Huff... Huff...

  Under Grun's relentless attacks, Smoker’s injuries increased, but his eyes shone brighter and brighter.

  He had entered a peculiar state—a realization, almost like an epiphany before a breakthrough in a fantasy novel.

  In Smoker’s perception, Grun’s presence hadn’t grown stronger, but it had bee clearer.

  The feather arrows were still too fast to see clearly, yet their trajectories were being more apparent.

  As soon as Grun unched an attack, Smoker instinctively knew where it would nd. Despite his body feeling heavier, he only needed slight movements to narrowly dodge each strike.

  After a while, Grun suddenly realized something.

  Is this guy... training his Observation Haki on me?!

  “Don’t look down on me!!”

  Grun roared, fiercely fpping his wings.

  But before the attaded, Smoker had already shifted slightly to the side, either by i or instinct.

  When the wind bdes sshed down, they struck exactly where Smoker had just been, missing him effortlessly.

  What?!

  Grun’s pupils shrank.

  Realizing his ratacks weren’t w, he charged toward Smoker, his wings covered in Armament Haki, sshing downward.

  But again, Smoker sidestepped, two steps ahead of the attack, and Grun’s devastating strike hit nothing but air.

  He’s dodging before the attack even begins...His movements are just like Lord Katakuri’s...

  While Grun was still in shock, Smoker coated his fist in Armament Haki and punched him square in the chest.

  Grun couldn’t dodge in time. He quickly covered his chest with Haki to defend himself but was still sent flipping through the air. He fpped his wings to steady himself, gring at Smoker with disbelief.

  Damn it... I couldn’t dodge. He see the future, no doubt about it!

  Smoker stared at Grun with intense focus.

  Not enough. My attacks aren’t strong enough!

  Even his full-power punch, reinforced with Haki, hadn’t weakened Grun’s presence. Smoker felt frustrated.

  Of course, if he used his Dark-Dark Fruit, he could strip away Grun’s abilities or crush him with gravity, making the fight much easier.

  But against a master of Haki and physical bat, Smoker didn’t want to rely on his powers.

  He wanted a pure fight—fists and Haki alone.

  Grun seemed to uand Smoker’s iion, and a fiery determination ignited in his eyes.

  “Again!”

  Grun transformed into his giant e form, diving toward Smoker with his beak gleaming like metal, coated in Armament Haki.

  His long neck retracted, then shot forward like a spear aimed directly at Smoker’s chest.

  “e Spear!”

  The attack was incredibly fast.

  Even with Smoker’s ability to foresee the future, he wasn’t yet profit enough to fully avoid it.

  He eled all his Haki into his hands and grabbed the e’s beak.

  Smoker’s arms trembled as he struggled to stop the attack. Sparks flew as his hands ground against the sharp beak, produg a pierg screech.

  her side gave an inch, but slowly, the beak inched closer to Smoker’s chest.

  Smoker quickly reinforced the Haki on his chest.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  Shhkk!

  The beak pierced his chest, and warm blood trickled out.

  “Damn it! Still not enough!”

  “My Haki be stronger!”

  Smoker’s eyes turned bloodshot as he roared in frustration. The Haki c his chest spread rapidly, coating almost his entire body.

  Grun noticed and smirked mogly.

  The beak tio push forward.

  Suddenly, Smoker’s Haki shifted. It retracted, tratiirely at the wound.

  The Haki at the injury grew denser, darkening from its usual purplish-bck to a deep bck.

  Grun’s eyes narrowed.

  This guy...

  Smoker, blood dripping from his mouth and veins bulging in his arms, fshed a feral grin.

  He slowly released his grip on the beak, letting his hardened chest alohe full force of Grun’s attack.

  Grun’s face darkened, and he quickly withdrew his beak, spinning around to nd a sharp kioker’s face, sending him flying.

  Smoker slowly stood up, wiping his mouth.

  The Haki on his face had deflected the attatirely. He was unharmed.

