Near a reef not far from Loguetown, the Going Merry was anchored alongside two small Marine warships. The sailors aboard the warships all stood frozen, their eyes blank—they were completely hypnotized.
"Nice work! Your hypnosis is getting better and better!" Luffy praised loudly, grinning.
"Heh, this was nothing, Captain Luffy. Now, as soon as the main Marine forces leave, we can go have fun in Loguetown!" Jango smirked mischievously.
Right now, Jango felt rather proud of himself.
In this situation, his hypnosis was crucial, playing a vital role in their plan.
For the first time, Jango truly understood why Usopp sometimes boasted. Aside from Carl and Luffy, Usopp's ability to fly made him incredibly useful in key moments.
And now, Jango was in the same position.
Without his hypnosis, they would have been forced into a direct fight with the Marines.
And if that happened, how would their carefree captain get to enjoy Loguetown?
"Luckily, it worked. The Marines believed it, at least for now," Carl sighed in relief.
Dealing with Luffy's whims was always an exhausting task.
"Mr. Carl, you really are a genius!" Luffy praised him again, completely sincere.
"Alright," Carl said, "we'll set off for Loguetown in an hour. We'll have about an hour to explore—let's try to leave before the Marines realize what's going on!"
Time passed quickly.
As the Marines lifted the lockdown, Loguetown was bustling once again. Vendors who had been ordered to stay indoors now reopened their stalls, and the town regained its usual lively atmosphere.
At that moment, the Going Merry sailed into Loguetown's port.
The Marines stationed there were stunned at the sight.
They immediately grabbed a Den Den Mushi and contacted Smoker.
Sitting in his office, lazily puffing on a cigar, Smoker's eyes widened at the news. Then, a grin slowly spread across his face.
The Straw Hat kid had completely fooled Hina and Ghost Spider, tricking them into rushing to Reverse Mountain for nothing. Not only had they wasted their time, but they had also embarrassed themselves in the process.
But Smoker wasn't laughing just because they had been duped.
No—he was laughing because now he had the chance to capture Straw Hat himself!
The higher-ups and the news kept hyping up this rookie pirate, making him sound so powerful, but Smoker wasn't convinced.
With him in Loguetown, there was no way Straw Hat was making it to the Grand Line!
"Alert all Marines! We're capturing the entire Straw Hat crew!"
"And contact the two Vice Admirals—let them know!"
Smoker grabbed his jitte, its tip made of Seastone, and revved up his three-wheeled motorbike.
With him here, there was no chance for the Straw Hats to escape!
On the Going Merry, Nami handed out money to everyone and gave them a few words of advice before they all headed into town.
Meanwhile, Moo Moo and Richie were left behind to guard the ship.
Carl quickly found a shop selling maps and managed to buy two Log Poses, along with some blueprints and a few pairs of Den Den Mushi. By the way, those things are ridiculously expensive—it's practically daylight robbery, but he had no choice but to buy them.
While he was at it, he also asked for directions to a sword shop and went straight there.
He didn't waste time chatting with the Mediterranean-looking shop owner. Instead, he immediately took the Sandai Kitetsu and, at a high price, also bought Yubashiri—one of the Ryo Wazamono-grade swords.
Even though Zoro didn't need these swords right now, they were still well-known blades. It was best to grab them while he had the chance.
Who knew? They might come in handy one day, so it was always good to be prepared.
At first, the shop owner was unwilling to sell. But after Carl raised the price—and with some extra pressure from the owner's wife—he eventually gave in.
With that taken care of, Carl headed straight for the execution platform.
At that moment, Luffy had just stepped out of a bar. He had been listening to the bartender tell stories about Gol D. Roger's battles, and now he was fired up.
Soon, he spotted the execution platform and immediately jumped onto it.
"Whoa, it's so high! So this is where the Pirate King was executed?" Luffy looked around excitedly.
Right then, Smoker arrived, riding in on his motorbike. A large group of Marines followed, quickly surrounding the area and pointing their guns at Luffy, who was standing on the platform.
Around them, many civilians recognized Luffy but chose to stay hidden, quietly watching the scene unfold.
"Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Bounty: 100 million Berries."
Smoker, casually smoking two cigars at once, exhaled a cloud of smoke and said, "Straw Hat, after tricking two Vice Admirals with that little stunt of yours, you really thought you could just walk into Loguetown like you own the place? Well, tough luck. I, Smoker, am here today, and none of you are getting out of here!"
Luffy picked his nose. "Who are you?"
"Everyone calls me Smoker!"
"Oh. So what do you want?"
"What do I want?! Do you even realize your situation?!"
Smoker's veins popped as he clenched his fists. Was this kid messing with him?!
"You're completely surrounded by Marines! If you've got any last words, say them now—because you won't get another chance!"
But instead of looking worried, Luffy glanced at the gathered Marines and civilians watching from the sidelines.
Thinking it was the perfect time, he decided to introduce himself.
"My name is Monkey D. Luffy! I'm the man who will become the King of the Pirates!"
Gah?!
Luffy's bold declaration left everyone stunned, their jaws practically hitting the floor.
Smoker stared at Luffy's grinning face, and for a moment, he felt as if he were looking at Gol D. Roger himself—the same carefree, fearless expression from 22 years ago.
But he quickly snapped out of it.
"You? The King of the Pirates? Keep dreaming! You won't even make it past me today!"
With that, he ordered the Marines to attack.
Luffy leaped from the platform, sending a group of Marines flying with a Gomu Gomu no Whip! Then, with a Gomu Gomu no Gatling, he blasted another wave of Marines into the sky, completely unfazed by the bullets raining down on him.
Smoker, knowing Luffy was a Devil Fruit user, didn't waste time and charged in himself, wielding his Nanashaku Jitte.
"White Vine!"
Smoker transformed into a mass of smoke, twisting like a vine as he shot toward Luffy.
Caught off guard, Luffy instinctively grabbed the smoke tendrils with his Haki-coated hand and swung Smoker aside.
"Haki?! You've already awakened Haki at such a young age?!"
Smoker was stunned. As a powerful Logia user, he had yet to awaken Haki despite being nearly thirty. Yet this teenage brat had already surpassed him in that aspect.
How could he accept this?!
"White Blow!"
Smoker launched a massive punch of compressed smoke, covering a wide area.
But to Luffy, the attack—while fast and wide-reaching—was nothing to worry about. With a swift Soru, he closed the distance and landed a powerful punch straight into Smoker's stomach.
However, Smoker wasn't an inexperienced fighter. Anticipating the move, he countered with his Nanashaku Jitte, thrusting it toward Luffy.
Luffy instinctively grabbed the weapon's tip—only for his body to suddenly weaken.
A familiar, draining sensation hit him.
"Haha! You grabbed it yourself, Straw Hat!" Smoker smirked. "That's Seastone! Looks like this is where your journey ends!"
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse