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Loguetown, Marine Base.
"Captain Smoker, there are two female swordswomen outside requesting to collect pirate bounties," a Marine reported after knocking on Smoker's office door.
"This shouldn't require my attention," Smoker frowned.
"But they haven't brought any pirate heads with them," the Marine explained.
"They claim they've handed the pirates over to Captain Hina, who instructed them to collect the bounty directly from you."
"Hmm?" Smoker looked up from his paperwork.
'Is it that Ikki person?'
'Are the two women Nami and Nojiko?'
'And has Tashigi returned?'
Considering these questions, Smoker rose from his seat and followed the reporting Marine to the reception area.
Upon entering, he immediately spotted Nojiko sitting quietly on a bench while Nami paced impatiently around the room.
"White hair, two cigars in your mouth!" Nami exclaimed, instantly recognizing him. "You must be Captain Smoker from Loguetown!"
"Orange hair—you must be Nami," Smoker observed, then shifted his gaze. "And you're Nojiko?"
After a brief glance at both women, he asked, "Where's Tashigi? And your captain, Ikki—why isn't he here?"
Nojiko stood up from the bench.
"Captain Ikki asked Tashigi to show him to the weapons shop in Loguetown," she explained.
"I believe Tashigi will come to see you soon."
"More importantly, could you provide us with the bounties for the Black Cat Pirates and the Arlong Pirates? Our treasurer Nami is getting quite anxious."
As she finished, Nojiko glanced knowingly at Nami.
"I prepared those bounties several days ago," Smoker acknowledged.
"However, before distributing them, I need to verify your identities."
Hearing this, Nami and Nojiko frowned in confusion.
Before they could question his methods, Smoker suddenly extended his hands toward them.
In an instant, his arms transformed into white smoke that rushed toward both women.
Their eyes narrowed in recognition. Drawing their swords swiftly, they countered with elemental attacks.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
Lightning and water surged forth, pushing back Smoker's smoke. Taking advantage of this momentary reprieve, Nami and Nojiko stepped backward, watching Smoker warily.
"White smoke! This must be the Logia Devil Fruit user Captain Ikki mentioned!" Nojiko murmured.
'Surface slashes aren't effective against him. Do we really need to learn Armament Haki to deal with Logia users as Captain Ikki said?'
"Hey! What's the big idea attacking us like that?" Nami demanded, her right hand gripping her sword hilt as she lowered her stance defensively.
"The water flow and thunder abilities match Hina's description perfectly," Smoker noted, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"You must indeed be Nojiko and Nami."
"Would either of you be interested in joining the Marines?"
"Hmph! I have no desire to associate with corrupt Marines like Captain Nezumi or people who attack civilians without provocation," Nami retorted with a dismissive snort.
Smoker's expression hardened at the comparison to Nezumi.
Though his recruitment suggestion had been casual, being compared to the corrupt captain clearly stung him.
"Soldier, retrieve their bounty. I'm heading out," Smoker ordered, giving Nami and Nojiko a final appraising look.
Though their attacks hadn't harmed him, he clearly recognized their strength. These swordswomen were already more powerful than many pirates attempting to enter the Grand Line.
"Captain Smoker, where are you going?" the Marine asked, watching Smoker's retreating back.
"To check on Tashigi. Just do as I've instructed," Smoker replied with a dismissive wave before disappearing around the corner.
After witnessing Nami and Nojiko's abilities, he was now intensely curious about Ikki's power and eager to see how Tashigi had progressed under his training.
The Marine swallowed nervously before turning to face Nami's impatient stare.
"One moment, please. I'll fetch your Berries right away."
With those words, he quickly vanished into the depths of the Marine Base.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Loguetown...
"Come on, Ikki, I've explained everything," Tashigi said as she rejoined him after finishing her conversation with the Marine soldiers.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him away, running forward.
The Marines' speculation about her relationship with Ikki had clearly embarrassed her. She didn't stop until they had traveled several hundred meters, finally pausing to catch her breath.
When she turned to look at Ikki, she found him watching her with an amused smile.
Tashigi's face, which had just begun to calm, reddened once more.
"Um... by the way, Ikki, could you continue telling me about Tanjiro Kamado's battle with the demons?" she asked.
"Last time, you were describing the scene where Tanjiro and his sister encountered the Spider Demon clan."
"Can you tell me what happened next? I assume Tanjiro must have eventually defeated those spider demons."
She looked at Ikki with a mixture of shyness and curiosity—shy because she was obviously changing the subject, and curious because she genuinely wanted to know how the battle concluded.
After listening to Ikki's stories, Tashigi now recognized that the boy she had seen demonstrating Water Breathing and Sun Breathing in the Sword Room was indeed Tanjiro Kamado.
She subconsciously believed that Ikki was using some form of Devil Fruit ability to recreate swordsmen he knew within the Sword Room.
"Young Tanjiro," Ikki continued the tale, "with Nezuko's assistance, managed to execute the Sun Breathing technique 'Rising Scorching Sun' with the Hinokami Kagura."
"Unfortunately, he severed his own head before Tanjiro could deliver the finishing blow."
"So the Spider Demon was not killed by Tanjiro and his sister."
"But..."
Feeling Tashigi's grip tighten on his hand, Ikki paused and noticed her anxious expression upon hearing that the Spider Demon had survived.
"Don't worry, Tanjiro's story doesn't end there," he reassured her.
"His senior colleague Giyu Tomioka arrived in time and used the Eleventh Form of Water Breathing, 'Dead Calm,' to swiftly eliminate the demon."
"Tanjiro, his friend Zenitsu, and the others all received proper treatment afterward."
Hearing this, Tashigi sighed with relief.
"Thank goodness Giyu Tomioka sensed the danger in time."
"Wait, Ikki—did you just say 'Dead Calm'?!"
"I thought Water Breathing only had ten forms. There's an eleventh?"
Tashigi blinked in surprise, looking at Ikki with renewed curiosity.
"The Eleventh Form of Water Breathing, 'Dead Calm,' is a technique Giyu Tomioka developed based on his unique abilities," Ikki explained.
"In fact, any talented swordsman can adapt sword techniques to suit their individual strengths."
"Giyu Tomioka did this, as did Zenitsu, and of course, Tanjiro himself."
Ikki looked at Tashigi with a meaningful smile and continued:
"So, Tashigi, would you be interested in developing your Shigure Style into what could become the Twelfth Form of Water Breathing?"