106: Chapter 106 Smoker's Curiosity, Lin Han's Deception

Lin Han's glossing over—the Marine warship was already fully prepared, its sails unfurled in the wind, waiting only for the order to weigh anchor and return to the East Blue.

Lin Han walked with leisurely steps, preparing to board the ship via the gangway.

His back was straight yet relaxed, presenting a leisurely appearance of one who was completely unbothered by anything in the world.

On the dock behind him, Smoker stood in place, his brow slightly furrowed as he stared at that casual back.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Rear Admiral Lin Han, could I trouble you for a moment to ask a question?"

Lin Han, who was about to step onto the deck, paused and slowly turned around.

That lazy, indifferent smile still hung on his face, his eyes relaxed, showing not the slightest hint of sharpness.

"Whatever you want to ask, just say it."

Smoker stepped forward to the bottom of the gangway, looking up at Lin Han standing above.

He fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words carefully.

His usually fierce and straightforward nature had, for once, become cautious and serious.

The sea breeze fluttered his white cloak, and the white smoke swirling around him drifted slowly.

"Just what level has your strength reached?"

This was the question that had been weighing heavily on Smoker's mind for a long time.

From their first meeting until now, Lin Han's actions had always been effortless, yet he always managed to turn the tide of battle at the most critical moment.

Every time he revealed his strength, it far exceeded the scope of an ordinary Rear Admiral, leaving Smoker completely unable to see through his depths.

Lin Han tilted his head slightly, pretending to think seriously, before giving an extremely perfunctory answer a moment later.

"My strength is just so-so, just your average Rear Admiral level, nothing special."

The corner of Smoker's mouth twitched violently, and he almost choked on his breath.

He took a deep breath, forcing down his speechlessness, trying his best to keep his tone steady.

"An average Rear Admiral level can casually crush and heavily injure veteran high-ranking agents like Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger? An average Rear Admiral level can precisely freeze a powerful expert's full-strength attack and cut off the core of a sandstorm from kilometers away?"

Lin Han raised a hand to scratch the back of his head and chuckled, his expression both candid and perfunctory.

"It's purely a matter of ability counter. You know as well as I do that ice naturally has the advantage against metal and sand. Plus, I had good luck and just happened to catch their weaknesses, that's all."

"Good luck."

Smoker spat out those words almost through gritted teeth.

He stared intently at Lin Han's seemingly innocent, harmless, and utterly ordinary face.

He was extremely frustrated internally, wishing he could raise his jitte and whack him with it, prying open this kid's mouth to see if he could dig out a single word of truth.

After a brief silence, Smoker stopped beating around the bush and directly asked the core doubt in his heart.

"Was that city-destroying sandstorm that dissipated out of thin air above the royal capital your doing?"

As these words fell, the air instantly grew a bit quieter.

The smile on Lin Han's face stiffened for a fraction of a second, so quickly that it was impossible to catch.

In the next instant, he returned to normal, relaxed and natural.

He waved his hand casually, his tone as light as if he were discussing some trivial matter concerning an insignificant passerby.

"What sandstorm? I have no idea. During that time, I was busy helping displaced refugees outside the city and didn't pay any attention to the battlefield at the royal capital. It was probably just the heavens unable to bear the conflict, so they blew it away themselves."

Looking at his deadpan expression as he spouted nonsense, Smoker was already eighty percent certain of the truth.

This matter was absolutely Lin Han's doing.

It was just that the other party refused to admit it, and since he had no evidence, he had no right to force a Rear Admiral to confess his true strength.

Smoker sighed helplessly, his tone mixed with resignation and a trace of heartfelt admiration.

"Forget it, since you don't want to say, I won't press further. Take care on your journey."

Lin Han smiled and nodded, his expression easygoing.

"You too. If you ever have time to visit the East Blue, I'll treat you to some tea. Our East Blue's cloud mist tea is truly superb."

Smoker stared at him, his perennially tense face managing a rare, faint curve before he turned to leave.

But just as he took a step, his gaze swept over Kuina, who was standing quietly nearby holding the wado ichimonji, and his steps suddenly halted.

He had witnessed everything over the past few days.

This young female swordswoman's growth speed, combat talent, and ice swordsmanship were all extremely astonishing. Every move she made was clean and decisive, and her combat strength far exceeded that of an ordinary field officer.

A strong desire to spar instantly surged in his heart.

"Lieutenant Commander Kuina."

Smoker turned to look at the girl, his tone solemn.

"Before we part, I would like to spar with you. A friendly match, just so I can witness your ice swordsmanship."

Kuina was slightly taken aback, then looked at Lin Han beside her.

Lin Han waved his hand, his smile casual.

"It's just for fun. Mind your manners, and just try not to hurt anyone."

Having received permission, Kuina hesitated no longer. She stepped out sideways, the wado ichimonji slowly sliding out of its scabbard by half an inch.

The cold, clear gleam reflected the morning light, sharp and imposing.

"I will go all out, Captain."

Smoker gripped his jitte, the white smoke around him surging as he quietly activated his Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability, his battle intent rising.

