Chapter 10: The Most Wanted Criminal!

"What!?"

"You're saying Tashigi was kidnapped!?"

In a smoke-filled office, Smoker, with three cigars in his mouth, suddenly stood up, his eyes wide as saucers.

In front of him, the two Marines who had rushed back to report were trembling.

Bang!

A rough hand slammed down on the desk, creating a thunderous impact.

"How dare they!"

"Where are the kidnappers now!?"

"Gulp~"

The two Marines shuddered and quickly recounted what they had learned at the café.

"Report, Captain Smoker! There's only one kidnapper, a young man around 20 years old, dressed casually."

"According to the café waitress, the kidnapper used a knockout drug to incapacitate Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, stuffed her into a sack, and fled toward the port!"

"What!? Using knockout drugs and a sack!?"

"Despicable pirates!"

"This is an insult to the Marines!!!"

After hearing the Marines' account, Smoker instantly turned red with rage.

Thick smoke billowed uncontrollably from his body.

"Toward the port, you say?"

"Good! Very good!"

"Daring to cause trouble in my territory... It seems I've been underestimated!"

Bang!

The office window shattered.

A fierce wind howled!

All the smoke in the room rapidly condensed, forming a white cloud that shot toward the port.

Using the properties of his smoke, Smoker could briefly fly through the air.

With the high vantage point of the Marine base office, he could reach the port at top speed.

Meanwhile.

The port of Loguetown was still bustling with activity.

No one knew that just a short while ago, the second-in-command of the local Marine forces had been kidnapped like a sack of potatoes.

"Next, as long as I can get back to the ship, everything will be a success!"

Kyle's footsteps didn't pause for a moment as he weaved through the crowd, his eyes fixed on the port.

He had already figured out how to get Tashigi to join his pirate crew.

It was a reason Tashigi simply couldn't refuse!

In other words...

He was about to gain his first crewmate!!!

At this moment, Kyle couldn't help but feel a little excited inside.

As long as he could board the ship...

As long as he could board the Diga...

Boom!!!

A massive cloud of smoke suddenly exploded in the center of the port!

In an instant, the entire port was enveloped in a thick smokescreen.

"What the hell!? Who turned off the lights!? I can't see anything!"

"Enemy attack! It's an enemy attack! Pirates must be raiding us!"

"Everyone, be careful! Find cover!"

"..."

"..."

The sudden commotion threw the entire port of Loguetown into chaos.

Some people even shouted, "Quick, call the Marines!"

However...

A moment later, when the smoke cleared.

At the center of the smoke, it wasn't the pirate raiders they had expected.

Instead, it was someone they respected...

"Captain Smoker!?"

The crowd stared at the burly man emerging from the smoke, their eyes filled with confusion.

But Smoker, who had made a dramatic entrance, ignored their curiosity and quickly scanned the area.

Soon, he spotted a young man not far away, carrying a sack over his shoulder and deliberately avoiding his gaze.

Smoker's eyes narrowed, and he immediately approached Kyle, blocking his path.

"Hello, let me inspect that sack you're carrying!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the sack behind Kyle.

But Kyle wasn't about to comply.

With a quick sidestep, he dodged Smoker's hand.

"Grabbing someone's belongings out of nowhere..."

"Does a Marine captain like you not care about personal privacy?"

Kyle looked up, his expression cold as he stared directly at Smoker.

But in his heart, he cursed.

"Dammit, why did he have to show up!?"

Kyle had considered the possibility of running into Smoker during his plan, and even thought about the plan failing and getting arrested...

But he hadn't expected that just as he was about to reach the Diga and sail away...

He would be blocked by Smoker at the port!

He quickly realized where the problem lay.

It was those two Marines!

If they had returned with Tashigi, Kyle could have knocked them out too...

That way, the news wouldn't have reached Smoker so quickly.

"Miscalculation~"

Kyle muttered to himself, but his eyes darted around, searching for a way to escape.

He wasn't far from the Diga, only a few hundred meters away.

And the Diga's ability had a range of 50 meters.

As long as he could get past Smoker and cover that last stretch, he could escape safely.

The only problem was...

The gap in strength between him and Smoker was too vast.

Unless he was willing to seriously injure Smoker with a seastone bullet.

But that was clearly impossible.

Although Smoker had his flaws, he was one of the few Marines who genuinely cared about people.

Kyle actually admired the big guy.

Of course.

If Smoker would just stop blocking him, Kyle would admire him even more.

And from a certain perspective, Kyle was half a Marine himself.

They were practically colleagues~

For a moment, Kyle's mind was flooded with thoughts.

However, his wandering eyes as he thought only made Smoker more certain that he was up to no good.

Smoker's eyes widened in anger as he glared at the audacious kidnapper.

