Chapter 69: Smoker enters Marine

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The midday sun spilled onto the streets of Loguetown. Today's weather was fine and sunny, and the streets were far less crowded than in previous days. 

Arashi's squad approached the port, ready to withdraw and return to headquarters. 

As they walked, Arashi was deep in thought. Caution was wise; Crocodile's concerns were not without merit. 

His statements to the world would surely provoke suspicion and dissatisfaction from those in higher ranks. 

Though impulsive, those words were also carefully considered. Words, at times, are the sharpest weapons and can have unimaginable effects. 

Roger's words had launched the Great Pirate Era—what sort of impact would Arashi's words bring to the people of the world? Equality. 

Throughout history, this ideal has been the highest aspiration in countless hearts. 

Many great individuals have sacrificed their blood and lives to achieve absolute equality, which may be unrealistic and an idealist's utopia. 

From birth, people differ in background, talent, and environment. 

Yet, countless still strive for a fairer world where each person has inherent dignity.

Following Roger's wake, Arashi wielded his words as a weapon against the world. 

What consequences would this provoke? He had some ideas and was already making plans. Before long, they reached Loguetown's port.

"Vice Admiral Arashi!" 

"It's Vice Admiral Arashi!" 

"The one advocating for equality and justice—it's Vice Admiral Arashi!" 

Instantly, the Marines at the port, soldiers and officers alike turned to him, their faces bright with excitement. 

Arashi offered them a warm smile, moved by their enthusiasm. 

The number of people like these was far greater than the powerful few at the top. 

Concepts like equality and fairness—often abstract and distant—had the power to move people's hearts profoundly. 

The pirate world that prized freedom lacked these foundational ideals of democracy and human rights, or rather, this world had not yet reached such enlightenment.

But this would be a time of the fiercest ideological clashes in an era of freedom. 

Arashi squinted slightly, smiling as he nodded to the crowd. 

"All right, everyone, board the ship! We're returning to headquarters!" he ordered, and those behind him followed suit. 

Naturally, Bullet's words were just talking—joining the pirates would be far from the best course. 

A stable environment suited for growth was much better for building his forces.

They began to board the ship. Suddenly, a white-haired boy burst from the crowd.

"Hey, kid!" 

"Come back!" 

Seeing a boy rush forward, Marines reacted immediately, some officers even readying to intervene. 

Arashi noticed the commotion and turned to see the white-haired boy. He raised a hand to stop his men. 

The boy, catching his breath, finally reached Arashi and found himself face-to-face with the smiling vice admiral.

"Young man, do you wish to tell me something?"

Smoker, gasping for air, looked at the man before him. 

After a long stare, he suddenly took a deep breath and shouted, "I—I want to join the Marines!" 

His voice rang out across the port, drawing the surprised attention of the Marines around them, many of whom chuckled at the boy's eagerness.

"Oh?" Arashi raised an eyebrow. "And what's your name?"

"Smoker! I saw you on the broadcast! I heard what you said!" 

Looking nervously at the man before him, Smoker felt the courage he'd just summoned quickly fading. 

This was a secured Marine area, surrounded by officers, and the man in front of him had captured Roger and the Golden Lion Shiki, towering legends. What had he done? 

He had charged past the gates and faced this powerful man.

"I want to become the kind of Marine you spoke of—one that pursues justice."

His mind was racing, and Smoker spoke with nervous determination. "I want to be like you!"

"Is that so?" Arashi's eyes softened, a faint smile touching his lips. 

"If you want to join the Marines, the Loguetown branch recruits new trainees yearly. Pass the entry exam, and you'll become a proper Marine." 

Recognizing the boy's name, Arashi immediately connected the face with the future officer he'd come to know: 

Smoker, the Smoke-Smoke Fruit user, whose record, unfortunately, had been a series of tough losses—his heart stolen by Law, defeated by Vergo, floored by Doflamingo, crushed by Bullet. 

