Chapter 34: Overpowering Smoker

"It's been a while, Smoker. What brings you here? Did you come to arrest me?" Ryu asked casually, his relaxed demeanor only fueling Smoker's frustration.

This brat had truly strayed onto the path of villainy.

Beside Smoker, Tashigi was blushing furiously as she stared at Ryu's bare torso, her hands covering her eyes—though not entirely. Her emotions were conflicted.

On one hand, he was a notorious criminal; on the other, he was undeniably handsome. If given the chance, she wouldn't mind running her hands over those abs.

"Ryu! Tell me—are you really responsible for attacking the Marines?!" Smoker demanded.

"Do you even need an answer? Even if I said it was self-defense, would you believe me?" Ryu replied coolly.

At that, Smoker's expression darkened. Ryu's words were practically a confession. Seeing Smoker grip his jitte tightly, Ryu knew the blood of a Logia Devil Fruit user was within reach. He swallowed hard in anticipation.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Smoker closed the distance, swinging his jitte down toward Ryu. But his surprise attack failed. Ryu swiftly drew his blade, Bloodthirst , and blocked the strike with ease.

"Perfect timing. I just ate too much earlier—I could use some exercise," Ryu quipped.

"Abyssal Slash! "

BANG!

A massive crack split the warship, and Smoker's body was cleaved in two. However, before Ryu's attack landed, Smoker had already transformed into smoke, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. Had he not dodged, that strike would've left him severely injured—or worse.

"White Smoke Barrage! "

Smoker retaliated, his arms dispersing into countless tendrils of white smoke that surged toward Ryu, attempting to ensnare him. But Ryu didn't evade. The smoke wrapped around him, yet after a few seconds, Ryu merely shifted slightly, completely unharmed.

The disparity in their power was glaring.

Seeing this, Smoker's veins bulged with anger as he poured more strength into his assault. Realizing he'd underestimated Smoker's abilities, Ryu activated Armament Haki.

Initially, he'd wanted to test the limits of a Logia user's powers—and he had to admit, Smoker's abilities significantly amplified his strength. Combined with the jitte, Smoker might have actually wounded him earlier.

I got careless, Ryu thought, berating himself internally. Even a minor injury would reduce my chances of victory from 95% to 90%. That's unacceptable.

With renewed focus, Ryu unleashed his full strength. His Bloodthirst blade, reinforced with Armament Haki, sliced through the smoke barrier. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Smoker, delivering a devastating downward slash.

Over the past five years, Ryu had honed his dual-wielding skills to near-perfection. While he still preferred single-sword techniques, dual-wielding offered unique advantages—especially when wielding two blades simultaneously. After all, why use one sword when you can use two?

Smoker barely dodged the attack, but the tip of the blade grazed his left arm, causing blood to spurt violently. Before he could recover, Ryu's follow-up strike came crashing down.

Clang!

The clash of their legendary blades sent shockwaves through the air. Tashigi felt her arms go numb from the sheer force of the impact.

So strong... so terrifying, she thought, trembling.

The next moment, Ryu struck the back of Tashigi's neck, rendering her unconscious. He had no intention of killing them—merely incapacitating her.

Seeing Tashigi fall safely, Smoker exhaled in relief. If she hadn't intervened earlier, he might have sustained critical injuries.

"Do you still think you stand a chance against me, Smoker?"

Without responding, Smoker transformed entirely into white smoke, attempting to envelop Ryu once again.

But Ryu countered with a flurry of punches, each strike hitting like a battleship ramming into him.

Within ten blows, Smoker collapsed, unconscious. Ryu quickly retrieved a small blood pouch, collecting samples of Smoker's blood.

Surveying the surrounding Marines, who stared at him in sheer terror, Ryu spoke calmly. "I have no plans to kill any of you. Those two are merely unconscious. Take them back and ensure Smoker receives medical attention—he's lost a lot of blood. You should have a doctor on board."

Still stunned, the Marines hesitated.

"What are you waiting for? Save them and get out of here! Head back to Loguetown immediately!"

Finally snapping out of their daze, the Marines scrambled to tend to their comrades. Just as Ryu prepared to leave, a pale hand clutched his ankle.

Smoker, despite being on the verge of collapse, desperately grabbed hold of him.

"You should've stayed asleep," Ryu muttered, lightly tapping Smoker's head.

Krack! A faint sound of bone cracking echoed.

"Captain Smoker!" the Marines cried out.

But Smoker was already unconscious, his mouth agape and eyes vacant. It was clear he'd completely blacked out.

"This is bad. Earlier, he just needed a blood transfusion. Now, I'm not sure if that'll be enough. Good luck saving him," Ryu remarked nonchalantly before leaping off the ship.

Zeff and the others watched in stunned silence. A Logia Devil Fruit user—a formidable opponent by any measure—had been utterly crushed by Ryu.

Moreover, Smoker wasn't your average East Blue Marine officer. He was likely dispatched directly from Marine Headquarters. And yet, Ryu had dominated him effortlessly. Truly terrifying.

"Hold on. I found what you were looking for. I'll bring it up now," Ryu announced, diving back into the water.

Zeff and Sanji exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from astonishment to anticipation. The legendary Sea King! Were they finally about to witness it?

Soon, a massive shadow emerged from the depths. Zeff's eyes gleamed with excitement—but his enthusiasm waned as he realized something was off. The shadow was large, yes, but not nearly as enormous as expected.

When the shark surfaced, everyone confirmed it was indeed a Deep Sea Whale Shark—but unmistakably a juvenile. Where was the caviar supposed to come from? Zeff's face twisted in disbelief, while Ryu grinned mischievously.

"The original challenge was simply to catch a Sea King. You never specified its age or whether it had caviar. Don't blame me for this."

"You pass," Zeff growled reluctantly, storming back into the restaurant.

That evening, Ryu hosted a feast aboard the ship to celebrate Sanji officially joining the crew.

In a quiet corner, Zeff sat watching Sanji prepare to depart. After raising him for so many years, he was finally letting go. Though reluctant, Zeff couldn't deny that Sanji was ready to chase his dreams.

Still, it pained him deeply to see his surrogate son leave.