Chapter 64: Smoker — You Captured Marines and Even Fought Hawkeye?!2 days ago
In the end, Tashigi agreed to Luo Qi's request.
The contents of the recording stored in the Visual Den Den Mushi were simply too shocking for her to make a decision on her own.
After confirming that Luo Qi and his companions showed no obvious hostility, she arranged for a Marine soldier to inform Captain Smoker about the situation.
Then, she personally escorted Luo Qi's group toward the Marine base.
Along the way, Captain Nezumi became increasingly frantic, continuously shouting that he was innocent and had been falsely accused.
Eventually, Luo Qi couldn't stand listening to his screaming anymore.
BAM!
With a casual strike, he knocked the corrupt Marine Captain unconscious again, finally shutting him up.
Tashigi glanced at Luo Qi.
However, this time, she made no attempt to stop him.
...
Several minutes later.
Loguetown Marine Base.
A group of Marines stood silently outside the base's main entrance, their rifles held firmly in their hands.
Standing at the front was a tall, muscular man with short white hair.
The man wore a Marine uniform and had a stern expression on his face.
It was none other than the White Hunter, Smoker!
"So..."
"You're the one who brought a group of captured Marines to my base?"
Smoker stepped forward and fixed his sharp gaze on Luo Qi.
His expression was extremely serious.
"You have a Visual Den Den Mushi containing the evidence, correct?"
"Hand it over."
Hearing his request, Luo Qi shrugged and casually handed the device to Smoker.
"Visual Den Den Mushi are pretty valuable, you know."
"If you intend to keep this one, remember to compensate me for it."
After all, Reiju had brought more than one Visual Den Den Mushi aboard the Explorer.
Luo Qi certainly didn't mind selling one to Smoker.
Smoker gave Luo Qi a long, meaningful look.
Then, without another word, he accepted the device and activated the recording.
...
Several minutes passed.
By the time Smoker finished watching the entire recording, his expression had become frighteningly dark.
He looked toward the unconscious Captain Nezumi.
Then, his gaze shifted toward the other captured Marine soldiers.
His voice became exceptionally stern.
"Tell me the truth."
"Everything shown in this recording is real, isn't it?"
"Captain Nezumi really was colluding with pirates, wasn't he?!"
The captured Marine soldiers immediately lowered their heads.
Not a single one dared to meet Smoker's eyes!
Seeing their reactions, Smoker instantly understood.
The evidence was genuine!
"BASTARDS!"
"To think there are scum like you serving in the Marines!"
Smoker's expression was filled with fury.
"Men!"
"Take these bastards away!"
"Throw every last one of them into prison!"
"YES, SIR!"
The Marines standing behind Smoker immediately stepped forward.
They took custody of Captain Nezumi and the other captured Marine soldiers from Luo Qi's companions.
Naturally, Hatchan, the octopus Fish-Man who had appeared in the recording, was also handed over.
...
"Since these men were corrupt Marines, and you even went out of your way to gather evidence of their crimes..."
Smoker turned toward Luo Qi.
"Your actions in capturing them won't be treated as a crime."
"However..."
His sharp gaze slowly swept across Luo Qi and the other members of Fairy Tail.
"There's something I'd like to know."
"Just who exactly are you people?"
"As you can see..."
Luo Qi smiled.
"We're bounty hunters."
He casually gestured toward the bodies of the wanted pirates his companions had brought along.
At that moment, Reiju stepped forward.
"These pirates have a combined bounty of 63.5 million Berries."
"Please arrange for the payment, Captain Smoker."
As she spoke, she handed over the wanted posters for Arlong, Don Krieg, Man-Demon Gin, and the other wanted pirates.
Smoker raised an eyebrow.
He accepted the wanted posters and carefully compared them with the corpses.
After examining them for a while, he finally nodded.
"There's no mistake."
"These really are the pirates listed on the wanted posters."
Smoker looked toward Luo Qi again.
"To think you managed to wipe out both the Arlong Pirates and the Krieg Pirates..."
"Those were the two pirate crews with the highest bounties in East Blue."
"I have to admit, that's impressive."
Smoker paused briefly.
Then, as though something had occurred to him, he suddenly asked:
"How about it?"
"Would you like to join the Marines?"
"If you're interested, I could recommend you to Marine Headquarters."
