................
On the next day, the boat with its three passengers could be seen docking on the Shells town harbor. As they landed, The trio began to walks along the pier observing the situations.
"Where do you think that Hunter will be Rei?" Asked Luffy while munching on snack they just bought from the street stall.
However, Rei didn't immediately answered him. His eyes were glued towards the Tabaco store not far from their positions, then he said, "Why don't you just asks around Luffy, I'll meet you later."
Seeing Rei walking away from the duo, Koby couldn't help but called, "Where are you going?"
"Don't worry about me..." Answered Rei simply as he waved his hand.
After they parted ways, Rei proceed to enter the tabaco store he saw before. The owner was an old man with slouched back smoking a pipe.
"Welcome, any tabaco you need?" Greeted the oldman as he puffed out the smoke.
When Rei saw the tabaco store, he remembered that he got a "Kiseru", Japanese thin and long smoking pipe from the system rewards. So he decided to try the pipe once.
The oldman saw the customers peculiar traits, black-formal Yukata, long white ponytail tied by a pendant and small horns stood at the counter, then he pulled out something from under his yukata's sleeve.
"This!" As the old man saw what was Rei took out, he jumped out of his seat feeling agitated.
Rei raised his eyebrow as he saw the old man agitated reaction. He observed the Kiseru on his hand seeing its ornate design.
The Kiseru has 3 parts, its mouthpiece which covered by dull colored silver, the stem/body which was made by high quality dark wood with beautiful carving of red smoke. and the last part was its shank, the piece which would held the burning tabaco on the kiseru's furthest edge, it has the same color as its mouthpiece, a dull colored silver.
Rei also noticed a system notification appeared on his Kiseru, showing him a detail,
「Ninja Tools (1/2)
Name : Kuro no Chōkoku
Type : Kiseru
Origin : Yorozuya clan
Effect : Imbued the Kiseru with chakra while smoking, the user is able to manipulate the smoke produced from the Kiseru by their own chakra. The effect will be doubled when using the finest "Yorozuya" tabaco.
The best piece of smoking pipe made from highest quality metal and thousand years agarwood. Yorozuya clan craftsman took 100 days of effort to perfected this masterpiece. 」
In Naruto universe, Yorozuya Clan was one of the original Shinobi clan which originated from Edo in Land of Mountain. Its shinobis has special Kekkei Genkai which was a scorch release, and the smoking pipe usualy being used as tools for their specific ninja technique.
As it requires Kekkei Genkai of scorch release, Rei with his Ōtsutsuki bloodline should be able to use the Kiseru ability with a little practice.
While clearly shaken, the old man tabaco seller claped his hand together and begged towards Rei, "Please, oo great sir! Will you let me see those pipe of yours?"
Rei shrugged his shoulder as he gave the old man his Kiseru. The old man with his trembling hand, handled the Kiseru very carefully as if it was made from a fragile glass!
"O, ooh! Its has been a long time i've seen something so amazing like this..." The old man were so agitated, his face turned red like a boiled crab.
After a while, the old man finaly gave the kiseru back to its owner and said, "Thank you very much great sir. And i'm sorry to let you see something like that from me."
Rei smiled then he asked, "Its no problem old sir, may i ask why are you so agitated seeing my pipe?"
the old man rubbed his head feeling embarassed as he explained, "Pipe, especialy the specially made pipe has a deep meaning for us smoker. Your pipe craftsmanship was so intricate it amazes me. Both of its edges i believed it was made from a Meteoric Iron, and one with the highest quality i've seen yet! As for its body, i've never seen that kind of woods before. But, it was tough yet flexible. I believe you will have the best experience smoking with it great sir!"
At the end of his sentences, the old man's eyes were twinkling full of passion as he felt younger by a few years after he held Rei's pipe earlier.
Rei could only smile as he didn't realy understand about smoker's passion regarding smoking pipe. However, seeing the old man's enthusiastic reaction, Rei was sure his Kiseru was one of a kind rare stuff. He even began to wondered how much money he would get if he were to sell it.
"Thats nice to hear old sir, then do you have any tabaco available for my pipe?" Smiled Rei.
"Ah! Pardon my old age rambling, for its tabaco it needs 'Kizami' great sir. I do have Kizami here but, i'm afraid its quaility will only degrading for your fine pipe." The old man sighed.
Rei assured the old man as he pulled a bill from under his sleeve, "Its fine old sir, i'm not too particular about that. Just give me your available best."
Seeing the bill on his counter, the old man couldn't help but exclaimed wide-eyes, "Te, Ten thousand Bellies? Thats too much great sir! I only have 5 thousands worth of finest Kizami here!"
The old man only saw Rei smiled without replying, then he sighed as he get inside another room for a while before he returned bringing a wooden container box with the size of fax machine.
'Thud..'
He put the wooden container box on the counter top, then he pulled it open revealing rows of smaller boxes with a finely shredded tabaco leaves with the size of human hair inside.
"This is Wano country grade B Kizami great sir, i'm so sorry as i only have this one here."
Rei took one of the smaller box, he slide it open and saw the leaves were wrapped nicely inside a thin paper. Rei then pinched the fine tabaco leaves under the wrapping which feels truly resembled human hair.
