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In the upwelling current of Reverse Mountain.
For other ships, the turbulent sea currents were like purgatory, but under Red's Surf, all dangers suddenly disappeared, pushing the Merry steadily upward.
The miraculous sight of Reverse Mountain instantly gave the Straw Hats the idea of holding a celebratory feast at this exciting moment.
That's when...
They remembered the Marine Captain Smoker who had been imprisoned by Usopp.
"Hey! I almost forgot!"
Usopp suddenly slapped his forehead as he remembered Smoker, who was confined in the storage room.
Immediately, he began explaining to everyone the epic tale of how he battled with Smoker in a contest of wits and courage, fought for 300 rounds, battled to the point of exhaustion, and finally successfully defeated and captured him.
"Wow, amazing!"
"Usopp, you're so awesome!!!"
Luffy's eyes shone with admiration, immediately impressed by the powerful and brave image Usopp had portrayed.
But at that moment...
WHACK!
Nami, looking irritated, punched Luffy's rubber head, smashing it into a comical shape, and then shouted: "Idiot! Can't you tell he's lying?!"
"Ow, that hurts..." Luffy rubbed his head, then looked up at Usopp in shock:
"Huh? Is Usopp lying?!"
"Ah ha ha ha..." The exposed Usopp laughed awkwardly and rubbed under his nose with his finger.
"How could that be?!"
"How could I possibly lie?!"
"Are you really not lying?" Red looked over in amusement.
"Don't say I didn't warn you, Usopp..."
"This guy seems to be a rising star in the Marines, and he's also a Logia Devil Fruit user like the Marine Admirals..."
"Being able to defeat someone like him should be enough to make your name famous throughout the world!"
"At the very least, it would get you on the Marines' most-wanted list and warrant a few battleships sent to capture you."
"I'm sorry, I lied!"
After hearing this, Usopp bowed and apologized at lightning speed, saying in panic: "This guy accidentally slipped and fell into the sea. Please don't let the Marines know about this!!!"
"Hahaha..."
Seeing this, Red burst into laughter.
Of course, he wouldn't believe that Smoker simply "slipped and fell into the sea."
Though some trickery must have been involved, being able to capture Smoker was impressive enough to prove Usopp's resourcefulness!
"So... what do we do with this guy? Are we going to kill him?"
SHING!
Zoro suddenly unsheathed his Sandai Kitetsu and looked at Luffy and Red with questioning eyes.
"Hey, hey, that's too extreme!"
Sanji immediately intervened.
In a battle, casualties might be unavoidable.
But killing someone in cold blood always made the kind-hearted Straw Hats uncomfortable.
"What do you think?" Red passed the final decision to Luffy.
"Hmm~"
Luffy tilted his head, as if deep in thought.
Then, ten seconds later...
GROWL~
A hungry rumble suddenly sounded from his stomach.
Immediately, Luffy's eyes lit up: "Yosh, let's have eel rice today, Sanji!"
"Idiot! Who asked you to think about what to eat?!"
THWACK!
The Straw Hats were instantly annoyed, and someone hit Luffy on the head.
Red held his forehead helplessly: "Forget it, it's been so long, this guy is probably starving to death."
"Anyway, let's release him first and give him something to eat."
"Sanji, go prepare some food."
"Right away~"
Sanji responded and immediately headed for the kitchen.
Under Red's instructions, Usopp and Zoro worked together to retrieve Smoker and loosen his restraints.
The next second...
"Damn pirates!!!"
WHOOSH!
Smoker, who had been pretending to be unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes and reached out to grab Usopp, the one who had caused his suffering.
But at that moment...
CLINK!
A blade glowing with scarlet haki energy was suddenly placed in front of him.
The jet-black Armament Haki slowly spread from the hilt toward the blade.
Though Zoro was still developing his proficiency and mastery of Haki, a look of fear suddenly flashed across Smoker's eyes. Nearby, Luffy also coated his fists with Armament Haki.
Step, step, step...
Seeing this, Smoker retreated steadily.
He reached for the jitte strapped to his back, only to find it had already been confiscated by Usopp.
The sniper had sawed off the Sea Stone tip, planning to use it to make ammunition effective against Devil Fruit users.
Smoker's face darkened: "Armament Haki?! How do you have this?!"
"Hmm~ Is that difficult?" Zoro grinned, "You only need hands to do it!"
"As long as you have hands?!"
Smoker recalled how he had specialized in Devil Fruit powers because he could never master Armament Haki, and how he had been scolded by Instructor Zephyr...
He clenched his fists.
Regardless of their positions, he really wanted to punch Zoro right now!
But with his reliance on his Logia powers neutralized, Smoker didn't know what to do.
Moreover, he was still soaked in seawater and surrounded by enemies...
Fortunately, Red stepped forward as peacemaker: "Alright, alright, Captain Smoker."
"We're currently in the upwelling current of Reverse Mountain. If you don't want to be buried at sea for no reason, you should be a little quieter during this time."
"At the very least, you need to ensure your own safety, don't you?"
"..."
Under Red's advice, Smoker slowly calmed down.
After all, from any perspective, the situation was precarious for him.
"What do you pirates want?" He clenched his fists and asked.
"We should be asking you that, Captain Smoker!"
Red smiled politely.
"We were just getting supplies in Loguetown when you suddenly surrounded us with your troops..."
"That's because I'm a Marine and you're pirates!!!" Smoker shouted angrily.
Red hadn't intended to provoke him, but the mention of it caused Smoker's anger to surge.
Though he didn't know all the details, from the current situation, it was obvious the Straw Hats had escaped the encirclement and were about to enter the Grand Line.
His mission had clearly failed! He didn't know what kind of punishment awaited him upon his return.
Poor Smoker had no idea that the fleet he'd been part of had been completely destroyed by the Straw Hats. If he knew, he might have died of fury on the spot.
Even now, he still harbored thoughts of apprehending the Straw Hats.
Red didn't intend to point this out. At least keeping Smoker in the dark would keep things a bit calmer on the ship.
Soon, Sanji returned with a plate of egg fried rice and thoughtfully prepared a glass of warm water for Smoker.
For a chef, preventing people from going hungry was the most basic professional principle.
"Alright, Captain Smoker."
Red smiled slightly and motioned for Sanji to place the food and water on the cargo box next to Smoker.
Because the ship was tilted slightly at this point, Sanji had carefully found secure spots to place the dishes.
His gentle nature showed in every action.
"You've been hungry all day, haven't you?"
"Whether Marine or pirate... even if you want to capture us, you should at least eat something first, right?"
"Don't worry, Sanji is a chef with principles. He would never do anything like poisoning food."
"Additionally..."
Red pulled out a newspaper with a knowing look and placed it next to the dinner plate.
It was the World Economic Newspaper(East Blue Edition) that documented the collusion between Captain Nezumi and the Arlong Pirates.
Although Smoker's strength was average and his attitude arrogant, his heart was undoubtedly righteous! He was the type who put aside his Marine identity for... true justice!!!
"This is today's newspaper. You can read it if you're bored."
"There's not much time left before we reach the mountain's peak. We don't know what will happen soon, so let's go eat too!"
"Great!!!"
Red's suggestion immediately received an enthusiastic response from Luffy.
Soon, they walked out of the storage room where Smoker was being held, leaving him there without any restraints.
"What's with these guys?!"
Smoker frowned, feeling strangely that Luffy and the others were different from other pirates he'd encountered.
Smelling the aromatic egg fried rice, he finally couldn't resist after going a day without food or water. He picked up a spoon and began eating.
"..."
"It's delicious~!"