Once the meeting was over and his lieutenants had been dismissed, Smoker, now in possession of the fullest information possible, immediately went to ruin his superiors' mood. At least that was one advantage in an unending procession of disadvantages.
"Are you certain, Captain Smoker?!" The voice imitated by the Den Den Mushi could not exactly be called hysterical or frightened, but it had unquestionably lost every trace of its former calm. "Do you understand how serious such a statement is?!"
The headquarters officer's reaction to the information Smoker had provided was roughly what the captain had expected. Smoker's reputation and rank had been enough to have him immediately connected to someone more influential than an ordinary errand boy. A rear admiral was no vice admiral, but Smoker was not being picky. He might regard fraying his superiors' nerves as an indisputable benefit, but with Tashigi taken prisoner, he was in no mood for amusement.
"If I didn't understand how serious my statement was, I wouldn't have asked to be connected to you. I would have limited myself to a routine report." On any other day, Smoker would have added a special note to his voice, one that made it obvious to any listener that the captain considered the person on the other end a complete idiot. Today, he merely confirmed the obvious. Tashigi's safety mattered more. His task was to make sure the 'Pirate Slayers' were taken as seriously as possible, so deliberately irritating his current interlocutor would have been foolish. "I have reported only the bare facts."
Smoker managed to take several deep drags before the other man's voice sounded again.
"Then what is your personal opinion?"
It was the question Smoker had expected most of all, so his answer was ready in advance.
"If you want my personal opinion, then... First, every one of the 'Pirate Slayers' is extraordinarily dangerous. The current bounties on their heads do not come close to reflecting the true level of threat posed by this crew. Even if their personal strength is set aside, the 'Pirate Slayers' possess many times more information than any ordinary pirate rookies, which undeniably makes them even more dangerous." Worried for Tashigi's safety, Smoker had not dared include information about 'Clear Sky' and 'Octopus' in his report, but he could not avoid hinting to his superiors that the 'Pirate Slayers' were extraordinarily well informed. "Second, Roronoa Zoro almost certainly possesses Armament Haki" —his insides were still aching— "and there is also a high probability that he possesses Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki."
One could say with confidence that Smoker had once again proved he had a head on his shoulders—and that, unlike many of his colleagues, he used it for more than eating and drinking. Had a less intelligent Marine been in his place, he would undoubtedly have started frothing at the mouth while insisting that Roronoa Zoro himself had used Conqueror's Haki. Smoker, however, fully allowed for the possibility that a third party had intervened. In other words, Conqueror's Haki might have been used not by the 'Pirate Slayer', but by an outsider. Likewise, the blow infused with Armament Haki might have been some kind of trick. Who could guarantee that Roronoa Zoro did not possess the power of some unknown Devil Fruit that allowed him to strike Logia users—or a power that worked specifically against the Moku Moku no Mi, the Smoke-Smoke Fruit? Admittedly, it had taken Smoker several hours to think of such alternatives, improbable though they seemed. After all, the presence of a Haki user in East Blue had once appeared almost impossible to him as well, so he was no longer eager to rely solely on common sense and logic. The man had already learned from personal experience that his previous approach was inadequate: the 'Pirate Slayers' could not be evaluated by common sense and logic alone.
"So you do not know for certain whether Roronoa Zoro possesses Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki? You cannot even give a complete guarantee that he possesses Armament Haki?" The rear admiral's voice noticeably brightened.
Smoker barely suppressed the irritation that flared inside him. How difficult it was to deal with an idiot! His interlocutor might be a rear admiral, but such a high rank clearly had not added anything to his intelligence.
"You're right. I can't offer any guarantees," Smoker said darkly after several deep drags. "But perhaps we should all pray that I am right." The captain had no intention of holding back when it came to making the atmosphere more ominous.
"Why?" Along with the baffled voice, the Den Den Mushi carefully pulled an equally baffled face.
