Chapter 17

Kisame and Smoker were at a stand off,the two were evenly matched in their fighting ability. 

Smoker's devil fruit ability made it hard for Kisame to hit him and Hoshigaki justu made it hard to defend against.

When it came to physical strength the two were monsters, despite Kisame having a smaller advantage.

"Why are you trying to protect the Straw Hat?" The White Hunter asked. The pale blue skinned man had proved to be a tough enemy for him. His breathing was fairly unstable.

"I see no connection between the two of you."

Kisame maintained his sadistic grin, "That's right... but he is Ace's little brother you see."

Smoker was slightly puzzled by this piece of news, he couldn't have never expected it, but his his resolve to capture Straw Hat never changes.

"Then are you and Ace connected?"

"Not even in the slightest." Kisame's round eyes turned sharp and rushed over to cut the Marine Captain in half.

'Tsk, his Devil fruit ability is annoying, samehada can't cut through him... Even so, I am gaining a little bit of chakra as this fight prolongs.'

Kisame was never a fun of long fights, he prefers to end all his match's quickly before his enemy gets a hang of his abilities. He is only making this fight last long because he is gaining back 0.02% of his chakra from slicing Smoker.

On the other hand the White Hunter was now starting to feel the effects of being cut in half by samehada, 'That sword is weakening my body... If I keep this long I might lose both Staw Hat and my life.'

Smoker physical condition was slowly weakening and he could feel something was wrong with how his ability was reacting, he suddenly became slower.

'That sword must weaken Devil fruits.' That's the conclusion he put out and was now planning to finish things with Kisame.

The White Hunter turned his whole body into smoke, planning to suffocate and strangle his opponent, but that just made samehada's tongue dance in joy, as it gathered more chakra than before.

Smoker swung his Nanashaku jittle behind Kisame trying to catch him off guard, but he was a second slower. Hoshikagi was able to hit his chest that hadn't transformed into smoke.

"Oh, it seems your chest is made out of stone." Kisame smirked towards Smoker who was thrown a few meters back and was was now bleeding from the scar of his chest.

He licked the blood that had fallen over to his cheek, "What does it feel like to be hunted... White Hunter?"

'Damn it! At this rate Straw Hat might really get away.' Smoker would benefit almost nothing from bringing over Kisame who had no bounty on his head.

"What are you think so deeply about?!" Kisame brought down same had a fiercely and swiftly towards the White Hunter's head, "Thinking is only for the strong!"

"Tsk."

Clicking his tongue out of frustration Smoker turned into smoke and fled away from the scene. The buildings around them had already fallen to the ground.

Kisame stored back same had a on his back, "It seems the White Hunter is quite good on his feet."

...

A few minutes earlier, Tashigi and the other Marines who were rushing over to assist their captain, had ran into Itachi who was sitting in an in facing the streat of Alabasta.

'The Hidden Sand Village looks far better than this Kingdom.'

The Hidden Sand Village was a desert, but its people were united, but just from a glance one could tell that the people of Alabasta were separated.

"State your purpose!" Tashigi had pointed her sword at Itachi's neck from behind, an inch away from stabbing him.

The other Marines had pointed their guns in front of him, generally the Uchiha was quite intrigued by the weapon he was seeing for the first time.

'So those are guns...'

He couldn't judge the weapons abilities from only seeing it, he needs to see them in action first. 

"Say something, you!" Tashigi was greatly bothered by the man's silence, he seemed to be looking down on her because she is a woman.

"Before you said your name was Itachi Uchiha an aspiring Emperor, right?" Unlike her boss who was mentally obsessed by The Straw Hat Pirates, Tashigi was more aware of the people she considered a threat.

"That's correct."

Finally getting an answer she decided to ask again, "What is your business here?!"

Itachi looked at the cup in front of him, it had a silver surface and he activated his sharingan, before it was reflected back at Tashigi.

"!"

Tashigi was caught in a genjustu and dropped her katana to the ground as she was unable to move. On the other hand the Marines were startled, they wouldn't start attacking or the Vice Captain would be caught in the cross fire.

Itachi stood up from his seat and started to walk in the direction of the shore, but the moment he reached the street the Marines attacked.

Pa-! Pa-! Pa-! 

Countless bullets were shot towards Itachi and everyone one of them was sure it was a clear hit, before something happened.

Poof–!

Itachi's clone died, but since they didn't no it was more like he vanished into thin air instead.

"Where did he go?"

"He was standing in front of us a minute ago..."

Even logia type Devil fruits users have to turn into something before vanishing. He couldn't have possibly turn into wind, as that frut is in the stomach of Dragon of the revolutionary army.

The White Hunter arrived at the scene and Marine A rushed over to him, "Captain Smoker! Something has happened to Sergeant Major Tashigi!"

"What?!" Smoker who was still bleeding on the chest was greatly startled inwardly not on his face. Tashigi wasn't someone reckless enough to get caught, "Tell me what happened?"

Marine B answers, "It was that man Itachi. She was talking to him when she suddenly stopped moving. We attacked him but he suddenly disappeared, like was never here."

Smoker turned over to Tashigi who was standing like a log with wide open eyes.

'Itachi and Kisame what are they planning to do here? Should I inform HQ about them?'