"Rest assured, I won't hold back either."

As soon as the words fell, the spar instantly began.

Smoker was the first to strike. With a flash of his body, he transformed into swirling white smoke and rushed forward at high speed.

Smoke wrapped around his jitte, which split the wind with heavy force as it struck directly at Kuina's face.

The smoke assault was extremely fast, and his intangible body bypassed all physical predictions, making it a highly oppressive surprise attack.

Kuina's eyes grew sharp. She lightly tapped the ground, dodging backward with agility while swinging her sword to parry.

"Frostfall Horizontal Slash!"

A faint chill clung to her blade as a cold wave of sword energy spread horizontally, precisely slashing toward the incoming body of white smoke.

The cold energy countered the smoke's intangibility. The biting frost instantly forced Smoker's smoke body to pause slightly, and his surprise attack was immediately blocked.

A flash of surprise crossed Smoker's eyes. He immediately changed his move, twisting his wrist to sweep his jitte in rapid succession.

Layers of smoke condensed into solid whip-blades, whipping out one after another.

"Thousand-Scar Smoke Lock!"

The smoke filled the air, densely blanketing the area and sealing off all of Kuina's dodging angles. The assault was tight and fierce, leaving no gaps whatsoever.

Kuina remained calm in the face of danger. Her footwork shifted and her body ducked and weaved, precisely dodging amidst the dense smoke blades.

"Frost Prison Parry!"

Holding the wado ichimonji vertically in front of her, a biting chill swirled around her body, forming a thin barrier of frost that blocked several heavy strikes from the smoke blades in succession.

The clanking sounds of metal clashing rang out continuously, and sparks erupted frequently in the morning light.

The offense and defense of both sides were extremely fast, the rhythm tight. They traded blows back and forth, evenly matched.

Smoker's smoke was unpredictable, capable of turning intangible to evade, condensing for powerful attacks, or sealing off large areas. His fighting style was domineering and sharp, with a continuous stream of attacks.

Kuina's ice swordsmanship was precise and refined, with every move accurately countering the smoke's intangibility. Her sword strikes were steady, accurate, and fierce, her defense was watertight, and her counterattacks were sharp and decisive.

After stalemating for dozens of rounds, the two were still evenly matched, neither able to completely suppress the other.

Smoker activated his ability with full force, the white smoke around him condensing into a massive fist of smoke that crashed down with a roar.

"Furious Smoke Heavy Fist!"

The majestic force crushed down, creating a terrifying aura.

Kuina focused her mind and gathered her strength, channeling the cold energy of her entire body into her blade. She leapt into the air, raising her long sword high and slashing downward.

"Thousand Frosts Void Cleaver!"

An extremely concentrated white blade of frost soared into the sky, colliding violently with the smoke fist.

With a booming rumble, a powerful gale swept through the surroundings as the white smoke and cold frost canceled each other out.

A mixture of fine frost mist and smoke exploded across the sky, filling the entire open space.

Both of them used the recoil to retreat simultaneously, each landing steadily.

Smoker's breathing was slightly uneven, his eyes filled with shock and recognition.

Having not seen her for just a short time, this young female swordswoman's combat strength had actually reached a level where she could stand toe-to-toe with him in a stalemate without a clear victor.

Kuina stood holding her sword, her breathing steady. Though her clothes were slightly disheveled, her posture remained straight and her expression cold.

They were evenly matched, with no clear winner.

"An excellent spar."

Smoker put away his jitte, dispersed the white smoke around him, and praised her sincerely.

"Your talent and strength are far beyond my expectations. The East Blue truly hides crouching tigers and hidden dragons."

Kuina sheathed her sword and bowed slightly.

"Your strength is also formidable, Captain. I did not win."

Lin Han, who was watching from the side, smiled and waved his hand, interrupting them.

"Alright, alright, a friendly match is just a spar, there's no need to declare a winner. It's time for us to set sail and head back."

Smoker took a deep look at the master and disciple, said no more, and turned to walk away.

The white smoke swirled with the wind, gradually drifting away.

Lin Han turned and stepped onto the warship's deck, sitting down leisurely by the lounge chair. He picked up the freshly brewed tea, took a comfortable sip, and let out a pleasant sigh.

Kuina walked to his side, looking at Smoker's departing figure, and spoke softly.

"Master, do you think Captain Smoker will really come to the East Blue to find us in the future?"

Lin Han gazed at the blue sea in the distance, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Who can say for sure? If he really does come, then we'll just treat him to a nice cup of cloud mist tea."

The sea breeze was vast, and the sails billowed.

The warship slowly weighed anchor and set sail, its bow cutting through layers of green waves, moving faster and faster.

Gradually moving away from the port of Alabasta, leaving this war-torn land far behind.

At the end of the dock, Smoker, who should have departed, stopped once more.

He stood quietly in the morning light, watching the warship fade into the distance. After a long silence, his eyes were filled with inquiry and longing.

"East Blue, cloud mist tea."

He murmured softly, silently committing the name to his heart.

A moment later, he turned and strode away, the white smoke dispersing with the wind, disappearing at the end of the port.