War-Torn Chaos

"Strange... where could that Sand Crocodile have gone?" Li Ziming frowned. "And without Robin's help in the desert, I wonder if Luffy will run into trouble out there." Li Ziming began considering whether he should follow Luffy's group, but first he pulled a Den Den Mushi from his clothes. After making the call, Li Ziming nodded.

"I didn't expect Crocodile to head for the royal palace first. Looks like he really trusts those bombs to be enough to deal with me and the Straw Hat Pirates." Li Ziming snickered. "But he seems to have forgotten that I'm Explosion Man."

Filled with malicious intent, Li Ziming took out a Den Den Mushi and made another call. "That street? All right, I understand. The Straw Hat Pirates... they've probably disappeared beneath the water already."

After hanging up, Li Ziming smiled strangely. "Tsk, it's really disappointing not to see Crocodile's ugly face."

Then Li Ziming casually found a camel in the city and headed for Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta.

"War always makes the people suffer." Li Ziming looked helplessly at the citizens fighting and killing one another in the streets. Anyone who approached him was knocked unconscious by the shockwaves from his explosions.

"Found you, Explosion Man." Smoker stood before Li Ziming.

"You got here fast." Li Ziming was somewhat surprised, but after thinking about it, he understood. In the original story, Crocodile had intercepted them along the way, but now that he was gone, the Straw Hat Pirates would naturally move faster.

"But it looks like you've teamed up with the Straw Hat Pirates?" Li Ziming looked at Smoker oddly. "Are you planning to give up being a Marine and become a pirate?"

"I would never become a criminal. I'm just curious where someone like you learned the Six Powers. This kind of martial art can only be learned by Marine officers of rank or those CP9 people." Smoker's expression darkened. "Could you be someone from the World Government?"

"You know too much." Li Ziming's face darkened. Just as Smoker was about to say something, Li Ziming suddenly switched back to a relaxed expression. "I've wanted to try saying that for a long time. Sure enough, it makes me feel more and more like a villain."

Seeing Smoker's dark expression, Li Ziming shrugged. "I have nothing to do with those bastards from the World Government. Of course, I have nothing to do with the Marines either. I only learned my Six Powers and Haki from the notes an old man used to cover his drinking bill."

"Hmph. If you're a Marine traitor, then I'll definitely bring you to justice!" Smoker said coldly.

"Nicely said!" Li Ziming clapped. "But I seem to already be wanted. You don't need to confirm whether I'm a traitor before bringing me to justice, do you?"

"Uh!" Smoker froze, seemingly wondering why he was so concerned about that.

"All right." Li Ziming prepared for battle. "Smoker, you didn't come here for something this simple, did you? Even pirates are working to save this country now. Don't you think you should be doing something too?"

"I don't need you to tell me that." Smoker's upper body turned to smoke. "White Snake!"

"It's useless. The shockwaves from my explosions can scatter your smoke. You'd better not think that Logia powers alone can take me down." Tiny explosions continuously erupted around Li Ziming's body, forming a shield of explosions over the surface of his skin.

"My attacks aren't that simple!" Smoker suddenly emerged from the smoke behind Li Ziming, thrusting his Jitte toward him.

"Using the properties of smoke to hide yourself before attacking..." Li Ziming's Armament Haki blocked Smoker's strike. "It's a good idea, but don't you think your attacks are a little too straightforward?"

"I don't!" The smoke around them suddenly formed countless fists, all smashing toward Li Ziming at once.

"Is that all?" Li Ziming raised an eyebrow and once again used explosive shockwaves to keep the smoke away.

"Of course not!" Smoker suddenly increased his strength. The Jitte broke through Li Ziming's defense and struck him hard.

The weakness brought on by Seastone made it difficult for Li Ziming to even gather Haki. Hit without any defense, Li Ziming felt as though several of his ribs had broken.

Smoker pressed his advantage, swinging the Jitte at Li Ziming again.

"Again?" Li Ziming frowned. Unlike the others, he had not grown up in a world of pirates. How long had it even been since he came here? It was already no easy feat for Li Ziming to develop his Devil Fruit ability to this extent, so his ability to take a beating was not strong at all. If he took another hit with that same force, he felt certain he would lose his ability to fight.

