Chapter 124

"...What did you say?"

In a shaky tone, Doll, currently the Vice Admiral and the Commander of Marine Base G-14, spoke into the Den Den Mushi in front of her.

"Dr. Vegapunk... disappeared?"

G-14 was a Marine Base that is located in proximity to Egghead, the island where Vegapunk has been dwelling for the past years. The fact that Vegapunk disappeared under their nose like that... Doll was shocked beyond belief.

In a grimace, Doll eventually came to deduce,

"It must've been during that time when I temporarily left the base to investigate the clash between Big Mom pirates and Beast pirates in Winner island."

Ending the call, Doll collapsed into her seat. Massaging her forehead, she bit her lips.

"World Government has completely let go of New World. They placed their full attention on the Revolutionary Army, those who were responsible for cutting the food supplies into Mariejois. With them holding the current Marine's top powerhouses in the bay, it is virtually impossible to stop Catastrophes from wreaking havoc here."

Sighing, Doll shifted her eyes toward a large map that was spread on a round table.

"Think, Doll. Although the validity hasn't been proved, based on the intel that I managed to gather just three days ago, I know that it is no longer likely for Big Mom pirates and Beast pirates to still be at war against one another. Under the facade of war, they are preparing for something. Since Whitebeard pirates and Pirate Alliance are in a full-out war against each other, it is unlikely for them to be involved in the abduction of Dr. Vegapunk. The reason for taking Dr. Vegapunk is to use his vast pool of knowledge for their own. The only noteworthy pirates who don't belong to any of the three Catastrophes or Pirate Alliance in today's world are the Red Hair pirates, but given their behaviour as Peacemains, it is highly unlikely for them to be involved in this case. If so, this leaves Big Mom and Kaidou..."

The reason why Doll was able to deduce that Big Mom and Kaidou were no longer fighting one another, was because she found out how widespread Big Mom's force currently was, busily raiding and plundering the civilians. War required supplies and force, and it didn't make sense for Big Mom to be able to deploy so many outside of the war zone while going toe-to-toe against Beast pirates.

This also meant that Big Mom pirates were easily tracked relative to Beast pirates. In comparison to Kaidou's headstrong personality, the Beast pirates were elusive. Furthermore, Egghead is nearby Wano. Based on this thought, Doll came to conclude—

"...Among all possibilities, Kaidou is the most likely one to have taken Dr. Vegapunk."

Doll found herself laughing dryly. So what if that was the case? What can she do? Fight against the Strongest Creature in the World?

"As if that's possible."

She would get herself killed for nothing.

"But, the transmission to Marineford..."

She gazed at the resting Den Den Mushi. For some reason, the transmission to Marineford has been cut off for quite some time; she deduced that there was a force that managed to catch onto the signal and intercept it. She came to think in certainty that these too are the doings of either the Big Mom pirates or Beast pirates.

In silence, Doll stood up and looked at the outside through the window. She mumbled to herself,

"I feel as if standing in the eye of a storm. Just how many are suffering as we powerlessly enjoy the peace? How come... the Marine has fallen to this extent?"

Doll reminisced. The training under the instructor Zephyr, the confidence that she felt, the pride that she had upon being called the future of Marine—she found a hollow smile on her face. Only after coming to the New World did she realize that she was nothing but a frog in a well.

'I feel helpless, as I do nothing but simply hope for your arrival, Smoker.'

Smoker, her friend who flipped the entire world four years ago. As time passed by, she gradually came to understand just what sort of feats he managed to achieve.

"...A life worth risking for."

She remembered. Smoker used to say this from time to time,

<I'm not afraid of death itself. Rather, it is the worthless one that I'm of.>

What is life in the first place?

Doll, she was born one day, grew up, and was trained to be a Marine Officer. She took the belief in justice to heart simply because it was a doctrine taught to her since her adolescence. When she first joined the Marine, what was her dream? The reason to persevere through all those hardships that she's gone through?

"Dr. Vegapunk is a noble man. He desires to use his intelligence for the good of the world. There are countless who were saved by him."

Doll whispered,

"If his intelligence is used for the personal gains of pirates, the disasters that will follow as the result—I can't imagine."

It was against the logic. Against the sense. Doll, who believed herself to be a logical woman, found her body shaking as she came to realize what she was about to do.

Beep.

Doll pressed a button nearby, activating the emergency protocol.

"...Live or die, I don't care anymore."

__________

"Ah..."

The fall of mighty Hibiki the Carnivore. The dictator who knew no mercy. The torturer. The demon. He, Elizabello II the current king of the kingdom of Prodence, couldn't believe his eyes as the frightening T-rex that ruled over Dressrosa was defeated within seconds.

Elizabello's eyes wandered over the small figure far away from him. Smoker, a fellow with white hair and hazel-coloured eyes. Approximately 2 meters in terms of height. Most importantly, known as White Hunter by the public. This moniker was given to him due to his striking resemblance with the folktale of Devil Hunter Dante, the wanderer who was said to exist thousands of years ago.

Once someone has become his target, be it a street thug or king, said target never survives. And those targets of Smoker all had one thing in common: they were legitimately the malevolent personnel who disrupt the peace of innocents. The rumour didn't lie, thought Elizabello as he slowly approached Smoker with an inexplicable expression.

"White Hunter..."

