Chapter 62

"Hey, get out!"

Kuina drew her sword, was the first to step onto the deck using Moon Walk, her face as cold as frost, and shouted sharply:

"No matter who you are, show yourself obediently now and we can still talk properly. Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite when we drag you out!"

Siano followed closely and stepped onto the main mast, which was conducive to him overlooking the overall situation.

Looking at the silent cabin below, he frowned slightly.

This guy is really good at hiding.

Yesterday, he had just walked through the entire cabin to install the Falcon Statue. With his extraordinary hearing and keen insight, he hadn't been able to find a single trace.

When did he start hiding...

Could it be that he had secretly hidden on the ship when it left the shipyard on Shelley Island?

"He's coming out," Crocus said suddenly.

Hmm?

Everyone immediately stared vigilantly at the positions of several doors.

But no one expected that the doors wouldn't move; instead, a wisp of smoke drifted out through the ventilation duct and landed on the deck, transforming into a human figure.

"Smoker???"

Kuina, who was facing the smoke, looked surprised after seeing the face: "Why is it you?"

In the gradually dissipating smoke, Smoker's expression was complex. He slowly raised his hands to indicate that he had no hostility.

"Don't be nervous. I'm no longer a Marine Colonel. You should have already confirmed this from the wanted posters."

Then he looked up:

"Lord Siano, can you give me some time to come down and talk to me?"

…………

Ten minutes later.

Everyone gathered in a circle on the deck, listening to Smoker, who was sitting in front of the mast, tell his experience.

"So that's how it is between you and that Altair." Nami suddenly realized. "The order for the Marines to fire was also given by him. How hateful, killed beautifully!"

She laughed and slapped Smoker on the shoulder:

"Not bad, kid, I approve of you! I didn't expect that we had an 'insider' like you in Loguetown!"

Kid?

Smoker's mouth twitched, and he silently lit a cigar. He was a thirty-year-old uncle, and being called "kid" by a yellow-haired girl, this feeling was really...

"Indeed, young people really have guts."

Crocus touched his chin on the side, observing Smoker with interest: "I haven't seen many people like you who rebelled against the Marines because they couldn't stand the nobles in decades."

The last one seemed to have started a pretty big career, called... eh, what was it called?

"That matter, in the end, can only be considered a fuse."

Smoker puffed on his cigar and shook his head slightly. "A month earlier, I had already endured enough. I joined the Marines to practice the justice in my heart, so that I could protect the people from being bullied by pirates."

"But if the Celestial Dragons, or even ordinary nobles with Celestial Dragon blood, commit crimes and the Marines can only turn a blind eye, or even protect and flatter them in return, then what is the difference between them and pirates?"

"Even... worse. Every time I think about it and see the two words on the cloak I'm wearing, I feel nauseous!"

He paused and continued in a low voice:

"Killing Altair was also an act of anger. To be honest, I was confused and afraid at the time. It wasn't that I was afraid of being wanted and hunted, but that I didn't know where the future was, and even more so... I didn't know what the persistence of so many years meant."

"It was also at that time that I saw the scene of Lord Siano's Conqueror's Haki awakening in the square, and I also heard the words he said."

Smoker looked at Siano and said seriously: "Those words made me understand a lot."

He took a deep breath of his cigar, and in the swirling smoke, his eyes were firmer than ever before.

"Whether it's the Marines or pirates, those who hold justice in their hearts should never be bound by their position. Since I am under the World Government, my path of justice is restricted everywhere, then I would rather follow someone who can carry out their own beliefs!"

The deck fell into a brief silence.

"You mean..."

Kuina frowned slightly and looked at him. "You want to join our Rakumu Adventure Group? Then why didn't you come to us and say it directly in Loguetown?"

"It's shameful to say."

Smoker looked hesitant. "Originally, because I wasn't familiar with everyone's temper, or rather... I was afraid that you wouldn't accept me, a former Marine. So, on the night you set sail from Loguetown, I didn't appear directly, but chose to sneak onto the ship, wanting to wait for a suitable opportunity."

