Loguetown, located at the entrance of the Grand Line, the Town of the Beginning and End, is a town where almost every pirate who wants to go to the Grand Line must stop for supplies.
Due to its proximity to the Grand Line and being the birthplace and burial place of Pirate King Roger, Loguetown is very famous throughout the East Blue, and even the entire world.
Almost every day, a large number of ships come and go, making this small town exceptionally prosperous and wealthy.
Of course, in order to prevent pirates from the East Blue from using Loguetown as a springboard to the Grand Line, the Marines specifically dispatched Smoker, a Logia-type Devil Fruit User known as the [white hunter], to be stationed here.
To be honest, the quality of pirates in the East Blue hasn't improved much over the years, partly because a certain marine hero occasionally returns home for visits, conveniently clearing out a wave of pirates.
The other reason is the [white hunter] stationed here. For the East Blue, where Devil Fruits are still legendary items,
The power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit is simply a dimensionality reduction attack.
This has led to very few pirates emerging from the East Blue and heading to the Grand Line in recent years.
When Luffy and the others arrived at Loguetown, they wisely docked at a secluded port.
They were now the largest criminal pirate group in the entire East Blue, and if discovered, it would definitely attract significant attention!
After securing the ship, the group planned to explore Loguetown thoroughly.
And to explore, naturally, money was essential.
So, the group lined up to ask Link, who controlled the finances, for money.
Luffy clamored to go see the Pirate King's execution platform properly, and for food along the way, he withdrew 100,000 berries from the 3 million berries he had previously deposited with Link.
Zoro wanted to buy two useful swords and also wanted to withdraw 100,000. Link, making the decision, generously gave him 500,000 berries with a wave of his hand.
Sanji wanted to buy a refrigerator, ingredients, and large mousetraps. Usopp wanted to buy goggles and other matching equipment.
Link also gave each of them 500,000 berries, allowing them to buy freely.
Now their Pirate Crew was not short of money at all, and with the [automatic pawn machine], they had no worries about earning money.
Link was also very generous with money, making Usopp, who had never had such a large sum, swallow nervously.
Then, along with Zoro and Sanji, the three of them simultaneously gave Link a thumbs-up:
"Boss is generous!"
As for Nami, she already had quite a few private stashes, so she didn't need to take money from Link.
She wanted to buy some of the latest clothes, and also wanted to check out the small shops here to see if she could find any valuable items.
Then throw them into the [automatic pawn machine] to make a good profit!
After the group made their arrangements, they all walked into the famous town.
"It's really lively."
Link walked down the street, looking at the dazzling array of stalls and shops everywhere.
Many people were coming and going, and almost everyone had a smile on their face.
From this perspective, Smoker, as the Marine stationed in Loguetown, had managed it very well.
This shows how important an impact an excellent local official can have on the area.
Link walked down the street, planning to go to a famous local tavern to taste the local specialties.
Just then~
"I say, old man, it's time to pay this month's protection fee, isn't it?!"
A frivolous and slightly arrogant voice came from somewhere.
Link looked over, then paused slightly, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He had encountered another "acquaintance."
Where Link's gaze fell, he saw a man with a grass-green mohawk, wearing a yellow fur coat, dressed in a flamboyant manner, with devil decorations painted at the corners of his eyes.
His most distinctive feature was the nose ring he wore.
"Give me a little more time, Boss Barto..."
An old man selling groceries rubbed his hands, a roguish smile on his face, "You've already given me three months, another month wouldn't hurt!"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
The nose-ringed man, called Boss Barto, extended his finger and unceremoniously poked the old man's forehead:
"You also know I've given you so much time, and all those times you sold fake goods and were chased for revenge, wasn't it me who smoothed things over for you?"
"I'm telling you clearly, if you don't pay the protection fee today, you can pack your things and get out!"
"There are plenty of merchants willing to open shops here. I, a dignified underworld boss who controls 150 small towns, came personally to collect debt from you. I'll see if you give me this face!"
With that, he crossed his arms and looked impatiently at the old man in front of him.
"Bartolomeo!"
Behind the crowd of onlookers, a sudden shout came, "Are you robbing residents' property here again?!"
"Robbing?!"
Bartolomeo, who hadn't yet grown his Straw Hat hairstyle two years later, immediately retorted, "What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
He confronted the Marine who had entered to uphold justice without fear, "This old man clearly willingly joined our protection sphere. Otherwise, I wouldn't be willing to come collect money from this old scoundrel. It's a mutual agreement, surely the Marines' reach isn't that long, is it?"
Bartolomeo scoffed disdainfully.
If the situation weren't inappropriate, he would have pulled down his pants and peed on him.
"You're just an unruly hooligan!"
Seeing that he couldn't win with words, the Marine rolled his eyes and left with a grim expression.
The Marines naturally understood the lifestyle of the underworld and the town's residents, and generally didn't interfere too much.
Of course, the main reason was that the cost of intervention was much greater than they had anticipated.
Because this seemingly unreliable bull-nosed man was also a Devil Fruit User, and his strength was quite formidable.
"Alright, your backup is gone, time to hand over the money!"
Bartolomeo continued his debt collection, but no matter how much he pleaded and threatened, the Stinky old man in front of him remained unmoved.
In short: he was a stubborn old man, a dead pig unafraid of boiling water; he had no money, but would give his life.
"You can try this thing."
Just as Bartolomeo was so angry he wanted to punch the old scoundrel, a soft voice sounded in his ear.
At the same time, a pink, candy-like object appeared before him.
"Hm?!"
Bartolomeo looked up and saw a very handsome man appear before him.
"He's even better looking than me..."
He smacked his lips, muttering to himself, "Who are you?"
"A passerby who also dislikes old scoundrels who don't pay their debts."
Link chuckled, handing over the candy pill, "This is a truth serum pill that makes people tell the truth after eating it. You can try it on this old man, and it will be clear whether he has money or not."
"A truth serum pill? Is it real or fake?"
Bartolomeo took it from Link's hand with a suspicious look. He still didn't quite believe what this suddenly appearing person said.
However, since it was given to him for free, and it wasn't for his own use, Bartolomeo naturally had no burden.
He gave a look to a subordinate nearby, and immediately, two young men with tattoos walked out of the crowd and stopped the old man who, sensing trouble, was trying to slip away.
Bartolomeo stepped forward, directly pried open the old man's mouth, and shoved the truth serum pill inside.
"Alright, now tell me, do you have money or not?" he asked directly.
"Of course I have money. I've earned a lot over the years by swindling and deceiving."
After Bartolomeo finished asking, the old man immediately blurted out.
"It's just that all this money was hard-earned through my scams, why should I give it to that stupid bull-nosed guy?! I saw through him a long time ago. He looks fierce, but inside he's no different from an idiot."
As the old man spoke, the expression on his face grew paler and paler.
What's wrong with me? Why can't I control my mouth and keep my true thoughts to myself?!
"As long as I say some nice words, and then make up two stories to feign pity, I can trick this guy. Who knows, maybe this idiot will soften his heart and waive the money for me directly, that way..."
I can earn another sum, hehe!!
The final two "hehe"s sounded particularly sarcastic.
The old man's eyes immediately revealed endless despair.
"You old bastard..."
Bartolomeo's face was also terribly dark; it had started to turn ugly when he spoke the first sentence.
"And here I was taking such good care of you all this time, turns out you're an ungrateful wretch!"
Bartolomeo cursed, then raised his hand and knocked the old scoundrel to the ground with a punch.
His two subordinates naturally followed, giving the fellow a good beating.
"Pah!"
Bartolomeo spat on the ground, then remembered that there was still someone next to him.
"Not bad, brother."
