22 Chapter 22

Loguetown, Marine base.

The hurried, loud footsteps of combat boots echoed through the lounge as the door to the captain's room was forcefully pushed open.

An average-built man in a Marine soldier uniform burst in, his voice tinged with excitement as he reported,

"Captain Smoker, another batch of pirates has arrived at Loguetown!"

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Indeed, Captain," the soldier affirmed, his voice tinged with urgency.

Smoker, known as the White Hunter and the last barrier of East Blue, raised his head to the soldier. Despite the palpable excitement in the air, he managed to suppress it, though it was evident that it took effort.

Smoker, renowned as the invincible man of East Blue, didn't appear to be in top form. His face bore scratches, his Marine jacket looked worn, and his waist was wrapped in bandages, blood still seeping through.

These last seven days marked a period Smoker would never forget. The entire world was thrown into disarray. The funds and resources of the Marine base were mysteriously stolen, and headquarters refused to send any aid, offering only empty promises and urging him to devise solutions alone.

Soon, nobles and kings found themselves impoverished while average citizens became wealthy overnight. Thievery became rampant, with pirates multiplying like weeds. Initially, Smoker remained unperturbed, confident in his power. However, reality soon dealt him a harsh blow. The former East Blue, once a realm of relative ignorance, saw desires intensify.

Initially, Smoker played the role of a superhero, easily quelling pirates. Yet, he wasn't the sole beneficiary of devil fruits. Soon, knowledge about the drawbacks of devil fruits spread, and Smoker was no longer invincible. People learned how to counter him, filling containers with seawater or stealing seastone chains from the Marine base. Smoker paid a heavy price.

Yet, oddly enough, Smoker found solace in encountering these pirates. To maintain order and prevent his base from being crippled, he had no choice but to plunder pirates to make ends meet.

With Seph's extraordinary luck, once his shadow ninjas set foot on an island, no matter where fortunes were hidden or who safeguarded them, be it the World Government, Revolutionary Army, Marines, Pirates, Kings, Nobles, Mafia bosses, or wealthy elites, none were spared.

In the seas, possessing wealth became tantamount to a criminal act. Marine base soldiers turned pirate, plundering citizens' money, exacerbating the turmoil. Even headquarters quivered in apprehension; the vastness of the Grand Line paled compared to the four seas, and their legions of soldiers were insufficient. They could only secure their territories and Mariejois.

Smoker rose from his chair hastily, grasping his 'Nanashaku Jitte,' as he followed the soldier toward the dock.

"By the way, where is Tashigi? I haven't seen her around."

Smoker's surprise was evident. Tashigi had been quite active these days and was usually the first to report or appear.

The soldier wore a hesitant expression.

"Tashigi-san is still engrossed in the wanted notices. She keeps giggling. Although I called her, she didn't respond and said she was busy..."

Not to mention, bounties had already lost all credibility. With no money in circulation, the Marines had nothing to offer as a reward. Even pirate hunters had ceased their activities, and everyone was becoming more optimistic about embracing a life as a sea pirate.

Smoker's expression darkened.

He, too, had seen those wanted notices, and it had sparked a deep sense of shame. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence could see that those notices were self-directed. They were so beautifully crafted that Smoker found himself tempted to become a pirate.

This incident had become a major joke in the sea. The reason? Seph's appearance was simply dazzling. Even his wanted notice stipulated that he must be captured alive. Women in the Marines protested and vowed to rescue him from the clutches of the villainous Mugiwara and lead him to the path of justice.

Some Marine girls even joked that this was an S.O.S. sent by the angel Sephiroth, asking them for help.

And because of his concept-class Luck, his wanted notice had fallen into the hands of countless beautiful women across the sea, stealing hearts from thousands of miles away.

Even the Queen of Pirates, Hancock, known for her misandry, was captivated by Seph's handsomeness. There was no need to defeat any Celestial Dragons; hearts were already on the verge of being stolen.

Though Smoker knew that Tashigi was neglecting her duties, he wasn't forceful about it. Even Gion, an alternate admiral, had been reported to be on her way to the East Blue. Besides, Tashigi was just a young maiden.

It's hard to resist; even Smoker, a formidable man, was taken aback by Sephiroth and felt a momentary urge to follow him...

On the other hand, the Mugiwara aboard the Merry soon docked in a hidden corner, precisely as calculated by Merry's navigation.

