One Piece My strange ability

Chapter 19: Battle Against Smoker

After leaving Zephyr's office, Karen didn't rush back to the dormitory to study Life Return. Instead, he asked an instructor for directions and headed to the Munitions Department.

After all, he wasn't sure how long the authorization letter from Zephyr would remain valid.

Since he could get a weapon for free, there was no time to waste.

The Munitions Department wasn't hard to find. It was located right next to the general training ground.

The weapon selection process went smoothly. Karen didn't know much about swordsmanship, so he figured any sturdy-looking sword would do.

Deep down, Karen had always longed for swords. Who hasn't fantasized about roaming the land with a sword in hand, riding a horse, and carrying a bottle of wine?

As he grew older, those childhood dreams evolved. Surrounded by tales of swords, he dreamed of soaring through the skies on one like Li Xiaoyao, slaying demons and righting wrongs.

Swords have always held a certain allure.

Karen randomly picked one up, and it seemed rather pleasing to the eye.

With a "shink," the sword was unsheathed, its cold light gleaming.

Karen mimicked the masters he used to watch in TV dramas as a child, twirling the sword elegantly around his arm. Standing with his hands behind his back, he declared in a calm tone:

"A fine sword, truly a fine sword."

At that moment, he felt incredibly dashing.

"Hey, kid! Are you done choosing? We're about to close!"

A sharp voice broke Karen's reverie.

Hurriedly, Karen sheathed the sword and replied anxiously:

"Yes, yes, I'm done."

---

Back in his dormitory, Karen carefully retrieved the Life Return manual and began reading it intently.

As Zephyr had said, Life Return was incredibly difficult to master. It required not only exceptional talent but also years of training from a young age.

Over the next few days, Karen divided his time between daily training at the elite school and studying the manual during his free moments.

One day, just as he was immersed in practice, a disdainful voice interrupted him:

"So, you're Karen? The guy who defeated the recruit instructor?"

Karen looked up and saw a man with short hair, a cigar in his mouth, and a mace in hand. His gaze was sharp, and his expression was full of disdain.

It was Smoker.

Karen recognized him immediately.

"I'm not Karen. You've got the wrong person," Karen replied casually.

Smoker raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh? Then do you know where I can find Karen?"

Without even looking up, Karen replied, "Never heard of him."

---

Thinking he had gotten rid of Smoker, Karen returned his focus to the manual.

But soon, Smoker reappeared, slamming his mace into the ground with a loud thud, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"You're obviously Karen. Why did you lie to me?" Smoker growled, producing a photo of Karen and pointing at it angrily.

Karen smirked and played dumb.

"I'm not Karen. I just look like him."

Smoker scrutinized Karen suspiciously.

"Are you sure you're not?"

"Positive," Karen said with conviction.

He didn't have time to entertain Smoker's antics. All he wanted was to master Life Return.

But Smoker wasn't fooled for long.

"I don't care! If you're not him, take me to him!"

Karen sighed and put away the manual.

"What do you want with him?"

"I heard he defeated the recruit instructor. I've never done that, so I want to fight him! I won't let anyone in this camp be more impressive than me!" Smoker declared, his voice filled with indignation.

Hearing such a childish line, Karen couldn't help but chuckle.

"Fine, I'm Karen. Now what?"

Smoker brandished his mace with excitement.

"I knew it! Let's fight! Duel me right now!"

"No thanks," Karen replied flatly.

"Why not?"

"Not in the mood."

"Are you scared?"

"Yes," Karen replied dryly.

Smoker scratched his head, visibly frustrated. Despite his rough demeanor, he wasn't the type to bully others.

"Alright, how do I get you to fight me?"

Karen shrugged.

"I can't win without my powers. There's no point in fighting; I'd lose."

Smoker's eyes lit up.

"I know you're a Devil Fruit user! I won't restrict your abilities. Come on, I've never had the chance to fight someone with Devil Fruit powers before!"

Karen hesitated. He wanted to fight Smoker, especially since Smoker was a notable Marine who clashed with Luffy in the future.

But now wasn't the time. Karen knew he wasn't strong enough yet. He wanted to wait until he mastered Life Return before facing Smoker.

"Let's make a bet," Smoker suggested eagerly. "If I win, you don't have to do anything. If you win, I'll do one thing for you."

Karen sighed and shook his head.

"Still not interested?"

Smoker turned to leave, visibly disappointed. Though he wanted to fight Karen, he wouldn't force him.

"Wait," Karen called out. "I'll fight you, but the terms need to change."

"Name them! Anything you want," Smoker replied, spinning around in excitement.

"No matter who wins, promise me you won't hold a grudge afterward."

"Deal!"

Smoker immediately discarded his cigar and charged at Karen with his mace.

"Let's go!"

Karen unsheathed his sword and signaled Smoker to attack.

Smoker didn't hold back, using all his strength to propel himself forward like a cannonball. In an instant, he was upon Karen, his mace barely a meter away from him.

"Take this!" Karen shouted, swinging his sword with a flourish.

Smoker had expected Karen to dodge or counter, but instead, Karen's movements seemed amateurish—like a child swinging a toy.

Regret flashed through Smoker's mind. He had used his full strength and couldn't stop now.

But just as the mace was about to hit Karen, everything stopped.

Smoker blinked in confusion. His momentum had been halted, and Karen stood untouched before him.

"You lost," Karen said calmly.