"Report, Admiral! The enemy ship has been sunk. No pirates on board survived!"
The adjutant walked up firmly to Luo Ye and reported loudly. In his heart, he couldn't help but sigh—going to sea under the command of the newly appointed Silver Eagle Admiral was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Although these were just small-time pirates from East Blue, the crimes they committed were enough to make even hardened criminals in the New World pale in comparison. But under other Marine officers, they might have simply been captured and imprisoned. However, under Luo Ye's command, not a single one was left alive.
All executed!
Luo Ye nodded casually at the report. The pirates of East Blue, who only preyed on civilians, were of no interest to him. Ever since he had slain Arlong and gained little experience points from it, he had lost the motivation to deal with small fry. Instead, he preferred heading to the New World, where high-bounty criminals roamed freely, making for far better targets to hone his strength.
As for these minor threats, his subordinates could use them for training.
"How far are we from Loguetown now?" Luo Ye asked as the adjutant turned to leave.
The adjutant assumed the admiral was referring to how soon they would return to Marineford. After all, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had been summoning Luo Ye back for days now.
"Report, Admiral! Loguetown is just ahead. We should be back at Marineford soon."
Luo Ye paused for a moment before nodding. There was no rush to return to headquarters. Even if Sengoku wanted him to send a warning to Doflamingo, there was no urgency. His priority was ensuring East Blue remained stable—a place where pirates would no longer dare to wreak havoc on innocent civilians.
But to accomplish this, he first had to deal with the Marine stationed in Loguetown—Smoker.
Loguetown, the birthplace and execution site of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, stood as the last stop before entering the Grand Line. This alone made it the busiest town in all of East Blue.
Luo Ye didn't go to Smoker immediately. Instead, he wandered the streets of Loguetown, taking in the city's atmosphere.
He recalled Sabo mentioning how, during their trip to Marineford, they had stopped here. Ace had visited Roger's execution stand, and it was there that he uttered a declaration that still echoed in Luo Ye's mind:
"Since this chaotic era was started by that man, it will be ended by me."
According to Sabo, Ace had spoken those words with an unshakable determination—something even Sabo had never seen before.
Luo Ye reached the town square and slowly climbed the execution platform. He stood at the very spot where Gol D. Roger had met his end.
Perhaps Roger had his reasons for starting the Great Pirate Era, but in Luo Ye's eyes, he had never been a hero. No matter the justification, his final words had led to a world consumed by chaos, causing untold suffering to innocent civilians.
Looking down from the platform, Luo Ye muttered to himself.
"Roger, Ace didn't follow your path. He has sworn to capture every pirate who set sail because of your words."
A gust of wind blew through the square as he continued, his voice firm.
"And this time, Ace won't be executed in front of the whole world just because he carries your bloodline."
At that moment, a group of Marines rushed forward, led by an officer who shouted up at him.
"You there! Get down from the execution platform immediately! Do you realize what you're doing?!"
Luo Ye frowned slightly and scanned the group. Smoker was not among them.
"Where's Smoker?" he asked.
The Marines hesitated, taken aback by the commanding presence in his voice. At first, they assumed he was just another reckless pirate, but no pirate had ever asked for Smoker directly.
"Colonel Smoker is on his way! Who the hell are you?!" one of them shouted.
Luo Ye didn't bother answering. He merely stood on the platform, waiting for Smoker's arrival.
The Marines exchanged uncertain glances, unwilling to make a move. Something about this man made them hesitate.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Moments later, the familiar sound of an amphibious three-wheeled motorcycle echoed through the streets. Smoker arrived in a cloud of billowing white smoke, his signature cigars clenched between his teeth.
His face twisted in anger when he learned that someone had dared to set foot on the execution stand.
"Who's the idiot who thought it was a good idea to stir up trouble in my town?" he growled, gripping his Jitte—a Seastone-tipped weapon designed specifically for dealing with Devil Fruit users.
The Marines breathed a sigh of relief at his arrival. In their minds, there was no enemy that Colonel Smoker couldn't handle.
"Report, Colonel! The man is still up there!"
What?!
Smoker turned sharply, glaring at the Marine who had spoken. They had arrived before him and had still failed to deal with the situation?
"Have they grown so dependent on me that they can't even handle one man?" Smoker muttered under his breath. He made a mental note to intensify their training later.
For now, he had to eliminate this threat.
"Bang!"
Before he could make a move, Luo Ye calmly descended from the execution platform, his eyes locking onto Smoker with amusement.
Smoker gritted his teeth and pointed his Jitte at him.
"You bastard, you think you can just waltz in here and cause trouble? Let's see how tough you really are!"
Without hesitation, Smoker transformed his lower body into smoke and surged forward, aiming to subdue the intruder.
The surrounding Marines watched with satisfaction. Smoker was serious—this guy was done for.
But then something unexpected happened.
Smoker's charge came to a sudden halt.
His eyes widened in shock as recognition dawned on him. His Jitte, once poised for attack, faltered.
"S-Silver Eagle Admiral…?!" Smoker stammered.
The gathered Marines froze. The realization struck them like a tidal wave.
The man they had confronted—the one they had thought was just another troublemaker—was none other than Admiral Luo Ye himself!