On the chaotic, snow-covered wasteland of Punk Hazard Island, the ground was stained crimson — like a plum blossom blooming through the frost.
Bang!
As Smoker lunged forward, his Jitte clashed with Law's cursed blade Kikoku. He gritted his teeth and pushed with all his strength, yet even that failed to snap the weapon.
Looking down, he saw their Haki colliding and grinding against each other — sparks of invisible power crackling in the frigid air.
Beyond his formidable Haki, Law's Ope Ope no Mi ability was equally terrifying — capable of attacks that warped space itself.
Among the G-5 branch, only Vergo, Smoker, and Tashigi could truly hold their ground against him.
But now, Vergo had gone to report to the two Admirals and explain the situation.
Hina and Tashigi had taken their units to intercept the rest of Davy Jones' crew.
That left Smoker as the only one who could keep Law in check.
Yet, he was not gaining the upper hand — if anything, it was he who was being pushed back, inch by inch.
Tina and Tashigi weren't faring much better.
Once Eustass Kid unleashed the powers of his Jiki Jiki no Mi, Hina's Ori Ori no Mi and Tashigi's sword were pulled toward him as though magnetized — their abilities completely countered.
Fortunately, both women could use Haki — and under the guidance of their superior officers, Tashigi had begun to grasp it herself — allowing them to resist for now.
The rough-and-tumble soldiers of G-5 were not so lucky.
They faced Buggy's "Split-Split" tricks, Perona's "Negative Ghosts," Drake's "Allosaurus form," and Jewelry Bonney's "Twisted Future" transformations.
Each power was bizarre and unpredictable, and the Navy troops were forced to retreat again and again.
Contrary to Vergo's earlier confidence, even on land the Marines could not gain the upper hand against the Davy Jones Pirates.
At least they no longer had to worry about bombardment from the Terror Ghost.
Smoker clenched the cigar between his teeth, wary and tense as he parried Law's attacks.
His thoughts churned with impatience.
What the hell is Vergo doing? Still hasn't convinced the Admirals? We've been stalling this long — he should've brought them here by now!
Even when thinking of his superior officer, Smoker's inner voice was as blunt and irreverent as ever.
But what truly bothered him was this — from start to finish, he had not seen Davy Jones himself.
Where was he?
Had he not come to Punk Hazard personally?
Whirr—
Suddenly, both Smoker and Law's Kenbunshoku Haki flared, catching an anomaly on their shared "web of awareness."
Their weapons disengaged; they stared at each other, both frowning.
"You've got more reinforcements coming?"
"Is this one of your tricks?"
They spoke almost in unison — then froze, each realizing the other's confusion.
"It's not you?"
"Of course not. We only just landed on the island."
That short exchange told them enough: neither side was responsible. Which only deepened the mystery.
If it wasn't either of them — then who?
At that moment, strange mechanical clicks echoed through the ice.
Cracks split across the frozen surface, and from beneath the ice thrust up gray metal conduits.
With a hiss, purple gas spewed from the pipes, spreading through the air — heavy, noxious, and reeking of death.
What Smoker and Law had sensed from afar now erupted all around them.
A Marine standing too close inhaled before he could react — his face twisted in agony, body convulsing violently as he clawed at his throat before collapsing, dead within seconds.
Another followed. The purple haze rolled over them like a living beast, devouring everything in its path.
"It's poison gas!" Smoker barked, instantly recognizing it. "All units, fall back! Keep clear — do NOT approach!"
Law's expression darkened. "Buggy, Perona, Kid, Drake, Bonney — get over here, now!"
The pirates quickly disengaged from their opponents and regrouped around him. Against poison gas, no Devil Fruit or Haki would avail them.
Law slung Kikoku over his shoulder and rotated his left hand — as if unscrewing a lid.
A shimmering sphere formed around them with a deep whump, forcing the toxic cloud outward.
But it was only a temporary reprieve. The purple haze surged and boiled like a living tide, closing in again.
Law could repel it again and again, but he knew this was not sustainable — nor a true escape.
On the Marines' side, more soldiers were falling one by one, writhing like fish tossed onto a cutting board before going still.
Fury and dread filled Smoker's eyes. He had no choice but to abandon the fight.
He shouted for a retreat, using his "White Smoke Wall" to stall the advancing gas — though it was futile.
The gas kept gushing from countless pipes across the island, thicker by the moment, swallowing everything.
"It's Vegapunk's old laboratory!" Tashigi cried suddenly, recalling the Punk Hazard files she'd once studied. "One of the facilities there was left intact! We can take shelter inside!"
Smoker's instincts kicked in immediately. "Tashigi, lead the way!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Smoker!" she answered, fumbling with a frost-dusted map and adjusting her glasses.
"Hey, beautiful Captain!" one of the burly G-5 men joked even while trembling in the poisonous air. "You sure you've found the way? 'Cause we're about to drop dead here!"
"I've got it!" Tashigi slapped the map with a rustle. "This way!"
The G-5 soldiers cheered — though their eyes darted nervously toward the Davy Jones Pirates.
Would retreating like this be seen as cowardice?
Would the pirates attack them from behind?
Smoker stepped forward and made the call.
He looked directly at Law. "Temporary truce — agreed?"
"Agreed." Law wasn't about to keep fighting in a death cloud.
Without hesitation, he drew Kikoku, lifted it high, and sliced forward.
Shhhh—
The "purple wall" split cleanly apart, revealing a narrow, fleeting corridor of clear air.
Smoker nodded. "Tashigi! You're in front!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral!" she said firmly, gripping her blade Shigure and dashing into the passage.
The Marines and pirates followed close behind.
As they ran, they saw dozens of pipes erupting from beneath the ice, spewing waves of poison like volcanic vents — a sight that chilled even hardened soldiers.
Even moving at full speed, several Marines at the rear were overcome and swallowed by the gas.
At last, under Tashigi's guidance, they reached their destination —
a snow-buried, frost-encrusted structure that had once been Vegapunk's research facility.
The building's icy spines jutted out like the quills of a giant hedgehog.
Tashigi, seeing it for the first time, hesitated — unable to find the sealed entrance amid the frozen mass. She ran her gloved hands over the walls in confusion.
Law stepped forward. With a diagonal swing of Kikoku, the ice-laden wall split cleanly apart and crashed to the ground, revealing a two-meter-high doorway.
"We're saved!" someone cried.
One by one, they rushed inside. The air was warmer, the temperature rising noticeably.
Panting and exhausted, some leaned against the walls, others slumped to the floor — the mad dash had drained them all.
But the poison gas still surged outside, creeping toward the entrance.
Law twisted his fingers again. The severed wall chunk shimmered like jelly, floated upward, and sealed itself back into place — airtight.
Only then did everyone exhale in relief.
Yet, with safety came a new unease.
They had ceased fighting to survive — but now, with the gas blocked out, would the battle resume?
The Marines looked to Smoker.
The pirates looked to Law.
Before either could decide, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
A squad of figures in bulky protective suits burst into view, gas masks covering their faces, strange weapons in hand — each carrying a cylindrical tank on their back.
Without a word, they opened fire.
Hiss— hiss—
From their weapons spewed not bullets, but more of that same purple gas.
The newly arrived group had clearly been ordered to expel intruders.
A few Marines caught the spray directly — they collapsed at once, foaming at the mouth, thrashing in agony.
In an instant, chaos engulfed the hall once again — the poisonous fog rolling through and blotting out all sight.
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