"Yes! Treasure hunting is the top priority!" Nami took a deep breath and straightened her back, following him.
The Marine soldiers at the street corner watched the two suddenly exude a powerful aura, and they all swallowed in unison.
The leading officer pressed the communicator with trembling hands: "Re-report... the target seems to have found us..."
Smoker's low voice came from the communicator: "Since you can't hide anymore, then follow them openly! Keep your eyes on them!"
"Yes!" The officer waved his hand, and the Marine soldiers hidden in the alleys immediately lined up neatly, openly following behind Ron and Nami.
They maintained a distance of about ten meters, their firearms already loaded, and the metallic clanging sound was particularly harsh in the quiet street.
Nami glanced back, her brows slightly furrowed: "They're not planning to hide anymore?"
Ron's lips curled into a cold smile: "It seems they're planning to go at it head-on." His gaze swept over the surrounding building rooftops; several dark figures were moving quickly. "There are snipers on the rooftops too."
At the same time,
Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp, who were scattered throughout the town, also discovered the "tails" behind them.
Zoro impatiently "Tsked," his three swords trembling slightly in their sheaths.
Sanji exhaled a smoke ring, his leather heel grinding on the ground.
Usopp, on the other hand, nervously swallowed, but thinking of his newly acquired silver net bag, he straightened his back again.
A moment later,
The Marine branch discovered that all members of the Straw Hat had the same destination: Roger's execution platform!
Immediately, they changed their plan!
"All units, attention," Smoker stood in the command center, staring at the town's sand table in front of him. "The targets are moving towards the execution platform. Repeat, all targets are gathering at the execution platform."
He slammed down the communication button, "All squads immediately change routes, outflank from Zone C and Zone D, and be sure to form an encirclement at the execution platform!"
"Understood!" Responses came one after another from the communicator.
Tashigi quickly walked to Smoker's side, her Shigure already drawn: "Colonel, should we dispatch the special action team?"
Smoker took the cigar from his mouth and crushed it fiercely in the ashtray: "All personnel deployed." A cold light flashed in his eyes. "This time, I want to personally meet that mysterious Ron."
At this moment, Loguetown seemed to have transformed into a giant chessboard.
On the streets, Marine soldiers divided into several squads, taking shortcuts to rush to the execution platform; on the rooftops, snipers moved quickly, looking for the best firing positions;
Meanwhile, the members of the Straw Hat, seemingly nonchalant, were tacitly heading towards the same destination.
Usopp jogged around a street corner and suddenly bumped into Zoro, who was waiting for him. "Zoro!" He lowered his voice. "At least twenty Marines are following behind us!"
Zoro snorted coldly: "I have a dozen here too." He narrowed his eyes, looking at the towering execution platform in front of him. "It seems they plan to close the net there."
On the other side,
Sanji elegantly leaped over a low wall, landing perfectly in front of Ron and Nami.
"Yo, your couple's outfits match well, but Miss Nami is still prettier!" he teased, but his expression immediately turned serious. "The Marines have set up an ambush at the execution platform."
Ron adjusted his suit cuff, not a trace of tension on his face: "I know." He looked up in the direction of the execution platform, the sunlight making him squint slightly. "Luffy should have arrived by now."
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted in the distance.
A panicked Marine soldier's voice came through the communicator: "Report! Straw Hat has already ascended the execution platform! Repeat, Straw Hat has already—"
The communication abruptly cut off.
Smoker suddenly stood up, his white cloak fluttering behind him: "Action!"
From the buildings surrounding the execution platform, hundreds of elite Marines appeared simultaneously, armed with various weapons, completely surrounding the execution platform.
Snipers in high positions were already in place, their crosshairs firmly locked on every entrance below the platform.
At the top of the execution platform, Luffy was sitting cross-legged, his straw hat obscuring his expression. He seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him, only staring intently at the distant sea.
"Straw Hat Luffy!" Smoker's voice boomed across the entire plaza through the loudspeaker. "You are surrounded! Surrender immediately!"
Luffy finally looked up, revealing a bright smile: "Ah, you're here." He stood up and brushed the dust off his pants. "Perfect, my crewmates will be here soon."
As if to confirm his words, the figures of Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, and Ron appeared one after another from the alleys around the plaza. They stood seemingly casually, yet were all gathered precisely around the execution platform.
Smoker's pupils constricted; the other side was clearly prepared in advance!
Ron slowly walked to the front, his brand-new suit gleaming in the sunlight. He looked up, meeting Smoker's gaze, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "'White Hunter' Smoker... I've heard much about you."
The sea breeze swept across the plaza, rustling a few fallen leaves.
Smoker's brows were tightly furrowed, white smoke escaping from the corners of his mouth.
He stared coldly at Ron, his right hand already gripping the hilt of his jitte: "I don't know you, so there's no need to try and get familiar with me."
Then his voice turned as chilling as ice: "No matter what, today is your doomsday. The carefree life of a pirate ends here; spend the rest of your days regretting it slowly in the Impel Down!"
Ron, hearing this, chuckled lightly, his laughter strikingly out of place in the grim plaza.
He elegantly adjusted his suit cuff, the sunlight reflecting dazzling light off his diamond cufflinks: "Life on the sea is so wonderful..."
He looked up, his eyes sparkling like stars: "The vastness of the boundless blue, the freedom of riding the wind and waves, and countless adventures and treasures. How could we miss out on such a life?"
With that, he slightly tilted his head and looked at Usopp behind him: "Shall we go through the motions?"
Usopp immediately understood, his long nose proudly tilting upward.
He walked with an arrogant stride to the very center where the two forces were confronting each other, the silver net bag reflecting a cold light at his waist.
With his arms crossed and chin held high, he looked down at Smoker with a condescending gaze.
"Have you..." Usopp's voice suddenly became deep and magnetic, "...heard my name?"
Smoker's brows furrowed even more. He scrutinized the pretentious long-nosed man and said coldly: "No."
Usopp wasn't embarrassed at all; instead, he showed a mysterious smile:
"Since you haven't heard my name, then you must have heard my story."