Ace lowered his head and remained silent for a long time, just about to speak—
When a cold, indifferent voice rang out from the restaurant entrance.
"So you actually dare to eat openly in front of everyone?"
Standing at the doorway, Smoker calmly took a drag from his cigar, his eyes fixed on Ace.
"Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—Fire Fist Ace. You've got some nerve."
Ace slowly stood up, rolling his wrists as he looked toward Smoker.
The moment his identity was exposed, the entire restaurant exploded into chaos.
Everyone stared at Ace in shock, instinctively backing away from the table where the three of them sat.
"Whitebeard Pirates?! No wonder he eats like a monster!"
"I remember that emblem on his back—I've seen it before! That's definitely the Whitebeard Pirates' mark!"
"My god… I just ate in the same restaurant as someone from Whitebeard's crew!"
Logan was sitting with his back to the entrance. He didn't turn around—just hearing the voice was enough.
Smoker… you really are persistent. From Loguetown all the way to Alabasta?
Logan did his best not to look back.
If Smoker recognized him, there was a good chance Captain Smoker would be lying in a hospital bed for several days again.
Smoker took a deep drag from his cigar and slowly exhaled a ring of smoke.
His fingers trembled slightly—whether from excitement or tension, no one could tell.
His gaze was locked firmly onto Ace.
"A pirate of your reputation… what are you doing in a place like this?"
Ace smiled warmly.
"Looking for someone."
"You're a pirate. I'm a Marine. Since I've run into you, I can't just pretend I saw nothing," Smoker said sternly.
Suddenly—
His right arm clenched into a fist, instantly transforming into thick white smoke.
Ace's smile only grew gentler.
"What a boring reason. If that's the case… I'll play along."
The smoke around Smoker's arm thickened, and a powerful pressure radiated from his body.
The atmosphere inside the restaurant turned suffocating.
Some customers quietly tried to slip away, while others were too afraid to move at all, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.
After all, the so-called Marine standing there didn't look like someone who would care about civilian casualties.
With no other choice, Logan slowly raised his head and turned around, hoping his familiar face could stop the fight.
But just as Smoker was about to strike—
A familiar, loud voice came crashing in from outside.
"Gomu Gomu no—Rocket!"
BOOM!
A figure slammed violently into the restaurant.
The wooden doors shattered instantly.
That figure smashed straight into Smoker's back and then continued barreling forward—right toward Logan and Ace.
Ace could have dodged.
But when he recognized the person—
"Luffy?!"
He froze for half a second, forgetting to move.
Logan, on the other hand, had no chance at all. In his current condition, his awareness of danger was almost nonexistent.
BOOM!!
The restaurant erupted into chaos.
Tables shattered. Walls collapsed.
A massive hole was blown through the side of the building.
Barrels filled with wine burst open, red liquid flooding the floor.
Windows shattered, glass scattering everywhere.
Luffy, Smoker, Ace, and Logan were all sent flying at the same time.
Only Tuanzi, seated off to the side, was spared.
The restaurant patrons stared in stunned silence.
This was insanity.
Within minutes, so much had happened that their minds couldn't keep up.
Amid the rubble outside, Ace slowly stood up, one hand holding down his hat, his face lighting up with joy as he looked at Luffy.
Tuanzi dragged Logan out from beneath a pile of debris.
Logan's head was spinning, his entire body aching as he staggered upright.
"Which bastard did this?! I'll kill him!"
"Are you kidding me?! I got ambushed?!" Smoker roared, smashing the boulder on top of him with a punch as he stood up, scanning the area for the culprit.
Then—
Their eyes met.
Smoker froze.
Only now did he realize that the familiar-looking back earlier really did belong to Logan.
The atmosphere turned… awkward.
Smoker hesitated.
Do I attack… or not?
"That hurt… I'm starving… I need food," Luffy groaned, crawling out last and immediately trying to walk back into the restaurant as if nothing else mattered.
Logan burst out laughing when he saw Luffy.
"You little brat! You ruined a perfectly good meal!"
"Logan! Ace! You're both here?! That's awesome!" Luffy shouted happily, looking around.
Then—
He noticed Smoker.
His smile froze.
Cold sweat broke out instantly.
He grabbed Logan and Ace and screamed—
"RUN! The smoke guy is here!!"
"Hurry! My punches don't work on him! I even know why now!"
Smoker roared and gave chase.
"Tashigi! Order all Marines to surround them! Don't let them escape!"
"Yes, sir!"
Tashigi, who had been shopping nearby, immediately responded and leapt ahead.
"All Marines—move out!"
Luffy sprinted with everything he had left, tongue hanging out.
He hadn't eaten properly in days—his strength was rapidly draining.
Smoker released a massive white smoke serpent, which roared forward in pursuit.
"Luffy! Logan! Go on ahead!" Ace shouted. "I'll hold them off and catch up later!"
He threw a blazing fire punch, dispersing the smoke.
Luffy stared at Ace in awe.
"Ace… you're insanely strong now!"
Without hesitation, Luffy sprinted toward the docks.
The Going Merry was waiting there.
Even with Ace holding Smoker back, some Marines continued chasing Luffy.
As he ran, Luffy spotted familiar figures behind a ruined building and immediately rushed over.
"Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Over here!"
They had already noticed him.
The moment Luffy shouted their names, their faces went pale.
"You idiot!!"
"Moron!!"
After yelling at him, they grabbed Luffy and fled together.
Seeing Luffy escape safely, while Logan and Tuanzi remained behind, Ace frowned.
"Big Brother Logan, you should leave too. That Marine isn't weak."
"It's fine," Logan said calmly. "I know Smoker. We're… old friends."
He looked at Smoker and smiled.
"Right, Smoker?"
Smoker's face darkened as he took heavy drags from his cigar.
Catching Luffy alone was already difficult enough.
Now Logan was here too.
Worst of all—Smoker had never been able to truly gauge Logan's strength.
Every time he thought he understood it, Logan shattered that belief with something even more outrageous.
"I don't get it," Smoker said coldly, staring at Ace.
"Helping Straw Hat Luffy is one thing. But Fire Fist Ace—why are you helping him?"
Ace smiled helplessly.
"When you have a troublesome little brother," he said,
"it's only natural for an older brother to worry."
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