Testing Smoker in Loguetown

Luo Chen, intending to fly out of the East Blue, passed over Loguetown. Looking down at the island below, he said calmly, "Loguetown?"

"Since I'm passing through, I might as well go down and take a look!!"

Meanwhile, at the Loguetown Marine Branch base.

Smoker sat in a chair, smoking a cigar. "Has Straw Hat Kid's bounty risen to 300 million Beli already?"

"Colonel Smoker, are we really going through with that transfer?" Ever since Tashigi had returned to Loguetown from the Alabasta Kingdom with Colonel Smoker, she had been thinking about this matter.

Smoker exhaled a cloud of smoke. "That's right! Staying in Loguetown all the time won't give us any real training."

"That's why I applied for a transfer from Loguetown to the New World. Only that place is a real battlefield, where we can temper ourselves and grow stronger."

"But, Colonel Smoker, do you think Fleet Admiral Sengoku will agree?" Tashigi asked worriedly.

Smoker slowly rose and walked to the window. Looking out at the streets of Loguetown, he said, "This place is too peaceful. You never run into truly formidable Pirates."

"Besides, I sent my application to Admiral Aokiji."

"Admiral Aokiji." At those words, Tashigi pictured Aokiji, one of the three Admirals.

Suddenly, Smoker, standing by the window and looking outside, spotted a figure descending from the sky.

Smoker said in shock, "What was that?"

"What are you talking about, Colonel Smoker?" Tashigi asked in confusion, having no idea what he meant.

Without another word, Smoker grabbed his Jitte and ran for the door. "Tashigi, hurry up and follow me. A pirate may have landed in Loguetown."

"Pirates? Don't plenty of Pirates pass through Loguetown every day?" Clutching her weapon, Koyashigure, she hurried after Colonel Smoker.

As she ran, Tashigi called out, "Wait for me, Colonel Smoker! I can't keep up!"

Watching Colonel Smoker pull farther and farther ahead, Tashigi grew increasingly anxious, afraid she would lose him.

Luo Chen, who had landed on the streets of Loguetown, had no idea that the Marines had already spotted him.

After all, Luo Chen's Observation Haki was only C-rank, which was considered low-level!!

It was barely any better than D-rank beginner level.

So, he still could not sense things across a wide area.

Just as Luo Chen was about to head over to the execution platform where Pirate King Roger had been executed.

Countless footsteps sounded behind him!!

Luo Chen turned around in confusion and saw Smoker leading a large group of Marine soldiers.

Luo Chen chuckled dismissively. "I was discovered the moment I arrived in Loguetown??"

After approaching Luo Chen, Smoker asked, "Who are you, and what is your purpose in coming to Loguetown??"

In Smoker's eyes, anyone capable of flying in from the sky was certainly no ordinary person.

He had to find out what the other party's intentions were.

Tashigi ran alongside the Marine soldiers and finally managed to catch up.

Tashigi panted heavily, looking utterly exhausted. The Marine soldiers looked even worse.

After all, they had sprinted here at full speed.

After catching her breath, Tashigi looked at Luo Chen, then opened a stack of Wanted Posters.

After searching through them, she still could not find any information on the man before her.

She ran to Colonel Smoker's side and quietly reminded him, "Colonel Smoker, that man isn't a pirate, nor is he a wanted criminal."

"Hm?" Smoker frowned. "He's neither a pirate nor a wanted criminal?"

With his hands in his pockets, Luo Chen smiled. "What? Are you Marines going to attack people without distinguishing right from wrong??"

Smoker looked at Luo Chen's expression with clear displeasure. "Since you're neither a pirate nor a wanted criminal, the Marines have no right to arrest you."

"But... you'd better not cause trouble in Loguetown. Otherwise, I'll send you to Impel Down."

"Since I've already been warned by you Marines, shouldn't I show you a little something in return?" Luo Chen said with an upturned smile.

Luo Chen did not intend to use swordsmanship. He wanted to have some fun with Smoker first.

Both of Luo Chen's Two-Color Haki were C-rank, while his hand-to-hand combat was C+-rank. Altogether, he was close to B-rank, though not quite there.

His combat strength was roughly on par with a Marine colonel.

Smoker, a Logia Devil Fruit user, was just right as a sparring partner.

If he used his swordsmanship and the Float-Float Fruit's abilities, Luo Chen could kill a rookie like Smoker in minutes.

After all, Luo Chen's current strength was concentrated in his swordsmanship and Devil Fruit abilities.

But in Luo Chen's view, that would have been no fun at all.

This happened to be his first proper battle since arriving in the world of Pirates.

Seeing the man before him assume a fighting stance, Smoker immediately said, "Looks like you intend to oppose the Marines!!"

"Even if you aren't a pirate now, someone like you will become one sooner or later."

"Fall back. Don't get caught up in my fight."

"Yes, Colonel Smoker," Tashigi and the Marine soldiers replied in unison.

Smoker's lower body turned into smoke as he puffed on his cigar. "Kid, let's see if you can stay so arrogant in a moment."

"White Smoke Launcher."

Smoker suddenly charged at Luo Chen.

Just as Smoker's smoky fist was about to strike Luo Chen, Luo Chen narrowly dodged the attack.

During that exchange, Luo Chen's Observation Haki kept a constant lock on everything around him.

The instant he dodged Smoker's attack, Luo Chen countered with a punch.

Smoker thrust his Jitte toward Luo Chen's neck in a surprise attack.

In Smoker's eyes, since this man had flown here, he had to be a Devil Fruit user.

As long as a Devil Fruit user was hit by his Jitte, the battle could basically be declared over.