Smoker of the Trio Felt a Slight Distance (Seeking Monthly Tickets! Recommendations! Tips!)

Shu struggled to break free, corroding the bones of the thing restraining him.

Wude watched the other party and Kuroh with considerable interest.

Under the effects of the other party's Devil Fruit ability, IBM's body showed no signs of rapidly corroding and disintegrating.

Only the black particles scattering from it dispersed a little faster.

Kuroh's duration was shortened by only a little each time.

When it came to something that touched upon the boundary between life and death, Shu's ability clearly had little effect.

"You counter swordsmen, but I counter you." Wude rose to his feet, and Kuroh released Shu.

Shu stood up and looked around. The match was over, yet he still couldn't see the guy who had pinned him down.

"You bastard! As the number one, you still need help? Where is that guy!?" Shu shouted with a frown.

The people watching nearby also searched around for the invisible guy.

"You can think of Kuroh as an invisible clone. But if you insist on thinking I got help, suit yourself." Wude pointed toward Kuroh, then walked toward Smoker.

After all, once Shu developed Observation Haki, he would be the one feeling embarrassed.

"Fine, let's say that's your clone. Make it appear! Otherwise, I refuse to accept this!" Shu shouted at Wude's back.

"You won't be able to see Kuroh unless you're facing a life-or-death crisis." Wude waved a finger at Shu without turning around.

"Nonsense! You're obviously lying. Bring it out!" Shu shouted stubbornly. He was extremely interested in anything that could ignore his ability.

"Stop shouting. That really is one of his abilities." A colonel looked at Shu with a frown.

Wude ignored Shu and walked toward Smoker. "Come on, I'll buy you a meal."

"Sorry. Hina apologizes to you."

Hina walked up to him and spoke.

"What did you say?"

Hina gave a light snort. "Hina misunderstood you. It turns out you really weren't lying to me."

While Wude was studying the effects of the Rust-Rust Fruit on IBM, curious Hina had asked Smoker about Wude.

After learning that Wude really was immortal, she had even suspected that he was joking with her.

But Smoker had solemnly told her it wasn't a joke and briefly explained some things about Wude.

If a person wasn't even afraid of death, would he be afraid of training himself to the point of death?

Hina kept sizing Wude up. Although she knew he was an unkillable monster, she still couldn't help glancing at him.

Even if he couldn't die, he could still feel pain, right?

How could he endure that terrifying agony?

"I never lie." Wude spoke with complete sincerity.

Hina nodded. He really hadn't lied to her.

Smoker, however, watched Wude with an amused expression. He had heard about how Wude tricked pirates into surrendering their weapons, then immediately killed them.

But they were good brothers, so he wouldn't expose him.

As Wude and Hina chatted, Smoker smoked. The three of them headed together toward a restaurant in Marineford's residential district.

Hina came from the West Blue. She was a Cage-Cage Fruit user who could leave iron bars inside an enemy's body and restrain them.

She could also spread both arms to form iron railings that surrounded her opponents.

She could even create iron spears and sink enemy ships from a distance.

When Wude fought Shu, she had also been worried about herself.

Her ability would likewise be countered by corrosion, so she wanted to find a solution from Wude.

Unfortunately, she couldn't learn it.

The three gathered beside a restaurant window and ordered their food.

"You don't need to order so much," Hina said to Wude.

"It's fine. He's got plenty of money. You have no idea how many pirates he robbed." Smoker laughed around his cigar.

"But..." Hina took out a cigarette for women, but before she could finish speaking, the cigarette in her hand vanished.

Wude crushed it between his fingers and tossed it into the trash. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen. Why?"

"Don't imitate Smoker, that chain-smoking addict." Wude looked at Hina speechlessly.

Good grief, Hina had started learning to smoke as a girl?

She must have watched Smoker smoking and followed that bastard's example until she picked up the habit.

Hina patted her pocket. Huh? Where did the cigarettes I just bought go?

Wude waved at her, then held up the pack of cigarettes he had taken.

Girls were supposed to be spirited and beautiful. Why smoke?

"Give them back!" Hina held out her hand.

"If you can take them from me, I'll give them back." Wude grinned mischievously and waved his hand.

"Fine, I'll take them!" Hina reached out to grab Wude.

Wude easily dodged Hina's hand while selecting two dishes from the menu.

One dodged and the other chased, and the two had a wonderful time fooling around.

Smoker sat across from them, watching the commotion with a delighted laugh.

"Hahaha, are you stupid? He has Observation Haki. You'll never get them from him." Smoker laughed loudly, only to receive a glare from Hina.

"Uh, he stole your cigarettes. Why are you glaring at me?" Smoker stared at the two of them in confusion and continued ordering.

Wude took a piece of fruit from the plate and peeled it while dodging Hina's hands, then conveniently stuffed a piece of fruit into her mouth.

"Huff, huff~" Hina panted as she sat beside Wude. "Will you teach me Observation Haki? Hina will give you however many cigarettes you want."

"I don't smoke." Wude ate the fruit while waiting for the food.

"Then why did you steal Hina's cigarettes?" Hina glared at him angrily. Fifteen-year-old Hina was both beautiful and adorable beyond measure.

"I think you'd look a little better if you didn't smoke."

"Y-you idiot! What are you saying!?" Hina's face reddened. She angrily slapped his arm, but it didn't budge...

"He smokes even more than I do. Why don't you take his cigarettes?" Hina pointed at Smoker.

Smoker froze. You two can fool around, but why drag an innocent bystander into this?

"He's ugly."

"Oh."

Wude and Hina chatted back and forth, no longer paying Smoker any attention.

Having taken a knife to the heart from his brother and been shot by Hina, Smoker could only sit pitifully across from them. He suddenly felt that the wine in his glass tasted bad, and even his cigar had lost its appeal.

He instantly wanted to beat these two to death.

The achievement of having the only injured person at the trio's meal had been unlocked.

"I heard the West Blue is the birthplace of the mafia. They must be very rich, right?" Wude asked.

"The major mafia families are very wealthy, and their influence is widespread throughout the West Blue. You aren't thinking of robbing them, are you?" Hina looked at him suspiciously.

This man was good in every way, except that he loved money too much.

"You're overthinking it. I'm trying to eliminate evil on behalf of the people." Wude spoke righteously while eyeing the West Blue's criminal underworld and its small treasury.

"That sounds very reasonable, but Hina still thinks you just want money." Hina rolled her eyes at him. Hadn't this guy claimed he never lied?

What a load of nonsense.

After eating, Wude told Smoker to return to the temporary residence first, then turned and left.

Smoker watched him and Hina suspiciously as they headed toward a training ground.

"You've never been this eager to teach me Observation Haki."

Walking down the street, Wude chatted with Hina about what he had seen in the New World.

"Which branch will you go to in the future, or will you stay at Headquarters?" Hina asked curiously.

"That..."