"Oh! Giyu! What are you doing here too!"
Luffy spotted Giyu the moment he emerged from a nearby street, waving his arm frantically in greeting as if he hadn't just been running for his life from Smoker.
Giyu merely gave a slight nod in response, his gaze immediately shifting to the bare-chested man wearing a cowboy hat.
Ace had also noticed Giyu. Watching the two greet each other, he flashed a bright smile and raised his hand in greeting. "Yo, is this someone you know, Luffy?"
Luffy immediately placed his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and wore an expression of immense pride.
"That's right! I've formed my own Pirate Crew now!! He's my crewmate!! And he's really strong!"
"Oh~"
Ace let out a light chuckle, studying Giyu with keen interest.
But only for a moment. Then he dropped his playful demeanor and bowed formally toward Giyu.
"Thank you for looking after my little brother." His tone was sincere.
Giyu froze.
Little brother?
This composed man before him was Luffy's... older brother?
How could they be so different...
Faced with such sudden formality, Giyu's limited social experience could only retrieve one appropriate response: return the politeness.
Feeling somewhat flustered, he instinctively bowed as well while extending his hand.
"Well... I should be the one..."
He mumbled the response, unsure what should follow those words.
Seeing Giyu bow in return, Ace was momentarily taken aback before bursting into genuine laughter, his smile more sincere than before.
Straightening up, he stepped forward and briefly shook Giyu's hand.
"Your crewmate is quite interesting, Luffy," he said to Luffy with a laugh.
However, the peaceful atmosphere created by the brothers' reunion didn't last long.
"Do you think I'm not here!!! Still playing pirate games!!!"
The Fire Wall had gradually weakened and dissipated due to Ace's distraction, revealing Smoker behind it with a face like he'd eaten something foul.
He roared, his right arm instantly undergoing Elementalization and transforming into a massive white Smoke Fist that scooped up sand and dust from the ground before shooting violently toward Luffy and Ace!
"Water Breathing · Form Four · Striking Tide!"
Facing the incoming Smoke Fist, Giyu drew his Nichirin Blade, activated Water Breathing, and compressed the air in his lungs to its limit.
The path his blade traced resembled surging tides, his movements swift and fierce, unleashing slashes like violent, explosive waves.
The sharp slashes cut into the Smoke Fist, directly disrupting and scattering the condensed smoke, causing it to lose its original form and impact force.
Smoker's assault immediately halted. He stared intently at Giyu, gritting his teeth. "You again..."
The Marines behind him erupted in waves of astonishment.
"Who is that guy?"
"He actually... cut through Colonel Smoker's smoke?!"
"You weren't there before! He did the same thing back in Loguetown! Colonel Smoker chased him all the way into the Grand Line!"
Watching Giyu's back as he sheathed his sword and stood firm, a flicker of genuine surprise passed through Ace's eyes before transforming into deeper interest and appreciation.
He clapped his hands and laughed. "Your crewmate really is strong."
However, he took a step forward, gently extending his hand to stop Giyu, a composed smile on his face.
"Thanks, bro, but this time."
He turned to look at Smoker, his gaze sharpening as the corners of his mouth lifted, "Let your older brother put on a show."
Ace waved at Luffy: "Luffy, take your friends and go ahead. I'll catch up soon."
"Got it!"
Luffy had absolute faith in Ace's strength. Without hesitation, he responded, his Rubber Arm instantly stretching out to grab Giyu, who had just sheathed his sword and was still processing the situation.
"Giyu! Let's go, let's go! He's really strong, trust him!"
Before the words fully faded, Luffy was already sprinting backward.
Giyu only felt a tremendous pulling force on his shoulder, his entire body lifting off the ground instantly. Like a ragdoll being dragged by a child, he flew uncontrollably alongside Luffy.
The wind whistled past his ears as buildings on both sides blurred into rapid backward streaks.
Stiffly dragged by Luffy, Giyu moved at high speed through the streets. He could even feel his tied black hair whipping wildly in the wind.
So this... is Luffy on a full stomach...
Giyu stared expressionlessly at the ground whipping past beneath him, his mind struggling to settle.
So much energy...
Behind them, Ace's clear, powerful voice echoed once more from the distance:
"Give it up, Smoker. You're smoke, I'm fire—you can't beat me."
"Fire Wall!!"
An even more intense Wall of Flames erupted skyward, completely cutting off the pursuers from view.
But Luffy showed no intention of slowing down whatsoever. Dragging a full-grown man behind him didn't hinder his weaving through the crowded streets in the slightest.
..................
He kept running like this until—
"What the—!"
Thud!
With a dull impact and a familiar voice, Luffy's face collided squarely with a solid wall.
Giyu, who was being dragged behind, stumbled from the sudden stop but managed to keep his footing thanks to his stable stance.
Rubbing his sore nose, Luffy looked up and immediately broke into a wide grin: "Ah! Zoro! Sanji! Nami! I knew it was your scent!"
Zoro was sprawled on the ground clutching his head—Luffy had crashed into the wall Zoro was leaning against, sending the swordsman face-first into the dust.
Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Vivi were all standing nearby.
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Moss Head!! How'd you end up on the ground!!"
Nami sighed in relief upon seeing Luffy's sudden appearance and the slightly disheveled Giyu behind him: "Luffy! You actually didn't cause any trouble? It's a miracle!"
"And you two actually met up."
Luffy immediately puffed his cheeks like a wronged child: "How could I cause trouble?! I just went to eat!"
He completely overlooked being chased through the streets by Smoker and Giyu blocking for him.
Giyu silently straightened his wind-tousled haori and hair, observing the noisy group before him.
"Earlier, I met Luffy's brother."
Still smiling, Sanji dropped his cigarette in surprise and said, "To think we'd meet here? What kind of person is Luffy's brother?"
Giyu recalled his recent encounter with Ace, then thought of Luffy's usual demeanor. "Completely different from Luffy..."
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!