One Piece Thundergod Marine

New World, unknown waters. 

"Captain Hawkins! A Marine fleet spotted ahead!" A pirate rushed over in a panic, shouting aboard a ship bearing the flag of the Beasts Pirates. 

"They've cut off our escape! We're surrounded!" 

"As expected… there was no way we'd slip past their surveillance... huh?" Hawkins took a deep breath at the news. 

It wasn't surprising, really. Not with the Marines' current strength. 

So be it. 

"Prepare for battle!" 

Hawkins turned, his expression unreadable, as he stepped out of the cabin. 

…

Hundreds of meters ahead, Smoker stood at the bow of the Marine battleship, biting down on two cigars. 

He watched as several pirate ships spread into formation, their cannons emerging from the hulls. Smoker exhaled a cloud of smoke and smirked coldly. 

"Still thinking of putting up a fight, Basil Hawkins?" 

"Bold words, Vice Admiral Smoker." 

Standing at the bow of his own ship, Hawkins remained unfazed, even against an overwhelming Marine force. His voice rang out, steady and clear: "Aren't you Marines overstepping your bounds?" 

"Wano isn't even part of the World Government. And those people Kaido deemed criminals— you're the ones provoking war!" 

"Oh? So according to you, if a country isn't a World Government ally, we Marines have no right to uphold justice?" 

"Then there's nothing more to discuss!" Smoker's expression hardened as he bellowed, "Go to hell and repent for your sins, pirate!" 

"Fire!!!" 

… 

"Damn! He never intended to negotiate!" Hawkins' eyes flickered with shock. 

Smoker had stalled only to give his fleet time to fully load their cannons! 

But... 

"I was stalling too!" 

''Devil Conquering Phase!'' 

'Shuā lā lā!' 

His body suddenly split apart, seams forming across his skin. Flesh and bone rapidly shifted into a straw. His frame doubled in size, twisting into a towering ''Straw Monster''. 

"Now you won't be able to finish me off quickly, Smoker." 

Next… 

''Straw Man's Card!'' 

'Creak Creak…' 

The straw on his back extended wildly, weaving into a massive ''Humanoid Straw Effigy''. Its five fingers sprouted black, five-inch-long nails, radiating an ominous, bone-chilling aura. 

Smoker narrowed his eyes. 

He had heard of Hawkins' Devil Fruit abilities, but… 

This? 

This was ''new''. 

"Let me show you my latest technique, Vice Admiral." 

Hawkins' effigy reached out, pulling a tarot card from a pile. 

He glanced at it— and smirked. 

"What luck! The first card is drawn…" 

''The Hermit.'' 

… 

"What the hell?" 

The moment Hawkins revealed the tarot card, his ''Straw Effigy'' began to ''morph''. 

Its wild, tangled hair receded. Its form grew leaner, shorter. The dense straw on its back twisted into a hood, concealing its eerie face. 

And then— 

Nothing. 

Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke, unimpressed. "Hmph. Playing tricks, are we?" 

… 

''BOOM! BOOM!!!'' 

Cannonballs rained down mercilessly, blasting the pirate ship apart. The deck erupted into flames. The sky burned crimson as screams filled the air. 

"Keep firing! We're outside their cannon range— sink them!" 

Charging in recklessly was no longer a Marine strategy. The ''New World'' was filled with monsters, and Smoker had learned his lesson. 

But then— 

A cannonball suddenly roared toward Smoker's flagship. 

Smoker's eyes widened. Instantly, he turned— 

''White Fist!'' 

His smoke-wrapped fist smashed the cannonball mid-air— 

''BOOM!!!'' 

The explosion rocked the battleship. Furious, Smoker roared, "Who the hell fired that shot?! Are you trying to mutiny?!" 

"No! Something's wrong!" Koby's face turned pale. "Vice Admiral Smoker, order an immediate ceasefire!" 

"Why?!" 

Smoker frowned. "What's happening, Captain Koby?!" 

"The soldiers—''they don't even know where they're aiming!''" 

… 

"WHAT?!!" 

Smoker's heart pounded. 

He scanned the fleet. Sure enough— 

Across every battleship, Marines were firing wildly, ''in random directions''. 

Even though the pirates were in the center of the encirclement, many Marines were lighting fuses ''at their own allies''! 

Not just that— 

On deck, Marines readying for ''White Blade combat'' stood in disarray. Some faced east, others west, their weapons drawn in the wrong directions! 

Unless the entire fleet had ''suddenly gone blind''— 

There was only one explanation. 

''It's his Devil Fruit ability! Ceasefire— immediately!'' Smoker made a decisive call. 

Though confused, the soldiers obeyed. The barrage stopped. 

But the damage had already been done. 

Three Marine battleships had been ''blown apart'' by their own cannon fire. 

"We need to be careful too!" 

Koby turned to Smoker. "Close your eyes and use ''Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)''! Sense me! I'm behind you!" 

Smoker's pupils contracted. 

He immediately shut his eyes, activating ''Kenbunshoku Haki''. 

And then— 

His breath hitched. 

The "Koby" standing in front of him— 

Had ''no presence at all''. 

The real Koby… was ''behind him''! 

Even worse— 

Smoker realized something chilling. 

When he had shattered the cannonball earlier… 

He ''hadn't even been facing Hawkins''. 

He was ''facing the railing''. 

Beyond him? Just the ''empty ocean''. 

The pirate ships weren't even ''there''. 

… 

"Oh? You've finally noticed?" 

On the burning pirate ship, Hawkins, in ''Devil Conquering Phase'', spoke calmly. 

"Did you really think the ''Straw-Straw Fruit'' was just about turning into a straw ''body''?" 

"Straw is a ''vessel''— for souls. It takes the form of a ''Straw Man'', but its true nature…" 

"Is ''curses.''" 

"This is my ''Straw-Straw Fruit Awakening''—using tarot cards to unleash ''different curses''!" 

"You're lucky. ''The Hermit'' isn't an attack card— it simply ''shrouds vision'' and throws enemies into complete ''disarray''." 

"For those with ''Kenbunshoku Haki'', breaking free is easy. But tell me, Smoker…" 

"Among your fleet— ''how many actually have it?''" 

… 

Smoker sucked in a cold breath. 

"Damn it… he's about to attack!" 

Their advantage in numbers had just turned into a ''liability''. 

(End of Chapter)

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