"Hey, get out here!"
Guina drew her sword and was the first to step onto the deck using Moonwalk, her face cold and frosty as she shouted harshly:
"No matter who you are, if you come out and show yourself now, we can still talk things out. But if we have to drag you out ourselves, don't blame us for being rude!"
Shano followed closely behind, landing atop the mainmast — the perfect spot for overseeing the entire scene from above.
Staring down at the silent, still ship's cabin, he frowned slightly.
This guy's hiding spot is really something…
Just yesterday, he'd toured the entire ship while installing the falcon statue. Even with his exceptional hearing and sharp perception, he hadn't picked up on the slightest clue.
When did he start hiding here…?
Could it be that he'd already snuck onboard back at the dock on Shirley Island when the ship was first launched?
"He's coming out," Kukaros said suddenly.
Hmm?
Everyone instantly tensed, locking their eyes onto the doors nearby.
But to their surprise, the doors didn't budge — instead, a wisp of smoke slowly drifted out through the ventilation shaft, swirling down to the deck and gradually taking the shape of a human figure.
"Smoker?!"
Guina, standing directly in front of the smoke, was taken aback when she saw the man's face. "Why is it you?!"
As the smoke slowly faded, Smoker's expression was complicated. He raised both hands slowly, signaling he meant no harm.
"Relax. I'm no longer a Navy Commodore. You all should've already confirmed that through the wanted posters."
Then he looked up and said:
"Lord Shano, could you spare a moment to come down and speak with me?"
...
Ten minutes later.
Everyone gathered in a circle on the deck, listening as Smoker, sitting in front of the mast, finished recounting his story.
"So that's what happened between you and that Altai guy," Nami said, suddenly enlightened. "And he's the one who gave the order to open fire too? What a bastard. Good riddance!"
She laughed and gave Smoker a hard slap on the shoulder.
"Not bad, kid. You've got my approval. I didn't think we had such an 'inside man' in Loguetown!"
Kid?
Smoker's mouth twitched slightly as he silently lit a cigar. He was already in his thirties — being called "kid" by this little blonde girl was… something else.
"Young folks these days, gutsy indeed,"
Kurokas commented from the side, rubbing his chin as he studied Smoker with interest. "It's been decades since I've seen someone like you — one who defected from the Navy because they couldn't stand the nobles."
The last one… also made quite a stir, if he remembered correctly. What was his name again?
"That incident was merely the spark."
Smoker puffed on his cigar and shook his head slightly. "In truth, I'd already had enough a month before that. I joined the Navy to uphold the justice in my heart — to protect civilians from the cruelty of pirates."
"But if Celestial Dragons, or even ordinary nobles with their bloodline, can commit evil without consequence while the Navy pretends to be blind — even going so far as to protect and flatter them — then how are they any different from pirates?"
"Worse, even. So bad that just thinking about those two words on my old coat makes me sick to my stomach!"
He paused, then continued in a deep voice:
"Killing Altai was an impulsive act, to be honest. At the time, I felt lost and afraid. Not because I was now a wanted man, but because… I no longer knew what direction to take — or whether all the years of holding onto my ideals had meant anything at all."
"It was then, on the square, that I saw Lord Shano's Conqueror's Haki awakening — and heard the things he said."
Looking at Shano, Smoker spoke sincerely:
"Those words helped me understand a lot."
He took a deep draw from his cigar. The smoke curled around him, but his gaze was firmer than ever.
"Navy or pirate, those who uphold justice should never be bound by their roles. If the World Government restricts us from walking the path we believe in, then I'd rather follow someone who can live true to their beliefs!"
The deck fell silent for a moment.
"You mean…" Guina narrowed her eyes at him. "You want to join our Dusk Adventurer Crew? Then why didn't you come find us back in Loguetown and just say it?"
"Well, it's a bit embarrassing,"
Smoker hesitated, looking a little awkward. "I wasn't sure how you'd react… or if you'd even accept a former Navy officer like me. So that night when you all set sail from Loguetown, I chose not to show myself. I figured I'd wait for the right moment."
"And the right moment would be?" Shano raised an eyebrow.
"Uh…"
Smoker turned his head and gave a sheepish cough. "Like… if you guys were facing a powerful enemy and struggling due to lack of manpower — then I could 'just so happen' to appear, lend a hand, and naturally become part of the crew…"
"Well, aren't you optimistic,"
Nami scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Too bad, with my brother around, you'll probably be waiting forever. What kind of dire situation would it take for you to pull off that cheesy 'hero saving the day' scene?"
Hard to argue with that… Smoker gave a bitter smile and took another puff of his cigar.
As one of the top graduates of Marine HQ's elite program, he did have his pride.
Besides that speech Shano gave on the execution platform, the terrifying strength he showed when defeating Spider Vice Admiral was another big reason Smoker wanted to follow him.
In this world, talk alone never gets you far.
Only true power can win people's respect.
"Bro, what do you think?" Nojiko quietly nudged Shano's arm and whispered, "Should we let this guy on board or not?"
So far, she had a pretty good impression of Smoker.
He dared to go against vile nobles. He defied the World Government in pursuit of justice. And he'd answered all their questions honestly…
Hmm, and most importantly — he clearly admired and respected her big brother!
All in all, he seemed like someone they could trust.
"..."
Shano stayed silent, clearly still thinking.
To be honest…
He hadn't fully processed it yet.
Especially when Smoker personally said he wanted to follow him — the shock he felt in that moment was no less than when he'd first seen Aokiji join Blackbeard's crew in the manga.
The Navy Headquarters and the World Government were both too deeply diseased. They forced these two people—clearly the most qualified to carry on the Navy's future—to leave and pursue a completely different path.
"You've been hiding in the ventilation ducts these past few days?" Shano suddenly asked.
