At this stage, Smoker relied too heavily on his Devil Fruit ability. Once deprived of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit's power, he would have little room to resist someone like Conrad.
After asking a few passersby for directions along the bustling streets, Yuuki soon arrived at one of Loguetown's most famous landmarks—
The execution platform of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
"So, this is it."
Standing in the square, Yuuki looked up at the scaffold and couldn't help but remark, "It's rather plain."
But he understood that its significance far outweighed its appearance. The Marines kept this simple platform here as a warning—a symbol meant to deter those who dreamed of piracy.
Unfortunately, Roger's final words before his death had instead ignited the Great Age of Pirates, plunging the world into chaos.
A faint, detached smile touched Yuuki's lips. He withdrew his gaze and turned back the way he had come.
Marines. Pirates. And the Revolutionary Army caught between them.
Together, they formed this turbulent era.
In this world, the meaning of "justice" was broad—so broad that even the line between right and wrong had grown indistinct upon these seas.
Yuuki had no desire to judge any of the three factions.
But the darkness and disorder of this ocean far surpassed anything he had seen in the Clover Kingdom.
As for the so-called "Void Century" that the World Government sought so desperately to erase—even without knowing the full truth, Yuuki could guess at its nature.
Anything the World Government worked so hard to conceal must threaten the foundation of its rule—or hold the power to overturn the current world order.
Whatever Roger witnessed on the final island, Laugh Tale—whatever compelled him to sacrifice his own life to usher in this age—
The so-called "Great Treasure" could not simply be wealth.
Once, Yuuki had been curious about it.
But when everything pointed toward Joy Boy—when it became likely that Monkey D. Luffy would inherit that will—
The "One Piece" lost its appeal.
If a world must wait for one destined individual to save it, then what of everyone else?
"Anyone can save the world," Yuuki murmured softly as he moved with the flow of the crowd. "But it shouldn't be someone predestined to do so."
Luffy…
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
He was genuinely interested in meeting Luffy once he mastered Gear Five—the so-called power of the Sun God Nika.
"Two years is a long time. Perhaps helping him awaken that power earlier wouldn't be so bad."
An intriguing thought crossed his mind.
Yuuki found himself agreeing with something Donquixote Doflamingo once said:
"Justice will prevail? Of course it will—because the victors are justice."
The same principle applied here.
What is a savior?
The one who stands victorious at the end.
Back at Loguetown's harbor, Yuuki had already returned to the ship.
Reclining lazily beneath the shade of the conjured tree, he continued studying the dictionary of magic language.
In the Clover Kingdom, magic runic arrays were often used for support, frequently less convenient than directly casting one's own magic.
But in this world—where ambient mana did not exist—the value of that magic language became far more apparent.
About ten minutes later—
Gunshots rang out from within Loguetown, followed by chaotic screams.
Before long, Conrad returned to the ship with Buggy and the others.
Unlike Conrad—who remained spotless—Buggy and his two subordinates looked thoroughly disheveled.
What surprised Yuuki was that although Buggy's Chop-Chop ability remained sealed, he appeared completely uninjured.
Mohji and Cabaji, on the other hand, bore several wounds.
Yuuki couldn't help but acknowledge Buggy's remarkable luck.
Unfortunately, during this time spent in contact with Buggy, his grimoire had shown no reaction.
It seemed he would have to turn his attention to the Luck-Luck Fruit instead.
Conrad returned to his usual position beneath the tree, leaning silently against the trunk.
Buggy and the other two exchanged glances, none daring to step forward first.
After all, they had failed in their new captain's very first order.
Who knew whether Yuuki would be displeased?
"I already know what happened," Yuuki said without looking up, eyes still fixed on the magic language text. "You two, go treat your injuries. Buggy—take the helm."
Through Corpse Spirit Magic, he could see and hear what Conrad experienced, as though gaining an extra set of eyes.
He hadn't expected Smoker to be absent from Loguetown. Apparently, Smoker had departed earlier with a Marine detachment.
Realizing Smoker had likely been drawn away by the false treasure map rumor Yuuki had spread, an odd expression flickered across his face.
When he thought back to the Marine warship stationed in the outer waters near the Baratie…
That had probably been Smoker's ship.
They had narrowly missed each other.
Yuuki had no intention of waiting in Loguetown for Smoker's return. The matter had been incidental to begin with.
If Smoker wasn't there, then so be it.
There was more than one Logia user in this world.
More importantly—
Smoker simply wasn't worth the wait.
Mohji and Cabaji breathed out in relief and hurried off, abandoning Buggy without hesitation.
"Those two bastards…"
Buggy muttered bitterly, though he had no choice but to obey and head for the helm.
The ship gave a gentle shudder as it set course for the Grand Line.
Supplies were not an issue. Yuuki had checked earlier.
Buggy's ship had been stocked to support a full crew. With only a handful of them remaining, provisions were more than sufficient.
Less than an hour after Yuuki's departure—
Smoker's warship returned to Loguetown.
When Smoker, Tashigi, and the Marines arrived at their headquarters and saw large sections reduced to rubble, with injured soldiers scattered everywhere, Smoker's expression turned ashen.
"Who did this?!"
His furious roar echoed through the base.
After piecing together the details, his face grew darker still.
Though the information was incomplete, Buggy's involvement pointed clearly to the same two individuals from the Baratie.
"So, they've taken over the Buggy Pirates…"
"I hadn't even gone looking for them yet, and they dared to attack the Marines first."
"Arrogant."
Leaving Tashigi and the others behind, Smoker strode toward the still-standing section of the base.
This incident could not be concealed.
Earlier, he had not been certain whether they stood on the side of justice—or piracy.
But now?
Attacking a Marine base left no doubt.
"They're pirates."
He needed to report this immediately.
Another troublesome figure had just stepped onto the stage of this sea.
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