Although Smoker didn't know exactly how powerful Luo Qi and his companions were, one thing was obvious.
Anyone capable of completely destroying the Arlong Pirates and the Krieg Pirates couldn't possibly be weak!
Furthermore, when Luo Qi discovered that Captain Nezumi was colluding with pirates, he hadn't simply attacked the man without considering the consequences.
Instead, he had deliberately collected evidence before taking action.
That demonstrated that Luo Qi and his companions had no desire to become wanted criminals.
To Smoker, this suggested that they possessed considerable strength as well as a certain sense of justice.
And Smoker had always appreciated people like that.
...
"Join the Marines?"
Luo Qi raised an eyebrow.
"Captain Smoker..."
"Don't tell me you're trying to avoid paying me those 63.5 million Berries?"
"Huh?!"
Smoker frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, Marines don't receive bounties for capturing pirates, do they?"
Luo Qi spread his hands.
"If I join the Marines now, wouldn't your organization conveniently save itself 63.5 million Berries?"
He shook his head decisively.
"Sorry, but I'll have to decline."
"I'm planning to make my fortune by hunting down pirates!"
"Besides, if I joined the Marines, I'd have to work a 996 schedule every day."
"Nine in the morning until nine at night, six days a week!"
"And whenever my superiors gave an order, I'd have to obey it!"
"Even if they ordered me to confront an enemy I couldn't possibly defeat, I'd still have to charge into battle!"
"Not to mention that I'd constantly be putting my life on the line."
Luo Qi shook his head again.
"That's not the kind of life I want."
"Anyway, enough about that."
"Let's get back to business."
"Please pay us our bounty money already!"
"We're still planning to explore Loguetown!"
...
[Hahaha! Brother Qi is hilarious! He even brought up that ridiculous 996 work schedule!]
[But Brother Qi actually has a point! Being a Marine doesn't sound particularly appealing. You risk your life fighting for the organization, yet you don't even get to keep the bounty money! Being a bounty hunter sounds much more comfortable!]
[63.5 million Berries! Based on the purchasing power of the Forbidden Zone world, that's equivalent to roughly three million yuan in our world! Holy crap! Brother Qi just became rich overnight! As an ordinary office worker, I'm seriously jealous!]
[With that kind of income, who the hell would want to work for a fixed salary in the Marines?!]
[More importantly, joining the Marines would mean having to obey orders from superior officers! That would make recruiting companions and exploring the world much more difficult!]
The viewers from Dragon Kingdom enthusiastically discussed Luo Qi's decision.
However, there was another reason Luo Qi had no intention of joining the Marines.
One that the viewers didn't know about.
He had absolutely no desire to end up serving the Celestial Dragons!
...
Hearing Luo Qi's explanation, the corners of Smoker's mouth twitched.
For a moment, he was completely speechless.
What kind of ridiculous reasoning is that?
Still, Smoker had no intention of forcing Luo Qi to join.
"Fine."
"If you don't want to become a Marine, then forget I asked."
Smoker waved his hand dismissively.
"As for the 63.5 million Berries, don't worry."
"We'll pay you every last Berry."
"However, there's something else."
His expression became serious again.
"After all, the Marine officer you captured holds the rank of Captain."
"I'll need to report this matter to Marine Headquarters."
"Until Headquarters makes its decision, I'd prefer that you and your companions remain in Loguetown."
Smoker turned toward Tashigi.
"Tashigi, take them to collect their bounty payments."
"Understood!"
Hearing Smoker's instructions, Luo Qi nodded.
"Don't worry, Captain Smoker."
"We were already planning to stay in Loguetown for a while."
"We're not in any particular hurry to leave."
"Hm?"
Law, who had been standing nearby, immediately frowned.
"Captain, aren't we supposed to head straight for the Grand Line?"
Of everyone aboard the Explorer, Law was undoubtedly the most eager to enter the Grand Line.
After all, he desperately wanted to settle his grievances with the Donquixote Family as soon as possible.
The sooner he could confront Doflamingo, the better!
Naturally, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about wasting time in East Blue.
"Don't be so impatient, Law."
Luo Qi shook his head.
"My recent encounter with Hawkeye Mihawk made me realize something."
"Our current strength still isn't sufficient."
"So before we enter the Grand Line, I'd like to spend some time familiarizing myself with my own abilities."
"Besides..."
Luo Qi smiled at Law.
"I can also use this opportunity to help you and the others train."
"You still haven't managed to develop Observation Haki or Armament Haki, have you?"
"And there's something else."
"The sword technique I used against Hawkeye..."
"If you're interested, I can teach you that too."
Luo Qi glanced toward the sword hanging at Law's waist.
"After all, you already possess a pretty good sword."
"And you can generate electricity with your Devil Fruit ability."
"That should make you quite compatible with the sword technique I used earlier."
...
After purchasing Thunder Breathing — First Form: Thunderclap and Flash from the Forbidden Zone's Points Shop, Luo Qi had discovered something interesting.
Perhaps because his swordsmanship mastery had already reached a sufficiently high level, combined with his extraordinary physique, he had been able to use Thunderclap and Flash: Sixfold almost immediately!
However, being capable of using a technique and having completely mastered it were two different things.
Although Luo Qi could perform the technique, he still wasn't particularly proficient with it.
Therefore, he wanted to spend some time practicing Thunderclap and Flash before entering the Grand Line.
Ideally, he hoped to develop an even more advanced variation of the technique.
Thunderclap and Flash: Godspeed!
That way, he wouldn't have to spend additional Points purchasing it from the shop!
After all, Luo Qi already possessed Shave, one of the Six Powers.
With the extraordinary speed provided by that technique, developing an even faster variation of Thunderclap and Flash shouldn't be impossible.
At least, Luo Qi believed it was worth attempting!
And while he was at it, he also intended to spend some time learning the fundamentals of swordsmanship from Law.
After all, the last thing he wanted was to encounter Hawkeye or another master swordsman in the future, only to be told once again that he wielded his sword like an axe or a club!
...
However, just as Luo Qi was discussing his training plans with Law, something unexpected happened.
Smoker, who had already turned around to leave, suddenly froze in his tracks.
Then—
WHOOSH!
He immediately spun around!
His eyes widened as he stared at Luo Qi in complete disbelief.
"WAIT A MINUTE!"
"You can use Observation Haki and Armament Haki?!"
Smoker's expression became increasingly shocked.
"And you actually exchanged blows with the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk?!"
He took a step forward.
"WHEN?!"
"WHERE?!"
"WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED?!"
...
Chapter 65: Tashigi — Please Let Me Witness Your Swordsmanship!New2 days ago
[That Marine looks pretty shocked! Does that mean Haki isn't an ability that's easy to master?]
[Probably! If Haki were easy to learn, that Marine Captain wouldn't be reacting like this. Besides, something obtained from a Black Iron Treasure Chest probably isn't that easy to master. Looks like Law will need plenty of practice before he can use it properly!]
[I think he's even more surprised that Luo Qi managed to fight Hawkeye Mihawk! The World's Greatest Swordsman must be an extraordinary figure even to the Marines!]
[Hahaha! This guy is hilarious! He made such an intimidating entrance with two cigars in his mouth, but now he's so shocked that both cigars have fallen out!]
[Don't worry! He's carrying plenty of cigars on his body. He won't have any trouble finding another one to smoke!]
...
This man knows how to use both Observation Haki and Armament Haki?
And he even exchanged blows with Hawkeye Mihawk?!
What kind of joke is this?!
How could someone like that possibly appear in East Blue?
Or is he just making things up?
Smoker stared at Luo Qi with his eyes wide open.
Standing nearby, Tashigi was equally astonished.
She never imagined that the man who had brought a group of corrupt Marines to their base might actually have crossed swords with Hawkeye Mihawk!
However, after looking Luo Qi over, Tashigi noticed something strange.
He wasn't carrying a sword.
That realization left her somewhat confused.
"What's wrong?"
Luo Qi raised an eyebrow at Smoker's reaction.
"Is it really that surprising that I know how to use Haki?"
You're one of Zephyr's students, aren't you?
It's not like you've never heard of Haki before!
Can't you maintain a little dignity?
Luo Qi couldn't help complaining inwardly.
Smoker frowned.
After thinking for a moment, he suddenly raised his hand toward Luo Qi.
As his arm extended forward, it transformed into a stream of white smoke!
...
[Holy crap! His arm turned into smoke?!]
[It's a Devil Fruit! This guy is a Devil Fruit user?!]
[Wait a minute! Why is he suddenly attacking Brother Qi?!]
