Ko—"
Uvogin raised his arms, focusing all the aura from across his body into his forearms to brace for the impact.
"You're a pain because I can't touch you, but a weak strike like this won't do a thing!" Uvogin barked, baring his teeth.
"Is that so?" A mysterious smirk played on Smoker's lips.
The next second, the Jitte slammed into Uvogin's arm.
Crack—!
A mist of blood erupted from Uvogin's forearms, accompanied by the gut-wrenching sound of bone snapping. His massive frame was sent hurtling backward!
Worse yet, at the point of contact with the weapon, he felt a numbing wave of weakness wash over him. The internal flow of his Karma-Karma Fruit was suddenly obstructed. A look of total shock crossed Uvogin's face.
How could such a plain-looking hit pack so much power?!!
Drip... drip...
Crimson blood slid down his arms, hitting the ground. Uvogin forced himself up, his eyes locked onto Smoker with lethal intensity. "How is this possible?!!"
Smoker let out a cold, sharp laugh, twirling the specialized Jitte in his hand. "Sea Prism Stone is as effective as ever against you ability users~"
By consuming the Karma-Karma Fruit, Uvogin had become a dual-power user, but he had also inherited the ultimate weakness of the Devil Fruit: a vulnerability to seawater and Sea Prism Stone.
"Give it up—"
Smoker's lower half dissolved into smoke once more. Like an avenging spirit, he raised his Jitte and lunged at Uvogin again.
Uvogin gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging. Under the influence of the Karma-Karma Fruit, his body swelled, transforming him into a four-meter-tall giant in an instant. He took a massive breath, the sheer capacity of his lungs vacuuming the surrounding air.
His logic was simple: if physical attacks didn't work, he would use the sheer force of his biology to launch a sonic attack.
With his lungs at full capacity and his abdominal muscles tensed, he opened his mouth toward the incoming Smoker, the vessels in his neck straining:
"ROAR—!!!"
A terrifying wall of sound blasted outward from Uvogin. The surrounding trees were flattened by the shockwave. The remaining Marine fodder collapsed, blood leaking from their ears and noses as they lost consciousness. Even Phinks and Hina, who were locked in combat, were forced to stop and cover their ears, retreating in the opposite direction.
At the epicenter of the blast, Smoker simply turned his entire body into smoke, allowing the sonic wave to pass through him harmlessly.
Watching from the distance, Chrollo shook his head slightly. Uvogin's current strength was roughly on par with a pirate boasting a bounty of 100 to 200 million Berries, but against Smoker, it wasn't enough. Logia fruits were simply too "broken" in the early stages of the game, and Smoker was one of the few who possessed a weapon specifically tipped with Sea Prism Stone.
---
On the battlefield, Smoker—having perfectly evaded the roar—re-materialized in front of Uvogin, his Jitte raised high.
A look of grim resignation crossed Uvogin's face. Against that strange weapon, his prideful defense was useless; his strength drained away every time he was hit. He was out of options.
Is this the standard of the Dark Continent...
Am I satisfied? LIKE HELL I AM!!!
Uvogin let out a defiant roar. "I am Uvogin!! I won't lose here!!!"
He squeezed the last drop of strength from his body, raising a massive fist. Blood leaked from his lips as he poured every ounce of his Nen into his knuckles in a final, desperate struggle.
"Bastard! BIG BANG IMPACT!!!"
The terrifying punch tore through Smoker's torso, shredding the brush behind him and plowing a fifty-meter trench into the earth. But there was no blood. Smoker had turned his chest into smoke, letting the punch pass through empty air.
The Spiders watched with narrowed eyes, their expressions grim. "A Transmuter type who can turn their entire body into a substance?" Nobunaga muttered.
"Quite the invincible power," the others thought, shaking their heads. "As expected of the calamity 'Ai'."
---
Smoker looked down at Uvogin, his Jitte descending in slow motion, his eyes full of arrogance. "It's over, pirate!!"
"I can't let you defeat my precious member so easily~"
Suddenly, a calm, cool voice rang out in front of Smoker. Chrollo appeared between them. His pale hand reached up in the slowed flow of time and caught the strike firmly.
Simultaneously: "Instant Displacement—"
His other hand gestured toward Uvogin. The giant man vanished instantly, reappearing on the deck of the Black Whale.
> [Instant Displacement (Manipulation Type)]
> [Description: Allows the user to switch the positions of two marked targets (people or objects) via aura connection.]
> [Conditions: Aura consumption increases with distance; can only be used on the same target three times per day.]
This was one of Chrollo's 23 abilities. He had used it to separate brawling Troupe members in the past, and he had preserved it perfectly. He had moved Uvogin to safety; now he wanted to face this "White Hunter" himself.
"Your aim is good, but your power is a bit lacking," Chrollo remarked casually.
Smoker stared at Chrollo's hand, which was holding the Jitte with total ease. A storm of shock erupted in his mind.
An ability user who is immune to Sea Prism Stone... has appeared?!!!
"You just teleported—you're an ability user too!" Smoker barked. "Why is the Sea Prism Stone not working on you?!!"
"Are you surprised?" Chrollo asked, his face a mask of calm. "The world is vast; there is much you don't understand."
His composure made Smoker even more anxious. Is it just him? Or does this 'Kakin Empire' have technology to bypass Sea Prism Stone? If it's the latter... the world is in trouble!!
"I can't let you leave!! You're hiding too many secrets!" Smoker raised his Jitte again, swinging it down with all his might.
"A secret is only a secret because of a gap in information." Chrollo gave him a cryptic smile. "Let's go, Phinks."
Chrollo raised his hand again. He and Phinks (who was still tangled with Hina) vanished simultaneously. They reappeared on the deck of the Black Whale.
"Bastard! Don't you run—!" Smoker gnashed his teeth and chased toward the shore, but it was too late. The Black Whale's internal propulsion kicked in, and the ship pulled away from the coast in an instant.
"Until we meet again, Marine," Chrollo said, watching Smoker from the deck.
Beside him, a heavily injured Uvogin struggled to his feet and leaned over the railing. He let out a savage roar toward Smoker: "You bastard! Next time I see you, I'm gonna knock all your teeth out! MARK MY WORDS!"
---