoker caught the Slayer!"

"Haha, ever since the colonel was stationed in Loguetown, he's captured countless powerful pirates trying to enter the Grand Line!"

"Looks like even the Slayer, the highest-bountied pirate in the East Blue, is no match for the colonel!" the Marines shouted excitedly.

"That guy can turn his body into smoke. Is the captain really going to be okay?" Windfire Wheel asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I've heard that Smoker, the White Hunter of Loguetown, is a very powerful Marine. Quite a few strong pirates have been captured by him," Carmen added anxiously.

"Don't worry. Lord Rody simply hasn't gotten serious yet," Mike answered confidently.

Rody reached out and grabbed at the smoke wrapped around him, but his hand passed straight through it. "That really is strange."

"Don't waste your strength. I'm a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user. Physical attacks are useless against me," Smoker said confidently.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Then what about now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Armament Haki wrapped around Rody's hand. He grabbed the smoke binding him and squeezed hard. It felt as though he had seized a mass of solid smoke—not flesh and blood, but smoke with physical substance. Through Rody's Observation Haki, Smoker now appeared as a humanoid figure composed entirely of smoke. Was this what an elemental body looked like after elementalization?

"Hmph!" Smoker let out a pained grunt.

"Damn it, it's Haki!"

"In a place like the East Blue, there's actually an expert capable of using Haki?" Smoker stared at Rody in shock.

Rody yanked on the smoky arm, and Smoker was dragged through the air toward him by Rody's immense strength. Smoker hurriedly tightened his grip on his jitte and swung it at Rody.

Watching Smoker fly toward him while wielding his jitte, Rody gave a faint smile. The instant they closed in, Rody stepped forward and punched Smoker in the stomach. Smoker vomited blood, and the cigars in his mouth fell to the ground. He flew backward into the Marines, knocking several of them down in succession before crashing against a wall.

"Th-the colonel was defeated?"

"H-how is that possible?! The colonel is a Logia-type user! How could he be hit?" The Marines stared at the fallen Smoker in disbelief.

"Haha... Captain is amazing! He defeated that White Hunter Smoker so easily. Why was I worried about the captain just now? Seriously, the captain is invincible!" Windfire Wheel said with a face full of admiration.

"Haha, me too! I'm completely confident now that the captain can take me to the Blue Sea! Oh, hahaha..." Carmen laughed excitedly and began spinning in circles. The others had seen Carmen dance and spin around at every opportunity so often that they were used to it.

"Mr. Smoker, are you okay? Are your injuries serious?" Tashigi asked in panic as she helped Smoker up.

Once he was on his feet, Smoker spat out another mouthful of blood and gave Tashigi a speechless look. I'm in this state—do I look like I'm okay?

"Tashigi, take them and run. I never expected there to be an expert in the East Blue who could use Haki. The Slayer isn't someone you can defeat. Don't make meaningless sacrifices," Smoker said in a low voice after catching his breath.

"Mr. Smoker, even if we have to run, we won't abandon you," Tashigi said firmly.

"Lieutenant Tashigi is right! Even if we die, we won't abandon you, Colonel!" the soldiers shouted as they gathered around Smoker.

"You guys really are..."

Watching the Marines act out that tired scene of "you go," "I won't," and "if we leave, we leave together" right in front of him, Rody rubbed his temples helplessly. "Hey, stop adding drama to this. Don't worry, I won't kill you."

"You think we'd believe that?"

"You, the Slayer, have killed who knows how many people since you set sail. You'd let us go?" Smoker looked at Rody with utter disbelief, while the Marines tightened their grips on their rifles and watched Rody nervously.

"Of course. If I wanted to kill you, do you think you'd still be alive right now?"

"Then why aren't you killing me?"

Rody turned, wrapped an arm around Nami, and led the group toward the harbor docks, laughing loudly as he went. "Because you're an interesting fellow, and you still have far more potential left to uncover. You can become stronger. I look forward to the stronger you bringing me even more fun."

"So live, and work hard to become stronger. If we meet again and I think you haven't grown stronger—that you've become lazy—I'll kill every Marine under your command."

"White Hunter Smoker, you'd better not disappoint me!"

"Hahahaha..."

Watching Rody's laughing figure disappear into the distance, Smoker could not help clenching his fist and slamming it into the ground. "You bastard, next time we meet, I'll definitely capture you."

"Slayer Rody."