However, the usual excitement was notably absent. Even Luffy seemed a bit restless.

He glanced awkwardly at Seph and remarked, "We're not short of food. Why did we stop at this island? Let's head straight for the Grand Line..."

Ussop and Sanji nodded in agreement.

It was quite a contrast. Inside the virtual world, they were carefree and happy. Sanji had even created an Erina model to act as his teacher, along with Alice, Leonora, and Mana... He had lost all interest in the real world.

The same went for Ussop. He could weave tales to the crowds, and they would believe every word. It was intoxicating.

Zoro muttered about swords, his only true passion, but even he seemed uninterested. "I hope there's a good sword here..."

Nami furrowed her brow as she looked ahead.

Nojiko, sensing something amiss, asked in concern, "What's wrong, Nami?"

"Someone is manipulating the weather to create a storm..."

Seph also received a sign-in prompt, but this time it was a cumulative sign-in, which was quite surprising.

"Cheer up, Luffy. This town is famed as both the birthplace and the execution site of the former Pirate King Gol D. Roger, giving it the epithet 'the town of the beginning and the end...'"

Hearing such an awe-inspiring description, Luffy finally showed a little interest, but his face soon turned serious.

"What's wrong with this town? I can feel bad emotions all over. Destruction, chaos, anger, hostility..."

Seph added, "Did you finally notice? Look over there—fires burning everywhere, cries and howls, corpses strewn about... It's simply hell on earth..."

Nami's expression soured a bit. She could sense the reason behind the chaos, and it weighed heavily on her. The money was rightfully hers, and she, along with her sister and Kaya, had paid a heavy price for it. She couldn't help but feel sorry and blame the darkness within humanity.

Zoro, Luffy, Sanji, and Ussop seemed to share her concern.

Seph appeared to sense their inner turmoil. "Let's go. It would be better to rid this place of all pirates. Consider it a way to balance the scales of karma."

His words struck them as strange, and they looked at him in confusion.

Nojiko and Kaya exchanged glances, rolling their eyes at his shamelessness. Despite Seph being the root cause of the situation, they knew they had to play along. After all, he was their own man now.

The crew soon divided, each choosing a certain direction. Seph also opted for the most direct route to his sign-in destination.

He passed through the Marine base, the Gold Roger bar, the Execution platform.

Moving swiftly, sign-in prompts kept appearing as he progressed. He passed by the enamored Tashigi, the determined Smoker, and finally completed his sign-in journey standing beside Dragon, who seemed unaware of his presence.

[Sign-in successful]

[Congratulations to the host for acquiring: Atomic Manipulation]

Seeing the overpowered reward, Seph wasn't overly excited. Because such abilities could easily be conceived through his ability creation superpower or replicated using the same effects through Omnipotence. He was not short of energy to do this. However, the reward could be passed on to others, and he couldn't help but think of Robin.

With her intellect and wisdom, she would undoubtedly master this ability to the extreme. At the same time, he thought of Zoro. Because the whole world was in turmoil, all shops were either closed or destroyed.

He hadn't considered it before, but now, after getting this reward, he had already made up his mind to create an artifact-class sword for Zoro.

After putting an end to his thoughts, Seph calmly approached Dragon, who was watching the riots with evident interest.

"You seem very happy..."

Hearing a voice resound behind him, Dragon was startled. He hurriedly jumped back and floated into the sky.

Yet, after seeing Seph's appearance, Dragon breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's you? I didn't feel you approaching at all. Devil fruit? or Haki techniques to hide your presence?"

Dragon regained his overlord facade as he regarded Seph with a look befitting the younger generation. "I'm optimistic about you."

Seph pressed the matter. "You didn't answer. Such riots must be very appetizing for your Revolutionary Army."

Dragon paused, taken aback. He looked at Seph solemnly, but he couldn't discern much. He only knew that this guy was a member of his son's crew, possessed a phantom devil fruit, appeared to be a swordsman, and could conceal his presence, which was quite intriguing.

Deciding not to delve into the matter further, Dragon responded, "Well, how to say? Although the world feels full of chaos and destruction, there is a certain breath of fresh air. It's hard to describe..."

