Chapter 80: Smoker's Justice

"I haven't changed a bit since enlisting; I've always hated evil like an enemy and cannot tolerate even a speck of dust in my eyes."

"So-called pirates burn, kill, loot, and commit every imaginable evil; they are a cancer that must be eradicated from these seas."

"With so many pirates gathered right now, the sight alone makes me nauseous and retch; how could I possibly let slip this chance to annihilate them all!"

"As for that idiot Bai Chi, Your Majesty Arutai? Letting him feel satisfied and happy is merely a side benefit."

Onigumo looked down at him from above, stating indifferently:

"And you, trying to obstruct an order as natural as firing upon pirates—what is this, could it be that there is someone inside you wish to shelter privately?"

"Shelter?!"

Smoker laughed in sheer fury, "Of course there is! There certainly is! I am the base commander appointed by Headquarters to station at Loguetown!! Aren't all the residents of this entire island the very people I am meant to shelter!!"

"Civilians?"

Onigumo glanced at him inexplicably, unable to help but sneer, "Those guys who pop up crop after crop, no one cares about them; it doesn't matter how many die, let alone civilians—even subordinates who have followed me for years, if they dare obstruct my path of annihilating pirates and executing justice, I will just as unhesitatingly fire upon them!"

"Just like, right now..."

"You!"

He bared his teeth, a sudden ferocity flashing in his eyes, and suddenly lifted his right foot, kicking viciously toward Smoker!

"A mere Colonel, merely praised once offhand by Instructor Zephyr back in the day, and you actually take yourself so seriously that you dare teach me how to do things?!"

Boom!

This kick carried immense force and weight, additionally wrapped in dense Armament Haki.

Yet Smoker had never expected the other party would actually attack him.

Caught completely off guard, he took the kick squarely in the chest, flew several meters away, and crashed into the wall; clutching his chest, he spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

The Marine soldiers nearby, drawn by the commotion, cast astonished glances over.

"Pay him no mind; are all the cannonballs loaded and ready? Open fire with everyone! The barrage must cover the entire square; every single person there is a pirate, do not let a single one escape!"

Onigumo commanded in a deep voice.

"Yes, Vice Admiral!!!"

All three warships responded with a thunderous roar.

Rumble-rumble-rumble! Over fifty cannons unleashed their full firepower; before the pitch-black muzzles, those leaping orange-red tongues of fire illuminated Onigumo's eyes, which were filled with delight.

"Hmph."

The frustration he had bottled up for nearly a month was finally relieved at this moment.

Onigumo cast a cold glance at Smoker lying on the ground, "It seems you didn't listen to a single word I told you a while ago; then, as your senior brother, I shall simply give you another lesson!"

"For the Marines, if one wishes to execute one's own path of justice, one cannot harbor even a shred of mercy or soft-heartedness; an idiot like you who cannot let go of naive fantasies should, just like Instructor Zephyr, honestly retire to the second line!"

"Now, shut your mouth obediently and get the hell out of the way!"

Onigumo strode toward the bow, the white 'Justice' cloak on his back fluttering in the wind, "If you dare stay here any longer and delay my cleanup of the pirates, do not blame me for being ruthless; you will be dealt with under military law!"

Cleanup of pirates?

Executing justice?!

Smoker struggled to push himself up against the wall, his right hand clutching a chest that heaved violently; raising his bloodshot eyes toward the distance, the cries wailing from the square pounded against his eardrums, each sound stabbing into his heart like a thorn.

Was this Onigumo's justice?

A justice that lumped civilians and pirates together to indulge in wanton venting and slaughter?

"Are you kidding me?!!"

This was the town he had staked his life to protect; how could he possibly do nothing and just sit by while such a thing happened!!!

Hum!

Smoke suddenly exploded outward, and the deck of the entire warship was instantly swallowed by a gray-white mist.

Smoker's elementalized body, like a rampaging dust storm, engulfed every single gunner who was in the process of loading cannonballs.

"Smoke, such thick smoke!"

"I can't see clearly, what is going on!"

"Cough... cough-cough! Help, I can't breathe!"

Violent coughing sounds rose one after another; from time to time, gunners suffocated and fainted, and Onigumo suddenly lost visibility of the distant area, becoming instantly furious, "Have you gone mad, Smoker!!!"

"Order the other two ships to cease fire! Immediately!"

Smoker's low voice emerged from within the thick fog, "It is still in time to send soldiers to treat the civilians now; as for those pirates, I will personally move to capture them; I guarantee you, absolutely not a single fish will slip through the net!!"

"Absolutely not a single one?"

Onigumo's gaze swept coldly around the surroundings, as if searching for something, "Hmph, you are actually bargaining with me now; what, do you think that by hiding inside the smoke..."

Swish!

He suddenly vanished from his spot, and in the next instant abruptly reappeared in the southern sky; reaching his right hand forward to grab, he actually, within the thick white smoke, tightly choked Smoker's throat.

"... I wouldn't be able to find you?!!"

"Gurk..." Smoker's body gradually materialized; his face was flushed crimson, his throat emitting gurgling sounds, his right hand gripping his jitte, ready to fight for his life.

But by Onigumo's unknown timing, he had produced Seastone handcuffs, which with a click, were firmly locked onto Smoker's wrists.

A sensation of weakness and powerlessness instantly spread through his entire body, while Onigumo left no gap whatsoever; Armament Haki instantly covered his right fist, and he smashed it viciously onto Smoker's cheek!

And at that same moment, his knee bent like an elbow, driving into Smoker's abdomen!

Hiss! Smoker's facial skin trembled violently, his gaze gradually becoming unfocused, while the dense smoke emanating from his body rapidly withdrew back inside.

Boom!

Only then did Onigumo reverse his grip and slam Smoker down onto the deck; the wooden planks shattered, blasting out a huge crater.

The entire sequence of moves was swift, fierce, and ruthless, showing no mercy whatsoever, nor giving Smoker any chance to counterattack.

He drifted down from the sky to land, casually lighting a cigarette, too lazy to even glance at Smoker again, and spoke coldly, "Continue executing the order; open fire!"

"Yes, Vice Admiral!"

Marines immediately filled the vacant gunner positions, while the mist shrouding the deck drifted away in the sea breeze, gradually restoring clear visibility.

Onizumo glanced into the distance and casually noticed that several human figures had successively appeared on the rooftops on the west side of the square.

Hm?

Do they intend to step forward and lead the resistance?

Onizumo sneered contemptuously; if these were pirates from the Grand Line, he might have taken them seriously, but here in Loguetown of the East Blue, who could possibly withstand a baptism of artillery fire?

The three warships under his command were all built to Headquarters standards; their firepower far surpassed that of the branch offices in these backwater regions of the East Blue!

"Divert half the artillery fire to give those few fellows extra attention!"

Onizumo said indifferently.

"Understood, Mr. Onizumo!"

Hmph.

Wanting to stick their necks out?

He loved crushing such presumptuous birds that stuck their heads out!

Boom—!!

The three warships unleashed their full firepower once again; while blanketing the entire square, at least half of the cannonballs poured down upon those few figures on the rooftop!

Hm?

Standing on the rooftop right after Sister Sister Guyina, Siano looked up at this scene, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Second update; thanks to Melancholy Heart for the 5,000 reward, and to 08a and Naked Earthworm for their donation support.





(End of chapter)