Within the rising currents of Reverse Mountain.
For ordinary ships, these violently surging waters were nothing short of purgatory. But under Red's direct control using Surf, all danger vanished instantly, the powerful current instead pushing the Going Merry steadily upward.
The miraculous sight of Reverse Mountain immediately filled the Straw Hat crew with the urge to throw a banquet right then and there, celebrating this heart-pounding moment.
And then…
They remembered the Marine colonel Usopp had locked up.
"Ah! I almost forgot about that!"
Usopp suddenly slapped his forehead, finally recalling Smoker, who had been confined in the ship's hold.
He promptly launched into an animated explanation of how he had outwitted Smoker through sheer brilliance, battled him for three hundred rounds under a darkened sky, and ultimately defeated and restrained him through overwhelming might.
"Usopp, you're amazing!!!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled at once, completely awestruck by the heroic, fearless image Usopp painted of himself.
But right at that moment—
Bam!
Nami, wearing a thunderous expression, smashed her fist into Luffy's rubbery head, raising a massive bump as she shouted:
"Idiot! Can't you tell he's bragging?!"
"Owwowow…"
Luffy clutched his head, then looked up at Usopp in disbelief.
"Huh? Usopp was lying?!"
"Ahahaha…"Exposed on the spot, Usopp laughed awkwardly and rubbed the underside of his nose.
"How could that be!?"
"How could the great Captain Usopp possibly lie!?"
"Really? You're not lying?" Red suddenly looked over with an amused smile.
"Don't say I didn't warn you, Usopp…"
"That guy is one of the Marines' key prospects in recent years—and he's a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, just like the three Admirals."
"If you really defeated him, that alone would be enough to make your name famous across the seas."
"At the very least, you'd be put on the Marines' must-capture list. Sending a few warships after you wouldn't be a problem at all."
"I'm sorry! I was lying!!!"
Usopp immediately bowed at lightning speed, panic written all over his face.
"He—he just slipped and fell into the sea by accident! Please, please don't let the Marines know about this!!!"
"Hahaha…"
Red burst out laughing at the spectacle.
Of course, he didn't believe the "slipping into the sea" story for a second.
Still, whatever trick Usopp had used, the fact that he'd managed to capture Smoker at all was proof enough of his strength!
"So…"Red turned thoughtful. "What do we do with him? Kill him?"
Clang!
Zoro slid Sandai Kitetsu partially from its sheath, the blade flashing as he looked to Luffy and Red for confirmation.
"Hey, hey, that's way too cruel!"Sanji immediately stepped in to stop him.
In the chaos of battle, casualties were unavoidable—that was one thing.
But killing someone without necessity still felt wrong to the kind-hearted Straw Hat crew.
"What do you think?"Red handed the final decision over to Luffy.
"Hmmm~"
Luffy tilted his head, striking what vaguely resembled a thinking pose.
Then, a dozen seconds later—
Grrrrrr~
The sound of an empty stomach echoed loudly.
Luffy's eyes lit up immediately."Alright! Let's have unagi rice today, Sanji!"
"You idiot!!! Who told you to think about food!?!?"
Bam!!!
The Straw Hats instantly erupted, each of them bonking Luffy on the head once.
Red pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly."Forget it. After being soaked that long, he's probably starving to death anyway."
"Let him out so he can eat something first."
"Sanji, go get ready."
"OK~"
Sanji responded casually and headed for the kitchen.
Under Red's direction, Usopp and Zoro worked together to haul Smoker out of the seawater and remove the chains binding him.
And the very next second—
"You damned pirates!!!"
Whoosh!
Smoker suddenly snapped his eyes open, springing to life and reaching straight for Usopp—the one responsible for his misery.
But right then—
Clang!
A blade brimming with blood-red killing intent appeared before him.
Jet-black Armament Haki slowly spread from the hilt to the edge of the sword.