"Yes, sir."
Smoker's old face turned red for once. "To be precise, the ducts above the kitchen. It was a last resort—there's a wolf with a sharp nose on your ship, and the kitchen is the only place it's not allowed to enter. Also, hiding there meant I didn't need to worry about food…"
"Awooo!" Silver barked at Zeff. See that? This is what happens when you never let me into the kitchen!
"Oh, no wonder!"
Zeff ignored Silver and slapped his forehead as he suddenly realized, "I was wondering why the ingredients these days didn't match up, and why the kitchen always felt smokier when cooking. So it wasn't because the exhaust fan broke—it was because of you?"
"Yes," Smoker admitted. "The cooking smoke was a little choking, so I had to use my elemental form to avoid it… But the fan really was broken at first. I fixed it at night when no one was around."
"You've got skills like that?" Shano looked a bit surprised.
"I loved tinkering with things as a kid, especially when I got obsessed with motorcycles as a teen. I learned everything there was to know about mechanics just to modify my own bike."
At this point, Smoker suddenly remembered something. "Lord Shano, if I'm not mistaken, you once mentioned that the ship was still lacking a shipwright?"
"Though I'm not a professional, I'm confident I can handle daily maintenance and repairs. So… why not let me take that position?"
"..."
Shano didn't respond. He just stood up and stretched toward the rising morning sun.
"Lord Shano?"
Smoker looked at his back nervously.
"No one's had breakfast yet, right? Everyone must be hungry. Uncle Zeff, how about we throw a party?" Shano laughed loudly. "To see off Crocus and Laboon—and also to welcome our new shipwright, officially joining the Adventure Crew as a comrade!"
"—OHHHHH!!!"
"Let's party!!!"
The deck, bathed in morning light, instantly erupted in loud cheers.
"You really don't leave me any choice."
Crocus turned to look at Laboon and smiled:
"Looks like we'll have to delay a bit longer, Laboon. I need to stay and protect you. Setting sail on an empty stomach in this vast sea would be far too risky."
Laboon nodded, showing understanding.
Crocus rubbed its cheek with a grin, then suddenly shouted, "Hey, Nose-Hair! Don't forget to add the salt this time!"
"Nose-Hair?!"
Zeff roared in anger, "Relax! I'll double the salt I forgot last time, just for you!"
"Hahaha, that's fine. I'm getting old—my taste buds need stronger flavor anyway!"
In no time, the deck became a cheerful mess.
Only Smoker remained where he was, standing dazed.
This… this was really…
Was I truly accepted?
A curve tugged at the corner of his lips. He exhaled a large puff of smoke, but before he could enjoy the moment—
Guina's voice sounded behind him, calm and cold:
"Hey, Smokey, let's get one thing clear—smoking is fine, but if there are ladies around, especially Nami, you better keep your distance. She's not of age yet. If she picks up your bad habits, the captain's gonna beat you up."
"No problem."
Smoker quickly stubbed out his cigar, apologetic. "Sorry. Also, for making you all so tense earlier—I sincerely apologize."
"Tense? Not really."
Guina sheathed her Wado Ichimonji with a blank face. "Actually, everyone was nervous—until you showed up. When we saw that the one hiding was just you, we all relaxed immediately."
Nokiko and Nami nodded in agreement.
Huh?
Smoker froze.
What did that mean…
Why did it sound so hurtful?
"And another thing," Guina said seriously, "verbal apologies are for kids. You followed us around for days, stole a lot of our food, and gave us a big scare. If you want us to truly accept you, you'll need to show it through actions over the next few days—work hard."
"Of course…"
Smoker had just replied when he suddenly realized something was wrong.
The ship was fine. The only broken part—the exhaust fan—he had already fixed. What else was there for a shipwright to do?
…
In the blink of an eye.
The party ended.
Everyone, drunk and satisfied, returned to their rooms to rest.
Only Smoker remained on deck, clutching a broom and staring at the mess in disbelief.
So this is what "working hard" meant!
He had watched as the broom was handed from Guina to Nokiko, then thrown to Nami, and finally stuffed into Silver's mouth.
Silver happily trotted over, dropped the broom in front of him, and—like a senior encouraging a rookie—patted his shoulder meaningfully with a paw…
Well, guess I deserve this.
It seems the shipwright job won't be mine for a while. For now, my mission is to be the cleaner. Smoker shook his head helplessly and bent down to begin cleaning.
As he swept, he found a strange sense of familiarity.
It was from many years ago.
He was just a teenager, full of dreams, having just joined the Navy.
He hadn't eaten the Devil Fruit yet, nor had he been selected for the elite training camp. He was just a new recruit at the Loguetown branch, doing all the chores assigned to rookies.
Back then, even though he was always dealing with brooms and mops, he was full of hope for the future, and never doubted his ability to uphold justice.
And now, it felt like he had returned to that starting point.
Smoker grinned, lit two cigars, took a deep drag, and looked up at the second floor of the ship's cabin—that was the bedroom of the captain, Shano.
He could only hope that this time, the man he chose to follow… wouldn't disappoint him again.
At the same time.
In a tropical island not far from Twin Capes…
"You heard the requirements just now, especially the last two, right?"
In a dimly lit room, the tall woman across the table wore a wide-brimmed cowboy hat and a veil over her face, hiding her looks.
Her entire aura seemed cloaked in shadow.
"Y-Yes, heard them all," said the nervous man with an afro on the left. "Don't dig into the identities of the boss or other key members."
The girl on the right twirled an umbrella and added with a grin, "During missions, don't use real names. Everyone uses codenames only."
"Good. Then sign the contract, Jem, Mikita."
The woman in the shadows smiled faintly. "This will be the last time I call you by those names. Welcome to Baroque Works. From now on, you are Agent Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine."