"Whoosh—"
The rain poured down in heavy, violent sheets, pounding against the docks of Loguetown.
"Boom—!"
A thunderclap split the sky and a brilliant lightning illuminated the sky, casting Captain Smoker's grim face in a stark, momentary light.
Rainwater dripped from his chin as he clenched an already extinguished cigar between his teeth.
He stared at the man who had appeared from nowhere, a man whose presence had completely changed the situation.
"The World Government has been thirsting for your head for a long time, Dragon," Smoker growled, his voice a low rumble beneath the storm.
"Why would a man like you, the world's most wanted criminal, appear here?"
Dragon merely smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with an inscrutable light.
"That... isn't important."
He waved his hand and an unnatural, fiercely controlled gale suddenly swept through the docks.
The wind was overwhelmingly powerful, instantly dispersing the dense white smoke that had trapped Buggy and the others.
The Marines on the dock had no time to react before the storm sent them tumbling to the ground.
Even Smoker was pushed back several steps, his grip on Luffy broken.
Before Smoker could recover, a gentle, precise breeze reappeared, lifting Luffy effortlessly from the ground as if he was held by invisible hands.
His body spun through the air before landing with a solid 'Thud!' on the deck of the Going Merry, safe and sound.
The hearts of the Straw Hat crew soared.
"Set sail!" Nami shouted, a relieved smile finally breaking through her tense expression.
With this mysterious, powerful tailwind at their backs, there was no better time to begin their journey.
The Going Merry's sails billowed, catching the wind and pulling the ship bravely out into the rolling, storm-tossed sea, headed for the Grand Line.
On the dock, Smoker coldly lit a new cigar, his gaze fixed on Dragon and the departing ship.
"You deliberately helped him," he accused, his eyes filled with suspicion. "What is your relationship with Straw Hat Luffy, Dragon?"
Dragon did not respond.
His gaze turned instead to the massive Marine Headquarters warship docked in the harbor.
Silently, he calculated.
Luffy was on his way.
The only remaining threat to his clean getaway was the elite Marine force that had just arrived.
He had observed them carefully; their leader was Captain Mike, Kizaru's new adjutant.
'As a former Marine myself,' Dragon thought.
'I know their strength well enough. Luffy and his crew, at their current level, are no match for a true Headquarters unit.'
'Smoker was one thing, but Haki-using elites are another. If they learn what happened here, they will likely give chase.'
A flicker of cold resolve passed through his eyes.
'I must minimize that possibility. The only way to ensure Luffy's safety is to sink this warship'.
His gaze sharpened like a blade, locking onto the warship.
Smoker followed his line of sight and instantly understood his intent.
"That's a Headquarters warship," Smoker said with a cold tone. "You know the consequences of attacking it."
"As the world's most wanted criminal," the corner of Dragon's lips curled into an indifferent smile.
"Do you think I care about adding another charge to my name?"
"Suit yourself," Smoker exhaled a slow ring of smoke, a complex, calculating glint in his eyes.
He knew he was no match for Dragon.
But he had another card to play.
According to the intel from that brat casual chatter, Admiral Kizaru was still somewhere in the East Blue.
If Dragon attacked the ship, it would be an act of war that would undoubtedly draw the Admiral's attention.
'When that happens,' Smoker schemed, 'Kizaru will hold off Dragon, and I will be free to pursue the Straw Hats.'
'The outcome is the same.'
With a slight wave of Dragon's hand, the storm around him instantly erupted.
A wild, untamed power tore through the air, gathering into a massive, swirling vortex in his hand.
With a final, powerful swing, he unleashed the tempest.
It expanded rapidly, a monstrous cyclone of wind and water that swept toward the massive warship, devouring everything in its path.
....
On the deck of that very warship, Kuro was frantically trying to secure the scattered luxury goods Mike had "buy."
As the Captain's new chief steward, it was his duty to handle all trivial matters so his master could laze around undisturbed.
But this sudden, unnatural storm had thrown everything into utter disarray.
"How can this be?" he muttered, his expression a mask of anxiety.
"When the Captain returns and sees this mess, how am I supposed to explain it?"
Just as he braced himself against the wind, an even fiercer gale swept over him.
Kuro instinctively looked up, his gaze locking onto the distant sea.
On the dark horizon, the storm was no longer just a storm.
It was a monstrous, living vortex, and it was heading straight for them.
His heart leaped into his throat.
"This... Why is this storm coming directly for the warship?!"
.....
As the storm of the century bore down on his ship and his loyal new subordinate, the man responsible for it all was in the middle of a storm of a different, much more pleasant kind.
"BOOM—!"
Thunder rolled across the sky above the Red-Light District, and raindrops pelted the windows like bullets.
Inside a luxurious, warmly lit room, Mike lay sprawled on a soft bed, the mattress gently shifting with his slightest movements.
In his arms, two delicate figures curled up tightly, their heads resting on his chest like two kittens nestled in a warm embrace.
Their slightly damp hair carried a faint, sweet fragrance, their smooth skin warm and soft against his body.
He savored their weight, his arms naturally encircling them.
The thunder outside seemed to resonate with the rhythm of his own content heart—chaotic, yet deeply soothing.
He tilted his head slightly, looking down at the two beauties in his arms with a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, it's raining hard?" he murmured lazily, his voice low and relaxed.
The thunder and rain wove together into a unique melody, a perfect soundtrack for this moment of peace.
'What's the best thing to do on a rainy day?' he thought, his eyes growing heavy.
'Of course—sleep like a baby.'
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