"This world is sick, and to save it without destroying it, sooner or later, I would have started a movement like this," Dragon continued. "Fortunately, there are comrades with the same thoughts. With his strategic insight, he has put the World Government in such an embarrassing state without resorting to aggression. Therefore, I admire his methods. Although people will die, this world finally shows signs of healing."

Seph looked at the philosophical Dragon and was rendered speechless.

Actually, everything was just coincidence. But he also knew that this was his luck at work. As a fortunate individual in all aspects, his kingly luck was also high. Therefore, the world was destined to set off a bloody storm to welcome him. Who made his luck more overbearing than Luffy.

Seph nodded in agreement.

"You're right. I'm afraid the next target will be the Grand Line. I can even predict that only Mariejoie will remain unharmed."

Dragon listened intently, intrigued by Seph's insights.

"Why is that?" he inquired.

Seph chuckled, considering the future carefully before responding.

"Because only Mariejoie will have apparent wealth at that time. Although now everyone is hating and scolding the so-called Shadow Lord, and even Marines are threatening to catch him, claiming a bounty of 5 billion. The four emperors of the seas are also unconvinced, but soon all these people will turn to paupers.

But as smart as that person, he would definitely leave a scapegoat. And what's more attractive than the wealth of a bunch of celestial dragons, hated existences? Since the Shadow Lord never appeared from start to finish, wealth evaporated. No one can find him, and no one can get his money back; they can only choose the next target.

Before, interest wasn't high enough to attack the holy land, but now, where people are desperate and lack food, who cares about life?"

Dragon absorbed Seph's words, contemplating the implications of the impending chaos.

"The fear and hatred accumulated by the celestial dragons and the World Government throughout the years will explode dramatically," Seph continued. "Believe me, its fireworks are destined to make this whole world burn more beautifully..."

Dragon nodded slowly, recognizing the gravity of the situation. He understood that the world was on the brink of unprecedented upheaval, driven by the forces of resentment and desperation that had simmered beneath the surface for so long.

He looked at Seph with admiration, cherishing his talents and considering inviting such a smart man to join him.

"Sephiroth, right? Why not join our Revolutionary Army?" Dragon proposed.

Seph shook his head helplessly. "If it were before, I would definitely join, but now, I'm already part of the Straw Hat crew. I can't turn back now."

Dragon remained undisturbed; instead, he admired the man even more in his heart.

As for Seph, he was truly dismissive, but he saw the Revolutionary Army as a potential chess piece for his future plans. Since he discovered that fate was leading him towards kingship, he had made numerous plans. His reason for pretending in front of Dragon wasn't to impress him, but rather to use him in the future.

Although Dragon was Luffy's father, Seph couldn't trust him. Kuma's fate served as a stark example.

Dragon rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a den-den mushi, explaining its purpose.

"This is a den-den mushi used for communication. No matter where you are in the sea, you can communicate with the other side. My number is already registered on it."

"Although you can't join, our fates are destined to be intertwined in the future," Dragon said mysteriously as his body transformed into a mini-storm, vanishing coolly into the space.

Seph caught the den-den mushi and understood Dragon's hint.

"You may be Luffy's father, but so what?" he thought. "You are destined to be cannon fodder."

He turned his gaze in another direction and couldn't help but sigh.

"Luffy and Smoker are truly destined. Even Bartolomeo appeared, and Luffy still made his awesome declaration..."

"Zoro is being pestered by Tashigi, but this time she's asking for my information and asked him to give me back to her... what a funny little guy. However, Zoro is really good-tempered. He still remains patient when it comes to the face of his senior sister..."

"Those girls are really carefree. They've even subdued a lot of pirates and raided all those closed stores. Nami is still as greedy as ever..."

"Sanji and Ussop have already returned to Merry. It seems their addiction is even more serious."

In Seph's perspective, everything was laid bare to be seen.

"There's no need to stay here anymore. Even without showing his Haki, Luffy's gauntlets can easily subdue Smoker. As expected, poor Smoker got wrecked!"

With a light shout, "Let's go back!"

Every member of the crew paused for a second, then turned towards Merry.

Zoro, who was being followed by Tashigi through the alleys, stopped abruptly and looked at Tashigi seriously.

"I'm sorry, I can't entertain your nonsense any longer. The vice-captain is calling for our return."

Tashigi tilted her head in wonder, but soon realized that Zoro had disappeared.

Her face turned red with embarrassment as she felt tricked by that damn green-haired swordsman.

