29: Chapter 29 White Dove Intervenes in the Battle of Fate

At the Loguetown port, a fierce storm howled.

Dense raindrops pelted the silver-plated hull of the white dove, kicking up a mist of white spray.

Before the heavy mahogany doors of the main cabin, Nami and Nojiko pulled on special nautical ropes, guiding a stunning, smooth-skinned woman with a tall, graceful figure into the warm cabin.

It was none other than Alvida, who had consumed the Sube Sube no Mi.

"Ugh... you two rude women! Let me go this instant!"

Although bound, Alvida still held her snow-white, delicate neck high, her eyes, usually as affectionate as spring water, now filled with annoyance.

"Now, now, Miss Alvida, on the white dove, we don't treat our captives roughly."

Makino walked up, carrying a steaming tray of black tea with a gentle expression.

When Makino saw Alvida, bound by the ropes, her breathtaking curves accentuated, a look of genuine admiration flashed in her warm, watery eyes.

Makino stepped forward and used her slender fingers to gently untie the ropes that were binding the beauty.

The ropes fell away.

Due to the power of the Sube Sube no Mi, Alvida's flawless, snow-white skin refracted a warm, moist luster like the finest white porcelain the moment she was freed.

She pulled at the slightly disheveled silk on her body, feeling a bit flustered, only to discover that the interior of this adventurer ship, named "ship", was far more luxurious and exquisite than she had imagined.

An independent dining cabin, corridors emanating the scent of precious wood, and individual boudoirs decorated with exquisite comfort.

How could this be a bounty hunter's ship?

This was clearly a supreme palace sailing on the great ocean!

"This ship... also belongs to that rough guy?"

Alvida asked softly, touching the edge of the marble bar in a daze, feeling the delicate texture under her fingertips.

"Yes, this is the ship that the villagers, all with White Dove tattoos, built for Rice."

Makino walked over and handed Alvida a warm towel that emitted a faint scent of mint, her gaze gentle and inclusive:

"Although Rice is as domineering and ruthless as a devil in battle, he possesses the most unrivaled gentleness on the sea for his own women."

Looking at Makino's noble, gentle, and secure demeanor, and recalling the male heat Rice had pressed against her on the square—a sensation that had made her bones feel numb—the proud heart of the pirate queen Alvida melted completely into this gentle trap in an instant.

"Hmph... that domineering bad boy."

Alvida bit her red lips, feeling a little shy.

A bright blush rose on her smooth, snow-white cheeks. She took the towel to wipe the moisture from her body and whispered:

"This lady... will just wait here for him to return."

Seeing this East Blue beauty completely fall, Nami and Nojiko looked at each other and shook their heads, finding it amusing.

Nami sighed with a touch of playfulness. Although she felt a bit jealous, seeing Rice capture another beauty with his absolute dominance made the sense of security in her heart grow even stronger.

In the whole world, only their man was worthy.

...

Meanwhile, in the central street of Loguetown, shrouded in a storm.

The rain poured down like a deluge, washing torrents of water across the cobblestone ground.

Luffy, who had just escaped from the ruins of the collapsed execution platform, was grinning, laughing heartily while stepping through the puddles, running desperately toward the port.

"Haha! I survived! That punch from Rice was really impressive!"

Luffy muttered to himself with excitement as he ran.

However, before he could cross the street corner, a large expanse of thick white smoke suddenly appeared in the wind and rain ahead, ignoring the torrential downpour, sweeping across like a tide and instantly sealing off the entire street.

"Inhale... exhale..."

Accompanied by the low sound of breathing, a tall, white-haired man with two thick cigars in his mouth and a Sea Stone-tipped jitte crossed on his back slowly walked out from the depths of the smoke.

The highest-ranking officer of the Loguetown Marine base, "Smoker"!

"Straw Hat Luffy. Loguetown is the end for pirates; you won't be leaving here today."

Smoker exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke.

His cold eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, locked tightly onto Luffy, his entire body exuding the absolute majesty of a Logia Devil Fruit user.

"Big white smoke?! Damn it, don't block the way!"

Luffy cried out, planting his feet firmly on the ground, his arms stretching backward like a fully drawn bow.

"Gum-Gum... Gatling!!"

Countless black fist shadows turned into a dense rainstorm, accompanied by a piercing sound of breaking wind, crashing toward Smoker.

However, facing the overwhelming fist shadows, Smoker's body instantly turned into rolling white smoke.

Luffy's powerful punches passed through the smoke, hitting nothing but air, unable to harm Smoker in the slightest.

"It's useless. Physical attacks are ineffective against Logia types."

Smoker snorted coldly, his upper body turning into a giant python condensed from white smoke, wrapping around Luffy's body with lightning speed and binding him tightly.

"White Blow!!"

In the smoke, Smoker's materialized steel right fist slammed into Luffy's abdomen, smashing him heavily onto the cold cobblestone ground.

