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[TIOP] Chapter : 31
🕑 Added 2025-02-14 17:28:05 +0000 UTC“Enough. I’m not here for you.” Hawkeye’s sharp gaze swept over the group as he asked, “Where’s your captain?”
The lounging pirates tensed, exchanging wary glances before one of them took off running toward the depths of the island.
“Boss! Boss! Boss!” the pirate shouted, his voice echoing through the camp.
A few figures, sprawled lazily under the shade of massive trees, turned their heads at the commotion, their expressions dark with annoyance.
Then, a low chuckle came from beneath one of the trees.
“Hawkeye? Now that’s a rare guest.”
A man with fiery red hair and three distinct scars running across his left eye reclined against the trunk. The shadows obscured much of his face, giving him an air of quiet menace.
“But I’m not exactly in top form right now. Are you here for a duel?” He asked, smirking.
Hawkeye scoffed. “Hmph. Why would I bother dueling a one-armed man?”
He stepped forward, pulling out a folded sheet of paper.
“I recently came across an interesting crew while I was out at sea. It reminded me of that kid you once spoke of—the one from that small village.”
At his words, the surrounding pirates stiffened.
“Could it be…?” some of the senior crew members murmured, their eyes widening as they caught sight of the bounty poster in his hands.
A grin spread across the red-haired pirate’s face as he leaned forward.
“So… he’s finally set sail?”
This was none other than Shanks, the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates.
And the name on the bounty poster confirmed it—Monkey D. Luffy was now a wanted man.
East Blue, Windmill Village
The usually quiet village buzzed with excitement, the lively chatter spilling out from the local tavern.
“What’s all the ruckus about? A criminal from our village is wanted, and you’re celebrating?” The elderly village mayor scowled, glaring at the gathered townsfolk.
Behind the bar, Luffy’s sister figure chuckled, pouring a round of drinks. “Oh, come on, Mayor-san, Just look at his smile on this bounty poster.” She held it up, beaming with pride.
The old man huffed, folding his arms. “Hmph. A pirate is still a pirate.”
“But this was his dream, wasn’t it?” she replied, her voice laced with warmth.
The chief stared at his glass, his expression unreadable. “Dream… or destiny?” he murmured under his breath.
But in the lively chaos of the tavern, no one heard him.
Meanwhile, in Loguetown, Smoker and Jack were seated in a dimly lit bar, sharing drinks. The door swung open, and Tashigi stepped inside. She approached Smoker, leaning down to whisper something in his ear.
Smoker’s brows furrowed as he turned his gaze toward Jack, seemingly weighing his words.
Jack raised an eyebrow, then downed his drink in one gulp. “What’s with that look? Just so we’re clear, I’m not into men.” He smirked, wiping his mouth.
A vein throbbed on Smoker’s forehead, and for a brief moment, it looked like he might snap. But remembering Tashigi’s report, he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay composed.
“Tch. Whatever. Drink by yourself. Your sailboat is docked at the harbor—if you want to leave, get lost. I’ve got real work to do.”
With that, Smoker stood, grabbed his coat, and walked out, leaving Jack grinning behind his glass.
Smoker tossed a wad of berries onto the table before turning on his heel and leaving with Tashigi.
"Tch. Guess I’ll tag along and see what you’re up to," Jack muttered, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp. He tossed a few bills to the bartender before heading out.
His curiosity had gotten the better of him—he couldn’t resist the allure of the unexpected.
That said, he had no intention of eavesdropping on Tashigi’s conversation. If they didn’t want him to know, he wouldn’t listen in. That would be disrespectful. But if he happened to figure it out on his own? Well, that was a different story.
Not long after Smoker’s departure, Jack slipped out as well, activating his Observation Haki to track the marine captain without being seen.
As he followed, he realized Smoker and his unit were heading toward the execution platform—where a sizable force had already taken position.
Jack narrowed his eyes. What’s going on?
Then, he saw it.
Atop the execution platform stood Monkey D. Luffy, restrained and at the mercy of none other than Buggy the Clown. The pirate seemed poised to carry out an impromptu execution.
Below, chaos erupted. The town square was packed with citizens, their faces a mix of excitement and horror. The Buggy Pirates and another crew were fighting tooth and nail to keep Zoro and Sanji from reaching their captain.
Jack exhaled sharply, watching the unfolding spectacle.
"Captain, should we intervene now?" One of Smoker’s adjutants asked, gripping his weapon tightly.
"Idiot. What's the rush? Let these pirates tear each other apart first." Smoker scoffed, exhaling a plume of smoke as he bit down on his cigar. "When have I ever let pirates leave this town?"
Just then, Luffy’s voice rang out from the execution platform, bold and unwavering.
"I am the man who will become the Pirate King!"
Buggy, holding the blade poised for execution, let out a booming laugh.
"Hahaha! Big words for a dead man! Just watch—this fool is about to die!"
From his vantage point on the second floor, Smoker raised his hand, giving a silent signal. For him, the moment Buggy swung the blade would be the cue to strike.
But Jack wasn’t focused on Smoker’s command—he was watching the sky.
A shift. A crackle in the air.
Dark clouds were gathering ominously above the execution platform.
Meanwhile, below, Luffy turned to his crew, grinning.
"Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami—sorry! Looks like I’m gonna die!"
"Idiot! Stop spouting nonsense!" Sanji barked in frustration.
Smoker, however, narrowed his eyes. Luffy’s smile—it was eerily familiar. It reminded him of that moment, that man.
Gol D. Roger, sitting on the gallows, had worn the same fearless grin.
