The wind and rain at the execution platform square in Loguetown intensified, and the entire square fell into silence except for the sound of rain.
Luffy, standing on the execution platform, raised his hands and declared loudly, "I'm the man who's going to be King of the Pirates! How could I die here!"
His voice was exceptionally clear amidst the storm.
However, the next moment, a cloud of white smoke rapidly swept in from a distance, approaching the execution platform with a sense of oppression.
The smoke gathered into a figure in mid-air, revealing it to be Marine Captain Smoker.
His figure descended like a mountain, mercilessly punching Luffy.
"Bang!"
The punch landed squarely on Luffy's chest, the force directly knocking him off the execution platform.
Luffy fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string, creating a large crater.
"Hey, who are you? Why did you hit me?"
Luffy got up from the ground, looking at Smoker with a puzzled expression:
Smoker slowly jumped down from the execution platform, his hands tucked into the armed belt at his waist.
He had a sturdy build, well-defined muscles, and cold, sharp eyes.
He held two cigars in his mouth, and smoke swirled around him, creating an invisible pressure.
"Monkey D. Luffy." Smoker's voice was deep and powerful, his gaze fixed on Luffy:
"Your bounty is as high as 100 million Berries. I won't let you escape from Loguetown."
Luffy rubbed his nose, his eyes starting to become serious.
He rarely encountered such a formidable opponent, and the power of the smoke made him feel troublesome.
"So it's the Marines! But I won't just surrender!"
Luffy took a fighting stance, his arms stretching, emitting a slight rubbery sound.
Smoker chuckled, clenched his fist, and slowly walked forward.
His Jitte was behind his back, with no intention of drawing it, clearly not yet serious with Luffy.
"Let me see how much this 'man who's going to be King of the Pirates' is truly worth."
As soon as Smoker finished speaking, he suddenly accelerated towards Luffy, his fist whistling as he swung it.
Luffy's eyes narrowed, and he quickly dodged, the elasticity of his rubber body making his movements more agile.
He stretched his arm, counterattacking with a "Gomu Gomu no Pistol," his fist whistling towards Smoker.
"Bang!" Smoker raised his hand to block, taking the punch head-on, and cracks appeared in the ground beneath his feet.
"Not bad strength." Smoker said with a sneer, "But still too green!"
He swung his fists, unleashing a series of wide, powerful attacks, each punch carrying fierce strength.
Luffy barely parried, relying on his physical prowess, and their fist-to-fist combat was deafening.
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"
Luffy gritted his teeth, throwing continuous punches with both hands, barraging Smoker like a rainstorm.
However, Smoker's combat experience was clearly richer; he calmly dodged, while also using extremely fast counterattacks to disrupt Luffy's rhythm.
With each clash, Luffy felt a tingling sensation in his arms.
"This guy… is strong!" Luffy's heart sank, and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Although he was giving his all, he was still at a disadvantage against Smoker.
Smoker also began to get serious; he took a few steps back, his eyes slightly narrowed:
"As expected of a pirate with a 100 million Berry bounty, your physical abilities are truly astonishing. However, you're still far from enough!"
With that, Smoker's figure flickered, turning into a cloud of smoke and instantly appearing in front of Luffy.
He clenched his fist and punched Luffy in the abdomen, sending Luffy flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground.
Luffy got up, shook his arms, and then suddenly grinned: "Looks like I can't hold back anymore!"
"Gomu Gomu no Slingshot!"
Luffy stretched his arms, pulled them back forcefully, then bounced forward, launching himself like a cannonball towards Smoker.
He swung both fists, charging with powerful impact directly at Smoker's chest.
"Interesting." Smoker snorted, his body instantly turning into smoke, and Luffy's attack passed directly through him.
"What?!" Luffy was stunned, his rubber fists hitting nothing, not touching any solid object.
"I am a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user." Smoker stood behind Luffy, his voice cold, "Your attacks are useless against me."
He waved his hand, and smoke quickly wrapped around Luffy's limbs, trapping him firmly.
Luffy struggled fiercely, but no matter how he twisted, the smoke bound him like a cage.
"Gomu Gomu no Whip!"
Luffy tried to kick Smoker with his stretched leg but still hit nothing.
Smoker just stood there, watching his futile struggles with cold eyes.
"You finally understand the advantage of a Logia-type Devil Fruit, don't you?" Smoker said calmly.
He slowly drew the Jitte from his waist; the tip of the weapon gleamed with a faint metallic luster—it was Seastone.
Luffy's eyes changed, and a feeling of unease rose in his heart.
"This is specially prepared for you Devil Fruit users." Smoker said with a sneer.
He swung the Jitte, striking Luffy's abdomen quickly and precisely.
"Ah!" Luffy screamed, his body instantly going limp as the Devil Fruit's power was completely suppressed by the Seastone.
"Game over." Smoker firmly pinned Luffy to the ground with his Jitte, his gaze somewhat cold.
The wind and rain in Loguetown grew more violent, lightning and thunder became more frequent, and Smoker stood in the center of the square, coldly observing him.
Though subdued, Luffy showed no sign of submission in his eyes: "Let go of me, old smokey."
"Still talking tough?" Smoker snorted, pressing the Jitte against Luffy's chest with a bit more force.
Just then, a familiar voice came from a distance.
"Luffy, so pathetic?" Zoro walked over, carrying three swords, his gaze coldly sweeping over Smoker.
Zoro's aura was like a blade, sharp and unyielding.
The two new swords on his left hip—the all-black Sandai Kitetsu and the simple, unadorned Yukibashiri—shone with a keen light in the rain.
Sanji followed closely, still smoking a cigarette in the heavy rain, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Even Luffy was beaten like this; it seems this guy is quite formidable." Sanji's gaze was fixed on Smoker.
Smoker turned his head, coldly glancing at the two, his tone carrying a hint of disdain:
"Oh? Two more overconfident fools. Do you think you can defeat a Logia user with brute force?"
Zoro said nothing more; his three swords unsheathed, he stomped hard on the ground, his figure instantly vanishing from his spot, appearing before Smoker like a flash of lightning.
"Santoryu: Tiger Hunt!"
With a flash of blades, Zoro's three swords transformed into fierce attacks, cutting through the air with a tearing sound, striking directly at Smoker.
However, the blades passed through Smoker's body without resistance, like cutting through air, leaving no marks.
"What?!" Zoro's eyes narrowed, and he quickly pulled back.
Smoker's body dissipated into smoke, then re-formed a few steps away. He sneered, "Your swords are useless against me."
Sanji wasn't idle either; his figure flickered, his right leg raised high, and he kicked fiercely at Smoker's shoulder: "Epaule Shot!"
"Boom—!"
The kick landed squarely on Smoker's shoulder, but the result was the same as Zoro's; Smoker's shoulder instantly turned into smoke, completely unharmed.
Sanji's expression changed, and he quickly withdrew his leg, landing beside Zoro.