Torrential rain lashed the port of Loguetown, dense raindrops splashing countless puddles across the stone pavement, blurring the entire field of vision.
Giyu Tomioka broke through the curtain of rain, quietly arriving at the edge of the battlefield.
In an instant, he fully grasped the chaotic situation at the harbor.
At the center of the battlefield, Luffy was pinned firmly to the ground by a Marine officer named Smoker wielding an unusually shaped weapon. Thick white smoke billowed from Smoker's body like shackles, tightly coiling around Luffy's form—no amount of struggling made any difference.
"Gum-Gum... bastard! Let me go!" Luffy's face was pressed into the accumulated water as he pounded the ground and shouted, yet he couldn't break free from the jitte's restraint.
On another part of the battlefield, his other two crew members were also locked in difficult fights.
Zoro and Sanji were entangled by over ten Marine lieutenants and dozens of soldiers. Smoker's subordinates kept coming endlessly, making it impossible for them to break away and support Luffy.
Further away on the Going Merry, Nami and Usopp leaned over the ship's railing, their faces filled with anxiety, but their shouts were swallowed by the storm and sounds of battle.
Giyu's gaze finally returned to Luffy.
The primary objective was to rescue him.
This judgment formed instantly in his mind, and a detailed plan naturally emerged. The Marines restraining Zoro and Sanji had to be dealt with first—freeing those two would create enough opportunities.
Without a moment's hesitation, Giyu moved.
His figure seemed to merge with the rain, and in the next instant, he flowed like water into the center of Zoro and Sanji's battle. The Marine soldiers didn't even clearly see who had arrived, only feeling a chilling aura suddenly descend.
"Water Breathing Third Form: Flowing Dance."
Giyu held his sword with his single arm. Though the blade remained sheathed, he himself transformed into a rushing torrent!
He moved without any wasted motion, his entire body weaving through the crowd at incredible speeds and angles. The sword sheath appeared like the hardest rock in a rapid current, precisely striking the chins and wrists of every Marine soldier who attempted to attack.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dull impacts sounded consecutively, accompanied by pained groans and weapons clattering to the ground. In just two or three breaths, wherever Giyu passed through, Marines fell in succession, instantly clearing a small area.
Zoro and Sanji's pressure immediately decreased, and they instinctively looked toward the suddenly appearing Giyu.
"Go support your captain first." Giyu's voice was steady and cold as he pointed toward Luffy, who was struggling with Smoker. "Leave this to me."
Zoro clicked his tongue but his eyes were sharp: "Thanks!"
Sanji kicked away a Marine who still tried to charge forward, spitting out his wet cigarette butt: "Saved! Don't just stand there, moss-head!"
Without any hesitation, the two immediately seized this precious opening and charged straight toward Smoker, who was suppressing Luffy at the battlefield's center!
"Hey! Smoky bastard! Let go of our captain!" Zoro roared, settling into stance with three swords gleaming coldly. "Three Sword Style: Demon Slash!"
An extremely sharp slash instantly swept through Smoker's smoke-transformed body, but passed through without any resistance.
"How is that possible?!" Zoro's pupils contracted, his face showing an expression of disbelief for the first time.
Almost simultaneously, Sanji also attacked from the side with a "Neck Shot Kick!"—swift and fierce, yet it similarly passed through Smoker's smoke-transformed waist, causing no damage. Instead, tendrils of smoke wound their way up, clinging tightly to his ankle!
"What kind of devil ability is this?!" Sanji struggled to break free but found the smoke incredibly resilient, tightening the more he fought against it.
Smoker didn't even fully turn his head, merely glancing at them out of the corner of his eye, a mocking sneer curling his lips.
"It's useless, East Blue pirates," his voice dripped with absolute confidence and disdain. "Before the power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit, your attacks are meaningless. I am smoke—physical attacks have no effect on me."
While they attacked in vain, Giyu's figure continued to maneuver in the rear.
The Marine soldiers trying to close in again couldn't even see his movements before they fell unconscious.
With extreme efficiency, he swiftly cleared the battlefield, ensuring no more foot soldiers could interfere with the fight ahead.
In mere moments, the only ones left standing on the port were Smoker, the three Straw Hats, and Giyu, who had just finished clearing the area and was slowly straightening up.