"It's simple." Smoker's expression darkened further. "The use of Conqueror's Haki is indisputable, as is the fact that it was directed only at me and my subordinates. Therefore, if Roronoa Zoro did not use it, then it was used either by an ally of his or by one of his subordinates... Personally, I would rather have Roronoa Zoro possess Conqueror's Haki than discover that there is yet another unknown enemy accompanying an already extremely dangerous man."
Smoker managed to take several more deep drags before the man on the other end finished digesting the captain's analysis.
"Could it have been the unknown individual you reported earlier?" Panic crept back into the rear admiral's voice. "This... Cthulhu?"
"I already told you about him," Smoker replied calmly. "According to my informant, who has so far been right about everything, Cthulhu is a bloodthirsty maniac guaranteed to be stronger than the Sanji, the 'Butcher,' and the 'Beheader' combined. And this previously unknown Sanji is, in turn, stronger than the 'Butcher' and the 'Beheader.' It is entirely possible that we are dealing with another Roronoa Zoro, only much more bloodthirsty and inclined to act from the shadows. However, if Cthulhu truly is the bearer of Conqueror's Haki while also remaining Roronoa Zoro's subordinate, then we can safely say that the chief 'Pirate Slayers' is even more dangerous than any of us believe."
This time, the rear admiral fell silent for a full minute.
"...I will relay all the information and all your conclusions directly to the Fleet Admiral," he finally ruled after the prolonged silence. "The intelligence you have provided is too serious and lies beyond my authority. The final decision concerning the 'Pirate Slayers' will most likely be made by the Five Elders."
Smoker smiled grimly. That was precisely the outcome he had been seeking. The captain could not stand those old fossils, but that did not mean he would refuse to use them for his own purposes. They certainly would not be able to ignore someone with Conqueror's Haki, and with their support his chances of rescuing Tashigi would rise considerably.
"Do you have any additional information concerning the case?" the rear admiral asked before ending the call.
Smoker's already grim smile became even darker.
"Yes. There is one more thing... I'll send you the photographs now."
"Photographs?"
"Roronoa Zoro decided to announce his ambitions to the entire world, and he did so in a rather remarkable fashion."
Very, very remarkable, in fact. It was highly doubtful that anyone among the highest echelons of power could remain indifferent after seeing those photographs.
"Announce his ambitions to the world?" The rear admiral once again displayed his open confusion, which the diligent Den Den Mushi illustrated perfectly with its little face.
"You'll understand when you see them," the captain said, declining to elaborate.
Using another Den Den Mushi, Smoker called one of the base's internal numbers and ordered the previously taken photographs sent to Marine Headquarters. He did not have to wait long. The rear admiral's reaction to the images soon lifted the gloomy captain's spirits slightly. The moment the man saw the photographs, the day's unusually popular phrase came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Shit."
At roughly the same time that Smoker had only just begun dealing with the consequences of the 'Pirate Slayers' visit to his territory, the 'Pirate Slayers' themselves were staring wide-eyed at the Red Line appearing on the horizon. All except Zoro. Pale as death, the green-haired young man stood with one hand braced against a wooden crate in front of him. At that particular moment, he could not have cared less not only about the Red Line, but even about the Grand Line itself. The rest of the family, however, also lost interest in the world's only continent fairly quickly. None of them had ever seen the Grand Line, but they had seen the Red Line many times. Having sailed East Blue from end to end, every one of the Hats had observed the famous continent dozens of times.
Despite the abundance of maritime trade routes, the most important commercial road ran along the Red Line, with trading bases established on its peninsulas. Visiting any one of those peninsulas was enough to get one's fill of the Red Line's immense bulk. The continent's sheer size was another reason the Hats quickly grew bored of staring at the horizon. As had been mentioned more than once, the Red Line rose a full ten thousand meters above the sea. Thus, even though the continent had already appeared on the horizon, they still had another seven or eight hours of sailing ahead. By then it would be late evening, and one would have to be completely brainless to enter the Grand Line after sunset. Their departure into 'the most dangerous and mysterious sea of all' would therefore be postponed by another day. What was the point of continuing to stare at the horizon? At that moment, everyone remembered Zoro and the gift he had received from Luffy.
