Smoker's face darkened like a storm cloud over the sea. Rodney's words hit him where it hurt most. A seasoned pirate hunter, he'd faced powerful sea robbers on the Grand Line, but now, weakened by his wound, he felt vulnerable.
"I've completely neglected training lately," he admitted to himself, looking bitterly at the smoking cigar. "After I deal with this guy, I'll take care of myself," he decided, clenching his jaw grimly.
Ace, agile as a fish, suddenly attacked Rodney, sending him plummeting into the cold embrace of the sea with a powerful blow. Smoker, taking a drag on his cigar, prepared for another attack.
Rodney, wet and grim-faced, emerged from the water, clutching his knife tightly. He hadn't expected this guy with the bushy eyebrows and big eyes to be able to fool him so easily.
"Water Release: Water Clone!" he whispered, activating his powerful ability.
The "Water Clone" only worked in the presence of water. Rodney hadn't wanted to use it, but now he had no choice. The seawater began to churn, and a multitude of "Rodneys" appeared around him, ready to attack.
"Why are there so many of them? Could it really be his brother?" Ace wondered, not believing his eyes. "He's using a Devil Fruit too?" he asked, peering intently into his opponent's face.
Ace realized the trouble he was in. This was Rodney's territory. Although each "water clone" wasn't as powerful as the original, they still gave Ace plenty of trouble with their inhuman speed and strength.
As soon as Ace shattered the first water body, the chakra-infused seawater slowed his movements. Smoker, seizing the opportunity, unleashed ten arms on Ace, raining blow after blow. It was reminiscent of street thugs tormenting an unarmed boy.
Ace, fending off the relentless blows, realized he had to leave. His team was nearby and would soon come to his aid.
"You think you can run away after offending me?" Rodney chuckled coldly, already formulating a new plan.
Rodney infused chakra into the seawater beneath his feet, creating a multitude of bodies of water that rushed toward Ace. Ace, running forward, looked up to see a massive amount of water descending on him.
"Not good! Fire fist!" Ace exclaimed, clenching his fist.
His fire attack collided with the bodies of water, creating a thick mist of steam. A significant amount of the water mist clung to Ace's skin due to the intense heat, causing steam burns that made him cry out in pain.
"Hot, hot, hot! Ow!" Ace jumped and writhed in agony, desperately running forward.
Even Rodney hadn't expected water vapor to harm Ace. Perhaps it was because the water was seawater? That was something to consider.
"Come to me!" Ace decided to rely on his fists rather than flames, as there were still a few water bodies left.
He shattered one body with a punch, but another grabbed his arm. If he had used his Devil Fruit ability at that moment, the previous situation would have repeated itself. So he swung his other fist, intending to strike.
"Don't even think about it!" Rodney warned.
Another body of water grabbed Ace's second fist. The remaining bodies of water gathered together, turning back into seawater, and drenched Ace's body. A sudden feeling of weakness overcame him. His Devil Fruit ability had suddenly vanished, leaving only his physical strength. He had transitioned from an elemental state to a purely physical one.
"Bite me! Flying side kick!!!" Rodney shouted.
Justice descended from the heavens when Rodney kicked Ace in the chest. Boom!
Ace was thrown to the side, and Rodney swung his arm, launching a steel cable that wrapped around Smoker's seastone. Smoker didn't stop him, but let Rodney use it.
Rodney rushed towards Ace and before Ace could recover, he placed his hands on Ace's throat, making him unable to resist.
"Damn it! You really got me this time," Ace shouted. "I won't give up! Why don't I have the strength?"
"It's seastone, specifically designed to restrain Devil Fruit users," Rodney explained.
Then he turned and asked:
— Captain Smoker, do you have handcuffs from Karoseka?
Smoker replied loudly:
— The handcuffs are here!
His subordinates immediately brought out Seastone handcuffs. There were only two pairs, specifically designed to restrain Devil Fruit users. Seastone was a rare material, mined only in Wano Country, and its processing was extremely labor-intensive. Smoker had them because he'd brought them from headquarters. Otherwise, how would they have dealt with Devil Fruit users?
Rodney said:
- I don't need handcuffs, just hand him to me.
Smoker's face darkened and he said,
"I don't care whether he sees Garp or not. He needs to go to jail now. Vice Admiral Garp can visit him later."
"Huh? Excuse me, but the old man wants to see his dear grandson, and I must fulfill his wish," Rodney said solemnly.
Smoker replied with disdain:
"Leave me alone. You're nothing more than an unprincipled pirate hunter. You must have gotten something from Vice Admiral Garp. Hand this guy over to me."
As he spoke, smoke began to rise from Smoker's body, indicating he was ready to act. If Rodney didn't hand over Ace willingly, Smoker would take him back by force. Smoker never showed mercy to pirates. Whose grandson Ace was, it didn't matter to him, even if he was Admiral Sengoku's grandson. A vice admiral? Did vice admirals have special privileges? No, not even if they were heroes of the Marines.
"I won't let you catch him!" The Spade Pirates crew, worried about their captain, rushed forward. They never expected their once-mighty captain to find himself in such a situation. The crew members quickly pulled the trigger and fired their pistols.
Smoker stood still, allowing the bullets to pierce his body. Even though he was considered the most useless Logia-type user, he was still a Logia-type user.
Rodney's reaction speed was also exceptional. He dodged the bullets aimed at him with a few quick movements.
"Everyone, run! You're no match for them!" Ace, touched by the team's attempt to save him, realized that his team didn't stand a chance against these two people with strange abilities. They had to run.
"Do you really think I'm invisible? White snake!" Smoker's hand turned to smoke, reaching out to the pirates.
The ship's doctor, Doiss, threw a vial of green reagent onto the ground, creating a cloud of green smoke. When the smoke cleared, they were all gone, and Smoker was furious.
"You have a smart team," Rodney noted.
Deuce, hiding his face behind a mask, understood perfectly well: to be the first to flee meant to survive. No foolishness, no self-sacrifice; he would not become Smoker's bait. Devil Fruits were a formidable force, especially in these waters where the Grand Line met the Four Seas.
Ace let out a sigh of relief and fell silent. His fate was sealed: either prison or a meeting with old man Garp. Prison was the lesser of two evils; it offered a chance of escape. Garp… he probably wouldn't let him escape, but Ace didn't want to resist.
Tashigi returned with seastone cuffs, snapping them onto Ace's wrists. Rodney, lifting his captive over his shoulder, tossed the seastone cuffs to Smoker.
"Hey, Rodney, what are you up to?" Ace asked, frowning.
"I'll take him to Vice Admiral Garp, as I promised," Rodney replied without batting an eye.
Smoker's face darkened.
"I don't care whether he sees Garp or not. He needs to go to jail right now!" he barked.
Rodney turned around, a look of irritation crossing his face.
"Damn it!" he cursed. "The ship is here!"
His subordinates brought an amphibious motorcycle to him. Smoker enveloped it in smoke, slammed on the gas, and took off in pursuit.
"Eight Gates formation open!" Rodney shouted, glancing quickly at Smoker as he retreated.
Mental limitations lifted, he utilized 100% of his physical power. Rodney's speed increased, leaving behind enormous waves, and he raced across the sea like a whirlwind, overtaking Smoker and leaving him far behind.
"That bastard! I have to catch him!" Smoker screamed in desperation, refusing to let go of his prey.