Hina stood outside the Instructor's office, her nerves pulled taut.
The soundproofing was excellent, which meant she couldn't hear most of what was being said inside. But moments ago, she'd caught fragments of Smoker's voice, something angry about 'even if you are a Vice Admiral,' followed by more heated words she couldn't quite make out.
It made her deeply uneasy.
She knew Smoker. When his temper flared, he didn't care who he was talking to. He'd argue with anyone, even superior officers. It was one of his most troublesome traits.
Then the shouting had stopped. Silence had fallen.
That made her even more anxious.
Just as Hina was contemplating whether she should knock, the office door suddenly flew open.
Smoker stormed out, his face dark with fury.
The moment he saw her, he froze, clearly not expecting her to still be waiting.
Before he could say anything, Finn's voice erupted from inside the office like a thunderclap.
"Get out! Get out right now! The Marines don't need an undisciplined bastard like you! I'm telling you, Smoker, as long as I'm in the Marines, don't even think about coming back! You're expelled! Get out of my sight!"
Through the open doorway, Hina caught a glimpse of the scene inside. Gion was holding Finn back, both hands gripping his arm as if he might charge out and physically attack Smoker. Even Zephyr was trying to calm him down, his weathered face tight with concern.
Hina's mind reeled. What the hell had Smoker done to make Vice Admiral Finn this furious?
But before she could pull Smoker aside and make him apologize, before she could salvage the situation, Smoker whirled around.
He pointed at Finn, his own face contorted with rage. "It's a disgrace to the Marines to have people like you! I used to idolize you, but you've disappointed me more than I can say! Finn, you didn't kick me out. I'm leaving on my own! I don't want to serve in this Marine anymore! Don't look down on the young and poor! Just wait. I'll make you regret this someday!"
"How dare you!" Finn roared.
He suddenly tore free from Gion's grip and surged forward like a beast unleashed. His hand shot out and grabbed Smoker by the collar, yanking him close. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Finn's fist drew back, poised to slam into Smoker's face.
"Finn!" Zephyr's voice cracked through the air like a whip. "Enough! Be aware of your position! Are you really going to beat a student to death in front of me, your Instructor?"
Finn froze. The fury in his eyes flickered, then dimmed slightly. He released Smoker with a violent shove, sending the young man stumbling backward across the corridor floor.
"Don't let me see you on the seas again," Finn snarled, pointing at Smoker as he scrambled to his feet. "Or I'll make you regret ever being born. Get out!"
Smoker pushed himself upright, glaring at Finn with a mixture of anger and something that might have been betrayal. But he said nothing more. He turned and walked stiffly toward the far end of the corridor, his back rigid with wounded pride.
Only then did Hina snap out of her shock. She noticed that a crowd of students had gathered at the corridor's end, drawn by the shouting. They were all staring, wide-eyed and whispering.
She hastily bowed toward Finn and the others, then hurried after Smoker's retreating figure.
"Smoker, wait!" she called, catching up to him. "What happened? Vice Admiral Finn was your idol! Why did you two fight? You need to control that temper of yours! Come back with me. I'll go with you to apologize. He'll probably forgive you."
Smoker touched his chin absently, his mind racing through the confrontation he'd just staged. Was his acting convincing enough? He was going to be a pirate soon. He needed to be able to lie convincingly.
Hina's words finally registered. He forced himself to look embarrassed and bitter. "What do you mean, my bad temper? I didn't provoke him at all! That bastard wanted to show loyalty to the Instructor, so he claimed I stepped into the office with my left foot first. Said it was disrespectful. He wanted to expel me over something that ridiculous! Is that my fault?" He let frustration bleed into his voice. "And the Instructor just went along with it! He only cares about Finn. Am I not his student too? I've seen through this Marine. They're all hypocrites. I quit!"
Hina stared at him, her mind struggling to reconcile this story with the gentle officer she'd met outside the office earlier.
But then again, Vice Admiral Finn was famous as the "Violent Tiger of Marine Headquarters." The stories said he'd punched Fleet Admiral Kong and attacked Garp with a sword when he was younger. Well, he was still young now, but the point stood.
Maybe when his temper flared, he really did become unreasonable.
For a moment, Hina didn't know what to say.
Smoker paid her no further attention. He knew he couldn't tell her the truth. When she was qualified to know, she'd learn. But that wouldn't be for a long time.
Still, it was only three years. Maybe by the time Hina graduated and started climbing the ranks, he'd already be back, a returning hero.
A twenty-year-old Rear Admiral. Maybe even Vice Admiral.
Even Hina, his closest friend, would be shocked.
The thought made him feel a little better.
Smoker walked ahead, his face dark. Hina followed behind, her expression worried and confused. Other students watched them pass, whispering and pointing.
Hina was so lost in thought that she didn't realize where they were going until they arrived. She'd followed Smoker all the way back to his dormitory, where he was now methodically packing his belongings into a bag.
"What are you doing?" she asked, alarm rising in her voice.
