30: Flames of Defiance

Smoker took a deep drag on his cigars, eyes fixed on Tony's expressionless face as the wind swept over the ship, waves crashing against the sides with a steady, echoing rhythm.

"So, you came from Cocoyasi Village… Did you kill the Marines and the captain from Branch 16?" Smoker didn't bother with subtlety, asking the young man directly. To him, Tony already reeked of a crime, and the soldiers on board were tense, prepared for a fight. Their eyes were locked on Tony, tracking his every move.

Nami's body trembled as she faced their predicament. She didn't want to drag Tony down; all of this was her fault. If it hadn't been for her, Tony wouldn't have had to kill those Marines, wouldn't have become a wanted man. To Nami, Tony wasn't just her savior. He was the first person in years to treat her as a comrade and had even saved Cocoyasi Village.

Taking a deep breath, Nami resolved herself. She stepped forward before Tony could answer, bravely admitting to the crime herself.

"…I killed them. It has nothing to do with him." Her tone was cold, unwavering. "As for those scumbags… those lowlife Marines, I don't regret what I did for a second."

Her words sent a shockwave through the soldiers on the ship. Suddenly, all eyes turned to Nami with fierce, vengeful stares. The lieutenant from Branch 16 scowled at her, clearly incensed by her insult.

"So, it was you! A mere pirate, daring to call us scum and filth? That's your excuse for murdering our captain? You'll find out soon enough that killing Marines is an unforgivable crime—we'll make sure you understand with every bit of punishment we can muster."

The rest of the soldiers growled in agreement, ignoring the accusations against their late captain. They were more than ready to dismiss any talk of his corruption or collaboration with pirates. They had their loyalty, and no pirate's words would sway them.

Tony watched the grotesque display of arrogance and self-righteousness on their faces, barely hiding his disdain. Yet, even with the soldiers yelling for revenge, only Smoker kept his attention firmly on Tony.

In Smoker's mind, there was no way Nami alone could have killed an entire team led by a Marine captain. The only logical answer was that both of them, as pirates, had worked together to carry out the attack.

But Tony paid no mind to Smoker. Instead, he turned to look at Nami, his eyes softening with a pang of tenderness. She was just a young girl, yet she had the strength to swallow her terror and stand against hundreds of Marines without flinching. And she was willing to take the blame for him, even if it meant facing execution.

Where else could he find a partner like that?

Tony stepped forward, gently pulling Nami into his embrace, his hand smoothing her short, orange hair.

"Nami, that's enough," Tony said gently. "I understand your resolve—completely. We're partners! We face everything together; don't try to carry it all alone." He gave her a warm smile. "Sometimes… it's okay to rely on me a little more, you know?"

Hearing this, Nami broke down in tears. She'd spent years among ruthless pirate crews, stealing with no one she could trust. She'd always been the one others relied on, never the other way around. But now, for the first time, she had someone she could lean on—a true comrade.

"Sorry, Tony… I got you into this mess. Now you're a wanted man because of me. Today, we'll probably end up in a Marine prison…"

Tony gave her a gentle pat on the head, reassuring her with a small smile. He didn't see it as a burden at all. Knowing himself, he would've eventually ended up a wanted man anyway; this just sped things up. As for prison… that wasn't even a possibility in his mind. Nami was simply underestimating his strength.

He then stepped in front of her protectively, facing Smoker directly.

Smoker's gaze narrowed as he sensed the calm confidence in Tony's demeanor, a readiness that set off alarms. Though this was only the East Blue, he couldn't be sure that the young man before him wasn't some formidable opponent.

"I was right—you're the one responsible for the incident in Cocoyasi Village…" Smoker declared. "Now that you've run into me, don't think you'll escape the East Blue. Surrender quietly."

As he spoke, Smoker clenched his fists, and tendrils of smoke began to waft from him, his stance radiating intensity. Clearly, this Marine wasn't like the enemies Tony had faced before.

All the Marines on board pointed their guns at Tony, certain that he and Nami had nowhere to run. They were already imagining the ways they'd make him pay for humiliating the Marines, their minds steeling with thoughts of revenge.

Tony said nothing in response. Instead, he raised a hand, and a bright flame flared to life, flickering against the wind. The sight of it left the soldiers wide-eyed and shocked.

"Is… is that… fire?"

The Marines of the East Blue, having rarely encountered Devil Fruit users, could hardly believe what they were seeing. But Smoker, a captain from Marines Headquarters, broke into a cold sweat. The moment he saw flames in Tony's hand, he realized he was facing another Logia-type Devil Fruit user, like himself.

Quickly, Smoker reached for the weapon on his back—a "Jutte" embedded with seastone, specially crafted to counter Devil Fruit abilities.

"Quite the surprise!" Smoker growled. "To think someone like you would appear in the East Blue… Fleet Admiral Sengoku's suspicions were right. You're a Logia-type, the Flame-Flame Fruit user!"

Tony chuckled, a relaxed smile on his face. "If you let us leave safely, Captain, we could even be friends," he offered. "After all, as a fellow Logia user, you know better than anyone that your men here won't be able to do much."

"Do you really think you alone can stop me? As a Marine captain, you wouldn't want any more needless casualties, right?"

Smoker's jaw clenched, veins throbbing with anger at Tony's thinly veiled threat. He barked back furiously, "Don't mock me! The Marines will never yield to your threats. As Marines, they're prepared to give their lives if needed. And I'd sooner die than befriend a pirate! You murdered our captain from Branch 16—I won't let that go!"

His words fell heavily, but the surrounding Marines shifted uncomfortably, their hearts far from as resolute as Smoker's speech suggested. The East Blue was often where lazy soldiers were stationed, and noble ideals weren't necessarily their strongest suit. Otherwise, corrupt captains wouldn't have had free rein to collude with pirates here.

These soldiers, feeling the weight of their helplessness against a Logia-type user like Smoker, knew all too well that, in this situation, they were little more than cannon fodder.

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T/N:

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