"Seph-sama!! Wait for me!! I will definitely save you from these vicious pirates!!"

Nojiko, Kaya, and Nami were also taken aback.

"Let's go back... We can't keep our husband waiting," Nami said casually, causing Kaya and Nojiko to blush, but they nodded in agreement.

Nami turned back to the gangsters behind her and issued a threat.

"You guys... follow me! If any of you dare to run away, I'll break your legs!!"

The bunch of pirates nodded rapidly, their bodies trembling in fear. This woman was terrifying.

"Hiss!! Hey, hey, Anee-sama!!!"

Luffy looked at pig-head Smoker in disbelief.

"What? You're so weak, yet you talk big? I thought you were as awesome as that crazy magma guy. Is that it?!"

Feeling cheated, Luffy knocked Smoker down, disappointed by the lackluster display of power.

Bartolomeo, on the other hand, looked at the mighty Luffy with tears of worship. He was convinced that Luffy was definitely the next Pirate King!! Such an awe-inspiring aura was only possessed by a king.

Suddenly, Seph appeared in his Fallen Angel form, attracting a lot of attention.

"Luffy, let's go. There's nothing left to see here."

The crowd erupted into turmoil.

"Oh my god!! He's as handsome as his wanted poster!! No, he's even more handsome!!"

"The most handsome man in the world, certified!!"

Bartolomeo gazed at Seph with crazy worship in his eyes.

"This must be the legendary vice-captain, the most handsome man in the world, Fallen Angel, Seph-sama!!!"

Luffy smirked and nodded in agreement. Seph swiftly grabbed his collar, and with a burst of speed, they disappeared in front of the crowd in the blink of an eye.

The crowd gasped in awe at the sudden disappearance of Luffy and Seph.

"So fast!"

"These Mugiwara guys are terrifying. As expected of a 50 million bounty captain and a 40 million vice-captain!"

On the roof, in a hidden corner, Dragon's storm finally completed, as he posed mightily with lightning in the background.

"The world is about to turn upside down!"

Nami, who approached the Merry along with her sisters, looked in the direction of Dragon with displeasure. With a thought, the storm was annihilated, and the sun shone in the world.

Dragon, who was deep in the role, was taken aback. Thankfully, no one was around.

Nami nodded in satisfaction. Since she gained her weather manipulation abilities, she hated weather out of her control. Although this guy seemed as strong as those monsters in the virtual world, Nami wasn't afraid at all.

Dragon looked around in embarrassment, and soon he hurriedly ran away.

"Merry, let's set sail! To the Grand Line!"

Everyone cheered, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Although Loguetown hadn't been particularly captivating, they were certain that the Grand Line held countless adventures awaiting them.

The gangsters, finally released by Nami, sighed in relief.

"The Straw Hat Pirates are definitely the strongest!"

Nodding in agreement, the crowd was convinced. In just a few minutes, whether marines or pirates, everyone had been defeated by them. Everyone seemed to see what a true pirate should look like. Everyone seemed to make a decision: they wanted to be as awesome as the Straw Hat Pirates.

Tashigi soon found the beaten Smoker.

"Smoker-san, wake up!"

Smoker, shaken by the worried Tashigi, finally opened his eyes.

"The Straw Hats?! Where is that imp?!" Smoker's face turned red and then green as he remembered how he had been easily handled by Luffy. He almost exploded in shame.

"Damn! Follow them! Follow them! I will definitely catch him! This hatred, I will definitely repay it."

Tashigi's eyes shone.

"Smoker-san, I'll go with you..."

Smoker sighed helplessly. This little girl couldn't hide her intentions at all. Thankfully, Gion was already near the waters of Loguetown. With her as headquarters officer, they wouldn't lack funds. Smoker was determined to stalk the Straw Hats.

On the other side, a very good-looking big sister in a Marine vice-admiral outfit (Gion) stood on the warship deck, gazing at the silhouette of Loguetown.

In her hand was the wanted poster of Seph.

Her face blushed a little.

"Little guy... be patient, big sister will definitely catch you..."

"Even if you are a vicious pirate, Big Sister is determined to rehabilitate you slowly and make you an honorable Marine Admiral. Therefore, no one will stop our happiness." With a sweet smile, Gion's eyes glazed over as she delved deeper into fantasy.