"Luffy-aniki, so what did you give him?" As expected, Johnny practically radiated curiosity, becoming the first to tire of staring at the Red Line.
The others might not have been glowing with curiosity, but they still showed undisguised interest in Luffy's mysterious gift. Zoro's reaction to the crate's contents had simply been too strong. Ever since the incident with Zorry and the 'Three Plungers,' the green-haired young man had almost stopped reacting to any of Luffy's teasing or jokes, yet now there was this dramatic contrast.
"You can look for yourselves. She'll wake up soon anyway!" Luffy generously permitted them.
"She?" came a chorus of voices. Johnny, having finally lost all control of his curiosity, tore the lid off the crate in a single motion. Zoro, who had been leaning on it while his consciousness clearly wandered through the farthest recesses of his inner self, immediately crashed face-first onto the deck. The rest of the family, excluding Luffy, crowded around the crate and peered inside together.
"Oh!"
"Ah!"
"Mellorine!"
"Who is that?!"
"LUFFY!!!"
Nami did not even try to obtain any details before attacking her captain with her fists. More precisely, she first tried to slap him, and only when he cowardly dodged did she truly launch herself at him. Luffy had no intention of serving as a punching bag and immediately fled, resulting in a prolonged chase all over the ship.
"I think I know who Shmoker kept shouting about," Yosaku observed, stating the obvious while continuing to examine the girl sleeping in the crate in the fetal position.
Her bed consisted of white foam beads. Her clothing consisted of about a dozen thin red ribbons of the sort normally used to wrap presents. Completing the picture was a katana in an exquisitely crafted sheath, which the girl held in both arms and pressed carefully to her chest as though it were not a sword but her own child. She had short dark-blue hair and glasses with rectangular red frames. Despite the katana, the sleeping girl looked incredibly beautiful and defenseless... as well as very cute and seductive.
"And still, who is she?" Usopp asked.
Nami's 'training' made itself known, and the young man did not even blush at the sight of the nearly naked girl. Just a couple of weeks earlier, Nami's bare breasts could have sent him into a prolonged stupor... Bad comparison. Under the right circumstances, Nami's bare breasts could still send anyone into a prolonged stupor, including the almost perpetually unshakable Luffy.
"Some Marine," Yosaku replied, "but I have no idea what her name is, what rank she holds, why Luffy kidnapped her, or why Zoro looks as though he's seen a ghost."
"Except that if he met a real ghost, he'd cut it into slices without so much as blinking," Johnny added.
Zoro had already risen from the deck. Now, gripping the rim of the crate with both hands, he stared sightlessly at the sleeping girl. Up close, her perfect resemblance to his dead friend became even more obvious. He had not the slightest doubt that, had Kuina lived to the present day, she could easily have passed for the sleeping girl's twin sister.
"Is she not enchanting?" A truly revolting expression froze on Sanji's face—one that was actually lovestruck, though it looked unmistakably disgusting—and the smoke from his cigarette began curling into hearts.
"She's beautiful!" Johnny, Yosaku, and Usopp agreed in unison.
"You bet!" Luffy's smug voice rang out. "I picked her myself!"
A broad grin adorned the young man's face, while a Nami bound with strips of cloth writhed in his arms. The furious girl was practically hurling lightning from her eyes. She clearly had plenty to say about everything happening, but Luffy prudently kept one hand clamped over her mouth, so all Nami could do was growl furiously through it.
"I chose the best one on the whole island! Now that my first mate has started taking an interest in women, how could I ignore his new hobby? A captain has to look after his subordinates' needs!"
"So who is she?" Johnny asked, completely ignoring the nonsense he had just heard.
"Lieutenant Tashigi, Shmoker's right hand!"