The deck immediately erupted into chaos.
"What?! The Flame-Flame Fruit?!" Nami exclaimed, covering her mouth, her orange hair fluttering in the heatwave. "Isn't that the legendary Logia-type Devil Fruit?"
Usopp's jaw almost hit the deck: "Able to... to turn into flames? That's way too unfair!"
A glint of fighting spirit flashed in Zoro's eyes: "Logia... No wonder it could melt the candles so easily."
The deck fell silent for a few seconds, then burst into uproarious laughter.
"Hahahaha!" Usopp slapped his thigh, laughing. "Mr.3, that unlucky guy! Running into the Flame-Flame Fruit was like kicking a steel plate!"
Nami wiped away tears of laughter: "Candles meeting fire... That's just too tragic!"
Ron also couldn't help but laugh: "This really is a case of one thing conquering another. I bet Mr.3 wants to cry right now but can't, since even his candles melted."
Zoro, uncharacteristically, curved his lips into a smile: "Looks like Vivi has good luck."
Chopper looked up at Ace, stars in his eyes: "So amazing! Are you Luffy's older brother?"
Just then, Smoker on the Marine warship had completed his elemental transformation, turning into a cloud of white smoke and rapidly approaching. Ace turned to glance, his smile undiminished: "Looks like you have guests."
Luffy excitedly grabbed Ace's hand: "Ace! Let's fight together!"
"Hey, hey," Ace said with a helpless smile, but his eyes were already burning with fighting spirit. "I can't do anything about you." He turned to Ron, "Ron, do you mind if I join in?"
Ron made a 'go ahead' gesture: "Couldn't ask for more. It's a good chance to let this 'White Hunter' see the power of Fire Fist."
Ace put his cowboy hat back on, his eyes under the brim becoming sharp. Flames ignited in his hands, and the surrounding temperature sharply rose: "Then—"
"Fire Fist!!!"
A massive torrent of flames roared out, colliding violently with Smoker's white smoke in mid-air, raising a sky full of steam.
Smoker used the momentum to retreat, landing steadily on the ground, his expression fluctuating. He tightened his grip on his cigar a few points, looking at the flame-shrouded figure in front of him.
"Fire Fist Ace..." Smoker uttered the name in a low voice, white smoke swirling around him. "I didn't expect to meet you here."
Ace pushed up the brim of his hat, flames dancing at his fingertips: "Want to keep fighting, 'White Hunter'?"
To everyone's surprise, Smoker suddenly raised his hand, signaling the Marine to stop their attack: "No need. My purpose in coming to Alabasta this time isn't to fight."
Ron frowned, something was off... This was completely deviating from the original plot.
According to normal development, Smoker should be relentlessly pursuing Luffy. He instinctively stepped forward: "Then what is your purpose?"
Smoker's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Nami. He slowly raised his right hand, his index finger pointing directly at the orange-haired navigator: "For her."
"What?!" Everyone exclaimed in unison.
Nami's heart also skipped a beat. She pointed at herself in disbelief: "Me?"
Her mind rapidly replayed past events, but she couldn't figure out why she had been targeted by the other party.
Ron's eyes instantly sharpened like knives, countless possibilities flashing through his mind. He guessed that Nami's treasure-digging ability might indeed attract the attention of high-ranking Marine officials, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon...
Smoker exhaled a smoke ring, looking at Nami with a complex gaze: "Last time in Whiskey Peak, you even dug out Admiral Aokiji."
The deck instantly fell silent.
"Aokiji specifically instructed me," Smoker continued, "to keep an eye on you so you don't cause any more trouble." He rubbed his temples, "After all, no one knows what you'll dig out next time."
Nami opened her mouth. So that was why?
She looked at Ron for help, who was deep in thought. No wonder Smoker had uncharacteristically given up chasing Luffy; it turned out he was worried Nami would dig up something extraordinary...
Just then,
Ace suddenly burst out laughing: "Hahaha! Dug out Aokiji? That's too interesting!" He gave Nami a thumbs up, "Well done!"
Smoker's face darkened further: "Fire Fist, this has nothing to do with you."
"How is it unrelated?" Ace's smile suddenly vanished, flames rising around him. "She's my little brother's companion."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Hey! Smokey!" Luffy suddenly rolled up his sleeves, his rubber arm extending with a 'thwack' to prop himself on the deck, his eyes under his straw hat burning with fierce fighting spirit. "You want to fight, right? I'll go all the way!"
Before his words even fell, a suffocating pressure suddenly erupted!
Conqueror's Haki swept out like a tangible force. The sea immediately rippled unnaturally. Smoker's white hair was blown back by this aura, and the ash from his cigar fluttered down.
"This... this is...!" Smoker's pupils constricted, the muscles in his face twitching uncontrollably. "Conqueror's Haki?! Are you kidding me?!"
He gritted his teeth, glaring at Luffy, "How could this brat..."
The Marine soldiers on the warship had already collapsed to the ground, sprawling. Even Tashigi had to hold onto the railing to stand steadily. She pushed up her slipping glasses, staring at the scene before her in disbelief.
Smoker's face was a mixture of emotions, his mind churning: "Damn it... I couldn't beat him before, and now even more so..."
He suddenly slung his Jitte onto his shoulder as if deflating: "I won't fight, is that okay?"
"Huh?" Luffy's aura immediately faltered, his rubbery face showing a confused expression.
"Alabasta isn't your home!" Smoker shamelessly played the rogue, his voice full of righteous indignation. "Can't I follow you? Isn't it normal for the Marine to patrol the waters of allied nations?"
This sudden shift left everyone dumbfounded.
Ron's mouth twitched, speechless for a moment;
The flames in Ace's hands extinguished with a 'poof.' He stared open-mouthed at this Marine Captain whose demeanor had suddenly changed;
Zoro's three swords almost fell to the ground. Nami and Usopp exchanged bewildered glances. Chopper rubbed his little hooves over his eyes, suspecting he had seen wrong.
Most shocked of all was Tashigi. She pushed up her slipping glasses, stammering to herself: "Is... is this really Captain Smoker?"
The strict, impartial, and justice-loving officer she remembered was now acting like a scoundrel?
"Hey, hey..." Sanji's cigarette fell onto the deck. "What kind of development is this...?"
Smoker completely ignored the jaw-dropped expressions of his subordinates, standing his ground, ready to just follow behind Ron and the others.
Now, seeing that the other party wasn't moving, he even had someone bring him a chair, and he sat down casually, continuing to smoke his cigar, adopting an attitude of "I'm just following you, what can you do about it?"
....
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