The man struggled in terror for a moment before Onigumo delivered a sharp hand-chop to his neck, knocking him unconscious instantly.
"Stop!"
Smoker could no longer suppress his rage and roared:
"Onigumo! What the hell are you doing! He's just an ordinary civilian!"
Onigumo, still holding the unconscious man, glanced back at Smoker with a look of bewilderment before sneering:
"A civilian?"
His tone was filled with matter-of-fact contempt.
"These things pop up in batches; it doesn't matter how many of them die. As long as the Celestial Dragons are pleased, that's all that matters."
Onigumo didn't give Smoker another chance to speak, a flash of malice appearing in his eyes.
"You're just a mere Colonel—do you really think you can tell me what to do?"
Before he even finished speaking, he raised his leg and delivered a kick, shrouded in black Armament Haki, straight into Smoker's chest!
The speed was too fast, and the distance too close!
Caught off Guard, Smoker had no time to defend himself.
Boom!
Smoker went flying, slamming heavily into the wall behind him; the solid brickwork instantly cracked like a spiderweb.
"Pfft!"
Smoker slid to the ground, a metallic tang filling his throat, before he vomited a mouthful of blood.
"Now, get out of the way and stay there."
Onigumo, carrying the "pirate," prepared to turn away, warning without even looking back:
"If you dare to interfere again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Smoker tried to stand, bracing himself against the wall with his hands, but the searing pain in his chest sapped all his strength.
He lifted his head, his eyes burning with rage as he stared at Onigumo's retreating back.
The image of the Celestial Dragons wantonly shooting civilians, the desperate cries as the fishing boat was crushed, the stifled anger of his subordinates, and this absurd, truth-twisting scene before him—everything intertwined, becoming the final match that lit the powder keg.
The justice meant to protect civilians had become an accomplice to tyranny.
Was this the justice he sought?
Was this the order he had risked his life to protect?
"What kind of..."
A few words were forced from Smoker's throat as he used every ounce of his strength to brace against the wall and stand straight.
"Joke!"
Boom!!!!
A dense, white smoke exploded outward from him, instantly billowing to engulf the entire alley and completely enveloping Onigumo ahead!
Onigumo halted, tossing the person from his shoulder onto the ground. His cold gaze swept the surroundings, but the thick white smoke obscured everything.
"Hmph, what? Do you think that by relying on this bit of smoke..."
Whoosh!
Onigumo's figure abruptly vanished from where he stood, and in the next second, he appeared in mid-air!
He reached out his right hand with precision, grabbing fiercely into the empty, smoke-filled air before him!
A hand emerged from the thick smoke, tightly gripping Smoker's throat and forcibly dragging him out of his elemental form!
"~~ Can you trap me!!!"
Onigumo's roar thundered, giving Smoker no further chance.
His left fist, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, carried the weight of a mountain as it slammed into Smoker's cheek!
Bang!
The dull crunch of breaking bone set one's teeth on edge.
At the same time, his knee, also coated in Haki, slammed violently into Smoker's abdomen!
"Urgh..."
The relentless blows made Smoker's vision go dark, his mind blanking out. The massive hand gripping his throat choked off his breath, and the thick smoke dissipating from his body quickly retracted back into his form.
Onigumo produced a pair of Seastone handcuffs from somewhere.
"Click."
With a "click," the Seastone handcuffs locked onto the wrists of the unconscious Smoker.
Onigumo tossed the unconscious Smoker aside, discarding him onto the cold ground with a dull thud.
He picked up the unconscious "pirate" from the ground, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and without sparing a glance for Smoker, turned and strode toward the main road where Saint Charlimako was.
He rejoined the absurd procession, heading together toward the center of the square in Loguetown, toward that towering execution platform.
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