And he wasn't the only one. Numerous others, the kings, nobles, knights, all of them came toward Smoker. The remaining members of Beast pirates couldn't do anything as the workers left their sites, for they were oppressed by Smoker's presence.

"W-We..."

The truth is, this worksite in Dressrosa consisted of not only the people in Dressrosa, but also those in other kingdoms and islands nearby. Initially, they, upon the invasion of Beast pirates, decided to reach out to Dressrosa—one of the original 20 kingdoms—upon noticing that no help was arriving from the World Government. Upon their arrival, they were caught in the middle of yet another invasion in Dressrosa, resulting in the current state.

At the loss of a word, Elizabello, without any pride as the king remaining in him, knelt in front of Smoker, and so did others. The tears began pouring out of his eyes as he opened his mouth.

"We... my people died, and are still dying today. The World Government neglected us, and we don't have any strength left in us to fight against those pirates. Those despicable pirates... they took everything from us!! The lives of our loved ones, our belongings, everything... all were gone in one day..."

It was a cry born out of sorrow.

"There was no hope left in us as we came to learn that even Dressrosa, one of the kingdoms that established the World Government, was reduced to this state. We lived every day simply because our bodies moved, because our eyes opened the day after. Then... then... today, you came."

Elizabello, he was known as the 'Fighting King.' His strength was abnormal. Not only was he a strong one, but also an optimistic one... or that's what he used to be. Now, with both his hands severed from his body, he developed a fearful and timid nature.

"Will there be tomorrow for us?"

With tears freely flowing out of his eyes, Elizabello asked on everyone's behalf.

Everyone waited in silence, waiting for Smoker to respond. Smoker slowly looked around his surroundings, filled with those who were malnourished and exhausted. Closing his eyes, Smoker thought to himself,

'I suppose... the moment I decided to investigate Kaidou, this was bound to happen.'

First, the facade of war against Big Mom pirates. Second, the elusive yet bold act of attacking one of the 20 original kingdoms. Third, the action of stealing Gum Gum fruit—which Smoker interpreted as Kaidou having managed to attain a way to decipher the Poneglyphs. Kaidou of the 'Beast'. To Smoker, he was the biggest threat that must be taken care of.

'Against the Strongest Creature, huh.'

Opening his eyes back up, Smoker spoke,

"Do you wish for the food? The place to sleep in? The home that you can rest without a worry—all those that you used to possess in the past, but were taken away by the pirates? Most importantly,"

Smoker's eyes flashed dangerously,

"Do you wish for revenge?"

Smoker knew that he wasn't a saint. In fact, he was far from it. He doesn't forgive anything that appears wrong in his eyes. Though he understands that nothing is absolute in this world, that doesn't mean that he won't tolerate what he can prevent.

If someone kills or commits wrongs on innocent individuals, he or she shall be murdered countless times worse. Smoker considered himself a paradox, a lawful killer.

Scarlett's stopped breathing for a moment. In her eyes flashed the memories of her father, King Riku, and her husband, Kyros. Upon thinking about the doings of Beast pirates, she found her face wrinkling up in rage that had accumulated over time.

"My..." Scarlett muttered, "My family was captured and taken away. If... if I can rescue them and..." She growled, "...Make them pay for it..." Clenching her hands, she said,

"I'd give my life for it."

"...Revenge?" Someone whispered. People's eyes widened, as the option that they never considered possible was spoken out of Smoker's mouth. Slowly, the hope—out of rage—spread among them.

One of the last remaining Beast pirates, hiding behind stash, gulped as he slowly dialled for a call through a Den Den Mushi in his grasp. Holding his hand over Den Den Mushi's mouth, he muffled out the noise that the snail generated. And finally,

<<Hibiki? Why have you called me?>>

The one who responded on the other side, to the pirate's surprise, was Kaidou himself.

"K-Kaidou-san..."

<<Ha? Who the fuck are you.>>

"R-Right now, in here—"

The pirate couldn't finish his words. At the next moment, a dense bullet of white smoke came in flying from the side and penetrated through his forehead. His eyes instantly became hollow, and the Den Den Mushi left his grip.

Thud.

<<Hello? >>

It didn't take much for Kaidou to speak in confusion as Den Den Mushi was gently surrounded by the stream of white smoke that brought it all the way to Smoker's grasp. Upon gaining the hold of the dial of Den Den Mushi, Smoker grinned.

"A Den Den Mushi...?" One civilian said questioningly. Smoker then spoke into the dial,

"This is Smoker speaking in Dressrosa."

<<...What? >>

The facial expression of Den Den Mushi became stoic. Then, it revealed an anger as Kaidou shouted from the other side,

<<WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIBIKI?!!>>

Everyone's jaw dropped as they realized just who Smoker was talking with. One of the three Catastrophes, the captain of Beast pirates, the Strongest Creature in the World, and the past member of the legendary Rocks pirates.

"K-Kaidou...?" Elizabello, standing back up, unconsciously took a step back as his body sweated profusely.

Kaidou of the Beast, it was someone whom none of them could even fathom facing against.

"Worororo, yeah fuck you too."

And unfazed by this man, Smoker snorted impassively.

<<FUCKER, WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DRESSROSA—>>

With a grin intact, Smoker cut Kaidou's sentence,

"I'm coming to kill you right now. So sit tight and wait, alright?"

Then, as Den Den Mushi began roaring loudly, Smoker casually ended the call.

A bomb has been dropped.