  Grun couldn’t help but praise him.

  “You’re something else...”

  Smrinned.

  “Thanks to you...

  “When you attacked earlier, you covered your whole body with Haki, but after hitting me, only your beak retai...”

  “You didn’t withdraw your Haki. You trated it all at the tip!”

  Smoker’s eyes burned with determination.

  “So, the essence of Armament Haki... is focus!”

  Grun sneered coldly.

  “Correct. But Haki is finite.”

  “Fog it increases power but weakens defense elsewhere. Unless...”

  Smoker interrupted, pleting the thought.

  “...you anticipate your oppo’s moves with Observation Haki!”

  Smoker assumed a defeance.

  “e at me!”

  Grun narrowed his eyes and lunged like an arrow, his razor-sharp cws sshing down.

  Smoker raised his arms, blog the attack with Haki-coated hands. Sparks flew as the cws skidded across his palms but failed to break through.

  Grun fpped his wings, aiming another ssh.

  Smoker raised his arm to block again.

  Two shallow wounds appeared on his arm, but they were insignifit.

  “Hah...”

  Smoker shoved Grun back with force, exhaling heavily.

  Though the injuries were minor, the pain was real.

  Just as Grun prepared atack, the sound of a brrrring came from his chest.

  Pulling out a Den Den Mushi, it transformed into the image of a plump woman.

  “Mamamama! Grun, how’s the mission going?”

  Hearing the voice, Smoker’s expression shifted.

  “Big Mom?!”

  “Hm?” The Den Den Mushi’s face showed surprise.

  “Who’s there?! Someoually reizes me?! Grun, is there someone else with you?!”

  Grun frowned.

  “Apologies. A Marine’s been holding me up. I’ll deal with him shortly!”

  “A Marine? If they’re strong enough to dey you, they must be tough! Mamamama!”

  “No matter. Don’t waste time ohe mission is plete. Return immediately!”

  Hina put away the transponder snail after the call ended.

  Smoker stood still, deep in thought.No w MOM got wind of the pirate alliance. She pnted a spy!

  “Hey, which child of BIG MOM are you?” Smoker questioned with a sharp tone, suspi in his gaze.

  He couldn’t recall any of BIG MOM’s children being this strong. Someo this level wouldn’t just be a random member; they’d at least be a high-ranking officer or even one of the Sweet anders. Smoker’s mind raced through possibilities.Could this guy be Randolph’s mount? No way... That useless rabbit couldn’t possibly and someohis powerful.

  Interrupting his thoughts, Hina’s cold voice responded, “That has nothing to do with you.” With a fp of his wings, he took off, quickly disappearing into the sky.

  Smoker watched him leave but didn’t pursue.Knowing his background is enough for now.

  There was no point in pushing for a fight. Capturing or killing Hina would be nearly impossible alone, and even if it wasn’t, it wasn’t worth stirring up BIG MOM’s wrath. Sihe dissolution of the Rocks Pirates, she had expanded her territgressively, growing in strength through political marriages. Even the Navy, with its limited resources, avoided ht frontation with her crew.In the end, it all boils down to firepower. If we had twenty Admirals, we could scatter the ashes er and the Four Emperors alike...

  Smoker lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag, and turned back to the battlefield where Zephyr was.

  By the time he returned, Zephyr had already ed things up. Pirates were ly tied up ione s, not a single one esg.

  Smoker approached Zephyr.“Zephyr-sensei, what do you pn to do with these pirates?”

  Zephyr g the bound criminals.“The low-level ones will be sent to the prison. The more dangerous bounty heads go to Impel Down.”

  “Impel Down?” Smoker’s eyes lit up. That pce is a treasure trove.

  Impel Down, especially its sixth underground level, was infamous. Every prisohere owerhouse, a legend in their ht.An inspiration, really—each a paragon of resilience.

  Zephyr interrupted his thoughts.“What about the guy you were chasing?”

