One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Baby-5, Buffalo… I don't want to hurt you two."

The explosion gradually subsided. The thick layer of mucus covering Trebol had been completely obliterated, revealing his frail, charred body lying unconscious on the ground.

The protective mucus had backfired, triggering a full-scale explosion right in his face. The experience? Far from pleasant.

Baby-5 and Buffalo trembled in terror, but they remained unscathed—Rosinante had anticipated the blast and deployed a Barrier of Severance in front of them!

Realizing she could speak again, Baby-5 burst into tears, her sobs echoing through the arena. This was a side of Corazon she had never seen before.

Rosinante had always been the type to intimidate young recruits attempting to join the family. Although Baby-5 and Buffalo had stayed, they still carried a lingering fear of him.

"Cora... um, Rosinante! Traitor!" Buffalo shouted, his voice trembling as he cast a furtive glance at the battered forms of Trebol and Lao G, summoning all his courage.

Rosinante sighed. "I don't have much time... Baby-5, I need you to take care of these three and wait here quietly. Can you do that?"

Baby-5 stifled her sobs, her cheeks flushed. "I... I'm needed?"

"Of course, Cora-san! I'll take good care of them!"

"Then I leave it to you..."

Rosinante gave her a small smile and turned to walk out of the eastern arena.

In the southern arena, Smoker reformed from his smoke-like state, two cigars clenched in his mouth as he coldly eyed two of the Donquixote Family's top fighters.

"Top Executive Pica, with the powers of the Stone-Stone Fruit, and Gladius, the Pop-Pop Fruit user."

Smoker clenched his fists, recalling the information Rosinante had shared about the two. "Let's see how much stronger I've gotten."

"Master Pica! This guy's a Logia user... My abilities probably won't work on him!" Gladius muttered.

"Hmph! A Logia? I've already—"

"Pfft!"

"Hmm?!"

Pica's bloodshot eyes turned toward Smoker, who was trying his best to maintain a serious expression after letting out a chuckle.

"Did you just… laugh?!"

"Pfft… Ahem…" Smoker took a deep drag on his cigars to cover his embarrassment. "No, I'm a Marine. I've undergone professional training. I don't laugh."

"..." Gladius facepalmed.

"I heard it! You laughed!" Pica's shrill voice roared in anger as he unsheathed a massive longsword. His enormous body trembled with rage.

"Unless I can't help it..." Smoker gritted his teeth, trying to maintain his composure as the White Hunter. "Enough talk. Let's fight!"

"White Punch!"

Smoker's arms transformed into smoke, sending twin punches toward Pica. Pica's eyes gleamed with ferocity as he swung his haki-coated blade to counter.

"White Jutte!"

Smoker's expression hardened. As his left punch flew through the air, a massive jutte—his signature weapon, designed to counter blades—materialized in his hand.

"Clang!"

The jutte clashed with Pica's haki-infused sword. Pica's eyes widened. "I'm using Armament Haki! Why can't I cut through his smoke?!"

"Hmph! Your level of Armament Haki isn't strong enough to break through my Solid White Smoke!" Smoker locked the sword in place with the jutte, then slammed his right fist into Pica's gut.

"Armament Haki—Hardening!"

Pica's massive frame acted as an easy target, but his defenses were impeccable. Isolated from the ground by the arena platform, his connection to the earth was severed, nullifying his Devil Fruit abilities—just as if he were stuck on a ship.

"White Cloud Blast!"

Smoker's fist retracted and then exploded, sending Pica flying. Blood dripped from Pica's arms, unable to fully defend against the blast.

"Master Pica!" Gladius sprang into action, launching a counterattack. "Explosive Barrage!"

Chunks of rock fired from Gladius's arm, swelling as they flew toward Smoker.

Smoker's intangible body ignored the incoming projectiles. His focus remained on the airborne Pica.

"White Spear!"

Three sharp white spears materialized in Smoker's hands, trailing thick smoke as they shot toward Pica in a triangular formation.

"Explosive Hair Blasts!"

Realizing his abilities were ineffective against Smoker, Gladius launched another attack, desperate to disrupt the assault on Pica.

"White Wall!"

A massive white barrier appeared between Smoker and Gladius, nullifying the explosive hair strands.

"Is this really smoke?!" Gladius struggled to comprehend the versatility of Smoker's abilities. "If it's solid, then..."

Charging forward, Gladius attempted to detonate the barrier, but it suddenly collapsed, encasing him in a coffin-like structure made of smoke.

"Damn it..."

Gladius's muffled curses faded as the smoke coffin sealed him inside.

"White Coffin!"

With Gladius neutralized, Smoker refocused on Pica.

Two of the white spears were blocked by Pica's haki-coated arms, but the third pierced his left arm.

"Not good!"

Anticipating another explosion, Pica frantically reinforced his defenses—but it was too late.

"White Cloud Blast!"

The spear exploded from within, crippling Pica's left arm.

"White Dragon Lance!"

Without missing a beat, Smoker conjured a massive lance. Propelling himself with a powerful burst of smoke, he drove the weapon straight into the restrained Pica.

"Urghhh—!"

Pica's weakened haki failed to withstand Smoker's might. The lance pierced through his torso, unleashing another devastating explosion.

"Master Pica!"

Gladius, having escaped the White Coffin at great cost, stared in horror at the gravely injured Pica, now utterly incapacitated.

"You're tough. I respect that," Smoker said coolly, releasing the lance. Three more white spears materialized in his hands. "Now, let's see who's better at playing with explosions."

Moments later, Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke, frowning slightly. Swapping out his spent cigars for two fresh ones, he lit them and took a deep drag. Satisfied, he grinned coldly.

"The southern arena is done… Rosinante should have finished on his end too."

With a smirk, Smoker left the arena, leaving behind an unconscious, tightly bound Pica and Gladius, locked in solid white smoke restraints.

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