"No need to shout. I'm not here for you all—where's your leader?" Mihawk looked around, seemingly unable to find the person he was searching for.
"Leader! Leader!" A pirate shouted as he sprinted toward the depths of the island.
"Hm?" Several men lounging on the ground glanced over, their expressions darkening.
"Well, if it isn't Mihawk—what a rare guest!" A man with red hair and three scars across his right eye leaned back against a tree, its shadow concealing most of his face, giving him an ominous look. "But as you can see, I'm not in the best condition right now. Are you here to challenge me?"
"Hmph. Duel with a one-armed man? Hardly worth my time," Mihawk scoffed. "While I was out, I came across an interesting group of pirates. It reminded me of a certain little rascal from that village you mentioned long ago."
As he spoke, Mihawk produced a wanted poster.
"Could it be…" the other members of the crew murmured, glancing at the poster in surprise.
The red-haired pirate grinned. "So, you've made it… Luffy."
This was none other than Red-Haired Shanks, the leader of the Red-Hair Pirates and the one who'd set Luffy on his path to become a pirate.
Meanwhile, in the East Blue, in Windmill Village—Luffy's birthplace…
"What's all the commotion? Are you really celebrating that our village produced a notorious troublemaker?" grumbled the bartender in the bar owned by Luffy's sister. The villagers were in high spirits, cheering and raising their drinks to Luffy's wanted poster.
"Look at how happy Luffy is, Mayor!" Luffy's sister said, showing the poster to the elderly village chief.
"Hmph. A pirate is a pirate!" the old chief huffed, looking away in annoyance.
"But this is his dream, isn't it?" Luffy's sister smiled, undeterred.
"Is it a dream… or destiny?" the old chief murmured, raising his cup. His voice was so low that no one in the rowdy bar could hear him.
Back in Loguetown, Smoker and Ryu were drinking at a bar when Tashigi entered, walking over to whisper something in Smoker's ear. Smoker glanced at Ryu, seemingly unsure of how to bring it up.
"What's with that look? I'm not interested in men!" Ryu scoffed, taking a sip from his glass.
Smoker's forehead bulged with irritation, but he took a deep breath to calm himself, remembering Tashigi's report. "You stay here and drink. The schooner's at the port, so feel free to get lost whenever you want. I have official business to attend to."
With that, Smoker tossed a stack of Berries on the table and left with Tashigi.
"Tch, I think I'll follow and see what you're up to," Ryu muttered, chugging the rest of his drink and throwing the Berries to the bartender.
Curiosity got the best of him, despite his efforts to resist.
Although he didn't overhear Tashigi's report on purpose, if he happened to figure things out himself, well—that couldn't be helped, could it?
After a short wait, Ryu followed them out, using his Observation Haki to track Smoker's movements and ensure he didn't lose them.
Gradually, Ryu realized they were heading toward the execution platform, which was now surrounded by Marines. This sight made him pause—Luffy was currently on the platform, held by Buggy the Clown, who appeared ready to execute him. Below the platform, besides the gathered townspeople, members of Buggy's crew and another pirate group were fighting off Zoro and Sanji, who were trying to rescue Luffy.
"Commander, should we make our move now?" a Marine asked Smoker, waiting for his orders.
"Idiot! What's the rush? Let these pirates tear each other apart first! Since when have I let a pirate escape from this town?" Smoker sneered, cigar clenched between his teeth.
On the execution platform, Luffy suddenly shouted, "I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!"
Buggy the Clown, who was restraining him, burst into crazed laughter. "Hahaha, just watch! This guy is finished!"
"All units, get ready!" Smoker, hidden on the second floor, raised his hand, as if signaling for action the moment Luffy was struck down.
But Ryu alone noticed the subtle change in the weather. Dark clouds were gathering directly above the platform.
"Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, sorry! I'm going to die!" Luffy shouted with a wide grin.
"Idiot! Don't say something so stupid!" Sanji yelled back, infuriated.
"He's… laughing?" Smoker was taken aback, reminded of the legendary sight of Gol D. Roger smiling before his own execution. Smoker had witnessed that scene himself as a child.
Ryu, keeping his Observation Haki at full strength, murmured, "Time to work on my Armament and Observation Haki training, it seems." But even with his heightened senses, he still couldn't spot the presence he was searching for.
Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning crashed down on the execution platform, engulfing it in flames.
Rain began to pour from the sky. Luffy, picking up his straw hat, laughed loudly. "Yahahaha, I'm alive! Talk about lucky!"
"Do you… believe in gods?" Sanji asked Zoro, staring in shock.
"Enough talking, let's get out of here! I sense a massive commotion coming!" Zoro said, sheathing his three swords with his typical cool demeanor.
Pirates, including Alvida, gaped in shock at the sight of Luffy unharmed, while Buggy, blackened and charred from the lightning, lay defeated.
"Rear Admiral, do we deploy now?" a Marine asked Smoker once more.
"He actually smiled… Where are they headed?" Smoker muttered to himself before turning to his soldiers.
"They're heading to the western port. The advance unit is already on its way!" a Marine replied.
"We'll deal with this chaos here first, then pursue them! With so many civilians around, we can't leave things unchecked." Though Smoker wanted to capture Luffy, he prioritized containing the chaos caused by Buggy and his crew.
"I'll handle things here!" Ryu appeared from seemingly nowhere, grinning as he spoke to Smoker.
"Tashigi, let's go! We're catching that Straw Hat brat!" Smoker mounted his smoke-powered motorcycle, the Billower Bike, cigarette still in his mouth.
Ryu smirked, knowing that capturing Luffy would be impossible. However, Buggy and Alvida, who had eaten the Slip-Slip Fruit, would make excellent test subjects for his abilities.
"Heheh, Shigan Ten Strikes!" Not being a Logia user like Smoker, Ryu's capture speed was slower. But combining his martial arts and agility with the Marine Six Powers technique made him formidable, overwhelming Buggy and Alvida with ease.
"Not bad at all, sir!" Marines cheered as Ryu swiftly subdued every pirate, tying them up for capture.
"Keep an eye on them—I'm off to help Smoker!" Ryu's figure blurred as he used Moonwalk, one of the Marine Six Powers, launching himself toward the west.
"Rear Admiral Ryu is amazing!" "So cool!" The Marines watched him depart, admiration shining in their eyes.
When Ryu arrived, Smoker was already restraining Luffy.
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind Smoker, so swiftly that even Ryu hadn't noticed.
"Tempest!" With a simple wave of the figure's hand, a fierce gust scattered Smoker's smoke and sent Luffy flying back toward his crewmates.
"Heh heh heh… Go on, if that's how you do things," the mysterious figure chuckled.
"Dragon! Why are you helping that brat?" Smoker demanded, his voice filled with frustration.
It was clear Smoker recognized the figure.
"What reason is there to stop a man from setting sail?" The man called Dragon answered, his gaze fixed in the direction of Luffy.
Ryu, now at Smoker's side, stared at Dragon, his expression serious. "So you finally show yourself… But isn't appearing like this a bit careless?"
Ryu knew who this was—Monkey D. Dragon, the world's most notorious revolutionary and Luffy's father.
"Oh? Are you planning to capture me? Go ahead, young Marine." Dragon turned his head toward Ryu, intrigued.
Although hidden beneath a cloak, Dragon's face was partially visible, marked by a distinctive tattoo on one side.
"Smoker, I want to go all out here—cover for me!" Ryu said, his eyes locked on Dragon.
"If you get yourself killed, I can't save you," Smoker warned, his expression tense.
Ryu inhaled deeply. "Subduing Dragon Palm: Regretful Dragon!"
...........
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