"I saw it myself! Captain Nezumi and Arlong turned on each other over stolen loot, and both ended up dead in the fight!"
"..."
Renn Hawk's calm reply cut through the silence:
"You've defied your superiors quite a few times yourself, haven't you?"
The implication was crystal clear.
Smoker froze, cigar clamped between his teeth. His record? He'd openly defied orders more times than he could count.
He had clashed with Headquarters, dismissed directives he disagreed with, even flat-out walked away from missions.
But his case, he told himself, was different.
First, he never killed a superior.
Second, he was Zephyr's student, a close friend of Kuzan's, and he had connections.
"...Heh."
Smoker suddenly chuckled, low and grim. "No wonder."
It clicked.
Rules mattered, yes. But on this chaotic sea, there was something even more important.
Strength.
This kid in front of him, barely out of his youth and stationed in the weakest of the seas, had already mastered Armament Haki.
He killed Arlong, a pirate worth twenty million, with a single blow.
For talent like this, Sengoku might rage about rules being broken, but in the end, the bigger picture would win. The higher-ups would not bury a rising star just to protect a corrupt insect like Nezumi.
At worst, Hawk would be transferred out of the East Blue. Real punishment? It would be little more than a show.
Smoker's mind drifted to another man: magma-hot, eyes cold as steel, who lived by one belief "Absolute Justice."
Admiral Akainu.
If that man learned of a young officer, ruthless against criminals, willing to kill a corrupt superior colluding with pirates...
That would be exactly his type.
"Damn it," Smoker cursed inwardly.
Hawk seemed reckless, cutting down a superior without hesitation. But maybe... he had already seen straight through the Marines' inner workings.
Backed by his own terrifying strength, he acted without fear.
"No wonder you look so calm."
Smoker muttered, watching Hawk's unnervingly steady face. "You were prepared all along."
Hawk only gave a small smile, neither confirming nor denying.
Of course he knew the rules. Killing a superior was no light crime. But Nezumi's corruption and collusion with pirates were undeniable.
When weighed against each other, Headquarters would never sacrifice a potential star just to uphold a useless parasite.
His value far outweighed Nezumi's life.
"Alright," Smoker finally nodded, his expression softer. "I see how it is."
For all Hawk's ruthlessness, his concern for the people was genuine. Smoker had seen the villagers stand in front of him earlier, defending him with their own bodies. That wasn't fear. That was respect.
This was the kind of Marine he could respect too.
"Time for me to leave."
He exhaled a puff of smoke, turned, and began walking away. Two steps later, he stopped.
"Hawk. I want to know something."
"What is your justice?"
Hawk met his probing gaze. His eyes sharpened.
The system's cold voice still echoed in his memory. The ticking countdown to his death, once a sword hanging over his head.
Justice? At first, it was just survival. Kill evil, earn Justice Points, trade them for days of life. Nothing more.
But over these months... the comrades who had fought beside him, laughed with him, and stood between him and danger...
The civilians who had lost everything, then wept with gratitude when it was restored...
And just now, the people of Cocoyasi Village unarmed, yet willing to shield him with their own bodies against a superior officer.
Those faces had touched something deep inside him.
A smile tugged at his lips. His voice rang steady, firm as iron.
"My justice... is the Justice of Slaughter."
"Slaughter the guilty, root out every evil."
"Uphold justice, so that the innocent can live free."
"..."
Smoker was silent for a long moment, then burst out laughing.
He burned Hawk's face into his memory young, but unshakably resolute.
Without another word, he turned and left, bringing Tashigi and the Loguetown Marines with him, leaving only the ruins of Arlong Park behind.
The men of the Sixteenth Branch finally exhaled in relief. For a moment, they had truly prepared to fight a superior officer to the bitter end. Thankfully, it hadn't come to that.
"..."
Once Smoker's ship was out of sight, Hawk turned. "Dane."
"Yes, Vice Colonel!"
"Clean the field. Dispose of the bodies."
"Send word to logistics. Tally Arlong's stolen wealth, return seventy percent to Cocoyasi Village and nearby islands."
"The remaining thirty percent, distribute among our men."
"Yes, sir!"
Major Dane saluted and rushed to work. Soon, Marines moved swiftly through the wreckage, clearing corpses, loading treasure, restoring order.
Hawk lit one of Smoker's cigars, checking the system's panel in his mind.
[Current Justice Points: 3,024]
[Remaining Lifespan: 3,650 days]
Killing Arlong and Nezumi had brought in three thousand points. Not bad.
Now it was only a matter of waiting to see how Headquarters would react.
Hopefully... nothing unexpected.
...
On a Marine warship leaving East Blue, Smoker stood at the bow, sea wind whipping his silver hair. The greatcoat on his back billowed, the word "Justice" emblazoned across it.
He pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
"Buru-buru-buru... click."
"This is Marine Headquarters Communications. State your identity and report."
"Headquarters Captain Smoker," he said bluntly.
"Reporting the death of Captain Nezumi of the Sixteenth Branch."
"The details are as follows."
He paused, then spoke firmly:
"When I arrived at Cocoyasi Village, the scene was already chaos. Captain Nezumi and the pirate Arlong, long-term collaborators, fought violently over the division of stolen funds."
"Evidence of their battle was clear. Heavy damage, many casualties."
"In the end, both Nezumi and Arlong fell. Dead on the spot."
"Vice Colonel Renn Hawk of the Sixteenth Branch arrived after the fighting ended. He quickly secured the scene, eliminated the remnants of Arlong's crew, and protected the civilians."
"He upheld Marine justice."
"Report complete."
The line was silent for several seconds.
"Captain Smoker, this report... greatly differs from the emergency call we received earlier—"
"Shut up!" Smoker barked, voice iron hard.
"This is what I saw, with my own eyes."
"Tell Kuzan."
"What I saw... is the truth."