"Looks like I'll have to use some special measures." Li Ziming tipped back the alcohol in his hand and poured it all into his mouth. The alcohol immediately took effect. His mind became incomparably clear, but his entire body also felt as though it were burning.

Smoker seemed to sense the danger as well and quickened his assault.

Li Ziming used Soru to evade Smoker's attacks, but countless smoke fists soon appeared around him again.

Li Ziming neither dodged nor blocked those fists, allowing them to strike his body. But because of that, he seized the handle of the Jitte. "Art... is an explosion!"

With Li Ziming's words, the Jitte exploded into countless fragments that scattered everywhere.

"How..." Smoker stared at the Jitte in disbelief. He had never expected a weapon made of Seastone to be blown to pieces. Before he could finish speaking, however, the Jitte fragments pierced into his body, leaving him unable to move.

"My ability really is ineffective against Seastone, but that only means my power can't directly affect Seastone. It doesn't mean the explosions created by my power are ineffective against it." Li Ziming explained why he had been able to shatter the Seastone. "The extreme heat and pressure produced by the explosion—that's what shattered the Seastone. As for why I wasn't harmed by it..." Li Ziming shrugged. The thin explosive protective film around his body consumed a great deal of stamina, but its effect was quite good.

"All right, let's go." Li Ziming hoisted Smoker over his shoulder, carefully making sure the Seastone fragments did not touch him.

"Where are you taking me?" Smoker said irritably.

"To your subordinates. You don't want to die in the middle of this chaos, do you?" Li Ziming shrugged, then carried Smoker around in search of the Marines.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Smoker had become completely unable to figure out what Li Ziming wanted.

"Ha, just a plan. A plan that follows Crocodile's ideas, that's all. And it wasn't even my plan, so don't blame me." Li Ziming hurriedly shirked responsibility.

"So you really are plotting something." Smoker nodded, then said to Li Ziming, "Get me two cigars."

"No. I hate the smell of smoke." Li Ziming rejected Smoker's request without a second thought. "And who the hell do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?"

Smoker looked like he wanted to say something else, but the scene before him immediately cut him off.

Fighting was happening everywhere. People constantly fell, blood and flesh flew through the air, and a scene like hell entered their eyes.

"Let's go." Li Ziming shook his head and prepared to leave with Smoker.

"You're not going to do anything?" Smoker frowned. "You're strong."

"Being strong is one thing. What you can accomplish is another. Just like the three Admirals—what Aokiji can do, Akainu and Kizaru may not necessarily be able to do." Li Ziming shook his head. His power was good for killing people, but saving them? He could use shockwaves to give people concussions and knock them out, but knocking out one person and knocking out a crowd were difficulties that increased geometrically.

"And it looks like this war will be over soon." Li Ziming looked at the dust rising from buildings constantly collapsing around the plaza. He vaguely guessed that the Straw Hat Pirates had likely clashed with Baroque Works' officers, and had probably won.

"But could things really be that simple?" Smoker's words suddenly reminded Li Ziming that, if he remembered correctly, there was still one enormous bomb on the battlefield.

"Hmm, your people are here too." Li Ziming saw the Marines rushing toward them and casually set Smoker down. "Then I'll be leaving first."

"You bastard, I'll definitely catch you!" Smoker shouted angrily.

"I'll be waiting." Li Ziming waved dismissively and left Smoker's sight.

"So, you've already taken her to the underground royal palace?" Li Ziming took out a Den Den Mushi and made a call. "Then you've seen the Poneglyph? That's good. See, I told you I was right. Mm-hmm, I understand. I'm going to deal with that bomb now. You need to be careful too. Even though you got the antidote from Kureha, Crocodile himself is very strong. Straw Hat went with you? Then it looks like you won't be in danger. Still, be careful. All right, let's hang up for now." Li Ziming finally ended the call and looked at the clock tower before him. "Ah, should I give those guys a surprise?" It had to be said, Li Ziming's twisted sense of humor seemed to be acting up again. But who would be unlucky this time?