Immediately after, Smoker's figure appeared within the smoke.

With precise movements, he reached back and drew the black-gray jitte embedded with Sea Stone, pressing it heavily onto the back of Luffy's neck.

"Ugh... I... can't use my strength..."

The fluctuation of the Sea Stone from the back of his neck caused Luffy, a Rubber Fruit user, to lose all power to resist in an instant, leaving him slumped helplessly in the cold rainwater, unable to move.

"It's all over, Straw Hat."

Smoker took out a pair of special Sea Stone handcuffs from his waist with a blank expression, preparing to cuff Luffy's wrists.

However, just a second before the handcuffs could fall—

In the void of the storm, the air was suddenly torn apart by an extremely violent, overwhelming force!

"Clang!!"

A blurred white afterimage pierced through the layers of rain like lightning.

[White Dove · Soru]!

In the absolute gap, Rice's figure descended like a ghost.

His bronze-colored foot, shining with a greenish-black metallic luster, carried the force of thunder and lightning in an instant, slamming heavily onto the tip of the Sea Stone jitte that was suppressing Luffy!

"Clang—!!"

A piercing, metallic blast erupted in the storm.

Smoker felt a terrifying, overwhelming force rushing wildly through the jitte, shaking his arms numb. He almost couldn't hold his weapon, and his body slid backward uncontrollably for several meters, plowing a white water line into the flooded cobblestone road.

"White Dove Rice?!"

Smoker steadied himself several meters away.

The pupils behind his sunglasses contracted slightly as he looked at the young man who had suddenly intervened and stood in front of Luffy.

As the highest-ranking Marine officer in Loguetown, Smoker had always been clear about rewards and punishments, placing great importance on principles.

He looked at Rice, and although his eyes remained cold, he did not attack immediately as he would have with a pirate.

Because he knew that Rice had recently eliminated two major scourges in the East Blue, Don Krieg and Arlong, and even helped the headquarters uncover Colonel Nezumi, that huge corrupt parasite.

In the Marine headquarters' hunter system, Rice was the number one hunter in the East Blue with 53 million bounty points.

For such an outside expert who executed justice, although Smoker didn't like his casual nature, he would absolutely not issue a warrant or hunt him down without reason.

"White Dove Rice. I have no intention of arresting you today, and you are not a Marine fugitive."

Smoker shook the rain off his body, holding the jitte in front of him, and said in a deep voice:

"You cleaned up the parasites and pirates of the East Blue, and I respect your strength. But... this kid wearing a Straw Hat is a pirate, and obstructing the Marines from arresting pirates is also a serious crime! For the sake of Vice Admiral Garp, I will warn you once: move aside immediately!"

"Rice!!"

Luffy, lying in the rainwater, was overjoyed and struggled to stand up.

Rice didn't even look back, his hands in his pockets, with a few faint blue electric arcs occasionally flickering on his bare bronze skin.

He tilted his head and smiled at Luffy on the ground:

"Luffy, this has nothing to do with you anymore. Your crew is still waiting for you at the port. Get on your ship quickly and go to the Grand Line to wait for me."

"Oh! Okay! Thank you, Rice! Then we'll see you in the Grand Line!"

Luffy grinned, and the moment he regained his freedom, his rubber body instantly stretched, turning into a stream of light in the storm with a 'whoosh', flying wildly toward the port in the opposite direction of the white dove.

"Damn it! Don't think you can run!"

Smoker was furious, his body instantly turning into a large cloud of white smoke, attempting to cross Rice to pursue Luffy.

However, Rice's figure was faster than him.

The moment the white smoke began to spread, Rice stepped on the ground with one foot, his figure becoming like an indestructible copper wall, once again firmly sealing off all blind spots for Smoker's advance.

"I said, today, this has nothing to do with you."

Rice stood in the rain, his bangs wet, his dark eyes flashing with a majesty that made Smoker shudder:

"Smoker, I'm not interested in you. I stayed here today to wait for a... distinguished guest who just arrived."

"By the way, a piece of advice: practice your Haki well, so you don't get surpassed by a cripple later on."

"What?"

Smoker was stunned.

"Boom—!!"

Before he could react, the storm between heaven and earth suddenly underwent a bizarre transformation!

The wind, which had been blowing in one direction, instantly turned into a terrifying tornado swirling over the entire street.

The green barometric pressure of the whole world dropped violently, and the rain was even forcibly blown backward into the sky.

In the center of this green gale, which was enough to destroy all buildings.

A cold man wearing a dark green cloak with a strange red tattoo on his face walked out step by step, silently, amidst the baptism of thunder and storms.

Leader of the Revolutionary Army, the most vicious criminal in the world—Monkey D. Dragon!

Rice turned his head, looking at the terrifying titan who appeared in the storm, a wild, all-controlling smirk slowly curling at the corners of his mouth.