Chapter 8. Smoker got smoked

Both Ace and Nami turned to look behind them as they saw the marine pointing in their direction.

"I don't see anyone behind us?" Ace said confused.

"Maybe they ran away?" Nami wondered.

"You two, stay where you are!" The marine shouted as he aimed his weapon at them threatingly.

"HUH? You mean us?" Ace asked surprised.

"WHO ELSE BASTARD!" The marine shouted as they all surrounded them.

"To think that you would find out that I'm a pirate this fast, I'm impressed." Ace said with a grin, except for the Arlong pirates, he hadn't done anything else so far, but even that wasn't enough to find out that he was a pirate. The marines were indeed capable.

"Captain Smoker, we've found them at the shore." One marine spoke into the den den mushi he had.

Ace looked around.

'Since they've found out I'm a pirate, I might as well leave and cause more chaos... after all, there is no one who is my match in the part of the sea's' Ace thought.

Suddenly, a powerful force of will erupted from Ace, making all at the shore pass out.

"W-W-WHAT happened?" Nami asked, afraid. She recognized this power from when Ace defeated the Arlong pirates but she didn't understand how.

"Let's go." Ace said.

They both walked near the water before the black pearl on Ace's ring fell into the sea before rising from the sea as a ship.

Just as they were about to board the ship, smoke started to fill the shore.

Looking back, Ace found that the captain of this branch had arrived.

"Nami, get on, I'll be there soon" Ace said as he turned back to face the marine.

"So you really are a pirate." Smoker said as he saw the flag on Ace's ship, and how all the marines laid unconscious. He didn't take the words of a restaurant owner as truth, but he did start to investigate.

Ace simply smiled.

"What's your name brat." Smoker asked as he readied his weapon, a jitte.

"Flame emperor Ace, captain of the flaming pirates!" Ace said, hoping to gain that nickname.

"Ace huh..." Smoker said as he walked towards the young pirate.

Smoke had filled the whole area, and behind Ace, the smoke started to rise like snakes.

Just as Smoker was going to use his devil fruit abilities to catch Ace by surprise, Ace kicked back as if he had eyes on his neck.

From the kick flew a trail of flames, not strong, but strong enough to stop Smoker's attack.

The smoke snakes behind him dispersed as they met the fire.

"Huh, you're a devil fruit user as well?" Smoker said in surprise. Looking at Ace, he tried to figure out what devil fruit the young pirate had eaten.

Smoker started attacking Ace with his smoke to figure out how strong Ace was and what abilities he had.

Ace didn't move and mirrored Smoker's attacks with his own flames.

'Is it the paracemia ability of controlling and creating flames or is it... logia...' Smoker wondered, hoping it wasn't the latter since logia abilities are one of the strongest in the seas, especially an offensive one such as fire.

The smoke had filled the area and a normal person wouldn't be able to see. But to Ace, this was nothing as he could perceive with his Haki.

Then smoker turned into Smoke and appeared behind Ace to hit him with his jitte, which had a sea-stone on it that could stop any devil fruit users.

Ace simply hit backwards with his arm bow.

Smoker saw the arm bow coming but he didn't care as he was made of smoke, yet what happened then surprised him. Ace hit Smoker right in the face making smoker bleed from his nose. Smoker fell to the ground.

'Haki, He knows it?' Smoker realised how big of a threat Ace really was.

Smoker hurriedly got on his feet.

"Too late." Ace said as he saw the realisation on Smokers face.

Ace's fist turned black as he punched Smoker in the gut so hard that he fell to his knees, holding his stomach.

"If you want to catch me, a sea stone isn't enough, learn Haki and then come after me." Ace said as he walked past Smoker.

'So he is a logia huh,' Smoker realised from Ace's words.

The smoke started to dissipate, and by the time Smoker had come to his senses, The black pearl had already sailed far.

Smoker stood up and looked at the unconscious marines with a frown, before turning and walking back to his marine base. When he had arrived at his office, he instantly called the marine headquarters.

"This better be important." The den den mushi said as it connected to the headcarters.

"Captain Smoker from Lougetown. I want to put a bounty on a new pirate." Smoker said.

"Give me the information" The one in the dial said.

"No, this one is different, I need to speak with the fleet admiral." Smoker said. The one on the other line didn't say anything, instead he hurried towards Sengoku's office.

Only important matters would go directly to the fleet admiral and marines wouldn't dare to ask for him lest they had important matters.

"Captain Smoker? What happened?" Sengoku asked.

"Fleet admiral, a new rookie pirate came to lounge town..." Smoker said.

"..." Sengoku didn't say anything as he knew that there was more to the story.

"He already know Haki and deafeated me in one punch."

"I see, anything else."

"He ate a fire logia fruit." Smoker revealed.

"WHAT?! it's good that you reported this. It's a sensitive matter after all." Sengoku said as he frowned. Logia ability users were dangerous and always became noteworthy.

"Sir I didn't see it with my own eyes but..." Smoker started but didn't dare to say it.

"What is it." Sengoku said, feeling a headache coming.

"When I arrived at the shore, all the marines had passed out, without any physical harm..." Smoker said, he didn't dare to say it since he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

"So he has the conqueror's Haki huh, it's good that you called indeed, sigh, his name?" Sengoku was glad that he had gotten the report directly, it seems like a new pirate with dangerous potential had started sailing.

"His name is Ace." Smoker said, but his thoughts had drifted elsewhere. Truthfully, he felt annoyed that he couldn't catch Ace before had the time to grow into something uncatchable.

Smoker felt like he had failed to become the unbreachable wall that stops pirates from sailing to the grandline... All because he is too weak.

"I see, thank you for your report, you will receive a reward." Sengoku said as he started preparing to catch this rookie.

"Sir I do have something I wish to ask for." Smoker said...