Chapter 78 Taking Tashigi Away

Before his voice even faded, Smoker suddenly lunged, a giant palm made of smoke pressing down from above.

A sharp light flashed in Kaguya’s eyes as he casually swung onikiri.

“Moonlight Heaven Piercer!”

The pale blue sword energy rose like a crescent moon, actually carving a vacuum through the dense smoke.

“How is this possible?!”

Smoker looked at his severed smoke arm in shock; although his elementalization allowed him to recover quickly, the power of that slash still left him stunned.

A look of solemnity flashed in Smoker’s eyes. He took a deep drag of his cigar, white smoke swirling around him.

“It seems I underestimated you.”

Smoker said in a low voice.

“However, the Marines are not so easy to deal with.”

The atmosphere in the square suddenly grew tense. The sea breeze kicked up dust from the ground, and a blurry Barrier seemed to form between the two.

Kaguya’s hem fluttered in the wind, that calm smile still hanging on the corners of his mouth.

Smoker’s arms shook violently as more smoke poured from his body, quickly covering half the square.

“White Vine!”

He gave a low shout, and the smoke transformed into countless vines, entwining toward Kaguya from all directions.

Kaguya’s eyes narrowed, his figure flickering like a ghost. Blade light carved several afterimages in the air, severing the incoming smoke vines one by one.

However, the smoke seemed infinite. The severed vines quickly reformed and lunged again.

“It’s useless. I am a Logia-type Fruit user; your swordsmanship is useless against me!”

Smoker’s voice came from within the smoke, tinged with a hint of smugness.

“That’s not necessarily true.”

Kaguya chuckled, and pitch-black Armament Haki began to coat onikiri.

Kaguya’s figure suddenly vanished from the spot, leaving only an afterimage.

Smoker’s pupils shrank. Before he could react, a sharp blade light slashed in from the side.

“What?!”

Smoker stumbled back, looking at his injured arm in disbelief.

Kaguya’s figure slowly emerged ten paces away.

“Believe me now?”

He flicked the blood droplets off the blade’s edge.

“Logia types are not invincible.”

“You actually know Armament Haki…”

Smoker clutched his wound, his cigar falling from the corner of his mouth in shock.

Tashigi finally reached the edge of the square, letting out a gasp while covering her mouth as she witnessed the scene.

She had never seen anyone able to injure the elementalized Captain Smoker.

“Shall we continue?”

Kaguya sheathed his sword, but his right hand remained poised on the hilt.

“I said I wouldn’t kill you, but if you insist on blocking me…”

He glanced at Tashigi, his unspoken words turning into a soft sigh.

Smoker grit his teeth, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

He never imagined he would encounter an opponent who mastered Armament Haki in the East Blue, let alone one so young.

The Marine soldiers surrounding the square looked at each other, their hands holding their guns beginning to tremble slightly.

“Everyone, fall back!”

Smoker suddenly shouted.

“This is not a battle you can participate in!”

He relit a cigar, smoke rising from his body again, but this time it was noticeably more solid.

“Tashigi, it’s not too late for you to turn back now.”

Sunlight reflected off Tashigi’s glasses, making her expression hard to read.

“Captain Smoker, I will not forget the justice in my heart. I hope you can also understand my choice…”

Before she finished speaking, a violent tremor suddenly erupted in the center of the square.

Smoker’s smoke and Kaguya’s blade light intertwined once more, the shockwave from the collision of two powerful forces sending surrounding rubble flying.

“White Snake!”

Smoker roared as his right arm turned into a thick smoke python, lunging toward Kaguya with incredible speed.

Kaguya simply tilted his body slightly, his right hand coated in Armament Haki directly grabbing the giant python and squeezing hard. The sound of cracking bones rang out.

“Smoker, you are a good Marine. I don’t want to kill you.”

Kaguya let go, and the smoke python instantly dissipated.

“But today, I must take Tashigi with me.”

Smoker stumbled back a few steps, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Looking at the unfathomable young man before him, he felt powerless for the first time.

The wind in the square suddenly went still, and even the sound of the waves seemed to fade away.

“Tashigi, have you really made up your mind?”

Smoker wiped the blood from his mouth, his voice hoarse.

“Once you take this step, there’s no turning back.”

Tashigi walked slowly to Kaguya’s side, taking off her glasses to wipe them gently.

When she put them back on, there was no more hesitation in her eyes.

“Captain Smoker, thank you for your mentorship all this time.

Like I said, even if I’m not in the Marines, I will still uphold the justice in my heart.”

Kaguya took her hand, and the two smiled at each other.

Seeing this, Smoker gave a long sigh and gestured for the surrounding Marines to lower their weapons.

“Go.”

Smoker turned around, his voice low.

“The next time we meet, we will be enemies.”

Kaguya nodded and pulled Tashigi along as they turned to leave.

After Kaguya and Tashigi left, Smoker raised his injured right hand and couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.

“It seems I’ve really relied too much on my Fruit and Jitte.

Haki, huh…”

Just then, a Marine Lieutenant came to Smoker’s side.

“Captain Smoker, are we really just letting them go like this?”

Smoker gave him a cold look.

“What if we don’t?

Even I was defeated; do you think you could catch them?

If not for that damn Nezumi! Both of them would have been excellent Marines!

Pass the word: we set sail tomorrow. I want to patrol the East Blue once more!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Lieutenant left to carry out the order. Smoker stood alone in the center of the empty square, the smoke from his cigar looking particularly lonely in the sunset.

He gazed in the direction they had disappeared, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.

“Kaguya, Tashigi, I hope you don’t become true Pirates.

Otherwise, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will hunt you down and bring you to justice.”

Kaguya and Tashigi arrived at the Shipyard, where the sounds of clanging and banging from the ongoing modifications could be heard on the deck.

The two also heard Nami’s voice giving directions.

“That’s right, this lounge area should be paved with Teak flooring; it should feel warm and smooth to the touch.”

Nami was standing with her hands on her hips directing the workers. Hearing the noise, she turned her head to look over.

“Yo, has our Captain snatched Miss Tashigi away from the Marines?”

“Nami~”

Tashigi called out softly, her face flushing.

Just then, Nojiko and the others also stepped out from the cabin.

“Tashigi?”

Nojiko called out in surprise.

“Sister Nojiko~”

“How did you end up here?”

Nojiko stepped forward and took Tashigi’s hand.

“Ahem, Tashigi won’t be a Marine anymore; she’ll be going out to sea with us.”

Kaguya explained from the side.

“You really snatched Tashigi from the Marines!”

Nami said in surprise.

She had thought Kaguya was just bringing Tashigi to meet the Sisters on the ship.

Nojiko gave Kaguya a deep look, then led Tashigi to Kaya and the others.

“Let me introduce you: Honey Queen, Kaya, and Makino. We’re all Sisters.”

“This is Tashigi, an excellent Marine, though probably not anymore.

From now on, we’re all Sisters.”

After hearing the introductions, Tashigi looked back at Kaguya.

Kaguya looked up at the sky.

“Hello, Sisters~”

Tashigi bowed shyly to everyone, and the girls warmly stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with her.

…

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