Fighting Smoker

At the present time, I had gathered Sanji and Zoro together with me to head back to the Thunder Phoenix. Nami and Noelle had predicted the storm earlier and were back on the ship already.

'Hum… Looks like I have no choice but to encounter Smoker on the way. Now… how do I deal with him,' I pondered with a slight frown on my face.

"Roronoa Zoro!"

In the background of the street, a woman with dark brown eyes, chin-length black hair with black, rectangular glasses attached to the head appeared. She was Tashigi, a Marine Master Chief Petty Officer.

"Ah♥'

Sanji ogled at Tashigi with thoughts that may not have been so pure.

Even I couldn't help but think that I'd totally like to do something with her in those glasses…

"To think you were Zoro! A pirate at that too! You were just toying with me weren't you. I'm going to take back that sword Wadou Ichimonji."

Tashigi unsheathed her sword and blockaded the street in front on us. Her emotions were riling, as she stared at Zoro with his new swords.

"Just get out of the way woman and no one gets hurt…"

Zoro said, trying to avoid any confrontation with Tashigi. She had an uncanny resemblance to Kuina, his dead childhood rival.

Sanji glared at Zoro and sent a flying kick towards him. "You Bastard! What did you do to that lady!?

Bonk… Zoro blocked Sanji's kick with his sheathed sword, and he said, "This has nothing to do with you, weird eyebrows!"

Tashigi pinched her lips at the scene and said,

"So, you two aren't even willing to fight me because I'm a woman? You dare go easy on me! How shameful!?"

Just before Tashigi charged at the duo, I teleported right in front of Tashigi and grabbed her by the neck.

Tashigi's face paled, and she tried to swing her sword mid-air at my body; however, her swings just went through my Logia-body type without any success.

"If you think they're being too misogynistic… I don't mind helping you along the way… Mwah ha ha."

I sneered at Tashigi and… Buzzz… prepared an electrical discharge to knock her out.

"Stop, Cross! I can deal with her… You guys run ahead!"

Zoro ran up to me and requested with a stern face.

"Okay Zoro… You can have your girlfriend. I can respect the bro-code from time to time."

I put down Tashigi whose entire body was trembling from looking at the lightning squirming from my right hand.

I grabbed Sanji, who wanted to further prevent Zoro from confronting her, and ran towards our ship

**

Meanwhile, Lucy was running back to her ship with Alvida at her side. Soon a Marine Captain stood in the way of Lucy for a fight.

The Marine Captain was a tall and slim woman with straight, waist-length pink hair. She had dark brown eyes and wore a burgundy-purple two-piece suite and a red lipstick. This was the "Black Cage" Hina, the owner of the Cage-Cage Fruit.

"What's going on here… so many pirates here. Hina disappointed."

Hina walked towards Lucy and took a drag of her cigarette.

"Who are you? Well, I don't have any more time to waste on you."

Lucy ignored Hina and kept running straight.

"I won't let you run away! Awase Baori…!"

A fence-like cage of bars sprouted from Hina's arms and surrounded the area. Then, she yelled, "Everything that passes through my body's locked tight!"

"What is this…!"

Alvida's face distorted and she prepared her Iron Mace.

Soon the fence-like cage immediately closed in on Alvida and Lucy with high speed… Alvida was unable to dodge it, but the cage slipped past her body and was unable to bind it.

Clang…. Unfortunately for Lucy, her leg was stuck from the attack at the end moment.

Before anyone could even react to the situation, a man with a long hooded green cloak grabbed Hina's arm, forcing her cage to recede.

Hina frowned at being surprised attack and said, "You are…?"

A few moments later, Hina's eyes froze when she got a got closer look at the man's face.

"The entire government is after your head, why're you here…? Hina shocked"

Woosh… Soon a huge gust of wind drove Lucy and Alvida away from the scene and towards the ship. With the luck of a devil, they were able to escape at the nick of time with the Going Merry…

The man watched the Straw-Hats leave with an enigmatic smile on his face. "A pirate huh? That's fine, too… If that is your desire and freedom you choose…!

Next, the man turned his head to look at the haphazard lightning in the distance.

"Hum… but what destiny is sprouting over there…?

**

Some distance away from me was the Thunder Phoenix; however, there was an annoying man in front of me that was capable of preventing the ship to leave by himself. He was Smoker, the Marine Captain who could turn his body into smoke.

I'd asked Sanji to take a slight detour and wait for me at the ship, since he was completely incapable of even holding Smoker back.

Currently, I faced Smoker with a heavy frown on my face. We were both flying high up in the air, using our devil-fruit powers to stay afloat. I pointed my finger towards him…

60 Million Volt Electrical Discharge…! I released electrical energy towards Smoker's smoke body. Zap… The electrical energy passed through his body and struck elsewhere in the distance…

"Are you an idiot or something… We've already seen that our powers are incapable of touching each other. It's surprising to see a Logia-type like me here though…"

Smoker used the move White Launcher and launched himself at me like a rocket with his smoke body. Swish… He swung his Seastone tipped weapon at me with his full speed

"Hmph, It's not like you're doing much better Smoker…"

Woosh… I easily travelled at Lightning speed to dodge Smoker's attack and teleported some distance away from him.

Luckily for me, my Mantra was leagues beyond anyone at almost an omniscient level. Smoker's intent to harm me was so clear as crystal to me that I had ample time to simply dodge or prepare myself to move at lightning speed.

I curled my lips at Smoker and said, "You're too slow Smoker. Just give up your futile attempts already…"

Smoker's expression became graver, and he charged at me once again with his weapon.

I sighed and took out my trident to continue my battle with Smoker.