A shiver ran down Smoker’s spine.
Meanwhile, Jack had his own concerns. He pushed his Observation Haki to the limit, scanning the area for a presence he had expected to find.
"Still nothing?" he muttered. "I need to start focusing on my Advanced Armament and Observation Haki training soon."
A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the sky.
CRACK—BOOM!
In an instant, the execution platform was engulfed in flames.
Then, as if nature itself had decided to intervene, the heavens opened up, and rain poured down in torrents.
Luffy sat up, adjusting his straw hat with a grin.
"Haha! I’m still alive! What a stroke of luck!"
Sanji, still staring at the charred remains of the platform, turned to Zoro, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Do you believe in God?"
Zoro sheathed his three swords with a cool expression.
"What are you babbling about? We need to get moving—I’ve got a bad feeling about this."
All around them, pirates and onlookers stood frozen in shock. Even Alvida could only gawk at the absurd sight before her. Luffy remained completely unscathed, while Buggy—now nothing more than a charred, smoking figure—was twitching on the ground.
Meanwhile, a marine approached Smoker once again.
"Captain, should we make our move now?"
Smoker exhaled a slow breath, watching Luffy’s carefree laughter echo through the rain-soaked square.
"That brat... he's actually laughing." He narrowed his eyes before asking, "Where are they heading?"
"The western port, sir. The advance team is already en route."
Smoker clenched his jaw, contemplating his next move.
"We deal with the situation here first. There are too many civilians—we need to keep this under control."
Despite his urge to go after Luffy, Smoker knew that the chaos in the square had to be contained first. Buggy and the other pirates would be the first to fall.
"Leave this to me!"
Jack emerged from the shadows, flashing Smoker a confident grin.
Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression unreadable. "Tashigi, we're going after that Straw Hat kid."
With that, he swung onto his smoke-powered motorbike and sped off.
Jack chuckled to himself. Catching Luffy was a lost cause—he already knew that. But Buggy and Alvida? Now they were fair game, and taking them down meant earning a handful of diamonds.
"Heh… let’s make this quick—Shigan barrage!"
Unlike Smoker, Jack didn’t possess a Logia ability, so subduing enemies wasn’t quite as effortless for him. However, channeling his chakra and utilizing his mastery of the Rokushiki made him far deadlier than either Buggy or Alvida could handle.
In the blink of an eye, the battle was over.
"As expected of a Marine Headquarters Captain! He took them down in no time!" One of the marines exclaimed as they hurried to bind the defeated pirates with ropes.
Jack dusted off his hands. "Keep an eye on them. I'm going to assist Smoker."
With that, he launched into the air, using Geppo to propel himself toward the western port.
As he disappeared into the dark sky, the gathered marines couldn't help but murmur in admiration.
"Captain Jack is amazing!"
"That was insane!"
By the time Jack arrived, he found Smoker already overpowering Luffy.
However, before he could react, a blur of movement appeared behind Smoker—so fast that even Jack's keen senses failed to register how he had gotten there.
"Storm!"
The cloaked figure raised a hand, and a powerful gust of wind howled through the square. The raging storm not only dispersed Smoker’s smoke but also sent Luffy hurtling toward his crew.
"Hoo-ha-ha! If that’s what you want to do, then go on," the figure laughed.
Smoker gritted his teeth, eyes narrowing as recognition dawned. "Dragon! Why did you help that boy?!"
There was no doubt about it—he knew exactly who this man was.
Dragon’s gaze lingered on Luffy. "What reason could ever stop a man from setting sail?" he replied calmly.
Jack landed beside Smoker, his expression unreadable. "That might be true, but revealing yourself like this… isn’t that a bit reckless?"
He knew exactly who he was facing—Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, the man branded the world's most dangerous criminal… and Luffy’s father.
At Jack’s words, Dragon finally turned to face him. "Oh? Do you intend to capture me, young Marine?"
Though his face remained shrouded by his cloak, the faint glow of his eyes and the intricate tattoos on the half-visible side of his face sent a chill through the air.
Though Dragon’s cloak concealed most of his body, Jack caught a glimpse of the man’s true face—half-shrouded in shadow, marked by striking tattoos.
Taking a deep breath, Jack steadied himself, eyes locked onto Dragon. "Smoker, I’m going all out. Cover for me!"
Smoker exhaled a plume of smoke, his expression grim. "If you die at his hands, don’t expect me to save you."
But Jack didn’t hesitate. He planted his feet, gathering every ounce of his chakra and Haki.
“Iron Fist!!”
A black, fist-shaped force burst from his fist, roaring toward Dragon.
Dragon’s eyes flickered with interest. "Oh? That’s quite the punch," he mused, watching the fist surge toward him.
Jack wasn’t done. Before the first attack had even landed, he followed up with another strike, his aura surging.
The combination of chakra and haki was a technique of sheer dominance—each strike unleashed with full force, relentless as crashing waves, leaving opponents with no room to dodge. Its strength lay in its overwhelming power, but it came at a cost.
The combination devoured vast amounts of chakra and mental strength, and Jack had yet to fully grasp its essence. At his current level, executing even a single full-strength punch was a challenge. Mastery would mean more than just completing the set—it required the ability to wield each strike with precision, to unleash and withdraw power at will.
True perfection came when one could control the balance of force seamlessly, shifting between explosive might and flowing grace. Only then could one be said to have truly mastered the technique.
"Dragon Claw Fist!"
Rather than evade, Dragon surged forward, shrouded in his cloak, intent on meeting his punch head-on.
