50. Tom: Who said I can't use smoke?

Despite the mockery, Tom was determined not to back down!

They noticed that as Tom was smoking, his arms unexpectedly stretched out like rubber, and he charged straight at the sailor!

With a swift strike, all the marines in the front row were rendered unconscious.

Witnessing this, the marine soldiers gasped and retreated, fear and astonishment etched across their faces!

Had it not been for Smoker's icy stare, perhaps some would have fled in panic!

Faced with two formidable adversaries, what weapons do they have at their disposal?

The gun in their hand proves ineffective against Tom's incredible agility!

Close combat?

Remember, even Garp, the Marine hero, struggled a bit when confronting that ferocious beast!

Not to mention the formidable cat with unmatched fighting prowess!

Even Colonel Smoker, their strongest ally, finds himself restrained and unable to confront them effectively.

A profound sense of fear and helplessness welled up within me.

Smoker also appeared to recognize the marine's unease and shouted, "Are you allowing mere pirates to instill such fear in you? Don't forget what stands behind you!"

As soon as the words were spoken, all the sailors were struck with realization.

Indeed!

Behind them lies justice and the duty to shield civilians from harm!

In an instant!

Inspired by Smoker's wisdom, the fighting spirit of all the marines ignited like a wildfire!

Witnessing the surge in the sailors' resolve, Smoker wasted no time in words. He gripped his weapon tightly and let out a cold snort.

"Soru!" (Shave!)

They caught a glimpse of a blur of white darting past the sailors' view.

Before they could react, Smoker had already positioned himself to Tom's right!

In the moment Smoker was about to strike Tom unconscious with his weapon!

Spike swiftly reacted, positioning its massive body in front of Tom.

It absorbed Smoker's powerful blow without hesitation!

"Tom, I'm the only one allowed to pick on you!"

Spike's icy words dripped with unparalleled dominance!

Before Smoker could fully recover his senses,

He witnessed Spike driving its elbow into Smoker's face while seizing control of Smoker's weapon!

"Boom!"

The deafening crash of the building's collapse sent tremors through the hearts of all the sailors.

However, despite Smoker's defeat this time, there was no hint of fear in their eyes!

Only a steadfast resolve to face death head-on!

Just as Al was preparing to swiftly conclude the battle, he suddenly seemed to catch sight of something amidst the crowd.

Leaving only a cryptic sentence for Tom and the others to decipher on their own, they hastily departed from the battlefield.

The marines exchanged bewildered glances for a moment before realization dawned on them. They swiftly raised their weapons and lifted their voices in unison:

"Colonel Smoker, the guy with the seastone has fled! Seize these two monsters!"

Without hesitation,

Smoker swiftly engulfed his body in smoke, employing the technique Spike had previously used to restrain them.

"White Blow"!

Thick white mist surged forth towards Spike like an advancing tide.

In the blink of an eye, a massive circular barrier enveloped them!

A hint of fear crept onto Spike's face as he gazed at Tom, whose body resembled a balloon. He exclaimed urgently,

"What in the world are you doing?"

"If you don't act fast, we'll be ensnared by this cursed smoke once more!"

Tom took a deep breath, and the five cigars clenched between his teeth visibly shortened in a rapid blur before extinguishing.

And Tom's body continued to swell, eventually transforming into a colossal spherical balloon!

"What on earth are you up to..."

Before Spike could finish his sentence, Tom released his hand from covering his mouth, and a towering column of white smoke erupted into the sky!

Caught off guard, Spike was swept into the sky by the billowing smoke column!

However, what was truly astonishing was that Spike didn't plummet from the smoke; instead, he stood firmly atop the swirling column of smoke!

And this immense column of smoke showed no signs of dispersing; it resembled a solid pillar of smoke stretching towards the sky!

However, if one were to lightly touch the smoke column with their hand, it felt like passing through regular gaseous smoke, permeable and intangible.

Thus, when the marine soldiers caught sight of the towering smoke column, they believed the battle had concluded!

But at that very moment,

An incredibly mystical "aha" sound resonated from within the smoke ring.

Without delay, a figure dressed in blue and white materialized before everyone's eyes!

"Why can that cat move within the smoke?"

Wide-eyed astonishment swept across the onlookers at the sight!

They were incredulous, watching Tom effortlessly traverse the vast smoke column!

It's worth noting that this smoke column stood upright, perpendicular to the ground!

Smoker's upper body twisted around. Despite his outward calm demeanor, his heart churned with turbulent waves!

The sight before him defied all comprehension!

Just as Tom was on the brink of reaching the pinnacle, he abruptly halted, extending his claws into the smoke column and extracting a mace crafted from smoke.

With a confident grin, he bellowed like a savage on a rampage, hurtling fiercely towards Smoker!

A flicker of fear flashed in Smoker's astonished eyes, and then he swiftly seized his weapon, charging headlong towards Tom!

"Bang!"

The sharp clang of metal echoed through the air.

In mid-air, the cat and the man engaged in a fierce battle!

Down below,

As the sailors witnessed this spectacle, the fighting spirit they had just kindled was swiftly corroded by fear and shock!

"That's impossible! How does that cat possess the same abilities as Colonel Smoker?"

"What kind of monster is this?"

....

In an instant, all the Marines, their minds consumed by fear, dropped their weapons and scattered in all directions.

But that's just a fraction of the story.

Most of the marines remained rooted in place, a glimmer of determination flickering in their steadfast eyes!

Even in the face of death, they refused to yield an inch!

However, what went unnoticed was a certain marine, consumed by fear, sneaking away in an attempt to escape.

Suddenly, he found himself ensnared in a massive sack, swiftly whisked away into a dark alley.

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