One piece: Dark Smoker

Upon hearing the order to stand by from the Celestial Dragons, the Navy officers aboard the warship exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what to say.

Smoker, on the other hand, was fuming with anger.

What kind of joke was this?

If they wanted to make people kneel, fine, but Smoker wasn't going to bow. He'd simply avoid them.

But now, miles away, with no direct conflict between them, they were forced to stop due to a traffic control order using a high-level encrypted command? In the middle of the open sea, with no barriers in place?

It would take them half a day just to reach Pumiso Island at this pace. What was the point of waiting? Was it a banquet they were headed to?!

For pirates and civilians alike, after eight hundred years of conditioning, obedience to the Celestial Dragons had become second nature.

But Smoker came from a different world.

He was from a place where "noble bloodlines" didn't mean superiority. Everyone was equal, no matter their status.

Apart from his occasional admiration for the country of Wano, Smoker treated everyone the same.

He didn't kneel to anyone, and he sure as hell wouldn't let anyone force him to.

So what if they were Celestial Dragons?

Just because their ancestors were powerful, did that mean they were untouchable?

Smoker was about to make a rash decision and charge ahead when he noticed his crew. He couldn't let his impulsiveness endanger them.

"Notify the navigator, mark the position of the Celestial Dragon's ship, and calculate their route!"

"Lookout, stay alert!"

"Helmsman, take a detour and get us moving!!"

Just as the crew was about to act on the orders, Smoker's transponder snail rang.

It was Zephyr's voice on the other end.

"Smoker, Smoker... I just received an order."

"Government officials will be boarding your ship soon. Whatever they want to do, try to cooperate as much as possible and avoid conflict. I'll be there as quickly as I can!"

"?!"

Before Smoker could respond, the transponder snail closed its eyes and went back to sleep.

"What does that mean?!" Smoker muttered in confusion.

What did "cooperate as much as possible" mean? That was a fine line to walk!

Dealing with pirates was one thing, but government officials were a whole different ball game.

At least Zephyr was on his way, which gave Smoker some reassurance.

Soon, Smoker noticed two powerful presences rapidly approaching.

"That speed, that aura... is that the Moon Walk? But it doesn't feel like it!"

Moments later, a small boat appeared on the horizon, a fast speedboat, no less.

[The World Government has this kind of tech?!] Smoker thought. [Of course, they've been holding back...]

The boat approached, and two CP agents jumped aboard, each more arrogant than the other. One had hair that looked like petals, and the other held a fan to cover his face.

The one with the "petal-like" hair stepped forward.

"Rear Admiral Smoker, we are World Government agents Gismonda and Maha. We are requisitioning this warship!"

"From now on, all operations aboard this ship are under our authority, until the Celestial Dragons depart!"

Smoker leaned back in shock.

The rest of the Navy officers also turned to Smoker, uncertain.

Smoker had earned his position through years of hard work. All his peers respected him, and they instinctively obeyed his orders. Even Gaspar, who often acted rebelliously, didn't dare openly defy him.

At headquarters, they were all trainees, and following orders from their instructors was part of the job.

Once they were on a mission, the officers became part of a special ops team, with Smoker as their leader in Zephyr's absence.

Even though the CP agents were notorious, they carried the weight of the World Nobles' name, which made things tricky.

Whether to follow their orders or not still depended on Smoker's decision.

After hearing the two agents, Smoker's expression darkened.

Gismonda and Maha? Weren't these the future CP0 agents?

They came in acting like they owned the place, demanding things immediately!

It was bad enough to offend the Celestial Dragons, but now he had to deal with them too?

With a forced smile, Smoker replied, "Heh, what can I do for you two? We have a mission to attend to."

Gismonda's face remained expressionless. "The great World Noble—Bancroft Saint—is coming to Pumiso Island."

"We've detected pirates nearby, and we need you to provide protection!"

Smoker's eyes sharpened.

"Hmm? You mean a pirate crew...?"

"The Fang Pirate Crew! We cannot allow these filthy pirates to interfere with the World Nobles!"

"Oh, oh, oh!" Smoker's mood shifted from cloudy to sunny in an instant.

This was perfect! He was about to deal with those pirates anyway.

And now, he could earn some goodwill with the government without spending a dime.

"I see! For the Navy, the safety of the World Nobles always comes first!"

"Don't worry, we'll cooperate fully!!"

Gismonda and Maha exchanged a surprised glance.

What was going on? He had just been angry, and now he was suddenly agreeing to everything?

But Smoker's words were smooth, and he carried himself like a capable leader.

For Smoker, as long as it didn't interfere with his plans, flattery came easily.

"You two must be tired from your journey. Go rest for a bit. I'll take care of everything else!" Smoker said, his tone friendly.

In a good mood, he waved them off.

"Hina... take these two to the command room and bring out the high-end cigars and drinks Zephyr-sensei keeps!"

He'd been eyeing those cigars and drinks for a while.

Zephyr-sensei was strict about keeping track of them, never allowing Smoker to indulge.

But now, with a government mission at hand, it was the perfect opportunity.

After all, it only made sense for important government agents to enjoy a little luxury, right?

Hina nodded, guiding the two agents away.

Once they were out of earshot, Smoker whispered to Hina, "Tsk, tsk, sometimes even the Celestial Dragons' dogs manage to do something useful, huh?"

Hina rolled her eyes at him.

As his closest companion, she was well aware of Smoker's true thoughts on the government.

Whenever Smoker entered his "wise man mode," especially with Hina, he'd use their mental communication to buy time.

When Smoker was relaxed, he'd sometimes slip political opinions that seemed normal in his past life but sounded absurd in their current world...

At first, Hina would argue a little. But when Smoker entered his "wise man mode," he became hard to beat, and she would quickly find herself overwhelmed.

In political debates, men often had the upper hand.

Smoker, heavily influenced by red ideological education since childhood, had theoretical knowledge that far outshone Hina's.

After a few rounds of these debates, Hina found herself somewhat brainwashed...

Although she couldn't go so far as to see the Celestial Dragons as pigs, at least she no longer worshipped them as gods or emperors.

But seeing Smoker avoid conflict with the CP agents made Hina breathe a sigh of relief.

It was best when things went smoothly. After all, getting into a position like this was no easy task.

Smoker stood at the bow of the ship and shouted loudly, "Everyone, full speed ahead! Let's wipe out the Fang Pirate Crew!!"

The Navy crew cheered, "Oh!!"

Suddenly, Gismonda's head popped out of the cabin.

"Colonel Smoker, you misunderstood. Your job is to protect."

"As long as the Fang Pirate Crew doesn't cause any trouble, you're to stay by the World Nobles and protect them at all costs!"

"What?!"

Smoker's face darkened again.

He couldn't believe it. He had actually gotten his hopes up about these CP agents...

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