章節 84: Chapter 83: Resolution
Thud. By the time the smoke died down from the cigarette, Smoker lost strength in his legs. Falling down to the ground powerlessly in front of one tombstone that he briefly made, Smoker felt as if his mind is drifting away from consciousness—into the deep slumber.
'...No.'
However, Smoker willed himself once more. There still were works for him to complete. The Op Op fruit—the matter hasn't been resolved yet.
"Ugh..."
So he lifted his body back up shakily. Re-opening his exhausted eyes that threatened to close at any time, Smoker gritted his teeth that was still biting onto the used cigarette.
"Drake." Smoker then spoke. Behind him were Drake and Baby 5, staring at him in a mix of worry and wariness. In Drake's hand was the chest containing the Op Op fruit.
"...What is it."
Smoker stated firmly, "Take Baby 5 and go to a marine branch away from this island. Claim that you are unrelated to me, and return to the Marine—"
"NO!!!" Baby 5 immediately rejected Smoker's words with a tear-filled voice, "D-Don't throw me away!!!"
Smoker frowned while turning his head back. His expression looked terrifying in Baby 5's eyes, however, she glared at Smoker with her lips bit. Her fists were clenched, and with her entire body, she expressed her will not to adhere to Smoker's order.
"...Same here," Drake then growled, giving Smoker a rebellious look, "Why must I go back to that hypocrite-filled organization? I don't feel safe there, and same with this girl here."
"...You two..." Smoker groaned in fatigue as he placed his hand over his face. He sighed deeply, before turning his head back and walking away.
Drake and Baby 5 looked at each other with widened eyes, before cracking light smiles on their faces. Baby 5, not minding the bloody scenery, followed the back of the cloaked man. On the other hand, Drake turned his eyes to the tombstone. His eyes turned teary, and he lowered his head slightly at it,
"...Thank you."
Then, Drake ran up to one man and one girl who were walking ahead.
__________
[January 25th, 1506; Flevance, North Blue]
"Ya look awful," Commented Senor Pink as he looked at the cloaked Smoker standing with Drake and Baby 5, "And suspicious too."
"...Yes, I bet," Replied Smoker—whose demeanour was filed with nothing but extreme fatigue—as he walked past the man with sunglasses. Drake, uncaring of Senor Pink, immediately followed Smoker.
"Tired, huh," Senor Pink muttered as he watched Smoker walking toward the hospital, before finding a gaze on him. Turning his face, Senor Pink found Baby 5 looking up at him,
"...What?"
Baby 5 squinted her eyes, "You are the one with sunglasses."
"...Huh?" Senor Pink said in confusion, but Baby 5 was running by then, leaving him dumbfounded. He then jolted up, before shouting at Smoker, "W-wait, boss!! There is one thing that I didn't tell you yet!!"
However, Smoker and Drake were already in the hospital building by then, walking up the staircase.
"Dr. Trafalgar?" Smoker spoke weakly as he looked around, "Hello?"
Drake raised an eyebrow, "...Where has he gone to?"
"Dr. Trafalgar is dead." Then, a voice—one that belonged to a young boy—was heard. Smoker and Drake both turned their head in the direction in which said voice came from, and saw a black-haired young boy with a white fur hat, "He overworked far beyond his limit for a year and more. He was already terminally ill with a variety of diseases, but his cause of death was a heart attack that was likely induced by stress."
"..."
Smoker felt a headache. He, closing his eyes and massaged his temple, then asked, "Then... who are you."
"Trafalgar Law." The boy replied in a monotone, "Dr. Trafalgar's son, and also a doctor."
Smoker's half-lidded eyes widened. He took a clear look at the boy, and only then did he realize that the boy was 'Trafalgar D. Water Law' indeed; his lack of sleep was really getting to him.
"And what of the other doctors then?" Drake then asked while looking around. Law snorted cynically,
"What other doctor? Those mediocres ran away a long time ago. Doctor association, hah... I am better than them anyway."