"Enough nonsense, kid! Daring to cause trouble in my territory!"

"Are you tired of living?"

The swirling white smoke spread out, quickly pushing away the bystanders and forming a circular smoke wall that trapped Kyle and Smoker inside.

"..."

Do you really have to be this thorough...

Looking at the blocked escape route, Kyle sighed inwardly.

But letting go of Tashigi now was clearly not an option.

Kyle quietly moved his hand to his waist and clicked off the safety on his flintlock.

Then he said coldly to Smoker:

"Sorry, Mr. Marine, I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"And could you please step back? I'm allergic to secondhand smoke. Thanks."

"Allergic to secondhand smoke?"

"Fine!"

Smoker grinned mockingly.

"Then I'll make you a smoke-filled prison cell, where you'll spend the rest of your life!"

"White Fist!!!"

Smoker didn't waste any more words and roared as he launched his attack.

His muscular arm shot toward Kyle, and the joint connecting his arm to his body detached.

A burst of smoke erupted from the joint, adding a terrifying force to the punch.

"Sigh, I really didn't want to fight anyone right now."

Kyle's eyes focused.

Thanks to his Hyper Intuition, he had already predicted Smoker's attack before it happened.

With a quick sidestep, he perfectly dodged the incoming smoke-enhanced fist.

Using the momentum from the dodge, Kyle quickly put distance between himself and Smoker.

"Huh?"

Smoker frowned.

Having his attack dodged wasn't a big deal.

But he had clearly seen Kyle dodge before he even launched his attack.

That was... intriguing.

Could it be that pirates in the East Blue were already training in Haki!?

That wasn't good news for him, the man in charge of defending Loguetown.

After all, a large part of his reputation came from his Logia-type Devil Fruit's intangibility!

Smoker's gaze turned dangerous.

With a thought, he activated his Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability again, releasing a massive cloud of white smoke from his waist down.

"White Vine!"

Using the smoke's propulsion, his upper body shot toward Kyle like a rocket.

But at that moment...

Bang!

A gunshot rang out from within the smoke!

Smoker's expression changed, and his charging body came to an abrupt halt.

On the other side.

Kyle, who had just fired a warning shot into the air, slowly lowered his gun and aimed it at the sack in front of him.

He said lazily:

"Hey~ hey~ hey~"

"How scary~"

"Attacking someone without even talking first... Is this how Marines in Loguetown behave?"

"Such barbarism~!"

"In that case, don't blame me for using some dirty tricks."

As he spoke, Kyle smirked and loosened the sack's opening.

He wrapped his arm around the unconscious Tashigi, holding her tightly in front of him.

The barrel of his flintlock was pressed against her head.

"Don't make any sudden moves, Captain Smoker."

"I'm sure you don't want your subordinate to die at such a young age, do you!?"

"What are you doing!? Put the gun down!"

Smoker's eyes were bloodshot as he shouted.

"Tsk tsk tsk~"

"That's not the tone someone being blackmailed should use."

Kyle shook his head lightly, waving the flintlock in his hand.

The threat was obvious.

"You... What do you want!?"

For a moment, Smoker was at a loss.

Seeing that his threat had worked, Kyle put on a villainous face and said mockingly:

"Hahaha..."

"That's more like it, Captain Smoker."

The next second, his tone turned serious as he laid out his conditions.

"Let us leave!"

"I promise I won't harm this girl. In fact, you might even see her again someday!"

"Impossible!"

Smoker shouted.

"You have to release Tashigi first!"

Bang!!!

Another gunshot rang out, causing Smoker's heart to skip a beat.

Kyle grabbed Tashigi by the collar and pressed the gun against her pale neck.

"Do you think I'm playing games here!? Marine!?"

"Either you trust my word!"

"Or this girl and I die here together!"

"Oh~ Sorry, I forgot!"

"According to your laws, even if I commit murder, arson, and all sorts of crimes, as long as I surrender, you only have the right to arrest me, not execute me."

Kyle's brow furrowed as his smile grew more maniacal.

"In other words!"

"Even if I kill this girl, the worst that'll happen is I'll serve time in prison."

"Keh keh keh keh, what wonderful laws!"

"Damn you!!!"

Kyle's words struck a nerve.

Smoker clenched his fists, his eyes burning with rage!

"If you dare harm a single hair on Tashigi's head, I'll make you regret ever being born!"

"Oh~? Still acting tough?"

Kyle sneered.

"Is this all the elite Marines trained by Marine HQ are capable of?"

"You!"

Smoker continued to seethe.

But with the flintlock pointed at Tashigi, he didn't dare make any sudden moves.

After a moment, he snorted a cloud of smoke from his nose, then reluctantly waved his hand to disperse the smoke barrier and stepped aside.

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