On the battlefield.
Smoker, known as the "White Hunter," had two cigars clamped between his teeth.
Wielding his uniquely shaped weapon, he cut down pirate after pirate. But just then, a sudden chill crawled up his spine, a gut-deep instinct screaming of danger.
No time to turn around.
Without hesitation, Smoker activated his Smoke-Smoke Fruit. His tall, muscular body dissolved into thick white smoke.
The very next second, a figure tore through him, blasting a massive hole in his smoke-formed body.
"A pirate?"
Hovering above, Smoker narrowed his eyes at the disheveled young man standing before him. His mind flashed through countless wanted posters, but none matched the face in front of him.
"Some new Devil Fruit user, maybe?"
Smoker frowned. Even if the guy had eaten a fruit, the sheer power behind that punch was terrifying. If he hadn't reacted fast enough, his head might've gone flying.
"Look! That pirate's charging straight at the White Hunter!"
From afar, several Marines stared at Vincent Fox, tracking his every move with suspicion and caution.
His face was unfamiliar. Without intel, they couldn't properly assess his threat level or formulate a countermeasure.
"Is this guy nuts? Sure, Smoker isn't an admiral, but his weapon is Seastone-tipped!"
"That punk's just strong. But Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit totally counters him. After what he did to our comrades, Smoker's gonna wreck him!"
Meanwhile, up in the command post, Fleet Admiral Sengoku took note of the shift on the battlefield.
"Him again? That no-name pirate gave up attacking Borsalino with those 170 pirates... to go after Smoker?"
Sengoku's brows twitched, but his face remained calm.
Even with decades of experience, he couldn't immediately grasp the young pirate's intent.
"This whole raid... it's too calculated. Not only did they slip past our outer defenses, now a hidden ace shows up. Looks like Whitebeard's been preparing for this war longer than we thought. They're even willing to throw new Devil Fruits into the mix."
On the admiral's podium, only one remained seated: Sakazuki, the Red Dog.
Akainu sat quietly, eyes locked on Vincent, who now faced off with Smoker.
A flicker of interest flashed in his gaze.
Then a cold sneer curved his lips.
"No matter how strong you are, my power would crush you completely. But…"
He shifted his eyes to the distant Moby Dick.
On the deck, the towering figure of Whitebeard stood motionless, unmoved by the chaos engulfing the battlefield.
"My real opponent isn't some nameless upstart…"
On the field, Smoker wasted no time. After confirming Vincent's face wasn't on any bounty poster, he made his move.
Two massive smoke-formed arms lunged toward Vincent with frightening speed.
But Vincent didn't flinch. There was no warning from his instinct.
No danger.
Smoker was strong. One of the most formidable among the Marines.
But today, he was facing Vincent Fox. A man who could trade blows with admirals.
This fight? Smoker was doomed to lose.
Vincent didn't dodge. He let the smoke bind him.
"You've got guts, kid. Too bad they won't help you."
Smoker's face emerged from the swirling smoke, his cigars hissing with smoke, his breath heavy with exertion and irritation.
"I was waiting for you, Smoke Man."
That innocent smile on Vincent's face made Smoker pause. A familiar image flickered in his mind someone wearing a straw hat…
Before the thought could form, Vincent flexed.
With a grunt, his arms tore through the smoke restraint like wet paper.
The smoke scattered.
Smoker's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What strength… Did you eat the Strength-Strength Fruit?"
Vincent just grinned. "Guess again."
He threw a punch that dispersed the smoke swirling around Smoker.
Smoker recoiled, then chuckled.
"So, you've got no Haki, huh? Physical attacks won't work on me."
From his body, a tendril of smoke reached behind him and pulled his weapon into his hand.
The Seastone-tipped jitte.
Forged entirely from Seastone, known as the crystal of the sea, it was the bane of all Devil Fruit users.
Smoker spun the heavy weapon with practiced ease. Its speed was blinding for something so weighty.
He lunged for Vincent's throat, aiming to end it in one strike.
But Vincent didn't move.
His right fist pulled back, tension building in his waist.
Then, with a thunderous roar, he struck.
BOOM!
The sound of Vincent's fist clashing with the Seastone weapon echoed across the field.
"What?"
Smoker's eyes widened as the impact didn't faze Vincent at all.
That strength wasn't from a Devil Fruit…
It was purely physical.
"What the hell… What kind of monster is this guy?!"
Involuntarily, Smoker's mind conjured the image of another man. A giant with iron fists who once stood against the Rocks Pirates—Navy Hero Garp.
He shook his head. There was no way this raggedy no-name pirate was comparable to Garp.
He tightened his grip on the jitte.
Smoke powers wouldn't work. He'd have to rely on this.
"Die!"
Smoker roared, swinging the Seastone weapon with brutal force.
Vincent was ready.
"Enough playing."
His playful expression vanished. In one swift motion, he sidestepped and deflected the strike with a palm to the shaft.
Then, his right fist rocketed toward Smoker's face.
"Physical attacks don't work on me. You're wasting your time…"
Smoker smirked, confident in his smoke form.
But in the next instant, his body scattered into vapor.
CLANG!
The Seastone weapon dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.
"You…"
Smoker's form was still reforming, taking precious seconds to reconstitute.
"Drop it."
Before his eyes could fully form, Vincent bent down, picked up the Seastone jitte, gave it a little wipe…
Then slung it over his back like a trophy.
Smoker's furious howl echoed across the battlefield.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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