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The battle between the flames and the smoke intensified.
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Tashigi smacked her forehead anxiously and said, "Captain Smoker is fighting a powerful enemy!"
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With that, the bespectacled girl waved her arm at the soldiers and ordered, "Hurry over there! Support the captain!"
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"Yes!"
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The marines rushed off, and Tashigi followed.
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After a few steps, she suddenly remembered something and turned back to grab Noir.
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Noir was touched by Tashigi''s devotion, but did she really think she could control him like that?
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With a slight twist, Noir easily escaped Tashigi''s grasp, darted onto the roof and disappeared into the distance.
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A faint voice drifted back, "I''ll check the situation first. You hurry and catch up..."
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Tashigi stamped her foot in frustration and yelled, "Hurry up!"
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Noir moved quickly and soon found the battlefield where Ace and Smoker were fighting.
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At that moment, the two had just separated from their intertwined elements, Smoker shrouded in smoke and Ace with his flaming fist raised.
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Smoker''s eyes flicked over and immediately spotted the approaching Noir. He said, "East Blue Hunter Noir, are you here to help the pirate Ace?"
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Ace shouted excitedly, "Noir! We bought the ship! We can set sail!"
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Noir covered his forehead in annoyance. Dude, I''m a hunter!
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Yelling like that just proves that I''m with you guys!
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Sure enough, Smoker, hearing Ace''s words, stared solemnly at Noir and said, "So you joined the pirates.
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Noir spread his hands and tried to explain, "Actually, I''m not..."
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Noir tried to explain, but Smoker wouldn''t listen. His lower body turned to smoke, propelling him forward.
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"White Blow!" Smoker raised his jutte, which had a seastone tip, and swung it down hard at Noir''s head.
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The world is so beautiful, and yet you''re so irritable...
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Noir helplessly raised his sword to block the attack, used both arms to deflect the jutte, and then twisted his body back to slash down.
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"Tornado Flash!"
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The rotational force of his body combined with the strength of his arms, channeled into his sword, aimed straight at Smoker''s exposed chest.
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Like Ace, Smoker believed that a mere pirate hunter couldn''t hurt him.
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Smoker didn''t defend, he continued his attack.
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But what he didn''t know was that Noir''s sword was already imbued with Armament Haki!
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In that moment of life and death, Smoker instinctively felt a sense of impending doom and twisted his body to withdraw his attack.
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This action saved his life.
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A shallow cut appeared on Smoker''s chest, not far from his heart, bleeding slightly.
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Smoker broke into a cold sweat.
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Had he not withdrawn his attack, he might have been pierced.
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Pirate Hunter Noir could use Haki?
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Why is there such a powerful figure in East Blue?
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As a graduate of Marine Headquarters and a student of Zephyr, Smoker understood the terror of the Haki system.
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He had trained by developing his Devil Fruit ability and wasn''t proficient in Haki, not even able to control the Armament Haki at will.
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But this young man could?
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Smoker, still reeling, stared at Noir. With a faint smile, Noir said, "Will you listen to me now, Captain?"
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At that moment, Tashigi and the Marines arrived, guns pointed at Ace and Noir.
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Smoker, with a dark expression on his face, said to Noir, "What do you want to say?"
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Noir held up three fingers and said, "First, I did not become a pirate. I''m still a hunter."
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"Second, your Marine intelligence says that Ace and I are on the same ship. In reality, his ship was destroyed, so he hitched a ride on mine."
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"I didn''t capture him because Ace had no bounty and I didn''t want to deal with him."
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"Third..."
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Noir looked at the approaching Tashigi and said, "I just helped you deal with the pirate who stole the children. Shouldn''t you be paying me?"
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Smoker said thoughtfully, "So you''re saying you didn''t catch him because he had no bounty?"
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Noir nodded confidently, "Exactly."
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Smoker showed a strange smile, pulled out a bounty notice from his subordinates, and said, "Pirate Ace now has a bounty. You can catch him."
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What...?
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Noir stared at Ace''s bounty in shock.
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Good heavens, 40 million berries, and he hasn''t even left East Blue yet?
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After seeing the bounty, Noir''s eyes twinkled and he said cheekily, "Forget it. I''m too lazy to catch him. I''m not short of money now."
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Smoker''s face immediately darkened and he said coldly, "Are you messing with me?!"
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Noir, unfazed, smiled dangerously and said, "What if I am? What can you do?"
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The sky gradually darkened and a light drizzle began to fall, the tension between Noir and Smoker growing.
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It was then that Ace finally understood the situation.
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It seemed that Noir insulted the Marine because of him and couldn''t be a pirate hunter anymore?
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That wouldn''t do.
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Although Ace wanted Noir to be his partner, he wouldn''t force him. Ace considered Noir a friend and he wouldn''t push him.
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He had to help Noir!
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Ace looked at Noir and suddenly shouted, "Ah! You bastard! Are you trying to catch me?"
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Both Smoker and Noir were stunned.
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Noir looked at him in confusion. What was this silly guy doing now?
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In the drizzle, Ace''s arm turned into flames as he lunged at Noir, pretending to yell, "You won''t catch me!
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As a fellow user of Flame-Flame Fruit, Noir easily blocked his blow. Taking advantage of the close distance, he whispered, "What are you doing?"
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Ace chuckled, "You''re a pirate hunter, right? Come and get me."
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With that, Ace staggered back a few steps and said "weakly", "East Blue''s strongest hunter, indeed".
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After his performance, Ace turned and ran with Deuce and Skull, leaving behind, "Help... me..."
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Noir covered his face in embarrassment and lethargically ran after them, yelling, "If you have the guts, don''t run..."
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The marines were stunned.
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Tashigi reported seriously to Smoker, "It looks like Noir and Pirate Ace are not in cahoots."
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"Not in cahoots, my ass!"
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Smoker''s veins bulged as he shouted at his naive subordinate.
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Such a bad act, no one would believe it!
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Even Vice Admiral Garp wouldn''t believe it!
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Smoker''s face turned livid as he roared, "Forget about Noir for now!"
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"Quick, capture the pirate Portgas D. Ace!"