On the other side of town, Carina and her group finished purchasing most of their supplies on the commercial street after parting ways with Moge at the harbor.
“The Execution Plaza where Roger was killed isn’t far from here,” Kuro said, stopping in his tracks.
He pushed up his glasses with the palm of his hand, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
“Should we go take a look?”
After all, this was Loguetown’s most famous landmark—the place where the life of the Pirate King, Gol D.
Roger, came to an end.
Almost every pirate who came to this town wanted to see it for themselves, and Kuro was no exception.
Carina turned to look at Toniel beside her.
Seeing Toniel nodding with eyes full of anticipation, it was clear he wanted to go too.
She shrugged helplessly.
“Alright then, let’s go take a look together.”
Having always followed Moge, she didn’t have any special feelings toward the legendary Pirate King.
She just didn’t want to dampen her two companions’ spirits.
Carrying their supplies, the three walked quickly toward the Execution Plaza and arrived at their destination before long.
The plaza was crowded, mostly with pirates who had come to pay their respects.
In the center of the plaza, that simple and solemn Execution Platform stood quietly.
After so many years, it had become covered in rust.
Toniel set down his supply bags and looked up at the platform, feeling somewhat disappointed.
“So this is where the Pirate King was executed?
It doesn’t look like anything special.”
Carina rolled her eyes.
“It was just an ordinary execution platform to begin with.
It’s only because Roger died here that people hyped it up so much.
I really can’t see what’s so great about it.”
“You shouldn’t look at it that way,” Kuro countered, pushing up his glasses as a deep look crossed his eyes.
“We’re pirates.
Coming to the place where the Pirate King met his end is something we have to do.
Think of it as paying respects.”
Just then, a voice suddenly shouted from the side, “Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans!
I didn’t expect to run into you here!
Since fortune brought us together, I’ll be taking your head!”
Before the voice even faded, a figure leaped into the air, wielding a gleaming longsword.
With a sharp gust of wind, he slashed straight down toward Kuro.
The newcomer was a bounty hunter who had long since set his sights on Kuro’s bounty.
Seeing him alone now, without the Black Cat Pirates, the hunter thought it was his lucky day.
Facing the sudden attack, Kuro’s expression remained unchanged.
He simply tilted his body slightly to dodge the blade while delivering a fierce kick to the bounty hunter’s abdomen.
Bang!
The bounty hunter let out a miserable scream as his body flew backward, slamming heavily onto the ground before passing out.
The surrounding pirates showed no reaction to the scene.
Fights between pirates, Marines, and bounty hunters were the most common occurrences on the sea.
Kuro felt it was even less of a deal.
Too many people had been eyeing his head over the years; otherwise, he wouldn’t have developed the idea of quitting the pirate life in the first place.
The White Hunter Arrives
Vroom—Vroom—
The roar of an engine approached from the distance.
A strangely shaped motorcycle, full of industrial metallic vibes, came tearing into the square, followed by a large number of Marines.
The newcomer was none other than the “White Hunter” Smoker.
He had received a report from a Marine patrol that a large number of pirates had gathered at the Execution Plaza, so he immediately brought his men over to sweep the area.
Smoker had rugged features and a fierce face, with a head full of short white hair but not a single eyebrow.
He had two cigars clenched in his mouth, surrounded by swirling smoke.
His open Marine coat revealed his strong, solid chest, and a large Seastone Jitte was tucked diagonally behind his back.
Riding his motorcycle, he came to a steady stop in the center of the plaza.
His gaze swept the surroundings as he spoke in a deep voice, “Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans, ‘Pheasant’ Morde…
and the rest of you pirates present.
You’re all famous figures in the East Blue, yet you’ve all gathered here.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to the Marines behind him and ordered, “Surround this place!
Don’t let a single one escape!
Arrest every pirate here!”
“Yes, Colonel Smoker!” the Marines responded in unison.
They immediately dispersed, armed with firearms and swords.
They surrounded the entire Execution Plaza so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through, forming an airtight encirclement.
Kuro’s expression instantly turned solemn.
He pushed up his glasses and whispered to Carina and Toniel, “Prepare to break through.
We need to find the Captain as soon as possible.
Smoker is incredibly strong, and we’re no match for him right now.”
Carina and Toniel nodded seriously.
They had long heard of Smoker’s reputation, and Moge had also warned them about the Marine officer’s strength.
Seeing themselves surrounded, the pirates in the plaza began breaking out in all directions.
Some charged directly at the Marine line, and screams and the sounds of fighting erupted instantly.
Kuro barked at Carina and Toniel, “Go!”
He was the first to charge, his Silent Step unfolding as he moved with incredible speed.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Following several dull impacts, the Marines in their path had no time to react before being kicked to the ground by Kuro, completely losing their ability to fight.
Carina and Toniel followed closely behind.
Faint flames ignited at Carina’s fingertips and shot toward the Marines, while Toniel used his combat techniques to batter the front lines.
Together, they quickly broke through a gap, and the three of them rushed toward the plaza’s exit.
Fire and Smoke
Seeing that Kuro’s trio was about to completely break through the encirclement, Smoker instantly transformed into smoke.
Using the explosive propulsion generated by his smoke jets, he became like a speeding white shadow, catching up to them in an instant with startling speed.
“White Blow!” Smoker roared.
Dense smoke condensed around his arm, transforming into a massive smoke fist that smashed down toward the three to stop them in their tracks.
Boom!
Carina reacted extremely quickly, stopping her advance as raging flames rose from her palm.
She instantly condensed them into a scorching fire fist and met the attack without hesitation.
Fire and smoke collided violently.
The two natural forces intertwined and tore at each other.
White smoke and orange-red flames mingled and spread instantly, sending a scorching heat wave sweeping across the entire plaza.
Smoker’s figure emerged from the smoke, his eyes fixed solemnly on Carina.
“A Logia?
The Mera Mera no Mi!
Who are you?
Are you a new member of Kuro’s crew?”
Logia Devil Fruits were extremely rare in the East Blue.
He never expected that someone with such an ability would be standing by Captain Kuro’s side.
Carina lifted her chin and corrected him proudly, “I’m the navigator of the Stellar Pirates.
Also, you’re wrong about one thing—Kuro is our crew member.
We aren’t followers, we’re partners.”
“Is that so?
To think Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans would actually serve under someone else and join your crew,” Smoker said, his expression growing even more grim as his tone turned a few degrees colder.
“In that case, your threat is even greater than I thought.
Today, I absolutely can’t let you escape!”
Captain Kuro was already resourceful and a notoriously dangerous pirate in the East Blue.
Now that their group also had a Logia user with the Mera Mera no Mi, if they successfully entered the Grand Line, they would surely become an even greater disaster for the world.