Smoker

Following Simon's gaze, they saw warships off the island. The ships were closing in, clearly trying to force them ashore.

The warships surrounded them from all sides. The Navy didn't want them to escape, but it didn't want to destroy their ship either.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Cannonballs exploded behind them. Rogge and the others made no attempt to intercept them; the shots weren't aimed at the ship. They were meant to drive them onto the island.

So they weren't worried. They headed toward the island at an easy pace. They were surrounded anyway, and if they tried to turn back, the warships would probably aim at their vessel.

They weren't afraid, and they had fought the Navy before. Why should they fear them now?

Their ship rocked over the waves toward the deserted island. It wasn't very large, though it was lush with greenery.

The Navy's encirclement tightened. Once the pirate ship reached shore, the warships stopped and held their positions around it. On the beach, Smoker sat on a wooden crate with two cigars in his mouth, his hands on his knees and his fingers interlaced.

"So you were waiting here after all." Rogge walked off the ship with his hands behind his head and spoke to Smoker.

"Marshall Rogge." Smoker stared at him.

"Don't call me that. I made up Marshall as a surname. My surname's Luo, and my given name's Ge," Rogge said.

"That's none of my concern. The treasure from Earthfire Island is still aboard, isn't it? I'm arresting all of you now." Smoker stood and clenched his fists.

"That depends on whether you have the strength. I don't want to make a fuss, so come on and try. Is the lady beside you joining in?" Rogge asked Hina with a smile.

Hina said nothing. She looked at Rogge, then quietly lit a cigarette.

"Smoking isn't good for you. It leaves a taste in a girl's mouth, and I don't like kissing women who taste of smoke," Rogge said.

"Don't you have no women? Have you ever even kissed anyone?" Jelly asked from behind him.

"Shut up. Can't I fantasize?" Rogge snapped.

"Actually, kissing a woman who smokes isn't bad," Ham said with a grin.

"How would you know?" Rogge tilted his head and widened his eyes, looking so much like Billy that the resemblance was uncanny. He stared at Ham in astonishment.

"I'll take you along sometime," Ham said with a mysterious smile.

"You're the best, bro." Rogge clapped Ham on the shoulder, and the two shared a knowing grin.

Smoker thought these people were beyond help. They were chatting right in front of him. Were they looking down on him, or had they given up hope?

From what he knew of pirates, it wasn't the latter.

Whoosh!

Smoker tucked his arm against his waist. White smoke poured from his wrist and mingled with the smoke from his cigars.

"A Logia Devil Fruit user," Simon said enviously at the sight of the smoke around Smoker's hand.

"Too bad it's a lousy Logia Devil Fruit. If he had one of the Three Admirals' powers, I'd turn and run without another word. But his ability? Nothing to be afraid of." Rogge chuckled.

"White Snake."

Before Rogge had finished speaking, Smoker launched his fist at him. It shot forward like a cannonball, trailing white smoke.

"Looking for trouble?" Rogge raised his fist and punched. Their fists collided.

"Smoker, watch out!" Hina warned from behind him.

Bang!

When Rogge's fist struck Smoker's, Smoker's fist burst apart like a smoke bomb. White smoke instantly engulfed them all.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ham and the others immediately leaped out of the smoke. None of them wanted to stay where they couldn't see a thing.

"Where's the captain?" Simon asked, startled as he looked around.

"Still in there, probably," Jelly said calmly. He knew Rogge well.

"Attack!"

Navy soldiers charged and attacked the six of them.

Ham and the others had no time to worry about Rogge. Navy soldiers were swarming them, and Hina joined the fight, taking on Jelly.

Rogge had told them about Hina's ability. Getting caught in her restraints would be troublesome, but Jelly was well suited to fighting her. He could send his vines against her Black Cage without worrying about being trapped himself.

Inside the white smoke, Rogge kept watch on his surroundings. He could sense Smoker nearby. Though all he could see was white, he didn't need his eyes to track his opponent.

There.

Rogge searched for Smoker's position. The smoke itself couldn't hurt him. It wasn't magma or ice; smoke had no real power to injure him. He waited for Smoker to come out on his own.

Sure enough, Smoker couldn't hold back. He appeared behind Rogge and thrust his Jitte at him.

What Smoker didn't know was that every move he made looked slow to Rogge. Without even looking, Rogge tilted his head aside, spun, and drove his elbow into Smoker's chest.

Bang!

Smoke again. A huge hole opened in Smoker's chest. Without Armament Haki, hitting a Logia Devil Fruit user with a fist was nearly impossible.

Whoosh!

Smoker spun his weapon and brought the Jitte down hard toward Rogge's head.

Rogge dodged with ease again. The fight was like a turn-based game: Smoker attacked and missed, while Rogge's fists couldn't touch Smoker. One could dodge; the other could turn into smoke.

"Let's see how many more times you can dodge." Smoker grew angry. A mass of smoke poured from his body and formed a hand that seized Rogge.

Smoker appeared in front of Rogge in an instant and drove his Jitte toward Rogge's stomach.

Bang!

Rogge took the blow head-on. Before Smoker could celebrate, Rogge grabbed the Jitte's shaft. He remembered that only its tip was made of Seastone. The rest wasn't—otherwise, the Empress couldn't have kicked it apart.

"Shatter!"

Crack!

Smoker watched his weapon break before his eyes. Before he could recover, Rogge raised a fist and slammed it toward his head.

Poof!

Smoker burst apart. His body scattered into a mass of smoke, and he hid himself again.

Not enough oxygen. Rogge frowned. The smoke had shut out the air, and he could feel himself running short of breath. He had to get clear, so he dashed out of the cloud. But Smoker's smoke followed him.