Smoker laughed and tried to restrain Luffy again with his White Vine attack.
But before the smoky tendrils could wrap around him, Luffy tilted his head and delivered a powerful kick straight to Smoker's stomach, sending him flying.
"Cough! Cough! H-How is this possible?!" Smoker gasped in shock, struggling to get up. "You clearly touched a Seastone weapon! How do you still have the strength to attack me?!"
For a moment, he even doubted whether his Nanashaku Jitte was real.
Luffy grinned. "Who said that just touching Seastone makes you powerless? I've trained to the point where I can use Haki even while wearing Seastone handcuffs!"
Smoker's mind reeled.
That's impossible! Even Marine Admirals never mentioned such a thing!
Still skeptical, he reached out and touched the tip of his own Nanashaku Jitte—and immediately, a wave of weakness washed over him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground.
The weapon was real.
But it was also real that Straw Hat Luffy was unaffected!
How?! Seastone was supposed to be a fundamental weakness for Devil Fruit users! Why did that common sense suddenly not apply?!
Luffy tilted his head, looking at Smoker as if he were an idiot. "Are you dumb? Why would you touch Seastone yourself?"
Smoker was so enraged that he nearly choked on his own cigar. He coughed violently, his face turning red—until he actually passed out.
It was a ridiculous sight. A Marine Captain, taken down not by an enemy… but by his own cigar smoke.
It was like watching a champion swimmer drown in a shallow pond.
Luffy blinked in confusion. "Uh… what just happened?"
Smoker lay there, dazed and motionless.
Just then, Luffy sensed something—an overwhelming presence watching them from above. He instinctively looked up toward a nearby rooftop, where an aura of power radiated, making his instincts scream.
A Marine Admiral?
Before Luffy could voice his thoughts, Carl arrived, casually strolling over. "Yo, Luffy! All done here?"
But then Carl, too, suddenly froze. His sharp gaze turned in the same direction as Luffy's.
Luffy pressed down on his straw hat, his voice steady but serious. "Mr. Carl… there's someone strong up there. Is it a Marine Admiral?"
Carl focused his Kenbunshoku Haki and quickly spotted the figure—a man wearing a cloak, standing silently on the rooftop.
A slow smile spread across Carl's face. "No… it's an old acquaintance."
Luffy blinked. "Acquaintance?"
Before he could ask further, Carl suddenly called out—
"Dragon, aren't you going to show yourself?"
As soon as Carl's words fell, the cloaked man on the rooftop finally stepped forward.
Luffy and Carl Moonwalked up to meet him.
Under the hood, they saw a rough, weathered face marked by a unique tattoo. His eyes were sharp, exuding a powerful aura.
Luffy, however, focused on something else. "Who's this uncle? And why does he have a shoe print on his face?"
Both Carl and the cloaked man twitched at Luffy's bluntness.
Carl sighed and decided to introduce him properly. "Luffy, this is your father—Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army."
Luffy blinked. "Oh, so he's my dad."
He said it casually, but a second later, his brain caught up—his eyes widened in shock. "Eh? EH?! THIS is my dad?! Wait, I have a dad?!"
Carl rolled his eyes. "Of course you have a dad! What, did you think you were the Monkey King and just jumped out of a rock?"
Luffy tilted his head. "Monkey King? Who's that?"
"Forget it, not important." Carl waved it off. "Point is, this guy is your father. I confirmed it with your grandpa."
Hearing Garp's name, Luffy immediately believed it.
But even with his carefree personality, suddenly meeting his father—a complete stranger—left him unsure how to react.
Dragon, on the other hand, seemed equally at a loss.
Neither father nor son knew what to say.
Seeing the awkward silence, Carl decided to break the ice. He turned to Dragon. "By the way, Uncle Dragon, do you have a blond kid working for you? Likes to fight with an iron pipe?"
Dragon raised an eyebrow. "You mean Sabo? You know him?"
Luffy's entire body tensed.
Carl had mentioned Sabo before, but now he was asking Dragon—his father—about him?
Did that mean…?
Luffy grabbed Dragon's shoulders, his voice filled with urgency. "Uncle Shoe Print—oh, I mean, Dad! Is Sabo alive?! Is he really alive?!"
Dragon hesitated for a moment, then realized—Luffy and Sabo weren't just acquaintances.
Carl confirmed it. "Luffy, Sabo, and Ace were sworn brothers."
Dragon's eyes widened in understanding.
He nodded. "Yes, Sabo is alive. He was critically injured by the Celestial Dragons' attack, but I happened to pass by and saved him. However, due to his injuries, he seems to have lost some of his memories."
Luffy's body trembled.
Then, tears burst from his eyes as his mouth curved into the widest grin.
"WOOOOAH!!! Sabo's alive! He's really alive! That's amazing! Woohooah!!!"
He cried freely, overwhelmed with joy.
The pain of losing a brother—only to find out he was still alive—was something few could understand.
But even those who didn't could still feel the raw emotion of the moment.
Tears welled up in Carl's eyes.
But when he noticed Dragon standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, he couldn't help but feel a little irritated.
"Dragon! Your son is crying, and you're just standing there like a rock? What kind of parent does that?!"
Dragon flinched slightly at the scolding.
After a brief hesitation, he slowly reached out a trembling hand and gently patted Luffy's shoulder. His voice softened.
"Luffy, don't worry. Sabo is alive and well with me. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to him. I'm sure you'll meet again soon, and by then, he'll have recovered his memories."
Luffy wiped his tears with his sleeve and grinned widely. "Yeah! Thanks, Dad!"
At that moment, Dragon felt something unusual—happiness.
As a revolutionary constantly living in the shadows, he had never been able to be a real father to Luffy. He couldn't even meet his own son freely, and that guilt had weighed on him for years. His ideals and family had always been at odds, forcing him to help Luffy only from the shadows.
But now, he was finally able to have a real conversation with his son. And it felt... good.
So, with an unexpectedly eager voice, he asked, "Luffy, tell me—what's your dream?"
Luffy didn't hesitate for a second. "I want to be the freest man on the seas—The Pirate King!"
Dragon's lips curled into a rare smile. "Then go! Chase your dream across the sea!"
Carl, watching from the side, found their conversation both dramatic and oddly heartwarming. For a second, he had the urge to pull out a camera and capture the moment—but then he remembered Dragon's identity. Probably not the best idea.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang.
Carl glanced at it and immediately hung up.
That was the agreed signal from Litchi—the Marine fleet had returned. It was time to retreat.
"Luffy, the Marines are back. Let's regroup at the port," Carl said.
Luffy pressed his hat down with a grin. "Alright! I've had enough fun today anyway."
He turned to Dragon. "Dad, I'm heading out. Say hi to Sabo for me!"
Dragon nodded solemnly. "Take care, Luffy."
Luffy jumped off the rooftop without hesitation.
Carl, however, remained where he was, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he pointed toward something.
"Luffy, look! Smoker's motorcycle is just sitting there… It'd be a shame not to take it for a ride!"
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