"What do you mean by a suitable opportunity?" Siano raised an eyebrow.

"This..."

Smoker turned his face away and coughed awkwardly. "For example, when you encounter a strong enemy and fall into a bitter battle because of a shortage of manpower, I can pretend that I just happened to pass by and help out, and then I can join naturally..."

"You think quite beautifully."

Nami sneered and rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately, with my big brother here, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a long time. Under what circumstances would it be your turn to stage the cliché of a hero saving the beauty?"

This, there's really no way to refute it... Smoker smiled bitterly and took a puff of his cigar.

As a standout from the same class in the elite camp of the headquarters, he also had his own pride.

Besides the words spoken when he pulled out the execution platform, the terrifying strength Siano showed when defeating Onigumo was also one of the important reasons that prompted him to follow.

This world can never rely solely on lip service.

Only true powerhouses can make people submit.

"Big brother, what do you say?" Nojiko quietly poked Siano's arm and whispered, "Do you really want to let this guy on the ship?"

She currently has a pretty good impression of Smoker.

He dared to resist the evil nobles, dared to be an enemy of the World Government for the sake of pursuing the path of justice, and answered honestly when asked anything...

Hmm, and the most critical point: he respects and admires her big brother very much!

Taken together, he seems like a guy who can be relied upon.

"..."

Siano pondered and didn't answer immediately.

To be honest.

He still hasn't fully recovered.

Especially when Smoker said he wanted to follow him, the degree of surprise in his heart was no less than when he first saw Aokiji join the Blackbeard Pirates in the manga back then.

It can only be said.

The Marine Headquarters and the World Government are both too sick, forcing these two people who are clearly the most qualified to take over the future of the Marines to leave and pursue a completely different path.

"Have you been hiding in the ventilation ducts all these days?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes, my lord."

Smoker rarely blushed. "To be precise, it's the duct above the kitchen. This was a helpless choice because there is a wolf with a keen sense of smell on your ship, and the kitchen is the only place it is not allowed to enter. And by hiding there, I don't have to worry about food..."

"Awoo!" Gin barked at Zeff. See, this is the consequence of you not letting me into the kitchen!

"Oh, no wonder!"

Zeff ignored Gin and slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing: "I was wondering why the consumption of ingredients hasn't matched up these days, and I always felt the oil smoke was heavy when cooking. It wasn't because the exhaust fan was broken, but because of you?"

"Yes." Smoker admitted. "The oil smoke was a bit choking when cooking, so I could only use elementalization to avoid it... However, the exhaust fan was indeed broken at first, and I fixed it at night."

"You have this skill too?" Siano was a bit surprised.

"I liked tinkering with these things when I was a kid, especially when I was obsessed with motorcycles in my youth. In order to modify my beloved car, I learned all the knowledge related to mechanics."

Smoker said here and suddenly remembered something: "Lord Siano, if I remember correctly, you said before that the ship is still missing a shipwright, right?"

"Although I can't compare to a professional shipwright, I am very confident in daily maintenance and repairs. Why don't... let me take this position?"

"..."

Siano still didn't answer, just stood up and stretched toward the rising sun.

"Lord Siano?"

Smoker looked at his back with some trepidation.

"Everyone hasn't had breakfast yet, are you hungry? Uncle Zeff, why don't we have a banquet!"

Siano laughed. "It's to send off Crocus and Laboon, and at the same time, it's to welcome our new shipwright, officially joining the adventure group as a partner!"

"—Oooooooo!"

"Let's have a banquet!!!"

On the deck shrouded in the morning light, there was an immediate roar of response.

"There's really no helping it."

Crocus also turned to look at Laboon and smiled:

"It seems I have to let you wait a little longer, Laboon. I have to protect you all the way. If you don't eat your fill before setting off, it's very risky on this sea."

Laboon shook its head, indicating that it could understand.

Crocus smiled and stroked its cheek, suddenly remembered something, turned his head and roared: "Hey, big nose hair, don't forget to add salt this time!"

