One Piece: From Pirates to the Strongest Soul Reaper in Soul Society

After dropping the topic of whether or not to join the Marines, the two quickly shifted their conversation to other matters.

However, before long, Smoker's Den Den Mushi rang. He pulled it out, glanced at it, and then stood up apologetically.

"Sorry, Ben, I need to take this call."

Seeing this, Ben offered, "I must be disturbing your work. Should I step out for a bit?"

This was, after all, a Marine base. Though Smoker didn't exactly distrust Ben, he didn't want him wandering around the base either. He waved his hand.

"No need. Just stay here and rest. I'll step out and answer this."

Smoker left the room, walked only a short distance, and stopped at the corner of the hallway by a window before answering the call.

"Smoker?" came the voice of Fleet Admiral Sengoku from the other end.

Hearing that long-unfamiliar voice, Smoker felt a twinge of nostalgia but kept his expression calm.

"It's me, Fleet Admiral."

Marine Headquarters – Marineford

In the highest level of the Fortress of Justice, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at his desk, speaking through the Den Den Mushi while signing the mountain of documents piled before him.

Listening to Smoker's voice, Sengoku also felt a bit of nostalgia.

Smoker had been with the Marines for many years. With his exceptional talent and mastery of a Logia-type ability, he should never have been stuck wasting away in the East Blue.

Once, Smoker had been a prominent figure in Marine HQ. He was a student of the former admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr, a close friend of the current admiral Kuzan, and had strong ties with top figures like Garp. He had both talent and connections—a model officer in every way.

But his overly stubborn personality… he could not tolerate the slightest injustice. Whenever he saw wrongdoing, he had to intervene. Unfortunately, Marine HQ was too political—too close to Mary Geoise, and far removed from true justice.

HQ was rife with corruption, and Smoker couldn't stand it. Thus, his Marine career had been full of ups and downs: earning promotions for great achievements, only to be demoted for clashing with authority. In a few short years, he became one of Marine HQ's most infamous "problem children" and one of its most troublesome mavericks.

Perhaps Sengoku hoped that by sending him away, Smoker would cool his head—or maybe he just wanted to grind down that sharp edge of his. Either way, Sengoku eventually reassigned Smoker from HQ to the East Blue as the base commander of Loguetown.

Smoker thus became the only East Blue base commander to hold a Marine HQ rank.

Sengoku had originally thought that, after some time in the quiet East Blue, Smoker would eventually tire of the boredom, admit defeat, and ask to return. At that point, Sengoku could bring him back to HQ with a valid excuse. Having gone through this humbling experience, Smoker would surely be more compliant and more valuable.

But instead? Smoker dug his heels in. He rooted himself in the East Blue and never once mentioned returning to HQ, wasting away in what was basically a beginner's training ground for pirates. It wasn't until the year the Straw Hats set sail that he finally resolved to change and leave the East Blue.

And indeed, once Smoker left the East Blue, his promotions shot up like a rocket. Within two years, he went from colonel to vice admiral.

However, because he had wasted those crucial years in the East Blue, fighting nothing but small-time pirates, his strength didn't grow—in fact, it regressed.

In this regard, he was no different from Moria wasting away in the Florian Triangle or Crocodile hiding out in Alabasta.

Sengoku calmed his thoughts and finally spoke:

"I heard reports that the man who killed Whitebeard's division commander, Thatch, has shown up in Loguetown. Is that true?"

"Yes," Smoker replied.

"Are you certain?" Sengoku pressed.

Smoker thought for a moment, then answered, "Pretty sure. He came here to claim Thatch's bounty. His appearance matches the wanted posters from the Whitebeard Pirates. However, he's not a space-related ability user as rumored. Instead, he's a Logia-type—he has the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit. According to him, he stole the fruit from the Whitebeard Pirates."

"A Logia-type, huh? What do you think of him? Would he be worth recruiting into the Marines?" Sengoku asked.

The smoker let out a soft sigh.

"His name's Ben. He's a pirate hunter. I've already discussed the idea with him. He's friendly toward us, but he's not interested in joining the Marines—at least not yet. He's only twenty. He says he wants to see more of the sea first. Maybe in a couple of years, he'll consider it."

"I see… what a pity," Sengoku said, slightly disappointed.

Of course, as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku's so-called "pity" was nothing more than a passing remark. If this matter hadn't involved the Whitebeard Pirates, Sengoku wouldn't have even noticed a small fry like Ben, let alone personally ask whether he'd join the Marines.

Still, since Ben was on good terms with the Marines and might join them later—and considering he was a confirmed Logia user who had taken down Thatch—Sengoku decided Ben was worth cultivating.

"Show him goodwill," Sengoku ordered. "If he asks for anything reasonable, grant it. Let him see that the Marines value him. This way, we might influence his choices later and reduce the risk of him turning to piracy."

"As expected of the Fleet Admiral. I understand," Smoker said, nodding.

After finishing the discussion about Ben, Sengoku hesitated briefly, then added, "By the way, there's talk of a personnel reshuffle at HQ. You in the East Blue—"

"No need," Smoker interrupted, frowning. "I'm fine here in the East Blue."

Sengoku was left a little awkward by Smoker's blunt refusal. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Are you really fine with it?"

"I am. At least here, I can uphold my own justice," Smoker replied flatly.

"…Very well." Sengoku realized it was useless to argue further and ended the call.

Smoker put the Den Den Mushi away, took a deep drag from his cigar, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke that obscured his face.

After a moment, he composed himself and returned to Ben as if nothing had happened—now carrying three large and one small suitcase.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Smoker said, setting the cases down. "Here's your bounty—362 million berries. Want to count it?"

Ben laughed. "No need. I trust the Marines' credibility."

As he spoke, Ben raised a hand and summoned his dark powers. Shadows swallowed the suitcases whole in an instant.

Truly, the Dark-Dark Fruit was absurdly convenient for storage.

The smoker didn't even bat an eye. Tapping the ash from his cigar, he added, "Also, given your accomplishments, the Marines are willing to offer you any reasonable assistance. If there's anything you need, just tell me."

Ben's eyes lit up.

"Oh, now you're speaking my language. Suddenly, I'm not sleepy at all!"

(End of Chapter)