Chapter 9

Smoker slowly opened his eyes and got up from the ground.

The scene that met his eyes instantly made his scalp tingle.

Looking around, the buildings on both sides of the street were mostly destroyed, some even reduced to ruins.

The Marines who followed him lay or sprawled on the ground, their eyes rolled back, unconscious.

It was like a battlefield.

Then...

A wave of intense pain swept through Smoker's brain, making him immediately press his temples.

The memory of what had just happened resurfaced in his mind.

"Straw Hat."

Smoker clenched his cigar, recalling that he was chasing Luffy.

But he was suddenly attacked by the Conqueror Haki just now.

In fact, the previous rounds of Conqueror Haki only shook his consciousness.

They did not knock him down.

It was the final Conqueror Haki that came with overwhelming force.

He was caught off guard.

Although he immediately used his Ten Fingers to defend, his body still suffered the impact, flying backward like a broken kite.

He couldn't even use his Logia powers.

Thinking about this, Smoker picked up his weapon and found that the Ten Fingers had broken in half, split into two pieces.

The Ten Fingers, made of Seastone, were harder than ordinary steel.

Yet, they couldn't withstand the shockwave created by the opponent.

What kind of monster appeared in Loguetown?

For a moment, Smoker couldn't help but wonder.

But he didn't stay there long. He tried to wake up the unconscious Marines but failed.

So, he gripped the broken Ten Fingers and moved in the direction where the Conqueror Haki had erupted.

After about five or six minutes.

An incredible scene came into Smoker's view.

Half of the street's buildings were flattened, and the road was full of shocking cracks and deep pits.

It wasn't hard to see that this was where the battle had taken place.

However...

The Marines here were not dead but, like his subordinates, unconscious.

It seemed that the opponent didn't want to take their lives.

"Not a pirate."

Smoker made his judgment immediately.

If it were a ruthless pirate, they likely wouldn't have been so merciful.

Then, he looked around and found that Luffy was not there.

Considering the clear sky, it was evident that he had been unconscious for some time.

Could it have been Luffy?

No, no, no.

That guy doesn't have such terrifying power.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Smoker's gaze was drawn to a Marine who was waking up.

"Zoro?"

Smoker quickly approached, asking about his condition.

Although Smoker's expression looked fierce, he was deeply concerned about his subordinates.

"Water..."

Zoro didn't answer Smoker's question but looked uncomfortable.

Smoker, hearing this, fetched some fresh water for Zoro.

Nakaz, as well as some other privates, also woke up at this time.

Although they didn't see Luffy, seeing Smoker's figure made them feel more at ease.

After Zoro gulped down the fresh water, Smoker asked again, "What happened?"

The others also looked at Zoro.

Especially Nakaz, who remembered that Zoro was the last one to fall.

"It was a dragon."

Zoro thought for a moment and responded to Smoker.

On one hand, he had nothing to hide; all the Marines present had seen the dragon.

On the other hand, the dragon was the leader of the Revolutionary Army.

The world government's most wanted criminal!

He and the Marine Headquarters naturally had no connection.

This meant that by attributing the Conqueror Haki to the dragon alone, no one would know the truth.

His own strength would remain hidden for another day!

The result was as Zoro expected.

When Smoker heard the name "dragon," his face turned pale.

"It was... that dragon."

If it was that dragon, it could explain what just happened.

Then, Smoker looked at the others.

When these Marines met Smoker's gaze, they all nodded, corroborating Zoro's story.

The dragon did appear!

"Bad news, Commander Smoker!"

At that moment, Nakaz suddenly stood up, having confirmed that Luffy was gone.

"Straw Hat."

Smoker, hearing this, didn't show any surprise.

Although he was just a branch commander, his true strength was on par with some of the vice admirals at headquarters.

Based on the current clues, he deduced:

"If I'm not mistaken, Straw Hat either escaped after you all passed out."

"Or..."

"He was saved by that dragon."

This statement caused a stir.

"That dragon saved Straw Hat? But why?"

Nakaz's eyes widened, puzzled.

"Unknown." Smoker shook his head without hesitation.

How could he know the truth?

He had just woken up and was equally confused about the dragon's appearance.

However, for some reason, Smoker felt that the second possibility was the most likely.

"Zoro, what do you think?"

Suddenly, Smoker turned to Zoro, asking for his opinion.

"Me?" Zoro deliberately furrowed his brow. "If this involves the dragon, it's not something we can interfere with."

"So..."

"I think we should go home and clock out."

Thud!

With Zoro's words, all the Marines fell to the ground!

"That's the point!"

"That's the dragon, Sergeant Zoro!"

"Truly, Sergeant Zoro, you've made 'clocking out on time' your life motto."

Hearing everyone's teasing, Zoro shrugged.

"Eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, eight hours for myself, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Besides..."

Zoro paused slightly, then shook his head with a wry smile.

"You can't expect a small fry like me to capture the world's most dangerous criminal, can you?"

"Even if a hundred years pass, the gap in strength between me and the dragon will never close."

With that, Zoro stretched, waved to Smoker, and indicated that he was going home to take a hot bath.

Whatever happens...

We'll deal with it tomorrow at work.

At the same time.

Dragon, who had just sent Luffy and his crew away, was hiding on the nearest island to Loguetown, contacting the Revolutionary Army headquarters.

"Notify all Revolutionary Army members, especially the officers, to tell them absolutely, absolutely..."

"Do not go to Loguetown!"

"There, the World Government has set up a tight net!"