59 Chapter 58

[January]

"W-what are the marines doing here?!"

"All marines, quickly subdue the criminals and free the victims. Though you are permitted to kill them if necessary, ensure that not even a single victim is caught in the midst of it."

"""Yes, sir!"""

[February]

"Rear Admiral Smoker! We've just sighted another slave ship that's about to sneak past us!"

"During the night, eh? Ha... Aramaki, go deal with them."

"Rahahaha, got it, Smoker-san!"

[March]

"Uh... this man says that he's from the East Blue."

"Tell them that they'll have to wait in Sabaody Archipelago."

"...For how long, he asks."

"Indefinitely. The slave ships are still fluxing in relentlessly."

[April, May, June, July, and finally...]

__________

[August 15th, 1505]

<<So you need our help.>>

"Yes, I really do right now." Sitting next to a round table where Den Den Mushi was placed atop, I said seriously, "Sabaody Archipelago is getting overcrowded. People need to be sent back to their hometown, but the issue is, the sea is far too dangerous for them to travel back by themselves."

Currently, I was conversing with Cancer in particular, my colleague who's recently been promoted to Captain. He, deciding to leave Gion's division, has now become the commander of the newly established 33rd division.

<<Hm... Bastille did state that he and his 32nd division is on their way back to Marineford. And I suppose that if I were to sail to where you are right now, it will take... oh, only twelve hours? Damn, my dear navigator here is very reliable—OW! What did you hit me for? Huh? You're embarrassed? Oh... you are forgiven then.>>

'...What's happening on his side?' I couldn't help but sweatdrop, but nonetheless continued, "Can I assume your arrival by tomorrow then?"

<<Ah... give us two days. We'll come together with 32nd division.>>

"Noted."

<<And also...>> Cancer's voice then took a serious turn, <<The current situation of the sea is very bizarre, Smoker. You know how it's already been eight months or so since the underworld figure, 'Joker,' stopped all his businesses except the Human Auction shop over there, right? The ongoing rumours said that he was preparing for a war.>>

I raised my eyebrow, "Yes, what about him?"

<<The Cipher Pols relayed the information that a huge group of pirates suddenly moved from the North Blue to the Paradise, by stealing the seastone technology of ours. Both us and the World Government then came to deduce, that 'Joker' is none other than 'Heavenly Demon' Donquixote Doflamingo.>>

It was the information that I already was aware of, "And?"

<<Donquixote family opened the 2nd Human Auction shop.>>

And that was the information that rendered me frozen.

<<It's a blatant provocation to you, Smoker.>>

Raising up my right hand, I touched my face—I was grinning. I whispered, "Acting out in the open, huh? So unlike you, Doflamingo."

It was an extremely irrational move from Doflamingo's side. There was only one deduction that I could make out of this: the seed of 'distrust' that I placed in him months ago—it was finally bearing the fruit.

"Rear Admiral Smoker!" Just then, a marine soldier's voice was heard from the outside, "An unregistered ship has been sighted! Please give us an order!"

I shifted my eyes up to the wooden ceiling upon hearing the voice.

"Anyhow, we can discuss more after you reach here."

<<...Got some work to do, I see. Well, ja ne then. Cancer out.>>

With the call having come to an end, I opened the door and walked up the staircase. Making my way up to the deck, I was met with the bright sunlight above the blue sky. The calm ocean, the gentle breeze of wind, and... one small-sized ship that seemed average-looking in terms of its appearance.

"Smoker-san." Rosinante, being the first one to notice me, greeted me with a smile. It's been quite some time since he's boarded my ship, and in comparison to months ago, he seemed to have warmed up to me.

"Ey, Smoker-san, how was the call?" Aramaki then followed. He, draping his justice coat over his shirtless top, grinned while crossing his arms.

"Not bad, I suppose." Making a casual reply, to Aramaki and waving at Rosinante, I walked to the front of the ship. While doing so, I ruffled Robin's hair as I passed by her.

"Tch... I'm not a child, Rear Admiral Smoker." Robin pouted while placing her hands over her messed up hair.

"""Hahaha! But you are, Orobi!""" The marine soldiers responded with laughs of their own. As I too chuckled in a similar manner, I locked my eyes on the distant ship, where the sailors were looking at us with disbelief in their eyes.

Then, my eyes gained a red gleam. Observation Haki—through the operation of this type of haki, I came to sense the weak presences within that ship; most presumably the slave ship, I thought.

"Aramaki." I stated while taking my feet off my ship and walking in the air, to the ship,

"Gotcha, Smoker-san!" To which Aramaki complied by morphing his right hand into tree roots and vines, which swiftly travelled to the ship and bound it tightly.

Tap. Simultaneously, I landed on the now-bound ship. The sailors—or the slave dealers—they looked at me while gulping in fear.

"You must be wondering how a single ship manages to locate your folks down every single time, aren't you?" Stating coldly, I walked forth and opened the doorway to the inside of the ship, "Similarly, I too wonder everyday, of when you will stop committing these disgusting deeds."

Inside of the ship was dirty. The stench that emanated from within was enough to make me frown. Upon looking carefully, I sighted ten people in total: one human child, six human adults, two fish-men, and one mermaid.

