Pfft...
Smoker had no idea when he had passed out, nor did he know how long he had been unconscious...
When he opened his eyes, he saw Tashigi and a group of Marine soldiers lying beside him—the whole family was neatly together.
Not far away, a few civilians who had drunk too much water had also passed out.
However, that wasn't what shocked Smoker. What truly shocked him was the sight before him—a vast, endless ocean.
"Where the hell am I?"
"I remember coming to a desert kingdom, right?"
"Is this still Alabasta?"
Smoker stared at the streets, where the citizens of Alabasta were using barrels, wooden planks, rafts, or even their own dismantled doors as makeshift boats, paddling through the flooded city. He ran a hand through his dry hair and muttered to himself.
"BOOM!"
Meanwhile, the battle between Eden and Erza was still raging, growing more intense by the second...
With every clash between them, countless torrents of water would erupt, either from the ground or falling from the sky.
"Keep fighting a little longer! Just a little longer!"
The people of Alabasta, however, felt no sorrow over their destroyed buildings. They watched Eden and Erza, who were continuously creating water, with nothing but excitement in their eyes. Buildings could be rebuilt with time, but if this inexhaustible supply of fresh water disappeared, they would cry themselves to death.
"Hey!"
"You two bastards, are you really going to ignore me?"
Just as Eden and Erza were locked in a heated battle, their constant collisions creating river after river...
While no one was paying him any mind, Crocodile had finally recovered. His once impeccably slicked-back hair was now a mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and he glared at Erza and Eden, who were ignoring him to fight their own battle. "I am the master here!" he roared. "Don't you dare go too far, you two disrespectful, ill-mannered bastards!"
"Don't get in the way!"
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Sea King's Raging Tide!"
"It's time to end this!"
"Requip: Celestial Deity Armor! Celestial Deity's Starburst!"
Almost simultaneously, Eden and Erza unleashed their respective ultimate techniques, swinging them toward the meddlesome Crocodile who had suddenly run between them.
Pfft...
After taking the full force of both Eden's and Erza's ultimate moves, Crocodile saw stars...
For a moment, Crocodile seemed to see his long-dead friends waving at him. He roared in his heart, The power of the moves you used while fighting each other is completely different from the moves you're using on me!
And with that, Crocodile, who had plotted for years to obtain the legendary Ancient Weapon 'Pluton' in Alabasta, finally made his exit from the stage.
"Hah..."
After Crocodile passed out...
Smoker and Tashigi, who had momentarily regained their senses, didn't hesitate for a second. They rushed recklessly onto the battlefield between Erza and Eden, stopping the two who were about to continue their fight.
"Both of you, please calm down a bit."
"The enemy has already been knocked out by the aftershocks of your battle."
Beads of cold sweat formed on Smoker's forehead. He was terrified that Eden and Erza would keep fighting.
Well, it wouldn't be a problem if they continued fighting.
But the entire city of Rainbase would be completely submerged.
"Hah, hah, hah..."
Hearing Smoker's words, Eden and Erza gradually calmed down, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath.
"Eden."
"No matter what, the fact that you defeated Crocodile will not change!"
"On behalf of the people of Alabasta, I thank you once again."
"But a pirate is a pirate!"
"Furthermore, my stance as a Marine will not change."
"I'll consider this me returning a favor. Take your crew and leave Alabasta immediately. I'll pretend I never saw you."
After stopping the fight, Smoker gave Eden a long, deep look and spoke in a grave voice.
"You don't need to tell me that our positions are different."
Eden cut Smoker off. "However," he said, "our positions might be changing very soon!"
"The reason I chose to take down Crocodile, aside from helping the people of Alabasta and ending their civil war crisis..."
"One of the most important reasons was to take his place and become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, acknowledged by the World Government."
Eden smiled at Smoker as he finished.
"Heh."
"We'll talk after you actually become a Warlord."
With that, Smoker walked over to the unconscious Crocodile and slapped a pair of Seastone handcuffs on him.
After finishing his task...
Smoker approached Erza and whispered, "Rear Admiral Erza, there's no time to lose! I must transport this dangerous man, Crocodile, to the great undersea prison immediately."
"I understand."
"Leave the cleanup to me."
Erza nodded gently at Smoker, indicating that she and her subordinates were enough to handle things here.
"Um, Rear Admiral Erza, please listen to my advice! Although I said I would spare that guy Eden's life here..."
"In reality, besides the fact that he successfully defeated Crocodile and helped us protect Alabasta, there are other reasons!"
Smoker deliberately lowered his voice so that outsiders couldn't hear him.
"We have to admit it!"
"That guy's strength is truly not to be underestimated!"
"He's not an opponent we can easily capture with just the few of us. So please, you must keep an eye on him here!"
