Smoker's Problems

<Smoker POV>

"Damn it! Alex and the Asura Pirates are wrecking the peaceful atmosphere in the East Blue! The Red Hair Pirates are already enough to deal with, and now they're adding fuel to the fire! We have to raise their bounties because of the stunt they pulled and add their new crew members who participated in this operation!" I said to my officers as they quickly get to work.

"Captain! Someone saw the Asura Pirates sailing towards Loguetown. They estimate that they would get here in about one week or more." said an officer while looking at the reports.

"Alright let's update their bounties and prepare for their arrival. We shouldn't let them go to the Grandline. We will stop them here, understood? First let's deal with the Red Hair Pirates" I said I look at Alex's picture on the desk. Alex was holding his sword and gun while stepping on an unconscious Marine's body.

'I swear on my life I will stop you Alex! You will not sail in the Grandline.' I said in my mind as I prepare my troops to stop Alex and his crew's journey here in Loguetown.

<3rd POV>

A few days later, while Alex and his crew were clueless that they have been targeted by Smoker and is planning to bring them down. They were just sailing without care in the world and trying to train their abilities so that they could grow stronger. They also tried to help Law and make him join but he didn't want to because he might leave the crew so there is no point in bonding and training with them. Alex and his crew did not accept his reason and dragged him to train with them because he is part of the crew. Law just gave up resisting and joined them in their trainings. He also asked Alex what else he could do with his Devil Fruit, Alex just gave him the information that is in his book that contained all known devil fruits and their abilities and a book that contains practically all known medical knowledge so that Law would be able to use it to its full potential. Law was surprised that his captain would give him valuable information, so he asked "Captain, why would you give me this information? It's not like I'm fully part of your crew or anything and I might use it against you in the future." Alex smiled at him and said "You're part of my crew and family right now, so why wouldn't I give it to you? If you use it against me in the future, then I'll just blame it on myself for not being a good judge of character." Law was shocked because of the reason that his captain gave him and thought 'If he would do this much for a temporary crew member, then what more if I were truly part of the crew?' he felt that his decision to temporarily join was a good one and he is starting to consider staying because for the first time in a long time, he felt that he was not alone in this world.

Just then, a News Coo passed by and dropped today's newspaper and they saw [RED HAIR PIRATES SEEN IN THE GRANDLINE] as the headline of the newspaper. Alex saw this and thought 'Maybe this is the crew Shanks made. Pops told me that he was an apprentice pirate of Roger when he was a kid. I want to recruit him to my future fleet or partner with him because he might be an influential figure in the future.'

While Alex was lost in his thoughts, Franco saw some papers fall out of the newspaper. He read what was on the papers and shouted "Captain, we got our new bounties!" Alex and the others went closer to Franco as he showed them their new bounties.

Bounties:

'Asura Hands' Alex

$40,000,000

Dead or Alive

'Silent Reaper' Franco

$30,000,000

Dead or Alive

'Devil Child' Nico Robin

$85,000,000

Dead or Alive

'Iron Leg' Braga

$15,000,000

Dead or Alive

'Long Limbed' Fraulein

$15,000,000

Dead or Alive

'All-Seeing' Petronia

$2,500,000

Dead or Alive

'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law

$10,000,000

Dead or Alive

They were surprised at their new bounties and were happy that they also have big bounties. Alex added all of their bounties together and said "Guys, our pirate crew is now worth $197,500,000! But let's not be too happy about this because in the Grandline, there are people who have higher bounties than all of us combined. That is why we must become stronger so we would not be bullied by these pirates." the crew nodded because they understood what their captain was saying. They weren't satisfied with these low bounties. They wanted to have higher bounties, so that they would be a crew worthy of being the future Pirate King's crew. Alex seeing their determination, was satisfied as he doesn't want them to be complacent about their bounties and be arrogant.

<Smoker POV>

"Goddamn it! We let the Red Hair Pirates just sail through to the Grandline like we weren't even there! This is not allowed to happen again! Bring me all of the available Marine officers here and we will double our defenses and we will not let any pirate crew pass through and sail towards the Grandline." I said as I was frustrated at how weak our base was when Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates just beat us without difficulty. As I was speaking, an officer went inside the room and said "Captain, the Asura Pirates are about to arrive! What are your orders sir?" I gritted my teeth and ordered "Make sure that when they dock on the island, deploy all troops and arrest all of them." the officer said "Understood Captain!" then left the room to relay my orders to the whole base.

'I may have let the Red Hair Pirates go, but I won't let you Asura Pirates. Your journey ends here.' I thought as I lit another cigarette.

<3rd POV>

As Alex was training with his crewmates, Petronia informed them, "Captain, we're about to arrive at Loguetown!" Alex smiled and said "Good, everyone prepare for battle. We will beat the Marines and sail towards the Grandline!" the crew shouted in unison "YEEEAAAHHH!"

'Get ready to welcome the rise of the new Pirate King. Grandline here I come.' thought Alex as he gets ready to arrive at Loguetown.