“White Hunter Smoker, the final opponent on the way to the Grand Line.”
Guina walked to within four or five meters of Smoker and shouted, "Please use your full strength against me. If not, people will die."
This was something she and Kong Tai had agreed upon beforehand. Smoker was a user of the "Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit" ability. Fighting a Logia user not only accumulated experience but also trained Observation Haki. She had just received advanced Haki training techniques from Kong Tai and was eager to try them out.
Smoker glanced at Tashigi, then looked up at Guina. Veins pulsed on his forehead. "One by one, they all don't take him seriously." "Do they really think his title of White Hunter was self-proclaimed?" He subtly glanced at Kong Tai.
"Well! Rest assured! I won't interfere." Kong Tai leaned against his motorcycle, picked up his sake gourd, and took a long drink. "Mmm..." He tilted his head back, holding the gourd upside down, and shook it. Drip, drip, gone. "Ah! What a bummer." He then called out to Ah Hua and the other two, "Hey! Let's go, we need to go buy supplies first."
"Oh! Alright, alright, alright." Ah Hua and the other two were momentarily stunned, then quickly walked towards Kong Tai.
"Stop right there! Who said you could move?" The surrounding Marines quickly turned their guns towards Ah Hua and the other two.
"Well! How scary!" Kong Tai turned his head, stared at Smoker, and chuckled, "Colonel Smoker, could you trouble yourself to have these Marines put their guns away?" "Weapons and such are quite frightening!"
"Pirate, mind your status and don't be too arrogant." Smoker looked at Kong Tai, his face fierce, and roared, "Move! Fire your guns! Arrest these pirates!"
The Marines, who had long been impatient, heard Smoker's command and immediately pulled their triggers.
Bang—!
Snap…
Then countless black solid bullets, like a net cast from heaven, rained down upon Ah Hua and the other two.
Kong Tai looked at Smoker, his brow furrowed, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. "I told you not to use such dangerous weapons, why don't you ever listen!" "Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill people!"
Then, an overwhelming aura swept across the entire dock. The bullets that had been fired at Ah Hua and the other two stopped dead in their tracks the moment they entered Kong Tai's twenty-meter radius. The entire dock instantly fell silent. Then, the Marines on the dock and the onlookers all rolled their eyes and collapsed to the ground with a "thump."
"Conqueror's Haki!" Smoker stared at Kong Tai with a look of horror. This was undoubtedly Conqueror's Haki, the Haki possessed by those with the disposition of a king, which only one in a million could awaken.
Kong Tai retracted his Haki and his domain. Amidst a series of "clinking" sounds, he looked at Smoker. "I told you, but you just wouldn't listen. Can't you just obey me?"
Smoker suppressed the horror in his eyes and stared at Kong Tai with a grave expression. "A man like you, why are you only setting sail now?" How could this guy only be setting sail now! Possessing the disposition of a king and being this strong, how could he have endured for so long before adventuring?
"Me?" Kong Tai looked at Smoker, a smile returning to his face. "Of course, because I wasn't an adult yet!" He said strangely to Smoker. "Isn't it common to set sail only after becoming an adult?" He recalled that Luffy, Ace, and Zoro had all set sail after becoming adults.
"Adult?" Smoker's mouth twitched. He hadn't expected such an answer from Kong Tai, leaving him momentarily speechless. "Yes, you set sail only after becoming an adult!" Kong Tai nodded. "As soon as I turned 17, I immediately set sail. I didn't delay even a single day." He then looked at Smoker earnestly and asked curiously, "Did you want me to set sail earlier so you could defeat me?" As he spoke, he patted Smoker's shoulder and laughed heartily, "Haha!! Don't joke around. For you, even at ten years old, I could still defeat you."
"You rascal." Smoker slapped Kong Tai's hand away, drew his Jitte, and quickly lunged towards Kong Tai. "Don't be too arrogant!" "Are you embarrassed?" Kong Tai instantly teleported in front of Ah Hua and the other two, smiling at Smoker, "I'm just stating facts! Don't be so petty!" "Besides, your opponent isn't me!" "You might get hurt if you're not careful!"
Just as Smoker made his move, Guina had already drawn the Wado Ichimonji, gripped it with both hands, raised it above her head, and stomped her foot quickly on the ground. With a "swish," she instantly vanished from her spot.
"Geppo—Soru!" (Shave — Kick Front)
In an instant, Guina appeared at Smoker's side. Smoker had just swung his Jitte and was too late to defend. He took Guina's attack squarely. The Wado Ichimonji instantly cut through Smoker, circled below him, and was sheathed by Guina.
"Hmm!" There was no substance at all. Guina looked up at Smoker. The part of Smoker she had cut was emitting white smoke but showed no blood. "Is this Logia-type?" "How magical."
Smoker calmly retracted his Jitte, spat out his cigarette holder, tore off two cigars from his chest, placed them in his mouth, and lit them. He took a deep breath and looked at Guina, whose brows were almost knitted together.
"Geppo!" "You guys know Rokushiki." His gaze sharpened, and he said seriously, "Who taught you?" He was beginning to suspect if there was a high-ranking Marine officer who had betrayed the Navy behind Silver Hair's group.
"Are you talking about this high-speed movement technique?" Guina looked at Smoker, who had suddenly become extremely serious, and spoke with a cold tone and extremely mocking words. "Doesn't it just come naturally with training?"
"Don't joke! Do you know that in the entire Navy, only high-ranking officers can learn and master these techniques?" Smoker absolutely did not believe Guina's nonsense. "Alright, I asked if you're going to fight or not!" "You're dawdling and not decisive at all. If you won't come to me, then I'm coming!" As she spoke, Guina looked at Smoker, her eyes flashing red, and drew her sword rapidly.
"Ittoryu, Iaigiri!" (One Sword Style, Drawing Slash!)
A flash of light swiftly cut towards Smoker. This time, Smoker dared not take the blow with his body. He sensed the presence of Armament Haki in this strike. He quickly retracted his hand, raising his Jitte in front of him. With a "clang," it perfectly blocked the edge of Guina's blade. Then, amidst a shower of sparks, the prongs of his Jitte twisted and instantly caught the Wado Ichimonji.
"Don't think that just because you beat that idiot Tashigi, you can look down on me, a Marine Headquarters Colonel." As he spoke, he quickly elementalized his other hand and struck towards Guina's head.
"White Snake!" Guina's eyes flashed red, and she easily dodged the punch by tilting her head to the left. Then, she pushed downwards with both hands, forcing Smoker's Jitte to loosen its grip. In that moment of looseness, she quickly withdrew the Wado Ichimonji, turned, and swiftly slashed at the returning white snake head.
*Poof!* The snake head was cut, but just like before. It was not a solid object that had been struck.