Tashigi wandered into the Loguetown Marine branch, her steps heavy, her mind a tangled mess.
Inside, the atmosphere was the complete opposite of her dazed state; Marines were bustling about, their movements tense and urgent.
A soldier hurried over to her, his expression grave.
"Warrant Officer Tashigi! According to the latest intel, the Straw Hat Pirates and the Buggy Pirates are all converging on the docks!" he reported, his voice rushed.
"Captain Smoker believes it's our chance to wipe them all out. He has already proceeded to the location."
"Oh," Tashigi's eyes snapped into focus, as if struck by a jolt of electricity.
Now wasn't the time for confusion.
Capturing pirates was her duty.
The image of the lazy, infuriatingly handsome Mike would have to wait.
Her expression cleared, a glint of steely resolve flashing in her eyes.
"Understood!" She shook her head, clearing away the jumbled thoughts before barking orders to the busy soldiers.
"All units, prepare for combat! Head to the docks immediately to support Captain Smoker! We will annihilate the Straw Hat Pirates and the Buggy Pirates here and now!"
"Yes, ma'am!" the Marines responded swiftly.
Without another moment's hesitation, Tashigi led them out into the growing storm, her mind focused solely on the mission ahead.
....
At Loguetown's docks, the rain poured down in relentless, slanted sheets, the cold droplets striking skin like tiny blades.
"Hurry! Everyone, get ready to board!" Nami's voice was a high-pitched, urgent cry against the howl of the wind.
She clutched her raincoat tightly, her hair already soaked and plastered to her face.
The longer they stayed, the more unpredictable things would get.
Thankfully, that handsome Marine Captain had simply defeated Zoro and left.
If not for that, with his monstrous strength, none of them would have escaped.
'Wait a minute,' a stray, indignant thought cut through her panic.
'I'm this gorgeous! Why the hell wasn't he interested in me?!'
"Usopp, you get the supplies aboard! I'll hold them off!" Luffy shouted, turning to face Buggy's crew, who were closing in like a pack of hyenas.
He stretched out his arm, swiftly taking a stance.
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!"
"Chop-Chop Separation!" Buggy instantly split his body apart, narrowly dodging Luffy's attack.
"Missed me, missed me! Nyahahaha!"
Suddenly, a thick, unnatural wave of white smoke surged through the air, coiling around Buggy's separated body parts and binding them tightly.
"NANI?!" Buggy's eyes widened in shock.
"Vroom—VROOM—"
A low, rumbling engine echoed from the distance, growing closer.
The air seemed to grow heavier, crushed under an invisible weight.
A white, amphibious three-wheeled motorcycle, wreathed in smoke, burst through the downpour.
The vehicle's engine roared, exuding an overwhelming sense of power.
Captain Smoker slowly stepped off the motorcycle, his figure shrouded in a dense white haze that seemed to emanate from his very being.
"Troublemaking pirates," he sneered, a fresh cigar clenched between his teeth.
"So it's you scum?" He exhaled a slow ring of smoke.
"Originally, I was just going to watch you dogs fight each other. But since some of you are trying to run... I guess I'll have to step in and wipe you all out myself."
No sooner had he spoken than the white smoke around him exploded outward, engulfing the entire dock.
"White Launcher!"
With Smoker's low growl, the smoke crashed forward like a colossal wave, swiftly trapping every member of the Buggy Pirates.
"What?! I can't move!"
"Me neither! What is this stuff?!"
"Ah... I remember now! It's 'White Hunter' Smoker! The Logia-type monster!"
"We're screwed!"
The pirates' faces twisted with fear as the smoke solidified around them, binding them as tightly as an iron cage.
In the East Blue, a Logia user was practically unbeatable.
The Straw Hat Pirates, witnessing this from the side, were all stunned.
A flicker of panic crossed Nami's face.
"Now's our chance! We have to leave!" she shouted urgently. "Luffy, get on the ship!"
"Trying to run?" Smoker's voice was low, thick with hostility.
"I won't let you."
"White—Fist!"
His arm transformed into a massive fist of dense smoke, launching itself straight at the Going Merry.
Seeing this, Luffy's eyes flashed with determination.
The Merry was his crewmate; he wouldn't let Smoker destroy it.
"Gomu Gomu no... Rocket!"
His fists shot forward, but passed harmlessly through Smoker's elemental form.
"What—?!"
Before Luffy could process his shock, a plume of white smoke appeared behind him.
"Straw Hat Luffy, you're under arrest," Smoker's figure emerged, his voice as cold as the grave.
He pressed one hand firmly on Luffy's head, pinning him to the ground, his other hand already gripping the seastone-tipped jitte on his back.
Then—
A broad palm suddenly rested on Smoker's shoulder.
BOOM—!
Thunder roared, and a sudden, violent gust of wind swept through the docks.
"That may not be so certain, Smoker," a deep, steady voice spoke from behind him.
Smoker whipped his head around—and his pupils dilated in shock and disbelief.
Standing there was a tall man in a dark green cloak, a tribal tattoo covering the left side of his face.
The world's most dangerous criminal.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army.
"Dragon!" Smoker breathed, his voice barely a whisper. "What are you doing here?!"
Dragon glanced down at Luffy, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed his stoic face.
'Good thing I waited,' he thought. 'You still have a long way to go, my son.'
As the fate of the world seemed to shift on a rain-swept dock, the man who had inadvertently set it all in motion was facing a crisis of his own.
....
In a luxurious, silk-draped room within the Red-Light District, Mike lounged leisurely on a plush sofa, enjoying a careful massage from a beautiful attendant.
Her slender, delicate fingers gently worked the knots from his weary shoulders.
Mike's eyes were half-closed, a look of pure bliss on his face.
'This is life,' he thought contentedly.
'Double the Happy, double the joy.' He couldn't believe his luck.
Twin beauties in Loguetown... a luxury even Marineford couldn't offer.
'Tsk tsk, choosing to come to Headquarters was the right decision after all.' His mind drifted to other legendary entertainment venues.
'When the time comes, I'll have to conduct an official "inspection" of the Golden City... on public funds, of course. Hehehe...'
Meanwhile, the other twin sister carefully peeled a grape, her movements graceful.
She held it to his lips.
"Onii-sama, is it sweet?" she asked softly.
Mike smiled, taking a gentle bite.
"Sweet."
"Am I sweeter, or is the fruit sweeter?" she purred.
"Is that even a question? You're definitely sweeter."
The gentle hands massaging his shoulders paused.
"Am I sweeter, or is my sister sweeter?" the first sister whispered in his ear.
Mike chuckled, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her body into his embrace.
"Well now, that's a difficult question. Come here," he said, his voice a low, playful growl.
"Let me taste and compare it."
"Mmm—"
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