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"Zzzzt...!"
A burst of electricity coursed through Ikki's body, the acrid scent of burnt flesh reaching his nose.
Thankfully, his recently improved physique spared him from serious injury after the lightning strike. However, the collapsing execution platform had hit him squarely, leaving his entire body feeling like it was falling apart.
Nearby, Buggy was also scorched black by the electricity, momentarily incapacitated.
In stark contrast, Luffy stood unharmed, clutching his sides and laughing loudly.
"Shishishishi! I'm so lucky to be alive!"
After a fit of laughter, Luffy extended a hand to help Ikki up.
"Thanks, Ikki! Thank you!"
"Hey... Could you stop thanking me while bragging about your luck?!" Ikki yelled, clearly annoyed.
As he grumbled, a figure in a green cloak caught his eye. Standing on the rooftop of a nearby building, the person observed them in silence.
The cloak concealed most of their face, but Ikki immediately realized who it was—Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy's father.
Ikki couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. If he'd been more careful and scanned the area earlier, maybe he wouldn't have ended up as collateral damage in what he now called "unnecessary electrotherapy."
At the same time Ikki and Luffy tumbled from the execution platform, a group of Marine soldiers emerged from their ambush positions, weapons drawn.
At their head was Smoker, who wasted no time in approaching the duo.
"Hey, aren't you that guy who gave me directions earlier?" Luffy greeted him cheerfully. "The directions weren't great, but thanks anyway!"
Smoker's eye twitched. "....."
Ignoring Luffy's casual attitude—since the Straw Hat captain was destined to be his target—Smoker shifted his attention to Ikki.
"So... you're a pirate too, aren't you?"
Ikki waved his hands defensively. "No, no, you've got it all wrong! We're not pirates. This is all just a big misunderstanding. We're, uh, private Marines!"
Smoker raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Without a word, he produced Luffy's wanted poster.
"And this? A misunderstanding too?"
"Absolutely!" Ikki nodded vigorously. "That's clearly a mix-up on your end!"
Smoker's voice turned ice-cold. "Do I look like an idiot to you? And let's not forget that the Straw Hat kid just loudly declared he wanted to become the Pirate King."
Ikki faltered, sweating. "Uh... well, what he actually said was that to be a 'man' in One Piece, you have to aim for greatness. You know, context matters!"
"Yeah!" Luffy chimed in enthusiastically. "I want to be the One Piece man!"
Smoker let out an exasperated sigh and returned the poster to his pocket. Pulling out his jutte from his back, he readied himself.
"Misunderstanding or not, I'll figure it out once I've caught you."
Luffy adjusted his hat, his carefree demeanor shifting to determination. "I can't let you catch me! I still have to get to the Grand Line!"
Smoker's patience snapped. "If you want to get to the Grand Line, you'll have to go through me first!"
Surveying the scene, Smoker noted that most of the Buggy Pirates had been captured, though their leaders, Buggy and Alvida, had escaped with a few followers. He smirked, knowing they wouldn't get far—Ikki had already destroyed their ship.
Meanwhile, Luffy grinned at Smoker's challenge.
"Alright! If that's the rule, I'll fight you!"
At that moment, Sanji and Zoro broke through the surrounding chaos of Marines and pirates, regrouping with Luffy and Ikki.
"Ikki, Zoro, Sanji, you go ahead! I'll hold off this smoking guy," Luffy declared confidently.
Ikki opened his mouth to protest—wanting to point out that Luffy stood no chance against Smoker—but quickly closed it. He glanced toward the rooftop where a cloaked figure still watched from the shadows. Knowing Dragon was nearby, he decided against arguing.
Zoro and Sanji hesitated, unwilling to leave their captain behind. But Ikki, taking on his role as the voice of reason, pulled them along.
"Let's go! Luffy will handle it."
Reluctantly, Zoro and Sanji followed Ikki's lead, retreating from the battlefield.
However, barely a few hundred meters away, they ran into another obstacle—this time, Smoker's deputy.
Standing in their path, sword drawn, was Tashigi.
As light rain began to fall, her determined expression looked strained. Rain streaked down her face like tears, and her lips trembled as she spoke.
"Roronoa Zoro! I didn't expect you to deceive me!"
Her words carried a sting of betrayal, but her composure wavered, giving the impression that Zoro had wronged her deeply.
Sanji's reaction was immediate and explosive.
"You a**hole, Moss-Head! What did you do to this beautiful lady?!"
Sanji's chivalrous instincts flared. He could never stand by and watch a woman—especially one as beautiful as Tashigi—shed tears.
Zoro, however, picked up on something off about her words. He also felt a faint tremor from the sword at his side.
He knew what it meant. The blade, which carried the soul of Kuina, was reacting.
His expression darkened as he addressed Tashigi. "Hey, woman. You can say what you want, but don't spread lies!"
Tashigi's eyes burned with resolve as she pointed Shigure at him.
"Wado Ichimonji and Kuina... I will take them back!"
The tension thickened as Tashigi prepared to fight, and Zoro's expression turned serious. He drew his swords, ready to face her.
"Ikki, Sanji, go on ahead. I'll catch up."
Sanji sputtered angrily. "You bastard, Zoro! If you've done anything to hurt this lovely Marine..."
Before Sanji could finish his tirade, Ikki clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him away.
"Let's go, love-struck idiot," Ikki muttered, pulling Sanji along.
As Zoro squared off against Tashigi, Ikki couldn't help but think of how often Zoro ended up in situations like this.
Tashigi. Perona. Hiyori.
And those were just the women. Then there was the constant rival—Sanji.
For a moment, Ikki smirked inwardly. Kuina, you sure have a lot of competition.
Back on the execution platform, Luffy faced off against Smoker, using every Rubber-Rubber technique in his arsenal. But no matter how hard he tried, every punch and kick passed harmlessly through Smoker's smoke-like form.
Frustration bubbled in Luffy as Smoker taunted him.
"Useless, Straw Hat boy. The world is big, but the only place that can hold you is a prison cell!"
With a growl, Smoker struck back. Using his Sea Prism Stone-tipped jutte, he delivered a powerful blow to Luffy's stomach, sending him flying.
The pain from the Sea Prism Stone was immense, leaving Luffy clutching his abdomen. But to Smoker's surprise, the boy stood back up, determination burning in his eyes.
He's tougher than I thought, Smoker mused, gripping his weapon tightly.
Before Smoker could launch another suppressing attack, Luffy dashed forward again, launching a familiar attack.
"Rubber-Rubber... Pistol!"
This time, Smoker didn't even try to dodge, confident that the punch would pass through him harmlessly. He moved forward, preparing to subdue Luffy once and for all.
But as Luffy's fist drew closer, Smoker's instincts screamed at him to move. His body tensed in alarm, but it was already too late.
Luffy's punch connected solidly with Smoker's stomach, sending him staggering backward.
Smoker's eyes widened in shock. "This... How is this possible? Has this kid already mastered Haki?"
He scrutinized Luffy's fist, searching for evidence of Armament Haki—but found none.