The massive black shadows floating on the ocean surface were actually the wreckage of pirate ships!
The sheer number of these remains and the scale of the destruction were so spectacular that even Smoker couldn't help but feel a surge of shock. However, as the warships drew closer to the island and the wreckage came into clearer focus, Smoker truly felt the weight of the word "staggering."
"Who on earth did this?"
Smoker's eyes widened; he felt his blood racing and his scalp tingling.
"Colonel Smoker, these ships... they all seem to have been cleaved open by a single blade strike."
Staring at the smooth, clean cuts on the wreckage, Tashigi's heart raced. Her face was filled with shock, and she didn't even notice her glasses slipping down her nose. As a swordsman herself, even if her skill level wasn't elite, she knew perfectly well how much power was required to slice an entire ship in half with one blow.
Based on the intelligence she had gathered at the Loguetown base, the East Blue hadn't seen a swordsman of this caliber in many, many years. And now, before her eyes, it wasn't just one ship.
It was every single ship.
At a rough glance, there were nearly fifty vessels floating in these waters. What level of Grandmaster Swordsman could slice fifty pirate ships apart like this? Tashigi shook her head; with her experience, she couldn't even begin to imagine how breathtaking the actual scene must have been.
What she could imagine even less, however, was that Rowan had destroyed these ships with only a single move.
Amidst a sea of gasps, the three warships navigated around the debris. Their objective, after all, wasn't this useless wreckage. But when they finally saw the island's beach, they were dumbfounded once again.
"Colonel Smoker... tell me I'm not seeing things."
A dazed Tashigi took off her glasses, wiped them clean, and put them back on. The scene remained exactly the same.
A robust, white-haired old man was lying leisurely on a makeshift lounge chair. Surrounding him were a dozen men dressed as pirates, busily attending to his every need. Five or six pirates stood at different angles, gently waving palm-leaf fans to keep him cool, while two others were carefully massaging his legs. On a small side table next to the old man sat fresh fruit that had clearly just been picked.
Then, looking further down the beach, the sight became truly monumental.
Thousands of pirates were huddled together, squatting in neat rows with their hands behind their heads. Every single one of them looked timid and submissive, as obedient as a flock of sheep tended by a shepherd.
"That... that is Mr. Rowan?" Smoker stared, utterly bewildered.
During his training at Marine Headquarters, he had seen photos of Rowan, so he recognized the man whose features hadn't changed much despite the years. But in his decade-plus as a Marine, he had never seen pirates this well-behaved—especially not a massive armada of this size.
Filled with intense doubt and curiosity, Smoker used his Smoke-Smoke Fruit power to fly down from the warship. Tashigi followed suit, leaping down right behind him.
However, the moment they landed, a sharp cry rang out from their side.
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!"
Then came a piercing sonic boom. Smoker's instincts flared; he grabbed the unresponsive Tashigi and pulled her back.
Whiz!
A black blur, nearly invisible to the naked eye, flashed past them. Smoker could vaguely identify it as a fist-sized stone. But before they could wonder why a rock was flying, they saw a red silhouette chase after it at an even higher speed.
In the blink of an eye, a sharp Clack! echoed. The stone, which had been traveling as fast as a bullet, was caught firmly in the hand of the red-vested youth.
The only person who would train like this was, of course, Luffy.
"That speed..." "So fast!"
Smoker and Tashigi gasped in unison, their eyes filled with deep shock. Before they could react, the youth threw the stone again.
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!"
Whiz!
After the stone flew out, the youth waited for a few seconds, stomped the ground, and turned into a red shadow once more to give chase.
"Is he practicing the 'Soru' from the Six Powers?" Tashigi recognized the technique, even if she couldn't track his movements.
"Isn't this training method a bit... insane?" Even having gone through Zephyr's elite training, Smoker found this level of practice unbelievable. He shook his head, his mind reeling. Since receiving that phone call today, one event after another had shattered his perception of reality.
"Is that Smoky-boy?"
While they were dazed, a resonant, authoritative voice broke their train of thought. Smoker subconsciously replied and started to walk forward, but Rowan's next words made him freeze.
"Smoky-boy, did you bring any booze?"
"Booze?" Smoker was lost. They were out on an emergency mission; why would they bring alcohol? But since the question came from Rowan, he didn't know how to answer.
"Nothing?" Rowan raised an eyebrow at Smoker's reaction.
Rowan had only realized he was out of stock after draining the last drop from his gourd. He had expected the Krieg Pirates to have some, but his earlier slash had destroyed most of their supplies along with their ships. Having been without a drink for nearly two hours, Rowan was in a rather foul mood.
"Out of the way! Move it!"
Before Smoker could find his voice, an urgent shout came from behind him. He turned, his brow furrowing instantly.
"A Krieg Pirate?"
The man running toward them was carrying a massive wooden barrel, and Smoker recognized the emblem tattooed on his shoulder perfectly. It was the mark of the Krieg Pirates. Yet, before Smoker could even question him, the man looked at the Marine Colonel with zero caution, impatiently telling him to move.
The pirate dashed past them, ran onto the island, and skidded to a halt beside Rowan, speaking in a fawning tone.
"Sir! Look! I found a completely intact barrel of wine over there!"
Watching the Krieg pirate offer a servile smile while carefully pouring wine for Rowan, Smoker and Tashigi stood there, completely flabbergasted.
Seriously—they understood this situation less and less by the second.
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