Chapter 28 – The Tashigi Look-alike Showdown and Smoker's Blood Pressure
BANG—!
Kuina's figure blurred.
In the blink of an eye she was standing in front of Aike, blade already drawn.
Steel met sea-prism stone with a deafening ring as she casually parried Smoker's full-power strike.
"Soru?!"
Before Smoker could process that, Kuina's sword twisted.
"Shimotsuki-style · Hazymoon!"
A flash of silver light sliced straight through Smoker's torso, cutting the colonel clean in half in a single heartbeat.
"Colonel Smoker!!!"
"Why is Sergeant Major Tashigi helping pirates?!"
The surrounding Marines screamed in horror.
Their invincible Colonel had been bisected in one move.
By someone wearing Tashigi's face.
Panic and disbelief exploded across the square.
Kuina, however, didn't relax for a second.
She hadn't felt the familiar resistance of cutting flesh.
"So this is the 'elementalization' Boss mentioned…
Incredible."
Two clouds of smoke drifted apart, then rapidly swirled back together.
"She's not Tashigi. Just someone who looks exactly like her."
Smoker calmed his men, then smirked, and declared with total confidence:
"Pointless. I ate the natural-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit. You can't touch me."
Aike's mouth twitched.
Announcing your power in the middle of a fight—how stupid can you get?
Yet somehow every second villain in this world does it.
At that moment, new commotion erupted from the outer ring of Marines.
"Sergeant Major Tashigi?"
"The real Sergeant Major Tashigi is here!"
The soldiers instinctively parted.
A girl who looked identical to Kuina—glasses, Marine coat, nervous expression and all—walked straight into the square.
Even Tom, who had been hiding behind Aike's legs, rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
His paw kept swiveling between Kuina and Tashigi.
A giant "???" floated above the cat's head.
The two parties involved stared at each other in stunned silence.
"Save the chit-chat for later. She's all yours. I'm taking the Devil Merchant."
Smoker barked an order that was completely out of touch with reality.
He had zero expectations of Tashigi beating the monster swordswoman.
Without Haki, even he had barely blocked that strike.
That girl's swordsmanship was already knocking on the door of true swordsman (kenshi) level.
So the only path to victory was to take the leader.
Then the Marines might still have a chance.
But the universe clearly hated Smoker today.
Another wave of commotion came from the opposite side of the encirclement.
"I knew it. Only you could turn an entire town upside down, Aike."
A sweet, exasperated voice rang out.
Under Hikari's Mangekyō glare, the Marine line parted like the Red Sea.
Nami, Nojiko, Kaya, Hikari, and Izumi strolled onto the battlefield as if they were taking a morning walk.
"Looks like your plan's officially failed."
Aike gave Smoker a cheerful little wave.
To him, the whole "capture plan" had been comedy from the start.
The girls reached the center and finally noticed the elephant in the room.
"…"
"EHHHHH?!"
Nami and Carina's jaws dropped.
"No way. They're literally identical!"
"Kuina, is she your long-lost twin or something?!"
Nami, Carina, Nojiko, and Kaya immediately swarmed the two swordswomen, inspecting them from every angle.
Same face.
Same voice.
Same height.
If not for the glasses and uniforms, they'd be the same person.
"You guys…"
Tashigi floundered under the sudden girl-pile, blushing furiously.
Kuina just scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"I… don't think so? Dad never mentioned a twin."
"Enough family reunion!"
Smoker snapped, patience finally gone.
"Tashigi! The people in front of you are wanted criminals. Stop wasting time!"
"Yes, sir!"
"This white-haired old man is the colonel here?"
Carina tilted her head innocently at Smoker.
"Yep. Looks even older than that rat colonel," Nami added with a sweet smile.
White-haired… old man…
The words hit Smoker like bullets.
Veins popped on his forehead.
Even Tashigi and the surrounding Marines had to fight back snickers.
"Hmph!"
Smoker shot his men a death glare.
White smoke erupted from his body again, this time spreading in every direction.
He was done talking.
Time to end this.
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