The Buggy Pirates were still immersed in their feast, completely unaware that their movements had long been monitored by the Marine. Even the young Marine monitoring them thought this Pirate Crew was too weak, and that the tenmu's depiction was overly exaggerated and fake.
If Buggy truly possessed top-tier Observation Haki, how could he not detect a Marine who didn't even have Haki? This guy was still hiding in the shadows, pulling out his den den mushi to report, 'Repeat, target has not left. Repeat, target has not left. Please provide next instructions.'
The den den mushi was connected to the Loguetown Marine base. 'Soldier, your mission is complete. Colonel Smoker will arrive shortly. You are now ordered to retreat immediately to avoid being caught in the battle.'
'Understood,' the monitoring officer hung up the den den mushi. He had joined the Marine due to the inspiration of Colonel Smoker. In this young Marine's heart, the Colonel was as powerful as a monster, and pirates were simply fodder in his hands.
As soon as this diligent Marine left, Smoker, using his White Smoke Launcher, arrived on the scene. The man, with two cigars in his mouth, said, 'Tashigi, go and evacuate the townspeople nearby. If a real fight breaks out, we won't be able to look after them. I can handle the Buggy Pirates by myself.'
Tashigi saluted the Colonel, then dragged her sword to carry out Smoker's orders. This woman not only had a good appearance, but her personal strength was second only to Smoker's in the Loguetown Marine. If any stragglers escaped, she would help deal with them.
'Buggy the Clown, let me meet you. White Punch!'
Smoker's limbs detached from his body, trailing long plumes of white smoke as he burst through the tavern door and flew towards Buggy. The Chop-Chop Fruit, when developed, only allowed for automatic evasion of swordsmen's attacks. For blunt weapon attacks or close-quarters combat, he needed his own brain to react.
Two fists landed squarely on Buggy the Clown's face. The immense force sent him flying, crashing into the wine cellar behind him. The Captain's sudden attack brought everyone back to reality, highlighting their Captain's screams.
'Captain, are you alright?'
'Who dares to ambush Captain Buggy? I'll fight you to the death! Everyone, attack!'
A white-haired man with a cigar in his mouth pushed open the damaged tavern door. 'Just as I thought. Everyone was fooled by the tenmu. Just a low-grade clown.'
'Marine Smoker! Why is he here?'
'Oh my god, it's that monster! I don't want to be thrown into prison!'
'Captain Buggy, save us!'
In the East Blue, who didn't know Smoker? This Natural Devil Fruit Ability User treated these pirates like a grandfather dealing with his grandchildren. Small-time pirates had no ability to fight back.
In the early versions of Pirate King without Haki, Smoker chased the future Pirate King across several countries, bullying Luffy and his crew with ease. Unfortunately, with later version updates, the Smoke-Smoke Fruit's effectiveness waned, and in the face of the dark and hard Armament Haki, he was repeatedly defeated, becoming a mere underling.
Activating his Chop-Chop Fruit, half of Buggy's body flew out of the rubble. That White Punch had truly hit him squarely. A large, purplish lump swelled on his comical clown face. 'Marine, how dare you interrupt Grandfather Clown's feast? Die!'
Buggy, his mind clouded by anger, threw a special Buggy Ball at Smoker. The enemy made no move. 'You don't even know Armament Haki. How could you hit me?'
Smoker voluntarily elementalized his body. The Buggy Ball passed through a white mist, flew into a shop behind the Marine, and exploded with a loud bang, reducing a clothing store to ruins.
'A Natural Devil Fruit Ability User! You're Marine Smoker!'
'Buggy the Clown, aren't you a little late to realize? White Vine!' His arm transformed into a white smoke snake, reaching for Buggy's upper body.
Buggy's head and upper body split again, dodging the white snake's grasp. But the white smoke snake, failing in its first strike, instantly circled in the air and turned, its large snake head continuing to bite at the pirate's head.
The effects of the alcohol faded during the battle. Buggy had just been carried away by the information in the tenmu, but in reality, how could he possess such strength? Without Haki, he couldn't harm a Natural Type Ability User. If he had known this, he would have left earlier.
After dodging the white snake's grabs a few times, poor Buggy was eventually choked by Smoker's smoke. The power gap between them was too vast. 'You can't escape this time, Buggy the Clown. You really are too weak.'
'Release Captain Buggy!' Buggy's loyal subordinates overcame their fear, grabbed their weapons, and attacked the Navy Colonel.
Alberta swung her spiked club at Smoker's head, Cabaji, on his unicycle, thrust his long sword at Smoker's chest, and Mohji commanded his lion, Richie, to bite Smoker's thigh. The three strongest executives of the Buggy Pirates attacked simultaneously.
No matter how many times the beautiful Alberta struck, no matter how many times Cabaji's long sword pierced his chest, and no matter how many times Richie the lion lunged in vain, in the face of the Natural Devil Fruit's elementalization, they couldn't even scratch Smoker. 'A useless Captain with useless subordinates truly is a perfect match. White Gale!'
Marine Smoker's body generated more white smoke, instantly engulfing the entire tavern. The white smoke swept all these pirates into the air. Even Alberta, who had eaten the Sube Sube no Mi, could not escape.
Buggy the Clown was even worse off; his feet were found by the smoke, and his fragmented body was enveloped by it, leaving him suspended in the air like his subordinates. 'Smoker, I am Red-Haired Shanks' brother! You can't capture me! Aren't you afraid of the Four Emperors' retaliation?'
'Shanks is still on the Grand Line. By the time he comes to the East Blue, you'll already be in prison. No one can save you today.' Stronger pirates would be dealt with by stronger Marines. Smoker just needed to manage his own territory.
Controlling the smoke, he held over twenty pirates. He hadn't expected the battle to be so easy. Smoker walked out of the tavern and, seeing Tashigi who had completed her mission, asked, 'Did you bring Marine Sea Stone handcuffs? There are two Devil Fruit Ability Users in there.'
'Reporting, Colonel, I only have one pair of handcuffs.'
'Handcuff that clown first. His Devil Fruit Ability is troublesome; he likes to run around. We can ignore that woman for now.' Smoker didn't recognize Alberta; on her wanted poster, she was still a fat woman.
Tashigi walked up to Buggy the Clown and asked the question on her mind, 'Do you have anything to do with this tenmu? Your actual strength is so weak, yet it praises you, a clown. It really picks the wrong targets.'
'How should I know? Who is praising me so highly? I'm so unlucky!' Buggy the Clown, his personal freedom controlled by the smoke, felt even more wronged, tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't understand how he had provoked the person behind the tenmu to receive such an exaggerated and ultimately harmful treatment.
'This pirate doesn't even know Three-Color Haki. We don't need to bother Admiral Akainu.'
No sooner had Smoker finished speaking than the tenmu began to change again. His own Navy Colonel self was now appearing in the tenmu...