The Navy Attacks

"Mark, is this where Pirate King Roger was executed?" Daisy asked as she looked at the wooden execution platform.

Mark nodded and ran his hand over the aged platform, a strange glint flashing through his eyes.

There was nothing special about the platform's appearance.

But its symbolic significance was entirely different.

This was where Pirate King Roger had been executed, and where the chaos of this sea had begun.

With a swish, Mark used Attraction Force to fly onto the platform.

"Boss, what are you going up there for?" Chiu Chiu asked, tilting his head up.

"I want to see what Pirate King Roger saw in his final moments."

Mark stood atop the execution platform and looked down at everything below.

His heart was incomparably calm as he surveyed his surroundings.

His field of vision was vast!

Loguetown lay entirely within his sight!

Everything below looked especially small!

At the end of his gaze was the boundless sea!

The entrance to the Grand Line, the Red Line, faintly appeared before his eyes.

Something strange stirred within Mark's heart. He could not describe the feeling. Just as he stared at the distant sea, lost in thought, a discordant voice rang out.

"Pirate, get down from there. That isn't where you belong. Come with me to Impel Down!"

Following the voice, Mark saw a white-haired man in a Marine uniform, with two cigars clenched between his teeth.

Behind him stood a blue-haired woman with a sword at her waist, along with several Marines. They were organizing the nearby civilians' evacuation.

Smoker...

Mark narrowed his eyes slightly. White mist swirled around Smoker's body; he had clearly come with hostile intentions.

He looked down at Chiu Chiu beneath the execution platform and said seriously:

"Chiu Chiu, take Daisy back to the pirate ship immediately. I'll be there soon."

"Yes, Boss!" Chiu Chiu was about to pull Daisy away. From his boss's expression, he could tell this Marine was not someone to be trifled with.

"Mark..." Daisy had wanted to say that she would stay, but after seeing Smoker, she changed her words. "Be careful!"

She had encountered Smoker of Loguetown in the East Blue before. However, she had not been a pirate then, so Smoker had not targeted her.

Still, she was quite familiar with him. The words "Logia type" alone were enough to leave both her and Chiu Chiu helpless. Staying would only increase Mark's burden.

Chiu Chiu grabbed Daisy and flew into the air.

"How could I let you escape!"

"White Fist!!!"

Smoker threw out his right fist toward Chiu Chiu.

His goal was to wipe out every member of the Morse Pirate Ship here. How could he possibly let them run?

"Are you looking down on me too much?"

Mark said coldly. Black energy surged around his right hand as he threw a black-cloaked fist at the attack headed for Chiu Chiu.

Bang!

The White Fist and the Dark Fist collided in midair, then dissipated into nothingness.

While Mark and Smoker were entangled, Chiu Chiu had already carried Daisy far away. Smoker could only watch the two figures grow smaller on the horizon before saying coldly to Mark:

"Once I capture you, I'll go after those two and capture them as well."

Mark leaped down from the execution platform and landed before Smoker, his voice devoid of emotion.

"You won't get the chance, Marine."

"Whether I get the chance or not, we'll only know after we fight, you trash!!!"

Smoker swiftly drew the jitte from his back and swung it at Mark.

He was fast!

But Mark was faster...

In a battle on level ground, Silent Step was incredibly effective.

Mark vanished from sight, and no one knew when he had drawn his massive axe.

Smoker only saw an axe shadow rushing toward him at high speed. He did not dodge. The jitte's path remained unchanged, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

He was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. Why would he fear a slash...

Splat!

But the next second, his expression froze.

The axe shadow tore open his chest, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone. Blood continuously streamed from it.

Before Smoker could react, another axe shadow followed, knocking his jitte away.

Mark reappeared, used the handkerchief he carried to pick up the jitte, and slung it across his back.

Such a dangerous weapon should be kept in my custody.

Smoker truly was Zefa's disciple. After losing his seastone weapon, the wounded Smoker rapidly retreated.

He clutched the constantly bleeding wound on his chest. The pain instantly covered his forehead in cold sweat.

"Pirate, you can use Armament Haki!!!"

"..."

Mark showed a noncommittal expression.

"Marine, you've stayed in the East Blue for too long. Do you really think your Devil Fruit power can withstand my attacks? Logia types... are not invincible!"

Because of Smoker's carelessness, he had not only suffered severe injuries, but even his seastone weapon had been taken by Mark.

Battle was like that—ever-changing in an instant. There were countless cases of people losing their lives due to carelessness.

"Damn it!!!" Smoker cursed under his breath.

He had known Mark was Jaba's disciple, so it was possible that he could use Armament Haki.

But he had underestimated Mark because of his age and had been heavily wounded in a single strike. Smoker's face immediately became as ugly as if he had eaten shit.

"Captain Smoker!" Tashigi stepped forward to support Smoker, her face full of concern.

When she lowered her head and saw the bone-deep wound, her worry deepened.

The wound was too large, and too deep!

Mark held the Mountain-Splitting Axe upside down in his hand, blood dripping from its blade onto the ground.

The destructive power of such a heavy weapon ranked among the best of all cold weapons in the world.

Its blade was broad and heavy. Mark was naturally strong, and with the Combat Bracer's enhancement, his current strength made even the one-ton Mountain-Splitting Axe feel as light as a feather in his hands.

Tremendous strength combined with a great weapon of destruction—it was only natural that he had severely wounded Smoker with one axe strike while Smoker's defenses were wide open.

Smoker forced himself to stand steady and said coldly, "Pirate, don't get too arrogant. I'm only injured, not dead!"

He activated his Smoke-Smoke Fruit power.

His lower body turned into white smoke, and both arms transformed into smoke as well.

Smoker rushed toward Mark.

"Even if I was careless, you're not a pirate who can defeat me so easily."

"White Vines!"

His arms turned into white smoke vines and reached out to seize Mark.

"Dark Fist!"

His arm transformed into darkness as he threw a punch.

The darkness formed a massive explosive fist and slammed toward the White Vines.

Bang!

Darkness collided with white mist. The Dark Fist exploded, transforming into black flames that consumed and burned everything within a ten-meter radius.

The white mist dispersed and reformed into Smoker's body.

As Mark continuously developed the Dark-Dark Fruit, its abilities had greatly improved.

Because Dark Fist had been modeled after Fire Fist, its explosive consuming effect now also carried a burning effect—the corrosive force innate to the Dark-Dark Fruit. It was becoming increasingly similar to Fire Fist.

Only the color of the abilities differed somewhat.

One was black, the other yellow.