Considering the possible consequences, Yosaku visibly deflated. However, he wasn't about to just give the Logia back his weapon. Using all his strength, Yosaku managed to bend Smoker's jitte almost in half, then carefully aimed and threw it at the seething captain. The vengeful guy aimed below the belt, but the captain was struggling so much in his restraints that the bent jitte hit him square in the forehead. Yosaku was satisfied with that outcome. Johnny stretched his lips into a smug grin, while Zoro suddenly seemed to suffer from partial blindness. And, apparently, partial deafness as well, because he could clearly hear Johnny and Yosaku, but completely ignored all of Smoker's endless threats. And so they left, to the sound of the captain's screams, the crackling of burning buildings, and the clouds of smoke that had enveloped the area.
"Zoro-aniki, now that we've moved further away and no one can see us, maybe we should finally turn towards the port?" Johnny hesitantly suggested after about five minutes, causing Zoro to freeze in place.
"The port is this way," Yosaku added, moving ahead, while Johnny remained behind the green-haired swordsman.
The guys knew from experience that if they took their eyes off Zoro for even a moment, he would immediately head in a direction diametrically opposed to their goal. However, the situation with Zoro was much better now than it had been before. Not so long ago, Zoro flatly refused to admit his topographical idiocy, so the only ones who could guide him to the right place were Luffy and Nami. Luffy, because he was Luffy, and Nami, because she pressured Zoro with the simple fact that she was a navigator and therefore oriented herself in space better than he did.
"RORONOA ZORO!!!"
While Johnny and Yosaku were zigzagging through the city, following Zoro, Smoker had not only managed to free himself, get dressed, and put out the fire — if the captain ever tired of being a Marine, with the power of his fruit, he could always build a brilliant career as a firefighter — but he had also managed to reach the port ahead of the three guys.
"We should have knocked him out," Yosaku grumbled as he spotted the captain standing in their way.
"And he's learning from his mistakes," Johnny added. "No seastone weapons nearby."
Zoro was the most laconic, getting straight to the point:
"Get out of the way."
What was strange was that when Zoro saw the captain, there was a clear satisfaction in his eyes. For some reason, the swordsman was genuinely happy to see Smoker, but this fact escaped the attention of everyone present.
"WHERE IS SHE?!!"
"I have no idea who you're talking about," the guy responded without slowing his pace. "Cthulhu is interested in you, not me, so take it up with him. Weaklings like you don't interest me."
Smoker wasn't losing his mind to emotions. By choosing to confront Roronoa Zoro, he wasn't relying on his physical invulnerability. Smoker had heard enough to conclude that Roronoa Zoro wasn't afraid to fight a Logia user. But the captain didn't care. A weapon made of Seastone? Irrelevant. Devil Fruit powers? Irrelevant. Just bluffing? Unlikely. Haki? The most improbable option… and yet disturbingly plausible. Smoker blocked Zoro's path not because he was confident of victory, but because he was a Marine, and it was his duty. And the captain was certain that Roronoa Zoro had taken Tashigi captive. Smoker couldn't allow his subordinate to fall into the hands of pirates—especially not into the hands of the 'Pirate Slayers.' Not after all the warnings from the traitor.
"You'll only reach the port over my dead body," Smoker replied, genuinely determined to die rather than let them pass.
"Only I decide whether you live or die," Zoro's voice remained as calm and indifferent as before. "I've already told you several times that Cthulhu is interested in you. If you die, I'll have to deal with the consequences of his displeasure, so you'll live."
"That's for me to decide… White Blow!"
Smoker's hands transformed into two massive streams of smoke that struck with full force against… Zoro's open palm. Smoker's attack hit what felt like an invisible wall, causing no harm to the renowned swordsman. However, before the captain could comprehend what had happened, Zoro, who had been standing ten meters away, was suddenly right in front of him.
"In battle, only the strong have the right to choose," Smoker felt his head being squeezed as if in a vise. "The weak can only accept their fate."
The next moment, Smoker felt like he was about to be torn apart. Zoro's punch bent the captain in half, practically wrapping him around the guy's fist, and if Zoro hadn't been holding Smoker by the head, the captain would have gone flying through several buildings. A fountain of blood erupted from Smoker's mouth, splattering Zoro's boots and the pavement at his feet. Releasing his grip, Zoro allowed the rapidly losing consciousness Smoker to collapse into a pool of his own blood.
"Attack me again, and I'll kill you despite the consequences," for the first time in their entire interaction, Zoro's voice carried a distinct bloodlust. "I don't like weaklings who don't know their place."
Stepping over the blood-spitting captain, Zoro headed toward the now-visible port. Johnny and Yosaku, who had been standing nearby, slowly followed the swordsman, but their eyes never left Smoker's crumpled form. Any sense of triumph they had felt after defeating a Logia user vanished completely. They felt utterly pathetic. The difference between them and Zoro was as clear as day. However, they didn't feel despair. The smugness that had evaporated was quickly replaced by a grim determination — at that moment, Johnny and Yosaku wanted more than anything to master Haki.
What the sullen guys didn't realize was the faint smile on Zoro's lips as he walked ahead. The biggest challenge in mastering Haki was that it couldn't simply be trained. Intense emotional experiences were the quickest path to Haki. Koby and Usopp were perfect examples of this. Unfortunately, artificially creating psychological shocks requires time, careful preparation, and often just plain luck, so quickly achieving Haki was nearly impossible — though there were exceptions like Koby and Usopp. An 'invincible' Logia opponent — Luffy simply couldn't pass up such an opportunity. And the best part was, win or lose, it was a benefit either way. In the case of defeat, it's obvious, but in the case of victory… Luffy sent Zoro to deliver a message to Smoker, but at the same time, Zoro's main task was not just to deliver the message. The most important event happened right here, near the port. Everything was arranged solely for Johnny and Yosaku's benefit, and the details of what had occurred were known only to Luffy and Zoro. Although they didn't realize it themselves, the guys had no chance of remaining weak. The only question was how long it would take Johnny and Yosaku to inevitably become monstrously strong — not just by East Blue's quiet standards, but on the world stage — the New World.
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(the Loguetown arc is finished in there, and next one will start soon explaining part of Luffy's past...)