"Reporting to the Fleet Admiral, urgent request for aid!" A messenger hurried into Sengoku's office.
Sengoku frowned. Had trouble broken out somewhere else again? Intelligence gathered through various channels suggested an unsettling undercurrent was brewing on the seas recently.
"Bring it up." Sengoku handed an important document he was holding to the goat by his side.
"Yes, sir."
The goat impassively chewed on the document, slowly swallowing it. The sharp-eyed messenger vaguely spotted a familiar name on it: Portgas D. Ace.
"You may leave."
"Yes, sir." The messenger's heart skipped a beat. He quickly lowered his head and hurried out of the Fleet Admiral's office.
The aid request from Loguetown was very simple, just two sentences in total: Bellamy attacking. Requesting support from Headquarters.
"Him again." Not long ago, Vice Admiral Onigumo had just submitted a report with detailed information about Bellamy. Onigumo's final summary of Bellamy had left a very deep impression on Sengoku: "He views life as nothing, a villain of extreme evil. We absolutely cannot allow him to act wantonly."
Sengoku retrieved that report from the file cabinet behind him and began to reread it. Soon, his frown deepened. Proficient in Armament and Observation Haki, master of the Six Powers, skilled in martial arts, decisive in killing, extremely rich in combat experience. And finally, an item Onigumo had specifically marked as important: the Spring-Spring Fruit.
Spring-Spring Fruit: After the user is attacked, they will begin to rapidly contract like a spring. When contracted to the extreme, defensive power increases sharply. When the spring releases, it will unleash astonishing instantaneous power. Note: He seems to be able to fly freely using the Spring-Spring Fruit's ability (unconfirmed).
"Captain Smoker is likely no match for Bellamy." However, the nearest Marine branch to Loguetown would take at least a week to reach; reinforcements would definitely not arrive in time.
The emergence of Ace, the Logia Flame-Flame Fruit user, had added much chaos to the entire world. Both the Marines and the World Government had focused a great deal of attention on this massive threat. If the Flame-Flame Fruit's abilities were developed to their limit, it would be no weaker than the three Admirals; it was another cheat-level Devil Fruit. And just at this moment, Bellamy had popped up again. A clear look of conflict appeared on Sengoku's face.
"Someone, come! Immediately reply to Captain Smoker."
"Tell him to find a way to hold the enemy back and await support from Headquarters." This order from Sengoku actually represented a kind of compromise. Loguetown was right at the entrance to the Grand Line; if the Marines didn't take the initiative to attack, it would be impossible to stop pirates there. As Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had far too many things to consider. At certain times, even he had no choice but to repeatedly compromise on minor matters.
Loguetown, Marine Garrison.
The piercing alarm bell had been ringing for half an hour. All Marine soldiers had assembled, just waiting for their commander's order to engage the attacking pirates. Smoker stood at the forefront of the ranks, delivering a pre-battle speech. Just then, Tashigi hurried over and whispered a few words in his ear.
"What did you say? Headquarters wants us to hold the enemy back and wait for support?!" What this order implied, he, a veteran Marine, understood all too well. "This means letting Bellamy enter the Grand Line!"
"Damn it!" Smoker couldn't help but clench his fists, his tone filled with unwillingness. Just let Bellamy slip away from right under his nose like this? How could he!
This pirate was different from all the others. The justice he upheld had been devalued to worthlessness by Bellamy's words. Smoker had been brooding over this ever since. "Then what is a Buster Call?" "Smoker, is this the so-called justice you keep talking about?" Smoker had never forgotten this question from Bellamy.
"I will definitely make you understand that the actions of the Celestial Dragons absolutely do not represent Marine justice!" A thread of resolve gradually ignited in Smoker's heart. "Ensign Tashigi, you will lead all soldiers and guard the garrison."
"Captain, where are you going?" His tone made Tashigi feel vaguely uneasy.
"I'm going out for a bit."
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." After reassuring his subordinate, Smoker gripped his jitte tightly and strode out of the Marine garrison.
Loguetown, being a special transportation hub, saw pirates coming and going year-round. The people living here had long grown accustomed to the frequently ringing alarm bells. Not long after the garrison's alarm sounded, all residents had consciously returned to their homes, securely bolting their doors and windows, awaiting the end of the battle. But unlike usual, a long time had passed, yet the stationed Marines had made no move. Not only was the wide street empty, but there wasn't even the slightest sound.
Not long after Bellamy and his group arrived, Loguetown seemed to have become a ghost town. Some of the older residents already felt a deep sense of unease from this atmosphere.
"Captain Smoker hasn't run into trouble, has he?"
"The Marines must win!" The civilians spontaneously began to pray for the Marines.
Meanwhile, Bellamy and his crew had reached the commercial district and were beginning to forcibly order the merchants here to supply their ship.
"You've taken the money, so do your job properly."
"I'm giving you double the price; all the supplies must be the best quality." Bellamy certainly wouldn't shortchange himself; with money, of course, he'd spend it lavishly. They still had several million Beli on them; this time, they might as well spend it all on resupplying.
"Yes, yes, yes, sir, please rest assured."
"How would we dare to deceive you? We guarantee it's all the best goods." The merchants, seeing money to be made, didn't care if they were pirates or not. They took out the goods from their warehouses and began moving them onto their ship.
The alarm here had been ringing for so long, yet there was still no sign of the Marines. It seemed Smoker had given up. "My infamous reputation finally serves some purpose." Bellamy thought Smoker was intimidated by his notoriety and didn't dare to make a move, feeling a slight sense of self-satisfaction.
Precisely at this moment, a somewhat jarring figure rapidly approached from the end of the street. He hadn't even been smug for a few seconds when Smoker actually appeared. Bellamy's expression instantly darkened. "Is he trying to slap my face?"
"Smoker!"
"Bellamy!"
Their gazes clashed across the length of the street, crackling with intensity.
"Are you here looking to die?" Bellamy's tone was filled with chilling intent. Coming here alone, without any backup? Was he tired of living?
Since Smoker had chosen to confront Bellamy alone, he had long since cast aside any concern for his own safety.
"Bellamy!"
"This time, I absolutely will not let you insult Marine justice again!"