  Smoker scratched his head. “Uh... he got away. Turns out he’s a spy f MOM.”

  He quickly reted the enter.

  Zephyr nodded, unsurprised. “Pirates pnting spies is routine. Nothing unusual there. Hina... never heard of him before. Well, you were right not to provoke BIG MOM. o deal with that lunatic.”

  Smoker turned his attention to the captured pirates, his eyes gleaming.“Sensei, are you really going to send these guys to Impel Down?”

  Zephyr furrowed his brow, recalling Smoker’s earlier ideas.“You’re not thinking of handing them over to the Celestial Dragons, are you?”

  Smoker shrugged. “I mean, it could work...”

  Zephyr shook his head firmly.“I agree with your pn in principle, but these high-bounty pirates? That’s a no-go. They’re too dangerous. If one of them rebels and kills a Celestial Dragon, the Navy will be dragged into the mess.”

  “Besides,” Zephyr added, “low-level sves are enough to keep those spoiled brats eained. Handing over someone capable of ryu-o would be c disaster.”

  Smaze drifted to one particur prisoner, Crust, whose Devil Fruit powers had proven formidable.“Speaking of which... What a waste of ability on this guy.”

  Crust possessed the Smash-Smash Fruit, which greatly amplified his offensive power. Properly trained, it could rival the Tremor-Tremor Fruit in close bat. Yet here he was, subdued and bound.

  Zephyr rubbed a bruised spot on his arm and he fruit’s strong, but the user’s garbage. His future’s sealed—he’ll rot in the sixth level of Impel Down.”

  Impel Down wasn’t just a prison. For the Wover, it was more like a Devil Fruit ste facility. By keeping powerful fruit users alive, they deyed the fruits from reinating and falling into the hands of other pirates.

  Smoker pulled Zephyr aside to a quiet er.“Sensei, I’ve been thinking. The Navy doesn’t just need indepe funding—we need a special task force.”

  Zephyr raised an eyebrow.“A task force?”

  Smoker nodded.“A team unbound by the Wover’s trol. Ohat infiltrate, gather intelligence, and execute covert missions. Pirates have spies. The Wover has spies. Why don’t we?”

  Zephyr’s expression turned skeptical.“Because the Wover would never allow it. For the sake of their image, the Navy must act honorably a pirates head-on. Sacrifig soldiers is a small priaintaining that facade.”

  Smoker ched his fists.“Exactly why we his task foro code names, no records, no affiliations—just pure justice.”

  Zephyr’s eyes gleamed with approval.“You might be onto something. But as long as Kong remains Fleet Admiral, this idea is dead ier.”

  Smoker frowhen when?”

  Zephyr smirked knowingly.“Not long now. I’ll let you in on a secret—Sengoku will soon take over as Fleet Admiral.”

  Smoker’s face lit up. “Seriously?”

  Zephyr nodded. “The Navy is moving towards independence from the Wover. Sengoku’s promotion will mark a turning point.”

  Hearing this, Smoker made up his mind.“Sensei, I o tell you something big. Promise to stay calm.”

  Zephyr folded his arms.“Kid, I’ve seen it all. Try me.”

  Smoker looked around, ensuring no one was near, theended his right arm. His hand transformed into swirling darkness, revealing seven ht Devil Fruits floating ominously.

  Zephyr nearly choked on his owh.“WHAT THE HELL?! Smoker, where did you get so many Devil Fruits? Did you rob the Celestial Dragons?!”

  “Rex, Sensei.” Smrinned.“I’ve discovered a way to extract Devil Fruit powers.”

  Zephyr’s jaw dropped.“You’re serious?!”

  Smoker nodded. “These are my spoils of war. I kly what eae does.”

  His eyes flickered mischievously as he g Crust.“Sensei, ied in the Smash-Smash Fruit?”

  Zephyr’s lips curled into a grin, his eyes shining with a fiery determination.“Kong might be Fleet Admiral now, but I already see myself pung that old bastard Garp into week!”

  Void996