Chapter 91: Revenge Against Smoker!

Zoro’s expression froze.

He wanted to argue, but remembered the last time he’d stolen the reverse map on Beast Island.

He could only swallow his teeth whole.

Gao Wen glanced at him:

“You and Sanji stay behind on Parra Island.”

Then he turned to Keluo and Nami:

“You two come with me. Nami, plot the course.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Both replied in unison.

Soon after.

The pirates in the harbor had been counted.

Gao Wen boarded the fastest sailboat with Nami and Keluo, taking only a dozen pirates, and set sail along Nami’s plotted route.

Behind them, Parra Island faded into the horizon.

In the distant sea, wind howled, the sky’s clouds heavy as lead, lightning flashing intermittently.

Nami held a map in one hand and a pen in the other, recalculating repeatedly, her frown deepening; after a few minutes, she couldn’t help speaking:

“Captain, according to current conditions, Crow Port and the surrounding sea are caught in a storm.”

“At this rate, with this ship’s structure, it won’t last long.”

“We…”

Gao Wen slowly drew Guanshi Zhengzong; its blade reflected lightning.

On the distant sea.

A wave over ten meters high crashed toward them—but in the next instant, it was torn apart by a streak of silver-white blade light.

Puff!

Raindrops of seawater pelted the deck.

Gao Wen’s expression was calm. “Just plot the shortest route. With me here, this ship won’t sink.”

Gao Wen gripped his blade, his tone brimming with absolute confidence.

Only now did he realize that, without noticing, he had gained the right to challenge this sea head-on.

Let the waves rage—he’d cut them apart with one slash!

Keluo subtly adjusted his glasses, staring at Gao Wen’s long blade, lost in thought.

Not long ago, a single storm had left him and Gao Wen utterly battered—but now this man could ignore it entirely. How much had his power grown?

Is he growing stronger faster than me?

My judgment was right—he’s been secretly pushing himself harder than all of us, even harder than me.

That relaxed, cheerful demeanor? Just to lull us into complacency!

My judgment was correct—he has been secretly overworking behind everyone’s back, even more than I have.

In that moment, Gao Wen’s level of cunning in Keluo’s eyes rose another notch.

Nami glanced suspiciously at Keluo, then turned her gaze to Gao Wen; a faint smile curled her lips:

“Then let me handle the navigation!”

“Even if they set sail much earlier than us, there’s only one way from the East Blue into the Grand Line: crossing the Red Line.”

"And to cross the Red Line, only Inverted Mountain will do. We just need to get there faster than they do."

The ship rocked with the waves.

Nami sat on the deck, gradually tracing a perfect route on the map.

“To cross the Red Line, only the Reverse Mountain remains—we merely need to reach it faster than they do.”

[42] Nami sat on the deck, gradually sketching a perfect route onto the map.

“Helmsman, full left rudder! Thirty-degree bearing!”

Nami sat on the deck, gradually sketching out a perfect route on the map.

Following Nami’s command, the ship turned toward the storm’s heart; countless towering waves surged—but each was shredded by streaks of silver-white aerial slashes.

Gao Wen stood at the bow, carving a new path for them all.

……

Following Nami’s command, the ship altered course and plunged into the heart of the storm; countless massive waves surged forward, only to be torn apart by streaks of silver aerial slashes.

A warship departed from Loguetown and plunged into the storm.

On its deck, white smoke curled; Smoker held two cigars in his mouth, his face grim as he stared at the distant sea.

Beside him, Dazhiki detailed the latest intelligence.

A warship departed from Loguetown and plunged headlong into the storm.

“The pirates who escaped from Loguetown are subordinates of the Seven Warlords, Hanfuzha: Labute and Lachete. Both have bounties exceeding fifty million, and both are Animal-Type Devil Fruit users.”

“They attacked Crow Port yesterday afternoon—reason unknown. They’ve since set sail back toward the Grand Line.”

“Major Smoker, given this involves a Warlord, even with Master Zefa’s orders, capturing them might still cause trouble with the World Government.”

“The pirates who escaped from Loguetown earlier are subordinates of World Government Warlord Hanafuza—Rabut and Rachet. Both have bounties exceeding fifty million, and both are Animal-Type Devil Fruit users.”

Smoker exhaled a plume of smoke.

“They owe this world an explanation!”

“Crow Port’s destruction just ended; reconstruction hasn’t even finished.”

“Hey, Dazhiki—you haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“Those civilians’ eyes!”

“Last time, I could let it slide. But this time—I won’t let these pirates go.”

Saying this, Smoker pulled his jian from his back.

“I’ll make sure these bastards stay in the East Blue!”

“I could overlook it last time, but now I will not let these pirates go!”

The massive warship braved the storm, its speed far exceeding that of ordinary pirate ships—even as it charged through the tempest.

But as time passed,

the storm sweeping across the East Blue didn’t subside—it grew fiercer.

The turbulent sea turned a deep, abyssal black.

The surging waves seemed ready to swallow anything they touched.

In the endless storm, Smoker had lost track of time, only aware that the marines on deck had been replaced again and again.

The turbulent sea revealed a profound blackness.

the distant sea calmed; after the storm, the sky stretched clear and unnervingly empty.

Only on the distant sea did the pirate ship’s skull flag with a round shield stand out—blatantly, unmistakably.

Smoker took the telescope; his eyes locked onto the figure standing on deck.

Far away, the sea calmed; after the storm, the sky stretched clear and unnervingly cloudless.

In an instant, Smoker abandoned his pursuit of Lachete and Labute—he shifted his target entirely to Gao Wen:

“This man… is far more dangerous than Hanfuzha’s subordinates!”

“Close in!”

In an instant, Smoker abandoned his pursuit of Rachet and Rabut and shifted his target squarely onto Gao Wen:

Gao Wen had also noticed the distant warship, but he was focused solely on chasing Labute and Lachete, and had no desire to get entangled with the Marines.

He ordered the ship to increase speed and leave the warship behind.

But in the next instant,

from the warship ahead, crimson fire erupted—a cannonball skimmed past Gao Wen’s pirate ship and plunged into the sea…

He directly ordered the ship to increase speed, leaving the distant warship behind.

A water column shot skyward.

It revealed Gao Wen’s grim expression.

“Don’t push your luck!”

As the words left his lips, Gao Wen raised his hand and slashed out waves of sword qi, cleaving the incoming cannonballs midair.

Boom!

Boom!

As his words fell, Gao Wen raised his hand and slashed out waves of sword qi, cleaving the incoming cannonballs midair.

A series of explosions erupted in midair, flames and black smoke obscuring vision.

Smoker, watching the pirate ship from afar, saw a figure burst from the fire—a man wielding a long blade, racing toward his warship.

“Gao Wen!”

Smoker roared; his cloak flared without wind.

Recalling his humiliating defeat at Gao Wen’s hands, and the civilians’ stares in Crow Port, he felt a crushing sense of humiliation.

But today—everything would be washed clean.

Smoker roared, his cloak stirring without wind.

Recalling his humiliating defeat at Gao Wen’s hands and the civilians’ attitude in Raven Port, he felt only a suffocating rage.

Fortunately, all of this will be washed away today!

"For this day, to keep you all in the East Blue, I’ve gained from Teacher Zefa the power to defeat you!"

As Smoker spoke, thick white smoke rose around him, nearly engulfing the entire warship.

The white smoke twisted and reshaped into the forms of fists.

What truly caught Gao Wen’s attention were the black Armament Haki coating the smoke-formed fists!

(End of Chapter)