...
Luo Qi narrowed his eyes.
Armament Haki immediately enveloped his hand.
Without hesitation, he reached forward and grabbed Smoker's smoke-covered arm!
Although the white smoke was normally intangible, the moment Luo Qi's Haki-coated hand made contact with it, Smoker clearly felt his arm being seized.
"You really can use Haki!"
Smoker immediately withdrew his arm, allowing it to return to its original form.
"So that was a test, Captain Smoker?"
Luo Qi looked at him with a faint smile.
"Almost nobody in East Blue knows how to use Haki."
Smoker's expression remained serious.
"In fact, there are very few people here who even know what Haki is."
"Now I understand how your group managed to defeat both the Arlong Pirates and the Krieg Pirates."
He paused briefly.
Then, he fixed his gaze directly on Luo Qi.
"However, there's something else I want to confirm."
"You said you fought Hawkeye Mihawk."
"Was that really true?"
"Well..."
Luo Qi shrugged.
"Rather than calling it a proper fight, I'd say he was simply passing the time."
"He broke my sword during our exchange, and the fight ended there."
"As for where it happened, it was somewhere along our route to Loguetown."
Luo Qi spread his hands.
"With the Marines' resources, it shouldn't be particularly difficult for you to investigate whether I'm telling the truth."
Hearing that, Smoker nodded thoughtfully.
Then, without saying anything further, he turned around and headed back into the Marine base.
A man capable of using Haki...
Someone who has apparently fought Hawkeye Mihawk and emerged without any serious injuries...
Smoker believed that someone like Luo Qi deserved to be reported to Marine Headquarters in detail.
If possible, he wanted Headquarters to personally extend an invitation for Luo Qi to join the Marines.
After all, Smoker still felt that allowing someone with such impressive abilities to remain an ordinary bounty hunter was a tremendous waste of talent.
...
"Well, Law?"
After Smoker left, Luo Qi turned toward his companions.
He intended to continue the discussion they had been having earlier.
"What do you think?"
"You've already explained that we need to accumulate more strength."
Law shrugged.
"So I don't really have any reason to object."
"Besides, I'm genuinely interested in that sword technique you mentioned."
"I'll be counting on you to teach me."
"Hahaha! We're companions, aren't we?"
Luo Qi laughed and placed a hand on Law's shoulder.
"Helping each other is only natural!"
"Of course, I'll also need you to teach me the fundamentals of swordsmanship."
Law looked at him speechlessly.
"Seriously, Captain..."
"I really don't understand how your swordsmanship mastery reached its current level."
"You can already unleash flying sword slashes, yet you haven't even mastered the basics!"
"How does that make any sense?!"
"Well, about that..."
Luo Qi spread his hands innocently.
"Just think of it as me being unusually talented."
"Before I even had time to learn the fundamentals, my swordsmanship mastery had already advanced on its own."
He finished speaking with a cheerful smile.
"..."
Law stared at him.
For a moment, he genuinely couldn't decide whether he should feel envious or angry!
In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly and temporarily ignore his captain.
"Alright, what about the rest of you?"
Luo Qi turned toward Baby 5 and the others.
"Do you have any objections to staying in Loguetown for a while?"
"Of course not!"
Baby 5 immediately leaned affectionately against Luo Qi.
"Wherever you go, Luo Qi, I'll go too!"
"I have no objections," Reiju replied with a smile.
"Me neither! Me neither!" Bepo quickly added.
"Nojiko and I feel the same way."
Nojiko smiled and gently pulled Nami closer.
Seeing that none of his companions objected, Luo Qi nodded with satisfaction.
He then turned around, intending to ask Tashigi about their bounty payment.
However—
"Whoa!"
The moment he turned his head, he found Tashigi's enormous, curious eyes practically right in front of his face!
"Um..."
"Mister Bounty Hunter!"
Tashigi looked at him expectantly.
"Could you tell me more about your encounter with Hawkeye Mihawk?"
"I'd really like to hear what happened during your duel!"
"..."
Luo Qi was momentarily speechless.
However, he had no particular reason to refuse her request.
Besides, the sooner he satisfied Tashigi's curiosity, the sooner she could help him collect his bounty money!
And so, under Tashigi's guidance, the group headed toward the Marine base's reception room.
