Not only Smoker, but even Tashigi and the other marines all wore gloomy expressions; they all lowered their heads directly, and likewise said nothing at all.
This scene only made Hajrudin even angrier.
Just as he was about to say something more…
"Alright, alright! Hajrudin, this time it's also thanks to Smoker and the others."
Seeing that the atmosphere was off, Zephyr quickly tried to smooth things over. "If it weren't for Smoker and others, that group of slave catchers would probably have escaped long ago."
Hajrudin: "...?!"
Hearing Instructor Zephyr's words, Hajrudin, who had previously had his limbs bound and had been lying at the bottom of the ship's hold the entire time, seemed not to have expected that such a thing had happened.
He only remembered that earlier, when children had entered the hold, they said with expectant faces that the marines had come to save them.
But not long after, another young girl, with a face full of despair, said that the marines had left, that they were not there to save them at all, and that the marines were in league with those guys.
Therefore, after seeing the Umbrella Corporation cadres, he believed that it was the fleet from Umbrella Corporation that had saved them, and that the marines were there to stop the Umbrella Corporation.
A look of shame appeared on Hajrudin's face. "Sorry, I didn't kno—"
However, before he could finish speaking…
"Don't joke around. We didn't do that kind of thing."
Smoker coldly flicked the cigar that was almost finished from the corner of his mouth into the sea and interrupted impatiently. "And you should get the hell off the marine warship now. Criminals!"
"Your mouth is still as stubborn as ever, Smoker."
Facing Smoker's words, Zephyr burst out laughing and did not take it to heart. Then he waved his hand as well. "Forget it. Since our ship is here, let's not disturb them anymore. Let's head back!"
After everyone else returned to their own ship, Zephyr looked again at Smoker, who had his back turned to him, and shook his head with a smile.
"Smoker, no matter where you are, as long as you don't go against the justice in your heart, that's enough. You did well this time."
After saying that, he turned around, leaped onto his own ship, and loudly shouted: "Let's return!"
When the ship began to sail, Smoker finally turned around. Looking at the departing Umbrella Corporation vessel, he remained silent for a moment.
Then he took the cigar from the corner of his mouth, flicked it, and said in a disdainful tone: "Just a mere criminal, and he thinks he can lecture me? Hmph, ridiculous!"
After letting out another cold snort, he shouted loudly: "What are you still standing around for? Hurry up and set sail! A bunch of idiots!"
...
By late night, the banquet had finally come to an end.
Marco, sitting alone on the wall beside the small courtyard that Umbrella Corporation had arranged for him, felt the refreshing night breeze blowing against him.
The feeling of drunkenness had faded somewhat, and he had regained a bit of clarity.
At this moment, as if he had sensed something, his gaze shifted slightly.
With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he said calmly: "Your boss is quite bold."
"Quite bold, but sometimes also quite timid."
Ace said with a grin as he leaned nearby, not sitting on the wall like Marco. "With such strength, Mr. Ian actually doesn't want to become King of the Pirates. That's really such a pity!"
Marco: "..."
Hearing Ace's words, Marco immediately felt both amused and exasperated.
Not wanting to be King of the Pirates is being timid?
Speaking of which, their pops also didn't want to become the King of the Pirates, yet many of the brothers below still wanted their old man to become King of the Pirates, believing that in this era, only their pops was qualified to be the one.
But setting aside their pops's thoughts from before, now that the true identity of Teach had been exposed, he didn't know what their pops would think about it.
"Mr. Ian probably values his family more."
Marco said in a teasing tone. "I've also heard about Mr. Ian's story. Mr. Ian is called a good man by quite a few people on the seas!"
Ace: "...?"
As soon as these words fell, the previously grinning Ace froze on the spot. Then he burst out laughing with a loud "Hahaha."
He laughed extremely heartily, extremely happily, to the point that tears were almost about to come out at the corners of his eyes. It was as if he had heard something extremely amusing.
While laughing, Ace wiped the corner of his eyes. "A good man, hahaha, that's really too interesting. Tomorrow I must tell Mr. Ian. Since Mr. Ian keeps shouting that I have the blood of the King of the Pirates, I'll also keep shouting about him being a good man!"
Marco: "...?"
The blood of the King of the Pirates?
What did this guy just say?
This time, it was Marco's turn to be completely stunned. He was so shocked that he almost fell off the wall. He hurriedly supported himself against the wall and sat back steadily, then widened his eyes at Ace.
His lips trembled slightly as he said: "Ace, you—you—you..."
With a tone full of doubt and confusion, and his voice involuntarily rising: "Are you saying that... the blood of King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, flows in you?"
"Yes!"
Looking at the bewildered Marco, Ace, who had gone through so many years of training and had once again heard someone mention King of the Pirates' blood, did not mind at all.
He just said with a grin: "What's so strange about that? Doesn't Teach also have the blood of the former captain of the Rocks Pirates?"
Marco: "..."
No. Although the fact that Teach, being the son of Rocks, was indeed shocking, Rocks back then never truly became the king of the world.
But Gol D. Roger... This guy truly became the King of the Pirates, and even ushered in the current era, the great age of pirates.
Marco still hadn't recovered from his shock. His eyes were fixed on Ace as if he had thought of something.
Then he said to Ace: "I remember that brother Luffy's grandfather is Vice-Admiral Garp, the Hero of the Marines!"