"Is these all you have?" Rei asked as he put the box back.
"Yeah, Wano country stopped exporting their stuff since they closed their country borders long time ago. The one i got here is you know, sometimes, the boxes would gone 'missing' from their ships..." Whispered the old man at the end of his sentences as his eyebrow twinkling giving Rei a signal.
"Fine, I'll take it all, also give me something to light this up yeah?"
The old man took several packs of long matches and put it all on the counter top. Rei took everything and nodded
"Do you need anything else great sir?"
Seeing Rei shook his head, the old man turned around to get Rei's change of money.
"It should be 5000 and the matches are free. And because i was thrilled seeing such pipe, I'll give you 500 cut....huh? sir?" When the old man turned around, there was only an empty container box on the counter top with Rei nowhere to be seen.
Not far from the tabaco store, under the tree Rei could be seen picked a pinch of tabaco leaves, he kneaded it into small ball and put it inside the Kiseru shanks. He leaned on the tree and light up the tabaco using a match.
'Puff...'
Aromatic smoke coming out of his mouth as he tried to smoke for the first time in his life. Rei felt awkward at first however, as the times goes on he began to familiarize himself puffing in and out the smoke produced by the Kiseru.
At first Rei was normaly smoking like any regular smoker would do, then he began to infused his chakra into Kiseru. It however, didn't gave any peculiar change towards the pipe, and yet Rei felt that he could control the smoke coming out of his lung as it was produced by the chakra infused Kiseru.
And so he does that, by his will he began to control the smoke. First he just puffing out a smoke ring and after he began to feels quite comfortable, Rei began to shape the smoke into much more complicated form such as alphabet and animals he knew off.
Of course the results were mediocre at best, the alphabets turns unreadable and the animals shape couldn't be called as such. In the middle of it, Rei felt by smoking his chakra control were being smoothen bit by bit albeit slightly. Still, he feels the difference!
'Practicing chakra control, maybe this will be my answers...' Rei thought.
Rei had already practicing chakra control by walking on water or even tried to coat his whole body by chakra all the time when he went to practice. And yet, to get his chakra control into molecular level, it was clearly not enough!
He was desperately needed to practice his chakra control after he had experienced the desperate situations before. However, Rei didn't have anyone to teach him, not even the system gave him any clues nor instructions.
Now, Rei finaly stumbled upon a chance to improve his chakra control despite the way it needed was to smoke a pipe, and he didn't have any choice for now but to continue practicing the smoke forms coming out from his lungs.
When Rei leisurely smoking, he saw a man with bruised face accompanied by 2 marines walking in fast pace. The man had peculiar hair shape resembling those of mushroom, cleft chin and lanky body.
'Helmeppo?' Thought Rei when he saw the dark face man walking passed him by.
"Fuck that straw hat boy! Just wait till my father know about this!" Grumbled the weird man striding wide along the road.
As Helmeppo passed the smoking Rei, coincidentaly their eyes met and the former grunted unhappily, "What are you looking at huh?"
Rei just smiled towards him as Helmeppo walked away, Helmeppo and another marine seems unaware of Rei's identity, however the last marine were paused slightly as his contenance turned pale.
Seeing the last marine, Rei gestured at him to shush his mouth in teasing smile. Until finaly The trio were getting further and further with the last marine now even began to overtook Helmeppo.
Huffing and puffing the smoke while controlling it, Rei saw Luffy and Koby coming closer towards him at last.
As the duo arrived, Rei couldn't help but asked about Koby's face which now has several scratch marks on it, "What happen to your face?"
Luffy laughed as he explained, "He was harrased by a little girl! Hahahhahah...!"
Rei hummed raising his eyebrow waiting for Koby explanation himself.
"There was a little girl attacking me in town! Whats her problem!?" Koby complained while rubbing his scratch ladden face.
"Hahaha, Thats your fault Koby! You were badmouthing that Pirate Hunter before." Luffy said.
"Hey! Everyone feared that Roronoa Zoro okay? I'm not the only one who feels that way! Its just that little girl...."
Before Koby went out and on with his complain, Rei cut him short, "Okay, okay. So you guys know where he is right?"
"Yeah, everyone said that Hunter was captured by the marine! Lets go save him, then we can recruit him!"
Luffy was determined and full of spirit, however Koby spoke in trepidation, "I also heard he was captured because he had offended son of Captain Morgan, the commander of this base Rei, and..."
Puffing out the smoke Rei asked, "..And?"
"...And, the towns folk also feared him. Saying he is such a brutal and tyrannical person! Also we actualy met with that son of Morgan earlier. Luffy punched him in the face!" Koby continued as he looked at Luffy in slight displeasure at the end of his sentences.
"Hahahaha... Rei, you should see their funny reaction when we mentioned Zoro and Morgan names. Hahaha..." Luffy didn't seems to mind about what he had done, he was still holding his stomach due to an excessive laughter.
Rei shook his head and finaly moved from his comfortable spot, "Where to go now Luffy?"
Luffy smiled and began to walk, "Lets go save him Rei..!"
"Aye captain...." Answered Rei with smile as he followed Luffy while smoking.
"Wait! Wait for me!" Koby shouted from behind as he trailed the duo.
..........