He looked at Link with surprise, "I tried several methods, but I couldn't get this old guy to tell the truth, and you solved it with a small pill." He leaned in, nudging Link with his arm, "Do you have any more pills like that? Name your price~"
Bartolomeo's ability to become a gang leader meant his discernment was naturally not to be underestimated.
He could tell at a glance the value contained in that small pill, not just for debt collection, but also for other aspects.
"Should we talk here?"
Link glanced around; the noisy town residents had gathered nearby.
"Of course not!"
Bartolomeo's eyes darted around, "Brother, I think we hit it off so well, of course we should find a nice place to have a good drink and chat." He familiarly hooked his arm around Link's shoulder, "My treat, you can drink whatever you want then."
"How can I be so rude~"
"Hey, why are you being so polite with me? Who told us we'd hit it off so well? But, I say, brother..."
"What is it?"
"Have we met somewhere before? You look quite familiar to me?"
"Haha, perhaps."
The two left the scene, arms around each other's shoulders.
Meanwhile, in a corner outside the crowd.
"Did I see that right?"
The Marine, who had just been reprimanded and sent away by Bartolomeo, watched the two leave, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
After confirming that he hadn't seen wrong, the shock on his face grew more intense:
"That person is Link, the [Prop Master]? The most dangerous Pirate in the East Blue, has he really come to Loguetown?"
"I must report to Captain Smoker immediately!"
Loguetown is a small town with many years of history.
Besides the bustling facade, in some alleys, there are also many small taverns opened by old people who reminisce about the past and dislike crowds.
The business of these taverns might not be great, but the stories they hold and the mellow taste of their wine are incomparable to the shops outside.
During his leisure time from work, Smoker liked to come to such small shops and listen to the owners tell old stories.
Drinking a small wine and smoking a cigarette beside them, with his legs propped on the table, it was truly an unprecedented relaxation.
"What, did you sneak off to eat ice cream before coming here?"
The bar owner, with a wrinkled face, short stature, wearing a brown-purple wool hat and small black sunglasses, looked at Smoker who walked in, teasing him.
The ice cream stain on his thigh was quite obvious.
"I ran into a little girl with ice cream on the way here and accidentally bumped into her."
Smoker said casually, then, with practiced ease, he manipulated the smoke from his cigar to retrieve a bottle of wine from the counter.
However, before he could even open the bottle, the den den mushi in his pocket rang.
"Captain Smoker, suspected traces of The Gadgeteer have been found in Loguetown!"
Once connected, the urgent voice of a Marine immediately came from the other end of the den den mushi.
"It's very possible that the Straw Hat Pirates have already landed in Loguetown; they might be resupplying, and then..."
"Their target is the Grand Line, isn't it?"
Smoker's eyes narrowed, "Although I thought they might come here, I didn't expect it to be so soon."
"It seems their objective is very clear... Immediately send out personnel to follow up. Once traces are found, do not alert them, report immediately!"
"Yes!"
The Marine on the other end responded and immediately hung up the phone.
"The Gadgeteer? Is that the Straw Hat Pirate Crew that has recently risen to fame in the East Blue?"
The bar owner smiled, his face full of wrinkles, "Another group of remarkable youngsters."
"Even Roger couldn't create such a powerful stir in the East Blue back then..."
"No matter how remarkable, since they've come here, their journey ends here."
Smoker said calmly, his words full of extreme confidence.
The bar owner chuckled, noncommittally.
Bang.
Smoker opened the wine bottle, just about to take a sip when?
"I say, brother, this tavern I brought you to, don't let its appearance fool you, but the owner's craftsmanship here is famously good; I don't tell just anyone about it."
At the entrance of the tavern, the voice of someone with a bull nose ring suddenly came through.
"Whether it's the wine or the simple snacks he makes, the taste is truly superb, and his pirate stories from decades ago, whether they're exaggerated or not, are perfect for drinking to!" Bartolomeo boasted as he led Link through the door.
"Yo, boss, you're looking good."
He casually greeted the owner, "Bring out your specialty wine and dishes; I'm going to have a good drink with my brother."