"Big nose hair?"

Zeff was furious. "Don't worry, the amount of salt I forgot to add last time, I'll double it for you this time!"

"Hahaha, that's fine, I'm old and have a heavy taste!"

For a time, the deck was in a mess.

Only Smoker was left standing there in a daze.

This, this is...

Really accepted me?

The corners of his mouth curled up, and he exhaled a large puff of smoke, but just after he was happy, Kuina's gloomy voice sounded behind him:

"Hey, big smoker, let's make it clear first. Smoking is no problem, but in the future, where there are ladies, especially Nami, she is not yet an adult, so you should smoke further away. If you let her learn to imitate, the captain will beat you up severely."

"No problem."

Smoker hurriedly extinguished his cigar and apologized. "I'm sorry, and also for making you feel like you were facing a great enemy before, I was nervous for half a day, I also sincerely apologize to you here."

"Nervous? Not really."

Kuina put the Wado Ichimonji back into its sheath expressionlessly. "Rather, everyone was quite nervous at first, but after you appeared and saw that the one hiding on the ship was just you, they relaxed immediately."

Yes, yes, Nojiko and Nami nodded violently in agreement.

Hmm?

Smoker was stunned.

What does this mean...

Why does it sound so hurtful?

"Also, verbal apologies are something only children take seriously."

Kuina said seriously again. "You've been a stalker for a few days, stole a lot of our food, and indeed gave everyone a fright. So, if you want us to accept you completely, you have to work hard and take practical actions in the next few days."

"That's for sure..."

Smoker had just opened his mouth when he suddenly felt something was wrong.

Isn't the ship fine? The only broken exhaust fan has been fixed by himself. Where else can he, a shipwright, be used?

In a blink of an eye.

The banquet ended.

After everyone was drunk and satisfied, they all returned to their rooms to rest.

Only Smoker was left holding a broom, staring dumbfounded at the mess on the deck.

—So this is how to work properly!

He watched with his own eyes as the broom was handed by Kuina to Nojiko, Nojiko threw it to Nami, and Nami stuffed it into Gin's mouth.

Finally, Gin ran over happily, carried the broom to his hand, and even had the attitude of a senior looking after a newcomer, stretching out his paw and patting his shoulder meaningfully...

Forget it, who made him in the wrong?

It seems that for the next few days, it won't be his turn to be a shipwright. His current task is to be a good handyman. He shook his head helplessly and bent down to start cleaning.

As he swept, he inexplicably found a familiar feeling.

That was many years ago.

He was only in his teens, full of longing when he just joined the Marines.

He hadn't eaten the fruit yet, and hadn't been selected for the elite training camp at the headquarters, so he was honestly doing the chores that recruits had to do at the Loguetown branch.

At that time, even though he was dealing with brooms and mops every day, he was full of hope for the future and had no doubts about his ability to practice the path of justice.

And now, everything seems to have returned to that starting point.

Smoker grinned, lit two cigars, took a deep puff, and looked up at the second floor of the cabin, which was the direction of Siano's bedroom as captain.

Just hope that this time, the man he chose to follow won't let him down again...

——————

At the same time.

On an island with tropical scenery not far from Twin Capes.

"Did you hear the requirements just now, especially the last two points?"

In the dimly lit room, the woman across the table had a tall figure, wore a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, and was veiled, making it impossible to see her appearance.

Similar to her temperament, she seemed to be shrouded in dark shadows.

"Yes, I heard them clearly."

The afro-haired man on the left nodded nervously: "It is forbidden to inquire about the identities of the boss and other important executives."

The girl holding an umbrella on the right also added with a smile: "During normal missions, you must not use your real names, and you must contact each other by code names."

"Very good, then sign the agreement, Gem, Mikita."

The woman in the shadows smiled slightly. "This is also the last time I will call you that. Welcome to Baroque Works. From now on, you are Senior Agent Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine's Day respectively."

There will be an update tonight





(End of chapter)