Pirates: Martial Arts Masters on the Straw Hat Ship

"Click! Click! Click!"

That was the sound of military boots crunching through the rain.

Hundreds of fully armed naval soldiers, holding rifles, marched in orderly steps and quickly surrounded the entire central square.

The dark muzzle of the gun emanated a chilling killing intent through the rain.

At the very front of the procession, a silver-haired man wearing a coat with the word "Justice" written on it was slowly riding a large motorcycle emitting white smoke.

"White Hunter" Smoker.

He had two cigars dangling from his mouth, and the swirling smoke didn't dissipate even in the heavy rain; instead, it gathered more and more, shrouding his upper body in a hazy mist.

"Straw Hat Luffy..."

Smoker stopped his motorcycle, drew his Seastone Jitte from his back, and fixed his sharp, hawk-like gaze on Luffy:

"This farce should end. Want to go to the Grand Line? Not so easy."

"Tch, it's the Navy."

Sanji frowned slightly as he looked at the densely packed soldiers around him. "We're surrounded. And there are quite a few of them."

"Clang—"

Zoro gave a push with his thumb, and Wado Ichimonji was drawn half an inch from its sheath again, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit: "Hey, Luffy. Shall we fight our way out?"

Ronan, holding an ebony stick, watched Smoker silently.

His Observation Haki was quietly released, covering Smoker's body.

However, the feedback he received left him somewhat disappointed.

Although its aura was much stronger than that of an ordinary navy officer, Ronan perceived it as not posing a significant threat.

Smoker currently possesses invincible defense due to his Logia-type abilities, but his Haki cultivation is almost zero, and his physical skills are still within the normal range.

Without any other trump cards, his strength... probably wouldn't even be able to activate the five-times-multiplied [Deathmatch Mode].

At most, it's only three times the multiplier, about the same as when sparring with Luffy and his crew.

Thinking about this, Ronan's interest in the future vice admiral diminished considerably.

Monsters that don't give experience points are not fun to fight.

"We're pirates!" Usopp shouted, peeking out from behind Zoro. "Shouldn't we run away if we encounter the Marines? This is a large force!"

Luffy paused, then suddenly realized and slammed his fist in his hand: "That's right! That's right! Let's run! Getting to the Grand Line is the priority!"

After saying that, Luffy took the lead and turned to charge towards the left side of the encirclement, which was relatively weak.

"Trying to run away?"

Smoker almost laughed in exasperation as he watched Luffy's haphazard back view.

In all the years he had been stationed in Loguetown, he had never seen such an arrogant and naive pirate.

"I told you...you can't escape!"

Smoker's eyes turned cold, and his lower body instantly transformed into an elemental form, becoming a powerful white jet of smoke that propelled him through the air at incredible speed.

"White Vine—!!"

Smoker suddenly spread his arms, transforming them into dozens of thick smoke wisps like giant white pythons. In an instant, they covered a distance of dozens of meters, arriving first and sweeping directly over Ronan and his companions!

If the smoke had a physical form, it would expand and swirl instantly.

"What is that?!"

Before anyone could react, the white smoke, as if it were alive, tightly bound Luffy, Ronan, Zoro, and Sanji's limbs and torsos, keeping them firmly in mid-air!

"I am a smoke person who ate the smoke-smoke fruit."

Smoker's figure emerged from the smoke, looking down at the group bound like dumplings, his tone arrogant:

"My body can turn into smoke at will, it has no physical form, yet it is as strong as a rope. You cannot break free with your strength."

The rain poured down, hitting everyone's faces.

Suspended in mid-air by the smoke, Luffy showed no fear; instead, he curiously twisted his body, watching the white smoke swirling around him.

"So this is the power of a Logia-type user?... Hehe, it's quite fun!"

"What a load of rubbish!!"

Usopp, standing nearby, was also caught in a wisp of smoke around his neck, his face turning a purplish-red, and his legs kicking wildly.

"Stop joking, Luffy! I...I can't breathe!"

"Ah—! What's all this smoke?!" Nami screamed, also trapped in the smoke. "Help me!"

However, faced with this predicament that would drive ordinary pirates to despair, the three main forces were bound—

Ronan, Zoro, and Sanji all wore amusement, even a hint of mockery, on their faces.

Ronan moved his entangled wrists, feeling the resilience of the smoke.

It is indeed very tough; an ordinary person could never break free from it.

But for Ronan, whose strength attribute had reached 18 points and physique 20 points... it was as fragile as several layers of plastic wrap.

"Feed".

Ronan glanced at the two people beside him, his tone as relaxed as if they were discussing dinner:

"Luffy, Zoro, Sanji... who should go? This Logia type is perfect for practice."

These words sounded particularly jarring on this bleak, rainy night.

Smoker's face instantly darkened.

He felt a deep sense of contempt; veins bulged on his forehead, and he angrily said, biting his cigar:

"There's a limit to looking down on people!!"

"Think you can act with impunity just because you defeated a few trash from the East Blue? Well, you've met your match today. Your pirate careers... come to an end!"

"BOOM—!!"

A thunderclap boomed in the sky, and lightning flashed across the heavens, illuminating Smoker's furious face.

"whee."

Luffy grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.

"Leave this person... to me!"

Before he finished speaking, Luffy's expression suddenly changed.

"Buzz—"

An invisible aura erupted from his body.

That was the power that Ronan had just mastered after his hellish training, a power that combined blood and breath.

Luffy took a deep breath, and his muscles instantly swelled, with a metallic sheen faintly emanating from beneath his skin.

"Open it!!!"

With a loud shout, Luffy thrust his arms outwards!

"Bang--!!!"

A shocking scene unfolded.

The smoke that Smoker originally regarded as an absolute defense and restraint was actually shaken apart like a fragile strip of cloth in the face of Luffy's simple yet terrifying physical explosive power!

The smoke exploded, turning into countless white, fluffy particles that dissipated into the rain.

"Wh...what?!"

Smoker's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief.

"Pure physical force... broke free from my smoke restraints?! How is that possible! Unless..."

Before he could figure it out, even more shocking things happened one after another.

"snort!"

Ronan snorted coldly, and the ebony staff in his hand suddenly vibrated, unleashing a spiraling force that instantly pulverized the smoke swirling around him.

"drink!"

Zoro used his arms to tear through the smoke lock like a demon.

"Get out of here!"

Sanji spun around at high speed, creating an airflow that directly dispersed the smoke.