Chapter 106: Scary, Isn't It? Logia
Chapter 106: Scary, Isn't It? Logia
Kuro's grip left Smoker unable to flee or fight back. All he could manage was a stiff smile.
"Hey, Kuro. Long time no see."
"Ah, Mr. Kuro!" Tashigi adjusted her glasses, calling out joyfully.
"Long time no see, Tashigi. Let's catch up later."
Kuro flashed Tashigi a grin before dragging Smoker toward the training ground.
"It's been ages since we last sparred. I'd love to test your progress—and you can test mine too. We'll keep each other accountable for improvement."
Smoker—everything started with Smoker.
He'd been peacefully training at Headquarters, ready to return to the Four Blues, until Smoker informed Kuzan, which led to Lucius Kro learning about it. If Lucius Kro hadn't known, Kuro wouldn't have stayed behind. And then there were the higher-ups... Without Smoker's meddling, he'd already be enjoying life in the East Blue. This guy was truly the root of all evil!
"Wait, wait a second, Kuro!"
Smoker struggled helplessly as Kuro dragged him forward, practically being hauled along.
"Let's talk things through calmly, Kuro! Don't jump straight to the training ground. I just got back from fighting pirates, and I'm exhausted. Let me rest a bit."
Rest?
Kuro spun around, his face darkening. "You dare talk about resting?! Did you let me rest?! Do you know how miserable I've been lately?! I got promoted, Smoker! Promoted!"
Tashigi and the Navy crew nearby tilted their heads in confusion.
Wasn't a promotion a good thing?
"You deserved it, Kuro", Smoker reasoned. "With your strength, not getting promoted would've been a waste. This is great news."
Kuro arched an eyebrow. "What about our deal, Smoker? You remember, right?"
"You wanted a safe posting? I secured Headquarters for you! I even pulled strings. Without me contacting Kuzan, do you think you'd be under Lucius Kro's command now?"
Smoker said it without a hint of shame.
"...".
Kuro had no rebuttal.
A vein throbbed faintly on his forehead. "Enough excuses! You're not escaping this fight today!"
"Smoker, Kuro, what are you two up to?"
Another voice interrupted.
Tina stood with her arms crossed, a cigarette dangling from her lips, flanked by Zangao and Fenbodi.
"Tina, long time no see", Kuro greeted. "We're just about to spar."
"Oh? That sounds interesting." She glanced at Sengoku. "Hey, isn't this Sengoku? Oh right, Kuro's under Lucius Kro too."
Noticing the document in Kuro's hand, she added, "Congratulations on your promotion."
"Thanks. I was planning to celebrate after our spar. You should join us. Oh, and Smoker's footing the bill."
I have to pay after getting beaten up?! Smoker's lips twitched. If he could fight back, he'd show Kuro the harshness of reality.
"Hey, I outrank you. Give me a little respect."
"Of course! I'll be generous!"
Kuro gritted his teeth.
He'd show Smoker respect—just not today. They'd already crossed this bridge, and Kuro had accepted it. But he couldn't let this go unaddressed.
He led Smoker to an empty training ground. "To be respectful, I'll use my favorite unarmed combat techniques against you."
Unarmed combat techniques? His favorite?
Lida and Klah exchanged confused looks. Here we go again.
Sengoku, however, took it seriously. He'd been on the receiving end of Kuro's unarmed techniques before.
Smoker shrugged off his hesitation, churning his body into swirling smoke. "Fine! Let's see how much I've improved!"
Unlike before, meeting Kuro had lit a fire under him. Lately, he'd been pushing his physical limits relentlessly.
Haki was tied to the body—especially Armament Haki. While he'd focused solely on his Devil Fruit ability previously, now he'd grown serious about unarmed combat.
"Shave."
Kuro couldn't wait. His foot slammed the ground, sending him forward in a blur, elbow cocked to strike Smoker's throat.
Whoosh!
His elbow sliced through Smoker's smoky form.
"Six Styles, huh?" Tina's eyes lit up. This was her first time seeing Kuro fight. "But Smoker's a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. Won't that be hard?"
Bang!
Kuro's foot slammed into the smoke.
Smoker's smoky form hesitated, pain flashing across his face.
Kuro struck again, smashing Smoker's face into mist. Smoke billowed as Kuro's fist shot upward, hitting Smoker's abdomen. A muffled thud echoed—then his fist passed through.
Simple, but effective Armament Haki Encasement.
"You bastard!"
Smoker retaliated, his Haki-coated fist flying toward Kuro.
"Surface Scan."
Kuro's body detected the air movement, twisting like soft clay to dodge.
Who said Six Styles wasn't useful? It worked perfectly.
Smoker's eyes glowed faintly red, his fist swinging at a sharp angle.
Bang!
Kuro's punch met Smoker's, the impact reverberating.
Then Kuro kicked him away, smoke condensing as Smoker flew backward.
Kuro cracked his knuckles, lips pouting in a Lucius Kro-style smirk. "Scary, isn't it? Logia."
He'd shown Smoker mercy. With an audience, beating him brutally wouldn't do. So he'd used Encasement—striking once before releasing the Haki. Smoker's exterior stayed unmarked, but the internal pain was unavoidable.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Snap!
"I'm hitting you!"
...
Half an hour later, Kuro stepped back, refreshed. Smoker panted heavily, his expression mixed.
That bastard was truly a monster.
"There. I feel better, Smoker. Let's call it even."
Kuro exhaled, his mood lifting. Promotion wasn't so bad after all. The perks and authority were better. And a major wasn't a big deal—Navy had tons of majors. Strictly speaking, majors were still grunts. At Enies Lobby, majors didn't even get to fight. Only commanders and captains acted. It wasn't a critical position. As long as he played it safe during the Top War, he could blend into the regular Navy ranks. A few casual punches, no big issues.
"Hey, Mr. Kuro!"
A pink-haired figure burst into the training ground. Koby's face glowed with admiration. "Mr. Kuro, long time no see!"
"Koby, and Helmeppo too! Long time no see. There's a banquet later—want to join?"
"Sure!"
(End of Chapter)
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