'Mermaid, I see,' I narrowed my eyes at the slave dealers, who were nervously taking steps away from me, 'This ship was quite an important one, huh.'

"D-DAMN IT!!! One among the slave dealers then screamed before taking out his pistol, "We don't have anymore choice!!! All of you, shoot that man!!!"

However, no one responded to his words. The other slave dealers, whose demeanours exhibited nothing but a despair, simply fell down to the deck helplessly. One then muttered,

"...It's impossible. That man over there... he's that 'White Hunter,' you know..."

They then raised their arms as means of resignation.

__________

"Thank you... thankyouthankyouthankyou..." A woman muttered as she hugged herself. Her face was pale, and judging by her attire, she seemed to be someone of relatively high standing.

The other five adults too relaxed, knowing that they were now in safe arms.

"Wow... you are the infamous 'White Hunter' Smoker." On the other hand, one of the two fish-men, one who seemed quite young, remarked with visible admiration in his sparkling eyes, "You saved me just like how many others told."

For the past months, I can confidently say that I saved many people from their bleak futures. And a good number of them were those from Fish-Man island.

"Oh?" Aramaki smiled in amusement before turning to me, "It seems that you're quite famous down there, Smoker-san."

Smiling similarly to Aramaki, I leaned down and looked at the young fish-man at the same eye level, "What's your name, kid?"

The fish-man boy, gaining a blush on his cheek, replied shyly, "I-I'm Larry."

"Well, Larry," Briefly looking at the other fish-man and mermaid, I stated, "Be more careful for the next time around. I know that you want to take a look at Sabaody Park, but the situation isn't safe enough just yet."

Usually, the reason why fish-men and merfolks are caught is that they willingly swim up from their home. Such an act is born out of their curiosity and adoration for the overworld, the world which they didn't get to experience.

"I promise you though," Then, holding out my pinky finger, I said, "that if you wait patiently, I will change this world so that you can come up and play anytime you'd like."

The boy looked at my extended pinky with widened eyes, before meeting it with his own pinky finger. His face then exhibited a pure smile that brought warmth to my heart, "Yeah!"

Subsequently, standing back up, I walked to a human child who was taking a rest nearby. Whether this child was he or she wasn't clear, but as far as I could deduce, this child seemed very very young—around four or five in terms of age.

'Strange though,' I thought as I leaned down to the child, 'This one feels... familiar?'

"And what may your name be?" I asked softly. The child looked at me warily, before replying in a nervous manner,

"Ko...Koala."

__________

The sun set by, and those fish-men and mermaid left the ship. The remaining seven victims were given the necessary treatments and care by Smoker's subordinates, and were now sleeping soundly.

Having told all his soldiers to take a nice rest, Smoker was currently alone on the deck, gazing at the night sky full of stars.

Creak—

Then, a creaking sound. The door behind Smoker opened, and without looking, he muttered, "Can't sleep, Orobi?"

Robin walked up to Smoker and took a seat for herself. She, following his gaze, too looked at the stars for a while, before stating, "That girl... Koala... she's only four. And those despicable people caught her as a slave."

Smoker didn't respond. With a stoic expression, he kept his eyes locked on the sky.

"She cried for hours, before finally falling asleep just now. That young girl—she held in the tears though she was only four."

Robin, she turned eleven this year. Similarly, Smoker too have become seventeen in terms of age now. Though the marine soldiers on his ship adored her as a child, he knew just how mature she was.

"Smoker, what would've happened if you didn't intervene?"

Smoker's facial expression darkened, "...She would've been sold off."

Canon? Whether Koala becomes one of the Revolutionary Army in the future was of no concern to Smoker. Hell, he doesn't care if she ends up remaining as a civilian girl.

Don't change the plot so that the future becomes predictable to him? Fuck with that mindset. He cannot, and won't ignore these wrongdoings happening around him.

"...Why are you the only one who's stopping this atrocious act?" Robin then whispered. Smoker, shifting his eyes, saw, Robin gritting her teeth with her hands clenched tight, "There are many marines all over the world. I've seen tons of your colleagues, and they all had sufficient strength. Yet, you are the only one to act when the true injustice is identified."

Smoker couldn't find a word to refute Robin's words. Even Gion—she was more interested in gaining reputation and authority by catching infamous pirates, rather than saving the lives of those who are in need. Through months of experience, He's come to realize—that the meritocratic system of Marine was a part of the World Government's way of manipulating the Marine. Wealth, fame, and strength—Marine wasn't about righteousness, but about competition, of who's going to reach the title of 'Fleet Admiral.'

"...You know that I earned the remorse of Celestial Dragons by my recent deeds." Smoker finally stated, "Garp-sensei is covering for me as much as he can, but eventually, I know that I will be forced to drop this operation. You see, Orobi, in this world... 'strength' is the one and only justice."

Smoker paused momentarily, for his Observation Haki sensed Rosinante behind the door, silently listening to our conversations. Nonetheless, he continued,

"And it's only natural for the people—even the marines—to prioritize their lives over all else. World Government stands on top, and therefore, they naturally comply."

"But—!!"

"It's okay."

Smirking confidently, Smoker stated, "If they wish to keep themselves in a safe spot, let them be.

I will just do more."

And that was the night which Rosinante came to know—of what kind of man Smoker truly was.