"Mr. Onigumo."
Smoker gave a casual salute, then leaned back over the railing to continue puffing on his cigar.
He and Onigumo had both been students of Zephyr. They'd known each other for years, so things weren't so formal in private.
"I don't get what you mean by 'displeased.'"
Smoker gazed out at the distant sea. "If you're referring to watching those nobles throwing debauched parties every day, barking orders at us like servants..."
"And us wasting a whole month escorting them the entire way—then yeah, I'm pretty damn displeased. What I don't get is, why doesn't it seem to bother you at all?"
Let's not even talk about the distant past—just last week.
He'd personally witnessed the king of the East Blue's Peace Kingdom fly into a rage because his coffee was slightly off in sweetness. The man lashed six maids to death with a whip.
Two of them had only been about thirteen or fourteen years old.
When Smoker, unable to hold back his fury, barged in past the guards to try and stop it, he was personally blocked by Onigumo.
"A reaction? What kind of reaction do you expect from me? You're thirty already, still clinging to that teenage idealism—don't you find it pathetic?"
Onigumo sneered, the cloak of justice on his back flapping in the wind. "Those three kings—never mind the other two, but King Altai of the Peace Kingdom? He has one-quarter Celestial Dragon blood in his veins!"
"That's why HQ is taking this so seriously. Why do you think they sent me to escort them back? I can't afford to offend him. And you? You still dared to pick a fight with King Altai?"
"Listen up, Smoker!"
Onigumo jabbed a finger into Smoker's forehead. "I saved your life. You should be thanking me!"
"With your strength, you should've easily made at least Rear Admiral by now, if not Vice Admiral."
"And yet? Always insubordinate, doing whatever the hell you want. How many times have you been punished by HQ, and you still won't learn?"
"Now look at you—still just a measly Colonel. Even some rookies who just graduated have outranked you!"
Onigumo's tone wasn't just scolding—there was also a hint of frustration, like an older brother disappointed in his sibling.
Eight years ago, Smoker had already been a Marine HQ Colonel.
Eight years later, he was still a Colonel.
Starting last year, he'd even been transferred to East Blue's Loguetown—basically the middle of nowhere. A Logia user, reduced to chasing down petty crooks with bounties of just a few million berries?
If not for this mission passing through his jurisdiction, conveniently close by, he wouldn't have even qualified to join such an important escort.
"If climbing the ranks means turning a blind eye to that kind of crap, like you do…"
Smoker paused for a moment, then took a deep drag from his cigar. "Then I've got no regrets. I'll stay a Colonel forever, and I'll be just fine with that."
Hm? His eyes suddenly narrowed, focusing on the right side of the sea.
There, a small fishing boat bobbed along, steered by an elderly couple in their sixties.
They had already made efforts to steer clear of the warship, but hadn't expected the massive cruise ship behind it to suddenly veer toward them, bearing down like a charging beast. Panicked, the couple froze, unsure of what to do.
"Run them over! Run them over! Run them over!"
King Altai of the Peace Kingdom sat astride a guard's back like a horse, yelling excitedly from the deck.
"Turn a bit more to the left—hurry up! If those two peasants jump overboard, I won't get to enjoy the show!"
Bastard... Smoker's face darkened, and in the next instant, his body transformed into thick white smoke, blasting off toward the fishing boat.
This idiot really is beyond saving.
Watching the plume of smoke vanish into the distance, Onigumo squinted slightly and sighed with disappointment.
Reckless, impulsive, driven by instinct with no regard for consequences...
Zephyr-sensei must've really been losing it in his old age to think someone like Smoker could be a future leader of the Marines.
How laughable.
......
"Sorry for the disturbance."
At the Cocoyashi Village dock, Mihawk nodded politely to Genzo, signaling that there was no need to see him off. Then he turned and looked northeast.
Not here?
Mihawk sighed.
He had rushed over from the Grand Line, hoping to meet the man named Shano in his hometown.
Only to find out the guy had already set off for the Grand Line.
Some luck he had.
Still, the villagers had been surprisingly welcoming. Assuming he was Shano's friend, they threw a feast, served good food and drink, and even loaded his boat with all sorts of orange products.
His little coffin boat started moving, drifting along the current toward Reverse Mountain.
Generally speaking, anyone leaving East Blue for the Grand Line would make a stop at Loguetown, right?
Mihawk stared into the distance, his eyes deep with thought.
He casually opened a can of preserved oranges, popped one into his mouth, and slowly chewed. The sweet flavor lingered—hopefully it'd bring him some good luck in catching up with the man.
......
Shano stood in the center of the reinforced steel training room. He closed his eyes, steadied his breathing, and tied a black cloth over them.
"Ready, Captain?" Kuina asked, gripping the hilt of her sword.
"Yeah."
He nodded. "Be fast. Don't worry about technique or form."
"Understood, Captain!"
Kuina shouted and slashed at Shano's shoulder. He dodged easily. She followed with a horizontal strike—still missed.
Shano's movements were like a leaf in the wind—seemingly fragile, yet agile enough to avoid every attack.
After a dozen missed strikes, Kuina's eyes suddenly sharpened. She spotted an opening—when Shano bent backward to dodge, he couldn't move his legs quickly.
She raised her blade and unleashed a flying slash aimed straight at his waist.
Flying Blade Strike!
Let's see you dodge this!
In the next instant, Kuina watched in shock as Shano's left abdominal muscles twisted grotesquely to the right.
His upper body bent into an exaggerated C-shape.
The sword energy flashed past—and his body instantly returned to normal.
Still not good enough?
Shano pulled off the blindfold and sighed.
Ever since he set sail, he had been trying everything to awaken Observation Haki.
With his mastery of Kami-e (Paper Drawing), it was as if he already had a special window into perception. His body could naturally sense and react to the slightest movements and air fluctuations.
Logically, having a foundation like that should've made it easier to grasp Observation Haki than starting from scratch.
But things didn't go as expected.
Maybe he'd trained Kami-e to such perfection…
Maybe he was too confident in his physical strength and Armament Haki…
Or maybe it was all of the above.
Bottom line?
He wasn't under enough threat. Attacks from others posed no real danger to him—let alone the kind of life-or-death pressure needed to push his senses to the limit.
"I'm so weak…" Kuina muttered, looking dejected. "I can't even help you train properly…"
"What nonsense. You're already a swordmaster at sixteen. Give it a little time and you'll be cutting through the Grand Line like nothing."
Shano patted her on the shoulder with a sincere smile. Then he turned to the porthole, sighing with melancholy. "If anything, blame me for being too strong…"
Too far ahead of the power curve.
No point hoping for a challenge in East Blue anymore. Hopefully someone strong enough to pressure him would show up in the Grand Line.
"We're almost at Loguetown, big bro! Time to prepare to land!"
Nami's voice called from outside the room.
Loguetown…
Finally there, huh?
Shano and Kuina stepped outside, where they found Nami drenched in sweat, mopping the floors and wiping down the walls as she went.
This was her punishment for lying to her adoptive father and sneaking off.
Before they entered the Grand Line, she wasn't just helping Zeff in the kitchen—she'd been assigned all the chores aboard the ship.
"So tired, big bro!"
Seeing Shano, Nami immediately whined and clung to him. "My back's about to break! You promised this punishment would only last a few days! Once we're over Reverse Mountain, I'm done, right?"
"None of this 'big bro' nonsense, Cleaning Officer Nami. How many times do I have to say it—use proper titles when on duty!"
Shano clasped his hands behind his back, scolding her sternly.
He really did look the part, which made Kuina chuckle. Nami rolled her eyes and slumped over her mop.
"Yes, Captain…" she grumbled weakly.