The bar owner raised an eyebrow at him, then smiled and looked to the side.
"Hmm?"
Bartolomeo followed his gaze and only then realized there were other people in the room.
"Smoker..."
Bartolomeo instantly recognized the highest official of Loguetown, and couldn't help but grimace.
As a gang leader, he was all too familiar with this white hunter who had been suppressing Pirates in the East Blue for years.
"Let's change places; today isn't very suitable..."
He muttered to himself, feeling a sense of bad luck.
However, just as he was about to leave with his newly recognized brother?
"Wait a moment!"
Smoker suddenly spoke, his voice filled with seriousness.
"Hmm?"
Bartolomeo was startled, "What does this mean? Does he not want me to leave, planning to pick a fight with me?!"
"Don't think that just because you're a Marine Captain and a Devil Fruit User, I'll be afraid of you; who isn't a Devil Fruit User?!" Bartolomeo thought indignantly, turning his head to confront Smoker.
But after he turned his head, he realized he had misunderstood.
Because Smoker's gaze wasn't on him at all, but directly on the person behind him.
On his newly recognized brother.
"The first mate of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew, Link, the [Prop Master]..."
Smoker, with three cigars in his mouth, slowly stood up, and a powerful aura instantly rose from him.
"I just got the news a moment ago, and I didn't expect to see you here so soon..."
A smile appeared on his fierce face, "It seems even the heavens don't want you to go to the Grand Line!"
The atmosphere in the room instantly became heavy.
"Is that so?"
Link also smiled lightly, "I don't think so."
"On the contrary, I believe this is a gift from the heavens, allowing us to have a not-so-powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit user to practice on before we head to the Grand Line."
The atmosphere gradually intensified, and outside, it seemed the wind was picking up, becoming more turbulent.
"Is that so..."
Smoker chuckled softly, "I'm quite curious where you get the confidence to make such a statement..."
"A not-so-powerful Logia-type... While I don't know how you got your information about me, if you think Logia-type isn't powerful, then you're gravely mistaken."
"No, no, I think you misunderstood."
Link waved his hand, "I'm not saying Logia-type isn't powerful; what I specifically meant by 'not powerful' was just you, this particular Logia-type Devil Fruit user."
Whoosh, whoosh?
The wind outside seemed to grow stronger, making the doors and windows on both sides rattle.
"Hmph, what arrogance!"
Upon hearing this, Smoker immediately snorted coldly.
He couldn't be bothered to argue with words; as long as he arrested the opponent, whatever he said would be useless!
Smoker leaned forward slightly, his right arm bent backward, already transformed into a cloud of white mist, ready to burst forward in an attack.
A Logia-type Devil Fruit user, the Smoke-Smoke Fruit User!
The Smoke-Smoke Fruit allows the user's body to turn into smoke in any part, making pure physical striking attacks ineffective against him.
He can release large amounts of smoke to obscure vision, serving a controlling purpose.
However, the attack power of smoke is not strong, leading to the fruit's striking power not being very formidable.
Moreover, if he spreads the smoke, against an opponent who can use Armament Haki, it would broaden his attack surface and put him at a disadvantage.
In fact, the correct way to use this fruit should be in terms of control.
Smoke is composed of many particles, and it could completely be made into toxic gases like carbon monoxide, as well as other smog, carcinogenic cigarette smoke, and mixed with developed toxic substances, and so on.
In short, the power of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit is not weak, but it unfortunately fell into the hands of the more aggressive Smoker.
It's not to say it's bad; judging by his ability to directly contend with Ace's Flame Pillar, he has also developed considerable power.
It's just that the direction of development seems wrong and crude, which is a bit regrettable.
Link recalled the description of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit's ability in his mind, then reached back and pulled the already dumbfounded Bartolomeo aside.
"This is my fight; you just watch from the side."
Link chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"So you're Link, the [Prop Master]?!"
Bartolomeo finally snapped out of it, his eyes wide, snot flying as he looked at Link.