Chapter 53: Trouble in Cocoyasi Village
East Blue - Loguetown - A Small Tavern
Jingle—
The bell on the wooden door chimed. The few patrons inside looked up and immediately stiffened. Captain Smoker, the "White Hunter," had just walked in with three others.
"Captain Smoker!" The owner hurried over. "What brings you in...?"
"The usual spot," Smoker grunted, his cigars letting out a plume of smoke. He glanced at Roy and the two brats. "And two glasses of milk."
"Right away!"
"Whoa, this place is so cool!" Luffy was practically vibrating, looking around like he was at an amusement park.
Ace, however, frowned. "'Milk'? I'm 12 years old. Can't I get some booze?"
Smoker glared back. "A brat like you wants to drink? Learn to control that fire, first."
"What did you say?!" Ace's temper flared, his fists igniting.
"Alright, alright," Roy said, pushing Ace's head down as he took the drink the owner brought. "Don't tear up the place."
The owner, his face a mask of neutrality, set the drinks down, along with a massive platter of grilled beef. "On the house, Captain Smoker. For you and your guests."
(Note: Since Smoker was stationed in Loguetown, he had cracked down hard on pirates, allowing zero to escape. The locals loved him for it.)
Smoker gave a curt nod, and the owner wisely retreated.
The tavern corner fell quiet. Smoker leaned back, his voice low. "Spit it out, Roy. You don't just 'drop by' the East Blue with two walking time-bombs unless you're looking for trouble."
Roy took a sip of his drink. "Shanks's arm... what do you know?"
"Heh." Smoker sneered, his eyes sharp. "A New World Emperor... loses his arm to a measly Sea King in the East Blue? Who's going to believe that?"
He paused. "You've fought him. Do you think it's plausible?"
Roy nodded. "Forget a Sea King... a 'pet' from these waters would be lucky to get a piece of my boot, let alone my arm."
Smoker grunted, pulling a crumpled intel report from his coat. "I have my own intel, separate from HQ's."
Roy opened it. "The Kingdom of Satzl?"
"Mhm." Smoker lit another cigar. "One week before he lost his arm, the Red Force docked there. He met with a member of the royal family. In private."
"A king meeting with a pirate of Shanks's caliber... and he's still alive?" Roy mused, tapping the table. "They must have exchanged something."
"My thoughts exactly," Smoker said. "But the kingdom has since locked down all its port records."
"...This whole thing stinks," Roy said quietly. "It's not about the arm. It's about Shanks himself. What is he trying to hide?"
Just then, Luffy leaned in, his nose nearly touching the paper. "Ooh! What's this? A treasure map?"
Ace yanked him back by the collar. "Don't mess with his important papers, you idiot!"
A vein pulsed on Smoker's forehead. "Roy, can you please get these two live grenades away from me?"
"Be nice, they're just kids," Roy laughed, tucking the report away. "Thanks, old friend. This is very helpful."
Smoker snorted. "Just don't make a mess I have to clean up."
"You, talking about cleaning up messes?" Roy shot back. "I'm pretty sure Hina complains about me having to clean up your messes every time you ignore a direct order."
As they were bickering—
"BANG!"
The tavern door was thrown open, the bell clanging violently. A Marine intelligence officer, his hat askew, stumbled in, gasping.
"C-Captain Smoker! Urgent report! A distress signal from Cocoyasi Village! A pirate crew is launching a full-scale assault!"
"What?!"
Smoker shot to his feet, his chair crashing to the floor, his cigars falling from his mouth. "What pirate trash... has a death wish?!"
He grabbed his coat. "Muster the men! We move out!"
"No need to rush~"
Roy's lazy voice came from behind him. Smoker turned. Roy was still leaning back in his chair, swirling his drink, but his eyes were now sharp as ice.
"Let us go."
"You?" Smoker frowned. "This is the East Blue. We don't need HQ getting involved."
"It'll take you twenty minutes to get your ships moving," Roy said, standing up. "It'll take me two minutes to get there."
He gestured lazily toward the window. "By the time your men are on the water, I'll have already chopped up those bastards and fed them to the fish~"
"You...!" Smoker growled.
But before he could argue—
"FWOOSH!"
Ace was on his feet, his arms wreathed in blue-white fire, his eyes blazing. "Finally. Some real action."
Luffy jumped onto the table. "A fight? Are we gonna fight?! I'm gonna send those bad guys flying!"
CRASH! The owner dropped another tray of food.
Smoker looked at the two eager brats, then at Roy's "I'm doing this anyway" smirk, and finally just ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Fine! Just... don't level the entire island!"
"You got it," Roy grinned. He grabbed Ace and Luffy by their collars. "Time to go, kids! Let's take out the trash!"
"Yeah! Beat up the pirates!" Luffy yelled, punching the air.
The next second—
SHHH-VOOM!
A gust of wind tore through the tavern as the three of them vanished.
"...Where'd they go?!" the intel officer stammered.
Smoker put two fresh cigars in his mouth and lit them. "Rear Admiral Roy of HQ is handling it... The situation is under control."
He turned and walked out of the tavern. "Send a reply to the village. Tell them... those bastards won't live to see the sunset."
"Y-yes, sir!"
High in the sky, over the East Blue.
The wind roared in their ears.
"Hey! Roy! Can't you give us a warning before you—" Ace yelled, his hair whipped across his face.
"WHOOOAAAA!!" Luffy was just screaming with joy. "I'm flying! This is way better than swinging on vines! Can I do a flying kick from here?!"
Roy, holding both of them with one hand, stood in the mid-air as if it were solid ground. His eyes were cold.
In the distance, a thick plume of black smoke was rising from a coastal village.
"Cocoyasi Village," he said, his voice flat.
Below them, a ship with a shark-themed figurehead and a saw-nosed shark on its Jolly Roger was pulling up to the beach.
The Arlong Pirates.
"Arlong..." Roy's eyes narrowed. "That fish-head... the trash Jimbei got released from Impel Down when he became a Warlord. He really thinks he can do whatever he wants here."
He looked at the two boys.
"Today's battle," he said, a cold smile on his face, "is all yours."
Ace grinned, his fists burning.
Luffy was already bouncing. "Me too! I'm gonna punch that fish-man boss and turn him into fried fish!"
"Good." Roy's smile widened as the three of them shot through the sky like a meteor, diving straight for the battle.
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