Along the way, Luo Qi recounted everything that had happened, from his initial encounter with Mihawk to the moment the World's Greatest Swordsman departed.
As Tashigi listened, she occasionally gasped in astonishment.
At other moments, she sighed in admiration.
She became so engrossed in Luo Qi's story that she almost completely forgot about the bounty money!
Fortunately, Luo Qi eventually reminded her.
Only then did Tashigi remember what she was supposed to be doing.
"Ah! Right!"
"The bounty payment!"
"I almost forgot!"
She quickly hurried toward the Marine base's finance office.
A short while later, she returned to the reception room carrying a large case containing the full bounty payment.
63.5 million Berries!
Tashigi placed the heavy case on the table in front of Luo Qi.
"Here you are."
"Your bounty payment!"
However, the moment the case was opened—
"AHHH!"
"SO MANY BERRIES!"
Nami's eyes immediately lit up!
She rushed forward and threw herself at the case!
Then, wrapping both arms around it, she began affectionately rubbing her cheeks against the money inside!
"Ahhh! Berries!"
"So many wonderful Berries!"
Seeing Nami's sudden reaction, Tashigi was clearly startled.
She instinctively took a step backward.
"Don't mind her."
Luo Qi smiled apologetically at Tashigi.
"My companion is rather..."
He paused briefly.
"No, I suppose I should say she has a particularly strong love of treasure."
After saying that, Luo Qi walked toward Nami.
However, the moment she heard his footsteps approaching, Nami immediately raised her head.
"Captain Luo Qi!"
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Why don't you let me take care of these Berries?"
"Absolutely not."
Luo Qi rejected her proposal without hesitation.
However, before Nami could become disappointed, he continued:
"But you can take five million Berries."
"Use them to buy whatever you want while we're in Loguetown."
"F-FIVE MILLION?!"
Nami's eyes widened.
Then, she practically jumped into the air with excitement!
"That's amazing!"
"Thank you, Captain!"
Five million Berries!
That was an amount of money Nami hadn't necessarily been able to earn even after working for an entire year!
Yet now, she had only just begun sailing with Luo Qi, and she was already receiving such an enormous sum!
How could she possibly not be delighted?!
...
"In that case, I'll take care of the remaining money."
Reiju stepped forward with a smile.
She took five million Berries from the case and handed them to Nami.
Then, she picked up the case containing the remaining funds.
"If anyone else needs money, you can collect it from me."
Hearing Reiju's words, Law and the others stepped forward and took the amounts they needed.
Naturally, they all had things they wanted to purchase while visiting Loguetown.
Luo Qi was no exception.
He collected ten million Berries from Reiju.
After all, he hadn't forgotten something important.
There were two famous swords available in Loguetown!
And obtaining them might require a considerable amount of money.
After making a few arrangements, Baby 5, Nami, Nojiko, and Reiju left the Marine base together.
The four women planned to explore Loguetown and enjoy some shopping.
Meanwhile, Law and Bepo decided to visit the local shops to purchase medicinal ingredients.
...
One minute later.
Inside the Marine base's reception room, only two people remained.
Luo Qi.
And Tashigi, who was still looking at him with unmistakable admiration!
"Hey, Petty Officer Tashigi."
Luo Qi turned toward the young Marine swordswoman.
"Could you do me a favor?"
"Of course, Lord Luo Qi!"
Tashigi immediately straightened.
"What can I help you with?"
"Well, as you already know, my sword was broken during my fight with Hawkeye."
"So I'm planning to buy a new one."
Luo Qi smiled.
"Unfortunately, I'm not particularly familiar with Loguetown."
"Would you mind taking me to a reputable weapon shop?"
"You're going to buy a sword?!"
Tashigi's eyes immediately lit up!
"I know an excellent shop!"
"I often take my own sword there for maintenance!"
"I'd be happy to take you!"
She nodded enthusiastically.
After all, Luo Qi was a swordsman who had actually exchanged blows with Hawkeye Mihawk!
As someone who loved swords, Tashigi had countless questions she wanted to ask him.
Naturally, she was more than happy to have another opportunity to spend time with him.
However, before they left, Tashigi suddenly remembered something.
"Um, Lord Luo Qi..."
She looked at him with an expression overflowing with anticipation.
"That sword technique you mentioned earlier..."
"Thunderclap and Flash..."
"Would you..."
"Would you please let me witness it sometime?"