East Blue – Loguetown.
Known as the "Town of Beginnings and Endings," this was the birthplace—and the execution site—of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
It was here, atop that legendary execution platform in the town square, that the Great Pirate Era was ignited.
After a full seven-day journey aboard a merchant vessel, Bane finally set foot on the harbor of Loguetown.
"Seriously... how fast was the Straw Hat crew?" Bane muttered, feeling the fatigue of his voyage. "They went from East Blue to Sabaody Archipelago in under half a year. At this speed, I'd be lucky to cover half that distance in a year."
Standing on the pier, a salty breeze brushing his face, Bane glanced around. Loguetown, as one of the East Blue's most developed and bustling cities, didn't disappoint—the docks were packed with ships of all sizes from across the region.
And to his surprise... a pirate ship was docked among them.
From what he knew, the commanding officer of the local Marine base was none other than Captain Smoker, nicknamed the White Hunter.
In the original story, Smoker had proudly claimed that not a single pirate slipped past him while stationed in Loguetown.
Meaning, any pirate who reached the Grand Line must have intentionally avoided Loguetown—guys like Don Krieg never even dared to dock here.
So the fact that a pirate ship was here now? Yeah... those poor fools were definitely in for it.
Bane chuckled. The East Blue's law and order was no joke. During his entire week at sea, he hadn't encountered a single pirate crew.
He glanced briefly at the pirate flag. Didn't recognize the design. Probably a no-name bunch.
Shrugging, Bane left the port behind and headed toward the town proper. His plan was simple: cash in Thatch's bounty at the Marine base, visit the legendary execution platform, relax for a couple of days, then hop another ship to Shimotsuki Village.
But luck—or fate—had other plans.
The moment he stepped onto the main commercial street, a shrill whistle blared through the air.
The reaction was instant.
Street vendors froze, then immediately began packing up, shouting to one another as they scrambled.
"Emergency signal from the Marines! Pirates again—get out of here!"
Within minutes, the entire marketplace had cleared out. Stalls left half-packed, shops abandoned mid-sale—everyone was gone.
Everyone... except for Bane, standing alone in the empty street.
"…Wow. That was fast," he muttered, glancing around in mild disbelief.
And then, from the far end of the road—gunfire.
A gang of pirates came barreling down the street, being chased by a large unit of Marines.
Leading them was a massive, bald-headed pirate with a single eye, gripping a pistol in one hand and a machete in the other, roaring like a beast.
"Damn it! Wasn't the White Hunter supposed to be reporting back to HQ?! Why the hell is he here?!"
Just then, thick white smoke erupted behind them, sweeping down the street like a wave. In mere seconds, the last few pirates at the rear were swallowed whole, their screams vanishing into silence.
The smoke didn't stop. It surged forward, hunting.
The pirate leader, ignoring his underlings' fates, sprinted ahead—only to spot Bane standing in the middle of the road, seemingly frozen in place.
"Outta my way!" the pirate bellowed, swinging his blade at Bane.
But before the blade could land, everything went black.
In a flash, he was swallowed by darkness—a suffocating, boundless void.
"W-What's happening?!" he shouted.
From that darkness, a massive hand reached out, gripping his neck with terrifying strength. Before he could react, he was yanked from the ground—
SLAM!
Bane smashed him into the stone pavement. Cracks spiderwebbed beneath the pirate's body. Blood pooled under his head. After a few final twitches… he stopped moving.
At the same time, the thick white smoke overtook the rest of the fleeing pirates, engulfing them entirely.
The street fell quiet—save for the swirling clash of smoke and darkness.
From within the mist, a silhouette emerged: Smoker, calm and composed.
As the smoke thinned, the darkness began to recede as well, revealing Bane, a wide grin on his face as he met the Marine's gaze.
"…So, you're not a space-type user after all," Smoker said after a moment.
Of course, as a Marine captain, Smoker was well-informed about events across the seas. The man standing before him—accused of killing Thatch of the Whitebeard Pirates—was someone he immediately recognized.
Then again, from Smoker's perspective, this guy had done the world a favor. Fewer Whitebeard pirates meant less trouble.
"I never said I was," Bane replied casually, smile never fading.
Smoker didn't seem hostile—but he was definitely cautious. Arms crossed, he asked,"No one's learned your name yet. Mind introducing yourself?"
"Bane," he said plainly. Then added with a chuckle, "Profession: bounty hunter. Age: just turned twenty. Want anything else?"
Smoker raised a brow—clearly not expecting such a straightforward answer.
"…What brings you to Loguetown?"
"I came to collect a bounty," Bane replied. "I've been evading the Whitebeard Pirates for a while—hadn't had a chance to turn in the reward for taking out Thatch. Figured East Blue would be a safer place to do it. So, here I am. Three hundred and sixty million berries—don't short me."
Smoker glanced down at the unconscious pirate lying beside Bane.
"Make that three hundred and sixty-two million, two hundred thousand," he said dryly.
Bane nodded, amused."You're paying, so you make the call."
As they spoke, the rest of the Marines arrived, efficiently restraining and rounding up the remaining pirates without needing Smoker to say a word.
Then, Smoker turned to Bane.
"This isn't the best place to talk. Mind coming with me to the base? The Marines are… quite interested in you."
Bane had planned to go there anyway. If Smoker was offering payment, it'd obviously happen at HQ. And Smoker's reputation for integrity made him one of the few Marines Bane actually respected.
"No problem," Bane said, following the captain through the streets toward the Marine base.
As they stepped through the gates, a young woman with glasses came running out from inside, looking flustered.
Tashigi.
Bane recognized her immediately.
"Captain Smoker! Are you alright?" she asked, visibly concerned.
Smoker waved her off."I'm fine. What would've happened?"
Then, before she could say more, he ordered,"Contact HQ. Let them know the one who killed Thatch showed up here to claim his bounty. His name is Bane—he's a bounty hunter."
"O-Okay!" Tashigi nodded instinctively.
Then paused. Her eyes widened as she realized exactly who was standing next to her.
She turned, stunned, staring at Bane.
Smoker, unimpressed, snapped,"What are you staring at? Move!"