Chapter Twenty-Four: First Encounter with the Smoke Demon, Captured! [First Update]

In the direction leading to the harbor, a crowd of pirates fled desperately. At the very front was the Straw Hat crew, with Buggy's gang in the middle, and behind them, Smoker the White Hunter led a detachment of Marines. The Navy had long prepared for this operation, and the island was surrounded, waiting for these pirates to fall into their trap.

Of course, the final outcome depended on whether the man with the ever-present cigar would succeed in this encirclement.

Rumors of vicious pirates appearing in the square had cleared the streets of merchants and passersby in an instant. A thick cloud of smoke swept by, and Buggy’s gang was captured in a flash by the White Hunter. The strength of a Marine Headquarters Colonel was evident.

"Hey, Straw Hat Luffy." Smoker blocked Luffy’s path, weapon of seastone in hand, poised to strike.

A skirmish broke out; but after only the briefest exchange, both Luffy and Sanji were subdued.

"Is this the level of strength that’s worth thirty million berries? Your luck has run out, Straw Hat Luffy," Smoker mocked, pressing Luffy’s head down.

At a corner, Shu Mingyuan watched this encounter unfold, knowing full well from the original story that a Headquarters Colonel was leagues above the so-called branch officers—utterly incomparable. At this stage, Luffy was no match for Smoker.

A tall man wrapped in a cloak quietly appeared in the midst of the storm.

"That’s Monkey D. Dragon? The Revolutionary Army’s leader, Luffy’s father?" Shu Mingyuan murmured. "But if you just let them all escape, how am I supposed to get myself into Impel Down?"

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball, nearly filling the entire street, suddenly shot out from a corner. Dragon seemed to recognize the newcomer and, reconsidering, let his presence dissolve into the storm.

Smoker brought his seastone weapon crashing down, but the fireball forced him to leap aside. Though smoke itself didn't fear flames, Straw Hat Luffy, whom he'd just caught, certainly couldn't withstand it. If Smoker tried to tough it out, he’d have to transform, and Luffy would escape.

A figure burst from the flames and threw a punch at Smoker, a blow that could have leveled a house. Yet it seemed only to strike empty air—the spot Smoker had occupied turned to smoke, and Shu Mingyuan’s punch hit nothing.

"A Logia—Smoke-Smoke Fruit user. His elemental body ignores pure physical attacks. Looks like I’ll need to master Haki soon," Shu Mingyuan thought to himself.

"That face... You’re the East Blue’s most wanted, bounty fifty million berries, ranked tenth on the Bronze Hunter List, ninety-ninth on the Ghost Hunter List—Monkey D. Shu Mingyuan!" Smoker sneered. "I thought you’d show up. Perfect. With all of East Blue’s criminals gathered, none of you are getting away today."

Smoker reached for Shu Mingyuan’s wrist, but the man only curled his lip in disdain. "You think you can just say that and make it so?"

A brilliant flash of lightning, accompanied by the cry of a thousand birds, surged over Smoker, paralyzing him and forcing him to release his grip on Luffy.

"Hey, Shu Mingyuan! Did you come to save me?"

"Luffy, you all go first. I’ll hold him off."

"Be careful—this guy’s tough," the Straw Hats called as they fled.

With Luffy gone, Shu Mingyuan faced Smoker, now transformed into smoke. Though the lightning had slowed him, it was clear it couldn’t do any real harm.

"Kid, since you let the Straw Hats escape, you’ll take their place in prison. East Blue’s most wanted at fifty million berries—I’ll see if you’re worth the price!"

Smoker’s rhythm had been completely disrupted by Shu Mingyuan’s sudden appearance, and the Straw Hats’ escape was entirely his fault.

"Come try, if you dare," Shu Mingyuan replied with a casual smile, lightning crackling even brighter around him.

"Lightning, is it? So you’re a Devil Fruit user too? But your attacks are too weak—they don’t even tickle me," Smoker said, eyes narrowing, before swinging his weapon down hard.

"Shadow Leaf Dance!"

"Chidori Flow!"

As the weapon came down, Shu Mingyuan dodged. The Smoke-Smoke Fruit had little offensive power, but Smoker’s combat skills were no joke. If not for his insubordinate streak, he’d be at least a Rear Admiral—a rank of monsters. Smoker’s strength, especially in hand-to-hand combat, was truly formidable.

Shu Mingyuan’s entire body was shrouded in a cloak of lightning, forming an impenetrable defense within a meter—a perfect shield of Lightning Style.

He was eager to see just how wide the gap was between his current strength and that of a Marine Headquarters Colonel. This was also his first battle against a Logia-type Devil Fruit user—a perfect test of his abilities.

"What a troublesome power, this lightning," Smoker muttered, frowning. While he wasn’t afraid of it, the paralysis severely diminished his offensive power—he couldn’t even hit hard.

"White Impact!"

Smoker’s arm turned to smoke, except for his fist, which shot forward with incredible speed, propelled by the smoke.

Shu Mingyuan laughed proudly. "If it’s strength you want, I’m not afraid."

"Partial Expansion, Super Push Palm!"

His arm swung back, expanding instantly to a massive size—ten meters across—covered by a pale blue chakra. He swept it forward, nearly filling the entire street.

The two fists—one normal-sized, one gigantic—collided, unleashing a devastating shockwave. Houses along the street shattered, the ground cracked and split, until a vast crater sprawled at their feet.

"Break!" Shu Mingyuan roared, chakra surging wildly. His massive palm grew even larger, and Smoker’s fist dissolved into smoke, his whole body turning to vapor as he floated above, narrowly escaping the blow.

"What terrifying power! The East Blue’s most wanted truly lives up to his name," Smoker thought, gazing down with grim determination.

"Kid, I’m a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. You can’t touch me. This is where it ends for you."

"White Smoke Bomb!"

A thick fog engulfed the street, and before Shu Mingyuan could react, a fine iron net fell over him.

"A seastone net? Specially designed for Devil Fruit users?" Shu Mingyuan instantly recognized the faint pulse radiating from the net. Once trapped, a Devil Fruit user would lose all power, and before the Navy’s arsenal, they’d be helpless.

"So, you’ve mistaken me for a Devil Fruit user. Well, so be it. This is as good a way as any to get myself to Impel Down."