Many had originally compared him to Garp, but his reputation had steadily declined after the two-year time skip. 

Still, Smoker's principles were unmistakably strong.

"Ah?" Smoker froze at Arashi's response. "N-no, that's not what I meant!" He hastily clarified, "I want to follow you!" 

"Please, let me train under you to become a Marine who fights for true justice!" 

With that, Smoker nervously knelt and pressed his forehead to the ground in earnestness.

His actions drew the attention of all present; many were astonished by this white-haired youth's devotion. 

Would Vice Admiral Arashi accept this seemingly ordinary boy? Silence fell. 

Behind Arashi, Crocodile, Bullet, T-Bone, Rosinante, and Ivans looked on, as did Buggy, freshly dressed in his forced Marine trainee uniform.

"To follow me?" Arashi chuckled after a long moment. "Because of those words?" 

Smoker, forehead still on the ground, shouted, "Yes! Equality and justice—that's the kind of righteousness I want to fight for!" 

His loud declaration drew the gaze of many Marines.

Arashi laughed. "Justice is something you must come to understand on your own. It's not something you learn simply by listening to others, Smoker." 

With that, Arashi turned and stepped onto the ship, his team following suit. Smoker remained on his knees, stunned.

"Understand for myself?" Smoker whispered, uncertainty clouding his mind. "Equality and justice—isn't that right?"

As doubt filled his heart, he slowly raised his head and looked up at the young vice admiral standing aboard the ship, gazing back down at him. 

His expression showed both anxiety and frustration. 

From the moment he heard Arashi's words, a seed of ambition had taken root in his heart—a hope that one day, he might realize a world without oppressors, a world of equality. 

Today, after a sleepless night, he finally spoke his heart to Arashi but was refused.

Doubt, frustration, and despair washed over Smoker. 

Then, standing aboard the ship, Arashi suddenly grinned and said, "Smoker. I've decided to give you a chance to pursue the justice you believe in."

Smoker's head snapped up, his face alight with excitement and joy.

"Get on board, kid!" Crocodile shouted with a grin. "We don't have time to waste here!"

Smoker boarded the ship, feeling excited and full of anticipation. 

But his nerves soon took over, as he quickly realized that most Marines aboard looked tough and intimidating. 

Aside from a guy with a messy Marine uniform and a red nose, the others seemed fierce and unapproachable—especially the one with a face like a zombie.

"From today, Smoker, you are officially a Marine trainee on my ship," Arashi announced, noticing Smoker's unease and reassuringly smiling. 

Judging by his appearance, Arashi guessed Smoker was likely around eleven or twelve, a bit younger than Rosinante. 

"White-haired little brother, follow me!" Mina approached, ruffling Smoker's hair as she laughed and led the way.

Smoker grudgingly followed, glancing at Buggy's prominent red nose as they passed him. 

As the Marine ship left Loguetown's harbour and sailed into the open sea, Smoker, experiencing his first journey at sea, leaned over the ship's rail, marvelling at the leaping fish and gasping in awe.

"Kid's got no experience," Buggy scoffed sourly. 

Smoker turned at the remark. "What did you say, Red Nose?"

"I said you've got no experience," Buggy sneered, his mood sour. 

His mind was filled with bitterness—just a day ago, he'd been minding his own business, but now, here he was, inexplicably conscripted as a Marine. 

"My dream of finding the ultimate treasure! And that blasted Red-Haired Shanks!" Buggy's frustration boiled over.

"Red Nose, are you a Marine trainee too? Did you join because you admire Vice Admiral Arashi?" Smoker, ignoring Buggy's mockery, asked curiously.

"Who would admire that guy? And don't call me Red Nose! I hate when people mention my nose!" Buggy growled.

"Red Nose?" Smoker replied with a smirk.

"Why, you—!" Buggy had enough and lunged at Smoker, fists swinging. Smoker met him head-on, throwing punches and kicks. 

