"Excellent choice, my guest!"
The fat bookmaker laughed cheerfully.
"That guy owns a steamship, insanely fast, and his strength isn't bad either. After all, he's the most talked-about Marine traitor lately!"
Karl's expression instantly changed. He grabbed the fat man by the collar, eyes blazing.
"What?! A Marine traitor?! Damn it—are you messing with me? What if he's just Marine bait?!"
The fat man didn't get angry at all. Instead, he looked understanding.
"Well, you are Marines. A strong reaction is normal."
"Don't worry, guest. He's definitely a Marine traitor. If you don't believe me, go check the lowest-level waterway. He should be resting there."
Karl released him and snorted coldly.
"It'd better be true. Let's go!"
Smoker, completely confused, followed Karl out like an idiot.
"…Were you acting just now?"
"What else would it be?"
Smoker: You really do learn something new every day.
They reached the lowest level.
Sure enough, a steamship without sails was quietly docked in the harbor.
Gasparde and his men were drinking nearby.
"It really is him. I'll go—"
"Don't rush!"
Smoker: "???"
"What if he runs?"
"Relax. Let me call in backup first," Karl said calmly.
"This place is crawling with pirates. Wouldn't it be a waste not to catch them all in a jar?"
"But didn't you say these pirates were all small fry and not worth bothering with?"
Karl ignored him. After checking the surroundings and confirming no one was nearby, he secretly pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Hello, this is Karl. Is Ain there?"
"Yes. Awaiting instructions."
"Using my authority, notify the nearest Marine base. Have them surround Hannabal. Today, I want to wipe out every pirate here."
"Understood."
After hanging up, Karl waved over a waiter.
"Bring us your best food and wine."
"Right away, sir!"
They sat there eating for three whole hours.
Karl had practically eaten himself into a fat man.
"Hey! You're eating way too much!" Smoker complained.
Life Return.
"…What did you just say?"
Smoker went silent.
Fine. Life Return.
He hadn't expected Karl's mastery of the Six Powers to reach this level.
Meanwhile, he still hadn't even learned all six.
Buru buru buru—
"This is Karl. What's the situation?"
Off the coast of Hannabal, fifteen Marine warships had quietly assembled. Ain lowered her binoculars and smiled.
"All units assembled—15 warships total. Shall we commence immediately?"
"Close the net."
"Yes."
Ten Minutes Later
"Bad news! The Marines are here! The entire island has been surrounded—run!!!"
The mountain cavern instantly descended into chaos.
"Our turn," Karl said calmly.
"Smoker, Gasparde is yours. If you can't catch him—don't come back."
Smoker crushed his cigar underfoot and grinned fiercely.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
The moment he finished speaking, Smoker elementalized, charging straight toward the Salamander.
"Gasparde—do you recognize me?"
Gasparde, preparing to flee, froze when he saw Smoker's face and swallowed hard.
How could he not recognize him?
Smoker—the most arrogant rookie of their class.
With a Logia ability, he had crushed the entire training camp.
Gasparde himself had been beaten by him before.
"It's you… Smoker. Hehehe… you're here to arrest me too?"
"You betrayed justice. You should've known this day would come."
Gasparde burst into manic laughter.
"Justice? Justice is bullshit!"
"Can it give me power? No!"
"Can it give me authority? No!"
"Can it give me endless wealth? No!"
"Then what's the point of it?"
"Smoker—quit the Marines. Come be a pirate with me!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became—he even tried to recruit Smoker.
After all, Smoker had always complained about the Marines back then. Surely he'd been unhappy for a long time.
What Gasparde didn't notice was Smoker's face growing darker by the second.
"Shut up."
"You're beyond saving."
"Prepare to repent in Impel Down!!!"
"Smoke Bind Killing Formation!"
Whoosh—
Endless smoke engulfed the Salamander.
Watching from a distance, Karl nodded in satisfaction.
Smoker had finally made his move.
That meant it was Karl's turn.
Glancing at Thunderstorm in his system space, Karl murmured,
"Now that I think about it… I've had Thunderstorm for a while and never really used it."
"Perfect chance to test it today."
Clang—
A red flash shimmered as Thunderstorm vibrated softly, as if thirsting for blood.
"One-Sword Style · Jade Sever!"
SHHHK—
A massive crimson flying slash swept across the battlefield.
The mountain instantly split open, followed by a deafening roar.
This mountain—
was about to be cut in half.
The pirates inside panicked completely, scrambling for their lives.
Flash—
Karl's figure flickered through the cavern.
Dozens of pirates fell in an instant, blood spraying like rain.
Thunderstorm's blade grew even more crimson, radiating a clear hunger for slaughter.
Karl could almost feel it—
its craving for more blood.
"…Fine," Karl said calmly.
"I'll indulge you today."
Outside, artillery roared.
Marine warships had fully sealed the island, bombarding every pirate ship attempting to escape.
Inside—
a river of blood.
Karl harvested lives without mercy. Anyone who entered his field of vision died the next second.
"Enough," Karl said at last.
"That's plenty. Don't get greedy."
He sheathed Thunderstorm decisively, then whistled to recall Raven.
Raven was obedient.
Thunderstorm… was far too easy to lose control with.
Meanwhile, within the smoke—
Smoker slammed a punch straight into Gasparde's head—
and felt his fist sink inside.
"Hehehehehe! Useless, Smoker!"
"Your fists mean nothing to me!"
"Now—it's my turn!"
Gasparde swung—and missed.
He awkwardly pulled his arm back.
Damn it.
This guy was an "invincible" Logia now.
"Looks like we can't decide a winner, huh?"
"Is that so?"
"Compressed Smoke Bomb!"
"What—?! GAH—!!"
Gasparde swallowed the compressed smoke entirely.
Realizing something was wrong, he desperately tried to gag himself—but nothing came out.
Moments later, his eyes bulged as he clutched his throat.
"Ghk—ghk—help… help me!!!"
Smoker quietly watched Gasparde collapse, then calmly lit a cigar.
"I'm not who I used to be, Gasparde…"
Thirty Minutes Later
Karl and Smoker regrouped.
Behind them, Gasparde lay bound like a dumpling, completely unconscious.
Smoker was about to ask about Seastone handcuffs—
When Karl casually pulled out a pistol and shot each of Gasparde's limbs once.
"Seastone bullets," Karl said lightly.
"In some situations, they're more useful than handcuffs."
"…Want to try?"
Smoker shook his head violently.
Try?
Try and die, more like.
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