The streets of Loguetown, once filled with life and laughter, were now covered in blood and destruction. People writhed on the ground, clutching open wounds or broken limbs. Children sobbed next to lifeless bodies, trying to shake parents who would never wake up again. The air, once fresh and salty, now carried the stench of death and despair.
The man in the yellow cape walked slowly through the wreckage, his heavy footsteps echoing like war drums. His red eyes gleamed with a terrifying coldness, as if the suffering around him was nothing more than a spectacle for his entertainment. He stopped beside a woman who was desperately trying to crawl away, dragging her crushed leg.
"Please..." she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
He looked at her for a moment, as if considering her plea. Then, without a word, he raised his foot and crushed her head with a swift motion. The wet sound echoed through the silent street, and her body lay still.
"Weakness," he muttered, continuing his walk.
Further ahead, a group of Marine soldiers tried to regroup. They were outnumbered now—many had already fled or died. One of them, a young man with a face marked by cuts, gripped his sword with trembling hands.
"You… You won't get away with this!" he shouted, trying to sound brave, but his voice faltered.
The man in the yellow cape chuckled—a low, menacing sound. He didn't even need to rush. In an instant, he was in front of the young soldier, gripping his sword with one hand. The blade shattered like glass, and he hurled the Marine against a wall with such force that his body left a crater in the concrete.
The other Marines tried to attack, but it was useless. He crushed them like insects, his fists tearing through armor and bodies with ease. Blood splattered, limbs flew, and the screams of agony were drowned out by the sound of breaking bones.
A child, no older than ten, watched everything from behind a destroyed barricade. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she clutched a stuffed bear against her chest. The man in the yellow cape saw her and paused for a moment, as if intrigued.
"You… You're a monster!" the child screamed, her voice trembling but full of rage.
He smiled—a smile that never reached his eyes.
"A monster? Maybe. But I prefer to think of myself as... Invincible."
He moved too fast for her to see. A second later, the stuffed bear hit the ground, stained with blood. The child never had time to scream.
Suddenly, a thick mist began to spread through the street—a dense white vapor that reduced the Viltrumite's visibility. He frowned, his cold gaze scanning the devastated scene.
"This ends now, you bastard..." a deep voice echoed through the fog.
From the smoke, a tall, muscular man emerged, his stern face partially hidden by a cigar clenched between his teeth. His Marine coat fluttered in the wind, and the smoke around him seemed almost alive. Beside him, a woman with glasses and dark hair tightened the sheath of her sword, assuming a combat stance.
Smoker and Tashigi were ready to fight.
"So you must be Smoker and Tashigi. These weaklings who call themselves Marines were begging for you as they died," the Viltrumite said, his voice dripping with irony and disdain.
Smoker attacked first. With a swift motion, his body dissolved into smoke and lunged at the enemy. The Viltrumite didn't hesitate—he swung his arm to disperse the smoke, but Smoker was more experienced. The mist condensed behind the enemy, and Smoker suddenly reappeared, wielding his Kairoseki jitte.
This time, the man in the yellow cape didn't try to dodge. He allowed the weapon to strike him, feeling the pressure against his body. His muscles tensed from the impact, and he frowned, analyzing the sensation. For a brief moment, his eyes gleamed with curiosity... but his expression quickly twisted into disappointment.
"Is that all?" he scoffed, rolling his shoulder as if shaking off a minor inconvenience. Without wasting time, he lunged at Smoker, delivering a brutal punch in his direction.
The battle raged on with intensity. Smoker attacked from all directions, his smoke making him difficult to predict. The Viltrumite tried to land a hit, but his punches passed through the Marine's body as if he were nothing but air. Frustration began to grow within him.
Every time he tried to strike, the man would dissipate into smoke before the impact.
So, without hesitation, he targeted Tashigi first. In a single swift motion, his fist pierced through her stomach like a spear, bursting out of her back in an explosion of blood. The swordswoman's eyes widened in shock, a strangled gasp escaping her lips as her body trembled violently.
The Viltrumite withdrew his arm, letting Tashigi's lifeless body collapse onto the ground, forming a crimson pool around her.
"TASHIGI!" Smoker roared, charging forward with his jitte in hand, rage burning in his eyes.
The Viltrumite did not step back. Instead, he smiled.
"That was interesting... but I think I've seen enough."
Before Smoker could strike him, the Viltrumite shot into the sky at blinding speed, leaving only a trail of wind and dust behind.
From above, he gazed down at the devastated city, his eyes shining with a mix of curiosity and frustration.
"So there are people my strength can't crush so easily... This planet isn't as simple as I thought."
He clenched his fists.
"I'll figure out how the power levels of this world work. And when I return... I'll have a way to deal with that smoke bastard."
With one last look at the burning ruins of Loguetown, he soared across the sky, vanishing into the horizon.