"Didn't you hear? That bastard Finn told me to get out, and the Instructor didn't stop him. If that's the case, why should I stay here and embarrass myself further?" Smoker's voice was harsh. "The ocean is huge. I don't believe that I, Smoker, will amount to nothing just because I left the Marines. I'm done with them!"
"But what will you do if you're not a Marine?" Hina asked, panic creeping into her tone.
"I..." Smoker hesitated, then snorted coldly. "None of your business!"
He shouldered his packed bag and strode toward the door, ready to leave the academy for good.
But just as he reached the stairs, he couldn't help himself. He turned back.
Hina stood in the doorway, looking lost and confused.
"Hina," he said quietly. "You're my only real friend here. So... even if it's just to prove something to you, I'm going to make a name for myself out there. You stay here. Be a good Marine. Maybe we'll meet again someday."
Before she could respond, Smoker turned and descended the stairs, his stride purposeful despite the uncertainty churning in his gut.
At the harbor, Admiral Sengoku stood on the deck of a warship beside Fleet Admiral Kong. They were preparing to depart for Mary Geoise to negotiate with the Five Elders.
Sengoku's sharp eyes caught sight of a lone figure carrying a bag, wandering near the docks with obvious confusion.
"That kid with the white hair," Sengoku said quietly. "Should be the Smoker that Zephyr and Finn have their eyes on. A problem child."
Kong followed his gaze. Smoker was standing at the port, clearly unsure which ship to board or where to go.
What's the first step to becoming a pirate? Who teaches you that?
He looked completely lost.
As Smoker glanced around, his eyes landed on the warship carrying Sengoku and Kong. Recognition flashed across his face.
His eyes reddened slightly. He stood at attention, bag still slung over his shoulder, and raised his hand in a crisp salute toward the two highest-ranking officers in the Marines.
After this salute, it would probably be three years before he could show this kind of respect openly again.
Sengoku and Kong were both caught off guard. Then, almost in unison, they returned the salute with equal seriousness.
Kong turned his head. "You there."
A Rear Admiral hurried over. "Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
"Send someone to escort that boy," Kong ordered, pointing toward Smoker. "Ask him where he wants to go. If he hasn't decided, take him to the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!" The Rear Admiral saluted and rushed off to carry out the order.
Kong watched Smoker for a moment longer, then spoke quietly. "You see it, Sengoku? The future of our Marine, the pillars of our strength, they rest with these young people."
"Yes," Sengoku agreed, his voice equally reflective.
Kong's expression hardened with resolve. "I've made up my mind. If I don't secure an Admiral position for Finn during this trip to Mary Geoise, I'm not coming back."
Back in Zephyr's office, Finn slowly poured himself a cup of tea. He lifted it to his lips and took a quiet sip, his gaze drifting toward the window.
He couldn't see through the walls to the harbor below, but he knew.
"Smoker should be on his way out by now," he murmured.
"Will he hate you for this in the future?" Gion asked after a moment of thought.
If she thought about it objectively, Smoker had real potential. He was the undisputed top of his class. As a logia Devil Fruit user, he should have become a powerful Vice Admiral at minimum. With the right opportunities, he might have earned the title of Admiral Candidate. In the most optimistic scenario, he could have even reached Admiral rank someday.
No one would have guessed that twenty years from now, Smoker would still be a Captain.
With his current qualifications, he should have debuted as a Vice Admiral at the very least.
And now Finn's plan would trap him in a pirate's life for nearly two decades.
All those years, spent building a false identity instead of rising through Marine ranks.
"If someone had done this to me a few years ago," Finn said quietly, "I wouldn't have hesitated. I would have accepted the mission without complaint."
It was true. If the Marines had asked him to go undercover as a pirate back then, he would have done it eagerly. Hell, part of him had always been curious what that life would be like.
Though now, if he tried to become a pirate, no one would believe it. Otherwise, he might have just become a Warlord himself on a whim.
"Being soft-hearted isn't the mark of a mature officer, Gion," Zephyr said, his tone instructive.
"That's right," Finn added with a faint smile. "Kindness isn't a virtue when you're commanding soldiers."
"At this point, all we can do is cooperate fully with his mission," Zephyr said, a hint of emotion in his weathered voice. "Help him become a Warlord as quickly as possible. Achieve the goal so he can break free from those shackles. Only then can Smoker return in glory."
"That day will come, Instructor," Finn said seriously. "When he comes back, I'll push for him to receive the Admiral Candidate title at minimum. That's the only way to do him justice."
He'd sent Smoker out into a pirate's life, forced him to abandon his ideals and live a lie for years.
But if Smoker survived and returned, Finn would make sure he was compensated fairly.
"Well, let's not dwell on it anymore," Finn said, shaking off the melancholy. "Speaking of which, who should we look for next? Finding the right candidates for this is going to be a headache."
He took another sip of tea, his gaze distant.
May you walk through half your life and return still as a young man, Smoker.
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