Chapter 94: From White Chase to Handyman
"Hey, come on out!"
Kuina was the first to leap onto the deck with Moonwalk, her sword drawn. Her face was like ice as she shouted, "I don't care who you are! If you show yourself now, we can talk. But if we have to drag you out, don't blame us for not being polite!"
Shane followed, landing on the main mast, a position that gave him a commanding view of the entire ship.
He looked down at the silent cabins below, his brow furrowed slightly.
This guy is really well hidden.
He had just done a full sweep of the ship yesterday to install the eagle statue. With his superhuman hearing and sharp senses, he hadn't found a single trace of a stowaway.
When did he get on board…
Could it be that he snuck on back at the Sherry Island shipyard, before we even set sail?
"He's coming out," Crocus said suddenly.
Huh?
Everyone immediately fixed their gazes on the cabin doors, on high alert.
But to their surprise, the doors remained closed. Instead, a wisp of smoke drifted out of a ventilation duct and coalesced into a human figure on the deck.
"Smoker???"
Kuina, who was facing the smoke, recognized the man's face and gasped in surprise. "How can it be you?"
As the smoke slowly dissipated, Smoker's expression was complex. He slowly raised his hands to show that he meant no harm.
"Don't be alarmed. I'm not a Marine Captain anymore. You should have already seen that on the wanted posters."
Then he looked up.
"Lord Shane, could you spare a moment to come down and talk with me?"
...
Ten minutes later, the group was gathered in a circle on the deck, listening as Smoker, who was sitting in front of the mast, finished telling his story.
"So that's what happened between you and that Altai guy," Nami said, a look of understanding on her face. "So he was the one who gave the order to open fire? What a bastard! Good riddance!"
She giggled and slapped Smoker on the shoulder.
"Not bad, pal! You have my approval! I had no idea we had an 'inside man' back in Loguetown!"
Pal?
Smoker's eye twitched. He silently lit a cigar. He was a thirty-year-old man, and being called "pal" by a young pipsqueak… it was a strange feeling.
"Indeed, you have guts, young man," Crocus said, stroking his chin and looking at Smoker with interest. "In all my decades, I've only seen a handful of people who have deserted the Marines because they couldn't stand the nobles."
The last one… he went on to build quite an enterprise. What was his name again…?
"That incident was just the last straw," Smoker said, shaking his head. "I had already had enough in the month leading up to it. I joined the Marines to carry out my own brand of justice, to protect the people from pirates."
"But if the Marines have to turn a blind eye when a Celestial Dragon, or even just a common noble with Celestial Dragon blood, commits atrocities, and even have to protect and flatter them… then what's the difference between them and pirates?"
"In fact… it's even worse. Every time I think about it, the sight of the two words on my coat makes me sick to my stomach!"
He paused, his voice low.
"Killing Altai was an act of rage. To be honest, I was lost and afraid at that moment. Not because I was afraid of being hunted as a wanted man, but because I didn't know what the future held for me, or what the point of all those years of dedication had been."
"It was then that I saw Lord Shane awaken his Conqueror's Haki in the square, and I heard the words he said."
Smoker looked at Shane, his expression serious. "Those words… they made me understand a lot of things."
He took a deep drag from his cigar. Through the swirling smoke, his eyes were firmer and more resolute than ever before.
"Marine or pirate, those who hold justice in their hearts should never be bound by their allegiances. If I am so constrained in my pursuit of justice under the World Government, then I would rather follow a man who can stay true to his own beliefs!"
A brief silence fell over the deck.
"So you're saying…" Kuina began, her brow furrowed, "you want to join our Curtain Call Adventurers? Then why didn't you just come and talk to us in person back in Loguetown?"
"I'm ashamed to say," Smoker said, hesitating, "I wasn't familiar with your personalities, and… I was afraid you wouldn't accept someone who was formerly a Marine. So, on the night you set sail from Loguetown, I didn't show myself. I chose to sneak aboard and wait for the right opportunity."
"The right opportunity?" Shane raised an eyebrow.
"Well…" Smoker turned his face away and coughed awkwardly. "For example, if you were to run into a powerful enemy and were struggling because you were short on manpower, I could have pretended to be just passing by and offered my help. Then, I could have joined you naturally…"
"Nice dream," Nami sneered, rolling her eyes. "But with my brother around, you'd probably be waiting a long time. In what situation would you ever get the chance to play the hero?"
He couldn't really argue with that… Smoker took a bitter drag from his cigar.
As one of the top graduates from his class at the Headquarters' elite training camp, he had his own pride.
But aside from the words he had spoken when he uprooted the execution platform, the terrifying strength Shane had displayed when he defeated Onigumo was another major reason why he had been inspired to follow him.
In this world, words were never enough.
Only a true powerhouse could command genuine respect.
"Big Bro, what do you say?" Nojiko quietly nudged Shane's arm. "Should we let this guy on the ship?"
She had a good impression of Smoker so far.
He had dared to stand up to a corrupt noble, dared to defy the World Government in pursuit of his own justice, and he had answered all their questions honestly…
Oh, and the most important thing: he clearly respected and admired her brother!
All things considered, he seemed like a reliable guy.
"..."
Shane was silent, not answering immediately.
To be honest, he was still a bit dazed.
Hearing Smoker say he wanted to follow him was as shocking as the first time he had read about Aokiji joining the Blackbeard Pirates in the manga.
It just went to show how corrupt Marine Headquarters and the World Government had become, forcing two of the men most qualified to lead the future of the Marines to abandon their posts and seek a different path.
"Have you been hiding in the ventilation duct all this time?" he asked suddenly.
