Chapter 5 Rogue Town
Loguetown, the hometown of the Pirate King, witnessed both the beginning and the end of the Pirate King.
It is a town with a legendary history, and it is also the last stop in the East Blue before heading to the Grand Line.
After passing through here and then Reverse Mountain, one enters the Grand Line, which carries the dreams of pirates.
However, in recent years, after Marineford Colonel Smoker was dispatched to guard Loguetown, it became a graveyard for pirates. Countless pirates who wanted to go to the Grand Line were defeated by Smoker; some died, and some fled.
His Logia-type ability to turn into smoke, combined with his Sea Stone weapons, made him a nightmare in the hearts of pirates.
Even so, this town still gathered a large number of pirates who wanted to enter the Grand Line!
They were all waiting for Smoker to leave Loguetown, believing that such a man would not stay in the East Blue forever; sooner or later, he would depart.
At that time, they would be able to head to the Grand Line.
Every month, overconfident pirates would try to break through, but these pirates would all be defeated by the Marines led by Smoker.
The defeated pirates either fled or, if captured, were sent to the Undersea Great Prison. However, a group of them still escaped to Loguetown and went into hiding.
Over time, Loguetown also accumulated a large number of pirates.
On this day, Raine and his companions arrived in Loguetown on a Warship. They immediately went to the Marine Branch and met Smoker.
Smoker, with a thick cigar in his mouth, was sitting in a chair puffing smoke. Seeing their arrival, he became slightly more serious, "Are you the ones heading to Marineford this time? Major Mogordo-Ryan and Lieutenant Anton."
"Yes, Colonel Smoker," Anton quickly replied upon hearing Smoker's question.
"Alright, I understand. The ship to Marineford departs in a few days; you can explore Loguetown for a while," Smoker said, then pulled out another cigar, lit it, and began smoking.
Under his governance, there were almost no pirates around Loguetown. He also didn't pay much attention to Raine, who was a Major. In Marineford, Marine ranks are three levels higher than in the Branches. Even though Raine was a Major in a Branch, he would only be a Second Lieutenant in Marineford, so Smoker didn't pay much heed to him.
Raine, of course, understood these things, so he wasn't angry. After reporting to Smoker, he left.
After their departure, Smoker looked at them with a hint of appreciation. Marineford was a place where elites from all over the world gathered. Perhaps in a Branch, you might be a genius or a master, but everyone who comes to Marineford is an elite from a Branch. There are countless geniuses here. Upon arriving at Marineford, one needs to quickly adjust their mindset to adapt better.
Then, he no longer paid attention to them, continuing to puff smoke.
"Raine, are we just going to wander around like this? Don't we need to report to the Marine barracks?" Anton asked Raine, who was walking ahead, after they left Smoker's office.
"Anton, most of the pirates here have been captured by Colonel Smoker. Plus, with Smoker guarding this place, the town's residents live in peace and contentment, without worrying about pirate attacks. Let's just stroll around!" Raine said to Anton.
"Alright!" Anton said, a little unaccustomed. At the 153rd Branch, most of the Marines had to be ready to go to sea at any time to eliminate pirates. He hadn't expected such a relaxed day.
Next, he and Raine explored Loguetown. Along the way, most of the civilians saluted the two Marines.
"Raine, it's so peaceful here! How wonderful it would be if the whole sea were this calm!"
"It will be. As long as we keep eliminating pirates, such a day will come sooner or later."
At this moment, a commotion and the sound of gunshots suddenly came from afar.
"What's going on? Has Loguetown been invaded by pirates?"
"Acting so recklessly in Smoker's territory! Let's go, let's go see."
With that, Raine quickly led Anton to the chaotic area to investigate.
Upon reaching the scene, it was already in disarray. Residents were fleeing everywhere, and some people were hiding in the shadows, watching the spectacle.
"That's the Lone Wolf Pirates."
The Lone Wolf Pirates had passed through Loguetown a few days ago, intending to go to the Grand Line, but they were directly crushed by Smoker. Their Captain and most of the pirates on the ship were captured.
The remaining pirates of the Lone Wolf Pirates, who were causing the chaos this time, had hijacked a group of civilians. They demanded that Smoker release their Captain and the others, or they would kill all the captured people.
The chaos here had already attracted the Marines patrolling the town. Seeing the pirates holding civilians hostage, they immediately sent a message to Colonel Smoker.
Upon receiving the message, Smoker transformed into a wisp of smoke and instantly appeared at the scene.
"Damn pirates, release those civilians!"
"Haha! It's all your fault, you damned Marine! If it weren't for you, we would have already entered the Grand Line! Haha! If you want to save them, bring our Captain and the other crew members here, prepare a ship for us, and we will naturally release these people once we set sail. Also, you must kneel here, kneel before us, or we will kill these people immediately."
Among the civilians hijacked by the pirates were elderly people, children, and women. At this moment, the pirates were pressing their swords against their necks.
"Stop! You damned pirate scumbags! I! I!" Smoker was at a loss.
Raine stepped forward. What he hated most in his life were these kinds of pirates, who used the elderly and children as threats to coerce others.
Smoker, standing in front of the pirates, noticed someone walk out and stand to the left of the pirates. He was wearing a Marine coat and slowly drew a sword.
"Marine, do you want all these people to die?" The pirates, seeing a Marine step out and draw his sword, immediately issued a warning.
"If you dare to come closer, I will kill all these people." With that, they pressed their swords closer to the necks of the captured hostages.
"Wah!" Seeing the swords constantly approaching their necks, several captured children immediately cried out in fear.
"Hey! Marine over there, get back to your original position immediately! Pirates, don't be impulsive."
Faced with the pirates' actions, Smoker immediately became nervous, loudly telling Raine to retreat, while continuously urging the pirates to calm down.
At this moment, a calm voice reached everyone's ears.
"Ittoryu, Iai, Shunji-Zan."
In an instant, a silver light continuously appeared among the Lone Wolf Pirates.
And in another flash, all the light disappeared, leaving only the sound of the Marine who had just appeared sheathing his sword.
In the center, only the cries of a few children remained. They immediately realized that all the surrounding sounds had stopped, with only their voices being heard. They instantly shut their mouths in terror, making no sound.