Smoker finally grew slightly more serious, releasing the smoke binding from Sanji's ankle. His gaze shifted past Luffy, landing on the one-armed swordsman.
This guy had taken down all his subordinates in just a short time.
Without a word, Giyu faced Smoker directly the next second. Water splashed faintly under his feet as his figure vanished abruptly, reappearing right in front of Smoker!
"Water Breathing Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
Still without drawing his blade, the thrust concentrated at the tip of the scabbard was incredibly fast, accompanied by a sharp whistle that pierced the rain, aimed straight at Smoker's face!
Smoker didn't dodge; instead, he deliberately met it head-on.
Ssshh—!
The scabbard predictably pierced through his head, scattering a few wisps of white smoke.
"Not even drawing your sword," Smoker's voice carried a hint of irritation at being underestimated. "What do you take me for? A small fry?"
Giyu's eyes showed no fluctuation. With the attack ineffective, he instantly leaped back, putting several meters between them again.
Physical attacks... completely ineffective.
He quickly concluded internally—this situation was clearly somewhat tricky.
It's similar to that split-person's ability, but he turns into smoke, allowing him to evade attacks more thoroughly... Need to find another method.
His eyes swept rapidly, instantly locking onto Smoker's arm, which was pressing down Luffy with his jutte, and that peculiar weapon.
That thing seemed to counter Luffy, who could stretch his arms freely just moments ago.
His strategy changed instantly.
Shiiing—!
This time, the Nichirin Blade was finally drawn! The cold steel traced a chilling arc through the rain as the Water Breathing technique activated, fine water vapor coiling around the blade. Giyu charged again, his target clear—sever that jutte!
Smoker's eyes sharpened; he sensed a distinctly dangerous aura from this strike!
"White Blow Fog Bullet!"
He spewed a dense cloud of white smoke from his mouth, shaping it into a fist that rushed toward Giyu.
However!
"Water Breathing Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"
Giyu's momentum didn't cease as his Nichirin Blade swept downward, unleashing a massive water-like slash! The attack resembled a colossal waterfall flowing upward, cleaving through and completely dispersing the thick smoke!
Giyu's figure immediately shot out from the cleared smoke channel, his Nichirin Blade continuing its trajectory as he aimed another slash at the jutte!
How could this guy's slashes affect smoke?
Smoker had no time to ponder, instinctively twisting his wrist to block with the small Seastone-embedded tip of his jutte!
CLANG——!!!!
An ear-piercing clash erupted, even drowning out the sound of wind and rain!!
Where the blade and jutte violently collided, a ring of fine water vapor exploded!
Smoker felt an immense force transmit through the jutte, numbing his entire arm with sharp pain in his tiger's mouth. The jutte nearly flew from his grasp!
This guy... has terrifying strength!
Forced into it, he instantly activated his Logia intangibility to retreat, releasing his suppression of Luffy and Sanji as he drifted back several meters before reforming.
"Yay! Finally saved!" Luffy sprang up from the ground, stretching his limbs.
Sanji also seized the chance to break free, staggering a couple steps before steadying himself.
Smoker raised his jutte, gazing solemnly at the blocked position. The incredibly hard Seastone tip actually bore a clear slash mark!
He lifted his head, looking at Giyu with eyes full of shock and intense interest.
"Back at the bar, I warned you not to meddle..." Smoker's voice lowered, carrying genuine anger.
"To leave slash marks even on Seastone... The East Blue has truly welcomed some formidable players."
The smoke around his body began churning violently, his presence continuously rising.
"But today, all of you will be arrested right here!"
Just as Smoker was about to launch a fiercer attack, Giyu tightened his grip on the hilt, and Zoro and Sanji assumed defensive stances—
Whoosh...
The port's raging winds abruptly... ceased.
Raindrops still fell vertically, but the previous howling winds vanished, plunging the world into an eerie, suffocating silence.
The silence lasted only a moment.
The next second!
BOOOOM——!!!
A ferocious whirlwind materialized out of nowhere above the port! It swept up accumulated water, shattered crates, and scattered weapons, forming a massive, terrifying vortex connecting heaven and earth!
The white smoke bombs Smoker had just released to cover the area were, before this colossal storm, like a child's joke—instantly torn apart and scattered by the violent whirlwind!