Smoker, finding the current situation unbelievable, chuckled. At this point, he wondered if it was the devil fruits truly possessed wills of their own, for every single devil fruit up until now was taken by those who received that same fruit in canon also.
"Ugh, what's this place?!" Then, Baby 5 entered with a frown, "Why are there so many people lying downstairs?! And it smells bad too!!" Behind Baby 5 was Senor Pink, who looked troubled as he stared at Smoker.
"...Listen, Law." Smoker, suppressing his depletion as much as he could, placed the chest down on the table, "In this chest lies the Op Op fruit. This fruit is the treasure that the World Government was willing to pay 5 billion Beli to get their hands on it, and I stole it."
"...What?"
Law initially tilted his head. Then, his jaw dropped after processing the information in his head. He subsequently squinted his eyes at Smoker, "Are you insane...?"
"Insane?" Drake suddenly exploded in anger, "Shut up, kid—" but was stopped as Smoker raised his hand up.
"This fruit does wonders, such as being able to keep a patient alive and painless during surgical operations. Even if you extract an essential organ, and even if you slice apart the nerves, the patients will be kept alive. This fruit is probably the only way available..." Smoker said, "...to extract the Amber Lead out of one's body."
Law's breathing quickened hearing Smoker's information. He locked his eyes on the chest that Smoker opened, on the heart-shaped devil fruit that lied within.
"O-Oi, boss," Senor Pink stuttered in disbelief, "Don't tell me that—"
"Eat it, Law," Smoker stated impassively, "and become the hero of Flevance." Smoker's half-lidded eyes then gazed at the corner of the room, where two pairs of eyes were secretly peeking. Smoker let out a light smile as he closed his eyes, realizing that they were Law's mother and little sister; he could see that Law was trying to protect his family in his deceased father's stead.
"...Fine." Law finally said with his arms crossed, before getting his back slapped by Baby 5,
"GAH! What the hell?!"
"HEY!! Aren't you being too ungrateful?!!" Baby 5 pointed her finger at Law with anger, "At least say thank you!!!"
"My head is a million times more precious than an airhead like you. Fuck off, girl." Law, frowning in annoyance, raised up his hand and gave a middle finger back at her.
"HEY!!!" Baby 5 didn't seem like she was going to retreat, "I—"
"Five," Smoker then lifted her up by the back of her shirt and began walking out, "Don't make any further fuss. We're leaving."
Smoker, therefore, exited the hospital along with Baby 5. Senor Pink immediately followed, and Drake, gazing at the devil fruit for the final time with a grimace, finally turned around and walked out.
...
And now, Law sat still on his spot for minutes, staring at the devil fruit hollowly. Then, he finally tapped the table twice and signalled to his family that it was safe to come out.
"...Op Op fruit, huh,"
Law's eyes teared up, "...Dad, your wish has come true." His small hands shook, and he lowered his head, crying silently. He then stood up wobbly and kowtowed toward the direction that Smoker exited,
"...Thank you. Thank you so much."
__________
"...Ha..." At the edge of the Flevance, Smoker sat alone. In his mouth was an unused cigarette, but it wasn't lit up. He, uncaring of the fact that the snow below his butt was drenching his pants, began nodding his head, slowly going to sleep.
<This... this is a miracle! Law, j-just... how...?!>
<I thought I was going to die, but y-you... you saved my life. Law... your father must be proud of you.>
Over the night, Law was busy. He, with the newfound power of the Op Op fruit, conducted the surgical operations on himself, his family, and all the civilians in Flevance, and miraculously resolved the case of 'Amber Lead Syndrome.' Smoker, as Law did so, watched from afar without sleeping, ensuring that everything went well without an issue.
<Smoker...> And Law asked after all was over, <...Why did you go so far for us?>
Smoker replied back then, <Because that's what my heart told me to do.>
Smoker now had his eyes closed. Though he was still in a sitting position, his body swayed, close to falling to a lying position.
'...Flevance is safe now, right? Though I'm not sure about how things will progress from here, at least... that Amber Lead Syndrome is no longer a concern.'
Currently, Senor Pink, X Drake and Baby 5 were waiting for him at the port, ready to depart. Smoker, lifting his heavy eyelids back up and standing up, decided that it was time to leave, back to the Polar island where his friends were waiting.
'And then, get some sleep.'
For once, the sky above Flevance was clear. The sun gently shone down the island, which the surrounding snows reflected and brightened up the area. The usually harsh wind was currently calm and soothing. Overall, it was a nice weather to enjoy, Smoker thought optimistically—
"…And you are?"
—before an intruder entered the scene.
"White Hunter Smoker, it sure took some time to find you,"
A masculine voice was spoken from Smoker's back,
"Who would've expected? For a man to travel across the vast sea of North Blue in a span of two days... you got me amazed on that one, I admit."
Behind Smoker, one agent was standing. He had a white suit, a matching white hat, and a clown-like mask covering his face.
"...CP0," Mumbled Smoker.
"Why, hello there," The agent bowed, "I go by the codename of 'Pierro'; pleased to meet you, criminal."
Smoker didn't reply. Instead, he raised his mini Den Den Mushi-strapped wrist up and spoke into it, "Pink. Leave without me."
<<Wha— >>
Smoker ended the call, unstrapped the mini Den Den Mushi, and placed it on a nearby tree branch. He similarly took out the white Den Den Mushi from his cloak and placed it next to the mini Den Den Mushi, to which Pierro exhibited a surprise.
"...A rare breed, hmm..." Pierro hummed, "How did you attain it, I wonder..." But nonetheless, taking his attention off of it, Pierro then asked,
"So, have you finished your parting words?"
"…" Smoker didn't say anything in return. Then,
SWOOSH!
Smoker vanished, intending to end the fight as quickly as possible due to his unbearable exhaustion. He appeared right behind Pierro—
"White—"
—Pierro, to Smoker's shock, was standing behind him instead, having 'foreseen' the latter's move and managed to move at an even quicker speed. Smoker stood with his right fist outstretched, punching through the empty air.
Smoker's eyes then widened as two fists were placed on his back. Then,
"Rokuogan: Golden Roar."
BOOOOOOM!
Rokuogan, enhanced with the flowing, advanced use of Armament Haki: Internal Destruction, blasted through Smoker's body at a point-blank range.
From Smoker's agape jaw, the blood spilled out. Smoker's eyes hollowed out, and he began to fall to the side powerlessly. However,
Tap. Smoker, gritting his bloody teeth and mustering all his strength to his legs, prevented himself from falling down. His body trembled as he struggled against the gravity that was pulling him down.
"...Ho," Pierro muttered in amazement, "As expected from someone who's been trained by the Marine Hero."
"Kurgh...!!!" Smoker, managing to stand back up, dashed toward the agent with a hazy mind. He instinctively unsheathed Shusui and swung it with all his might,
SWOOSH!
"Ah, a black blade... Shusui, I see." Pierro remarked while effortlessly dodging Smoker's slash, "As far as I remember... this belonged to the legendary Ryuma, the protector of Wano. Wano, Kaidou... aha—"
SWOOSH!
"—Moria, I see. Right, you defeated Moria before." Pierro, casually remarking, then turned his body around and kicked Smoker's Shusui-holding arm. Smoker, focusing all his attention on keeping himself awake, couldn't prevent himself from losing the grip on his sword.
Then, Pierro, with his left hand having casually taken over Shusui, pointed his right index finger at Smoker's bloody chest.
"…Hah,"
From the contact alone, Smoker instinctively knew that he lost. He, understanding that this may potentially be his end,
"…Bwahahahaha!!"
laughed genuinely with his eyes closed, from an unknown sense of elevation in his mind. And then,
"Shigan: Ryuotachi."
BOOOOM!
A potent attack struck through Smoker's chest, effectively knocking the latter out.
Thud.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票