He couldn't believe anyone could join Arashi's ranks without admiring him. Such a noble ideal should inspire everyone, he thought. 

Known as the "leader of the kids" in Loguetown, Smoker was no stranger to fighting, usually standing up to protect the kids in his neighbourhood. 

Soon enough, the two new Marine trainees were entangled in a full-on brawl.

Arashi stood at the bow, observing the scene with an amused smile. "Look, those two rookies are already getting along great."

"Didn't expect them to start fighting so quickly," Crocodile chuckled. 

"But maybe you should think about handling the fallout from yesterday's speech when we return to Headquarters."

"At worst, I'll lose the opportunity to become an admiral," Arashi said calmly.

"That would be a shame; admirals wield significant authority," 

Crocodile remarked. In his view, with Arashi's reputation and strength, it was only a matter of time before he was promoted to admiral. 

Once he reached that pinnacle, perhaps even one day, a decade or two later, he could ascend to Fleet Admiral. 

At that point, with the entire Marine force behind him, Arashi could easily reshape the world.

After all, as the world's most powerful force, the Marines spanned nearly every sea and nation, possessing unmatched influence and numbers. 

The very reason the World Government maintained control, allowing the Celestial Dragons to sit in luxury, was largely due to the Marines.

"Sometimes, giving up certain things opens up even greater possibilities," Arashi smiled. 

He then turned his gaze back to the two brawling youngsters and chuckled again. 

Take Smoker, for example. Who would have thought that a future Marine vice admiral would pledge himself under his command the day after his speech?

The two continued their skirmish, punches and kicks landing hard and fast. 

Buggy, a bit stronger thanks to his time as an apprentice on the Roger Pirates, had two years more experience than Smoker and was already fifteen. 

However, Buggy was still recovering from yesterday's shock, which evened the odds. 

After a drawn-out battle, both finally collapsed, exhausted, on the deck.

"Rosinante," Arashi called.

"Yes, sir!" Rosinante promptly ran over with a grin. The entire crew had been watching the fight, finding the boys' scuffle highly entertaining.

"These two are yours to train," Arashi said casually.

"They're full of energy, so push their training hard. Base the intensity on what you went through."

"Understood!" Rosinante replied cheerfully, turning to leave.

Soon enough, cries of pain echoed as the two newest recruits were thrown into intense drills, thoroughly feeling the sting of training.

Later that evening, as the ship passed through the Calm Belt and reached Marineford after several hours, night had fully set in. 

Smoker and Buggy had fallen asleep, both battered and bruised, exhausted from the day's ordeal. 

At Arashi's command, Rosinante and T-Bone carried the two sleeping boys on their backs as the crew returned to the Marine Headquarters' residential area to rest.

Under a sparse moon and scattered stars, a soft wind swept over Marineford. 

Arashi's invisible aura spread swiftly, covering the entire Marine Headquarters. 

Instantly, the details of the military base, from the troops to the admirals, appeared in his mind.

"Aokiji and the others have returned. The vice admirals are all resting. And… there's Garp-sensei," Arashi thought, shifting his gaze toward the main building.

"Strength isn't meant to elevate oneself above others but to uplift the world," he mused.

"Equal justice," Kong said thoughtfully from his desk, sighing slightly. 

"Arashi's idealism is admirable. 

His words resonate well with the justice we uphold. 

If spread, they could even counterbalance the chaos Roger's last words incited, possibly inspiring a surge of recruits."

"But…" Kong trailed off, a look of regret crossing his face. After a moment, he sighed again.

"So, what do you intend for his position, Fleet Admiral?" Sengoku asked in a serious tone.

"I was planning on appointing him as the third admiral after Roger's execution, along with you and Zephyr," Kong admitted. 

"Arashi's strength and reputation more than qualify him. But speaking to the world as he did may have just cost him everything."

Sengoku's expression darkened. "Are you… dismissing him from the Marines?"

<End Chapter>

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