The powerful wind pressure even made it difficult for his elemental form to maintain cohesion.
"Wow! So refreshing!" Luffy mindlessly spread his arms, enjoying the sudden gale.
"This wind?! What's happening?!" Zoro and Sanji struggled to maintain their footing in the tempest, the phenomenon before them utterly bizarre!
Smoker fought to reform his body, his face showing disbelief and anger for the first time: "...?! This is definitely not a natural storm! Who is it?!"
As for Giyu, his perception far surpassed the others.
The moment the gale erupted, he sensed it clearly.
This storm contains immense power! It definitely doesn't seem naturally formed!
Just like during the execution platform incident, when Luffy was about to be struck, that lightning bolt descending from the sky felt exactly like this current storm.
The thought that there might be a monster present had just flashed through Giyu's mind.
"Idiots! Get back to the ship! This wind is our only chance!" Nami's desperate shout came from the Going Merry, filled with urgency.
"Let's go!" Luffy reacted instantly, laughing loudly as he wrapped his arms around the nearest Zoro, Sanji, and Giyu!
"Hey!"
"Wait!"
Zoro and Sanji only managed brief exclamations of surprise, while Giyu merely glanced silently at the rubber arm wrapped around his waist without resisting.
"Gomu Gomu no... Rocket!"
Using his rubber elasticity, Luffy launched all four of them like cannonballs toward the Going Merry, which was preparing to depart!
The four landed heavily on the deck, barely making it.
"Raise the sails! Quickly raise the sails!" Nami nearly jumped while giving commands.
Usopp and Sanji immediately rushed toward the mast.
Whoosh—!
The storm at the port seemed almost alive, filling the Going Merry's sails to bursting!
The Going Merry groaned, and the next moment, it appeared to be pushed by an invisible giant hand. The bow lifted high before cutting through the waves at an almost insane speed, charging out of Loguetown's harbor straight toward the final turbulent seas leading to the Grand Line!
"Bastards!!!"
Smoker's furious roar came from behind, but his smoke form couldn't advance against this fierce wind. He could only watch helplessly as the sheep-headed pirate ship disappeared into the dense curtain of rain.
Just as his rage burned, a deep, authoritative voice seemed to speak—sometimes sounding like it came from behind him, other times like it originated from the howling wind itself:
"What reason is there to stop a man from setting sail to sea?"
Smoker turned toward the voice's direction.
On the roof of a tall building nearby stood a towering figure clad in a dark green cloak, standing firm amidst the storm. The hood's shadow completely concealed his face, leaving only a sharp, cold outline visible.
"Who are you?!" Smoker demanded sharply. He could sense that this astonishing storm was definitely connected to this person!
The figure didn't answer directly, instead continuing:
"The will passed down through generations, the changes of the era, people's dreams... these cannot be stopped."
Smoker clenched his cigar tightly, his smoke body trembling violently in the wind. He wanted to charge toward that building but found the terrifying wind force prevented him from maintaining his elemental form, forcing him to remain grounded.
"As long as people continue to seek the answer to freedom, all of this will never cease!"
After speaking these final words, the green-clad figure vanished like a Demon, seamlessly merging into the raging wind and disappearing without a trace, as if he had never been there.
Only Smoker remained, standing dumbfounded in the gradually calming storm, pondering those profound words, his expression growing increasingly grim.
Giyu stood at the violently pitching stern, allowing the rain and sea wind to beat against his face. He silently gazed back at the shrinking island known as Loguetown, his eyes profound.
In his ears echoed the Rubber Captain's hearty laughter after surviving the ordeal, the Three Sword Style swordsman's discontented grumbling, the blond with swirly eyebrows' attentive inquiries toward the orange-haired girl, and the long-nosed one's exaggerated boasts about their recent experience...
His gaze eventually settled upon these noisy yet vibrantly energetic individuals before him.
Companions...
This term was not unfamiliar to him. Once, he too had possessed comrades who could guard his back and risk their lives alongside him.
Yet that bond ultimately brought... mostly heart-wrenching loss.
Giyu silently averted his gaze, looking toward the ship's bow cleaving through the terrifying waves of the unknown.
He was merely traveling alongside them temporarily to find his way home.
That was all.