"Yes, my lord," Smoker's face flushed with a rare blush. "To be precise, in the duct above the kitchen. I had no other choice. You have a wolf with a keen sense of smell on your ship, and the kitchen is the only place it's not allowed. And by hiding there, I didn't have to worry about food…"
"Awoo!" Gin barked at Zeff. See? This is what happens when you don't let me in the kitchen!
"Oh, so that's why!" Zeff ignored Gin and slapped his forehead in understanding. "I was wondering why our food supplies were dwindling so fast and why the kitchen was so smoky! It wasn't because the exhaust fan was broken, it was because of you?"
"Yes," Smoker admitted. "The cooking smoke was a bit much, so I had to use my elemental form to avoid it… but the exhaust fan was broken at first. I fixed it during the night."
"You know how to do that?" Shane was surprised.
"I've always liked tinkering with things since I was a kid, especially when I was obsessed with motorcycles as a teenager. I learned everything I could about mechanics to customize my own bike."
At this, Smoker seemed to remember something. "Lord Shane, if I'm not mistaken, you said before that you were looking for a shipwright, right?"
"I may not be a professional shipwright, but I'm confident I can handle routine maintenance and repairs. How about… you let me take on that role?"
"..."
Shane still didn't answer. He just stood up and stretched in the rising sun.
"Lord Shane?" Smoker asked, looking at his back with a hint of anxiety.
"Everyone must be hungry, right? Uncle Zeff, how about we have a feast!" Shane laughed. "To see Crocus and Laboon off, and at the same time, to welcome our new shipwright as an official member of the adventure group!"
"—OHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"FEAST!!!"
A thunderous cheer erupted on the deck, bathed in the morning light.
"Well, I'll be," Crocus said, turning to Laboon with a smile. "Looks like you'll have to wait a little longer, Laboon. I have to protect you on the way, and it's risky to travel on an empty stomach in these seas."
Laboon bobbed his head in understanding.
Crocus smiled and patted his cheek, then he seemed to remember something and turned to shout, "Hey, Nose-hair! Don't forget the salt this time!"
"Nose-hair?" Zeff roared. "Don't worry, I'll make up for the salt I forgot last time by doubling your portion!"
"Hahaha, that's fine by me! I'm old, I like my food salty!"
The deck was soon filled with a chaotic din of laughter and shouting.
Only Smoker was left standing there, stunned.
This is…
They've really accepted me?
A smile spread across his face, and he let out a large puff of smoke. But his happiness was short-lived, as Kuina's cool voice came from behind him.
"Hey, Smokey. Just so we're clear, smoking is fine, but from now on, when you're around the ladies, especially Nami, who's not an adult yet, you smoke somewhere else. If she picks up the habit, the captain will beat you to a pulp."
"No problem," Smoker quickly extinguished his cigar. "My apologies. And I also apologize for putting you all on edge for so long."
"On edge? Not really," Kuina said, sheathing the Wado Ichimonji with a deadpan expression. "Actually, we were all pretty tense, but the moment you showed yourself and we saw that it was just you, we all relaxed."
That's right! Nojiko and Nami nodded vigorously in agreement.
Huh?
Smoker was taken aback.
What does that mean…
Why does that sound so insulting?
"And besides, verbal apologies are for kids," Kuina continued, her expression serious. "You've been stalking us for days, you've stolen a lot of our food, and you gave us all a good scare. So, if you want us to truly accept you, you'll have to work hard for the next few days and show us with your actions."
"Of course…" Smoker began, but then he realized something was wrong.
The ship is in perfect condition. The only thing that was broken was the exhaust fan, and I've already fixed it. What use do they have for a shipwright?
…
In the blink of an eye, the feast was over.
After everyone had had their fill and was pleasantly drunk, they all went back to their rooms to rest.
Only Smoker was left on the deck, holding a broom and staring at the mess in disbelief.
—So this is what she meant by 'working hard'!
He had watched as the broom was passed from Kuina to Nojiko, then from Nojiko to Nami, who had then shoved it into Gin's mouth.
And finally, Gin had trotted over, dropped the broom in his hands, and, with the air of a veteran looking out for a rookie, had patted him on the shoulder with his paw…
Oh well, it was his own fault for sneaking aboard.
It seemed that for the next few days, his job wouldn't be shipwright, but handyman. He shook his head with a sigh and began to clean up.
As he swept, he was struck by a familiar feeling.
It was from many years ago.
He was just a teenager then, full of hope, and had just joined the Marines.
He hadn't eaten his Devil Fruit yet, nor had he been selected for the elite training camp at Headquarters. He was just a rookie at the Loguetown branch, doing the menial chores that all rookies had to do.
Back then, even though he spent his days with a broom and a mop, he was full of hope for the future, never doubting his ability to carry out his own justice.
And now, it seemed, he was back at that starting point.
Smoker grinned, lit two cigars, and took a long drag. He looked up at the second floor of the cabin, where the captain's, Shane's, bedroom was.
I just hope that this time, the man I've chosen to follow won't let me down…
——————
Meanwhile, on a tropical island not far from Twin Cape.
"Have you understood the requirements, especially the last two points?"
In a dimly lit room, a tall woman sat across the table, wearing a wide-brimmed cowboy hat and a veil, her face obscured.
Like her entire demeanor, she seemed to be shrouded in shadow.
"W-We understand," the man with the afro on the left said, nodding nervously. "We are not to inquire about the identity of the boss or any other important officers."
The girl with the umbrella on the right added with a giggle, "And during missions, we are not to use our real names. We are to contact each other using our codenames."
"Very good. Then sign the agreement, Gem, Mikita," the woman in the shadows said with a faint smile. "This will be the last time I call you by those names. Welcome to Baroque Works. From now on, you are Officer Agent Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine."
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