Though still somewhat immature in both control and quantity, it made fear flash unmistakably through Smoker's eyes.
Beside him, Luffy also released Armament Haki, coating his fist.
Step—step—step—step…
Smoker staggered backward instinctively.
He reached for his jitte—only to realize it had already been confiscated by Usopp.
Even the tip of Seastone at its end had been sawn off, intended for crafting anti–Devil Fruit ammunition.
Smoker's expression darkened."Armament Haki!? Why do you know how to use that?!"
"Heh~ Is that really so hard?"Zoro grinned smugly. "Don't you just need hands?"
"Just need hands…?"
Memories surged—how he'd failed again and again to train Armament Haki, turned to his Devil Fruit instead, and been furiously scolded by Instructor Zephyr…
Smoker clenched his fists.
Setting aside their opposing roles, right now he really wanted to punch Zoro in the face.
But with his Logia advantage gone, Smoker had no idea what to do next.
And to make matters worse, he was drenched, exhausted, and deep inside a pirate ship.
Fortunately, Red stepped in to smooth things over.
"Alright, alright, Colonel Smoker."
"We're currently riding the ascending current of Reverse Mountain. If you don't want to drown for no reason at all, I suggest you calm down for now."
"At the very least, you should ensure your own safety, shouldn't you?"
"..."
Under Red's words, Smoker slowly quieted down.
No matter how he looked at it, the situation was extremely delicate for him right now.
"What exactly do you want?"He tightened his fists and demanded.
"Isn't that something we should be asking you, Colonel Smoker?"Red replied with a polite smile.
"We were just resupplying in Loguetown, and you marched in without a word, trying to wipe us out."
"That's because I'm a Marine, and you're pirates!!!"Smoker roared furiously.
Red hadn't even needed to bring it up—once it was mentioned, Smoker's anger surged out of control.
Though he didn't know how it had happened, the Straw Hats had clearly escaped the encirclement and were about to enter the Grand Line.
His mission had obviously failed.
And who knew what kind of punishment awaited him afterward.
Poor Smoker had no idea that the fleet under his command had already been completely annihilated by the Straw Hats—otherwise, he would have died of rage on the spot.
Even now, a small part of him still clung to the hope of arresting them all.
Red had no intention of shattering that illusion—at least it helped keep the ship peaceful.
Soon, Sanji returned with a plate of egg fried rice, thoughtfully bringing along a cup of warm water for Smoker as well.
For a chef, ensuring no one went hungry was the most basic professional principle.
"Alright, Colonel Smoker."Red smiled faintly, gesturing for Sanji to set the food on a nearby crate.
Because the ship was tilted slightly, Sanji even found two stable spots to brace the tableware securely.
His gentleness truly ran down to his very bones.
"You haven't eaten all day. Must be starving, right?"
"Whether Marine or pirate… even if you want to arrest us, you should at least fill your stomach first. Don't you agree?"
"Relax. Sanji is a chef with dignity. He would never poison food."
"And also…"
Red's eyes flickered as he produced a newspaper and placed it beside the plate.
It was the East Blue edition of the World Economy News Paper, detailing Captain Nezumi's collusion with the Arlong Pirates.
Smoker might not have overwhelming strength and carried plenty of pride—but without a doubt, his heart stood firmly on the side of justice.
Not Marine justice.
True justice.
"This is today's paper. You can read it if you're bored."
"We won't be long from the summit now, and who knows what'll happen next. Let's go eat too."
"Yeah!!!"
Luffy eagerly echoed Red's suggestion.
Soon enough, they filed out of the cargo hold one after another, leaving Smoker behind—completely unbound.
"What kind of pirates are these people…?"
Smoker furrowed his brows, inexplicably feeling that Luffy and his crew were nothing like other pirates.
The aroma of egg fried rice filled the air.After an entire day without food or water, he finally couldn't endure it any longer and grabbed a spoon, eating heartily.
"..."
"…So good~!"
(End of Chapter)