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Smoker stood at the harbor's edge, directing his men to treat the wounded while scanning the waves for any sign of the Hurricane Pirates.
And then he saw it.
Their pirate flag fluttering in the distance bold and unmistakable.
He couldn't be certain if the one who taunted him earlier was Aero himself, but it didn't matter. What mattered now was that his Marines needed help and Aero was still within reach.
Leaving a large unit behind to tend to the injured, Smoker dissolved into a cloud of white smoke and launched across the water.
His smoke carved a path through the sea, fish darting away in fright. Even from afar, Aero could feel the fury in Smoker's approach.
---
The Dove, now stripped of its figurehead
Aero stood on the bow, calm and resolute, waiting.
He'd known Smoker would come. It was inevitable.
Nearby, Dylan and the rest were already aboard their new steel-hulled ship, maintaining a safe distance and awaiting his return.
The Marines following Smoker by sea? Far too slow to catch up.
By the time they arrived, the clash would be over.
---
BOOM!
The Dove rocked violently.
"You're Aero the Hurricane, aren't you?!"
Smoker materialized on the deck, smoke curling from his shoulders. The tremor that shook the ship was not from supernatural forces but from the sheer presence of the enraged Marine captain.
Aero remained steady, eyes locked on the man before him.
He saw the signature Jitte Smoker's seastone-tipped weapon—slung across his back. The white overcoat, the combat boots, the confidence. This was definitely the Smoker.
"I am," Aero said simply, "Captain of the Hurricane Pirates."
He smiled faintly.
"We were just passing through. I've already let your men off easy… more than once, actually."
"I'm well aware," Smoker replied, his voice gravelly. "And if you hadn't, I would've hunted you to the ends of the sea."
The two stared at each other, neither flinching.
"So you're here to drag this out?" Aero asked, smile fading.
"No. In exchange for the mercy you showed my men, I'll overlook your crew just this once. But you, Aero… I'm taking you in."
Smoker's fury had simmered, replaced now by cold resolve.
To him, Aero was still just a kid a cocky brat who got his hands on a Logia fruit. Nothing more.
Smoker had experience. He had training. He had a weapon specifically built for fighting people like Aero.
The Jitte, tipped with seastone, could neutralize Devil Fruit powers on contact.
It was why Loguetown had remained so peaceful all these years under his watch.
---
Aero's eyes narrowed.
"I'm headed for the Grand Line with my crew. I can't afford to be caught here."
"I figured as much," Smoker replied, stepping forward. "You're stalling. Making sure they get away."
"But it doesn't matter. This ends here."
Smoker exhaled a thick plume of smoke and lunged drawing the Jitte and swinging it toward Aero's skull.
WHOOSH!
Aero swayed back just in time. The Jitte slammed into the deck with explosive force, carving a crater where Aero had just been standing.
He exhaled softly. That hit could've cracked his skull.
Smoker raised an eyebrow.
Most Devil Fruit users especially cocky ones would've taken that hit head-on, thinking they were invincible.
Not Aero.
Cautious.
Clever.
Smoker withdrew and thrust the Jitte forward again.
Aero twisted, slipping past the strike with fluid grace.
Smoker clicked his tongue and instantly turned to smoke, pulling back to reassess.
He studied Aero more carefully this time. Calm. Tactical. Not just another brash rookie.
Sliding the Jitte back into place, Smoker asked flatly:
"You knew what this weapon was, didn't you?"
"Seastone's rare," Aero replied, "but not unknown."
"Hmph. Figures."
Smoker's expression darkened.
"White Serpent."
His arm bulged, transforming into a massive serpentine column of white smoke that launched toward Aero like a coiled missile.
But Aero didn't flinch.
To most people, that attack was devastating.
To him?
Just theatrics.
He raised a single finger calmly and tapped the oncoming smoke.
With a soft whirl, the attack unraveled, scattered into harmless wisps by a sudden gust of wind.
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