"If he doesn't do anything too outrageous, then letting him leave this country is the best choice for us."
Smoker was still worried before he left.
He was afraid that these two powder kegs, Eden and Erza, would start fighting again after he was gone.
Because of this, Smoker had no choice but to try and reason with Erza first.
"I understand. Don't worry," Erza said with a nod.
"Good."
Smoker nodded.
If it weren't for the fact that the mission to transport Crocodile to prison was too arduous and important, and that Eden's strength was too immense...
To the point that among everyone present, only Erza could possibly keep him in check...
Otherwise, he would have really wanted to stay here until Eden had left the country.
On the other side.
Natsu had already taken down all of Crocodile's subordinate officers. He sat on the roof of a building, surrounded by the unconscious assassins of Baroque Works, and waved to Eden and the others. "I've handled everything over here!"
And so...
Smoker and Erza divided the labor.
Smoker's mission was to transport Crocodile and the high-ranking officers of Baroque Works to the great undersea prison, Impel Down...
As for Erza's mission?
It was to stay put and watch Eden's crew, making sure they didn't cause any trouble in the Kingdom of Alabasta.
And just like that...
After Smoker departed with his subordinates...
"Time for a feast~"
Eden, Natsu, Happy, and Nami, along with Erza, who just a second ago was locked in a life-or-death battle with them, all cheered in unison...
They promptly raided Crocodile's treasury and began to party wildly with the people of Alabasta, who were celebrating their newfound fresh water and the end of the drought.
However...
Smoker knew nothing of what was happening here.
He had already brought the captured Crocodile and his crew aboard the warship he had requested from Marine Headquarters.
"I never thought the day would come when even you, Smoker, would ask Hina for help?!"
"If we weren't from the same graduating class at the Marine training camp, Hina definitely wouldn't have helped you."
On the warship, Hina stood with her arms crossed, a ladies' cigarette dangling from her lips as she teased Smoker.
"Heh heh~"
Smoker just chuckled softly, not saying much.
Smoker seemed to be in a particularly good mood today.
"So, Smoker~"
"Did you see that woman?" Hina asked, noticing Smoker's uncharacteristic lightheartedness.
"Who are you talking about?" Smoker asked, momentarily confused.
"Who else could it be?"
"Naturally, I'm talking about Vice Admiral Garp's new disciple, the genius girl who has recently become famous throughout Marine HQ! The one known as the youngest Rear Admiral, Erza~" Hina said, rolling her eyes at Smoker in annoyance.
"Oh."
"You mean Erza?"
"That woman is a monster."
"I think it won't be long before Erza is no longer the youngest Rear Admiral of HQ, but the youngest Vice Admiral."
"And maybe, one day..."
"Erza might even become the youngest Admiral in HQ's history."
Smoker recalled the scarlet figure that seemed seared into his mind. He couldn't help but shiver before giving his assessment.
"Is she really that much of a genius?"
"Hina is deeply skeptical."
Hina seemed a bit jealous of the girl Smoker held in such high regard.
"No."
"Perhaps, I might still be underestimating her~"
Smoker chuckled softly as he said this.
"Are you talking about Rear Admiral Erza Scarlet?"
Just then, Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Fullbody, one of Hina's many admirers at HQ, shuddered upon hearing Smoker and Hina's conversation. He spoke up in a flustered tone, "Actually, I know a secret about Rear Admiral Erza."
"Oh?!"
"Do tell."
Smoker's curiosity was piqued.
"The truth is..."
"Rear Admiral Erza has an ambiguous relationship with a pirate."
As Fullbody spoke, he recalled his encounter at the sea restaurant, Baratie.
"Which pirate?"
Smoker froze, his expression turning anxious as he stared at Fullbody.
If a genius like Erza, who was already being groomed by the higher-ups to become a future pillar of the Marines, was a pirate spy, it would be a devastating blow.
This was something Smoker had to take seriously.
"Well, how should I put this?!"
"Actually, Rear Admiral Erza and that 'Sea Emperor' Eden are comrades."
After a moment's thought, Fullbody declared with a grave expression, recounting what he had seen at the Baratie.
"..."
Smoker fell silent upon hearing Fullbody's words.
If the pirate Fullbody had mentioned was anyone else...
Even some no-name rookie, he would have investigated...
But the pirate Fullbody mentioned was Eden.
Did Smoker not know better than anyone whether there was some secret relationship between Eden and Erza?
Frankly, just a little while ago...
Eden and Erza were trying to kill each other right in front of him!
If he, Smoker, hadn't intervened in time, the two would have undoubtedly annihilated each other. There was no other possibility.
Oh, right.
As he thought this, something clicked in Smoker's mind.
Indeed, Erza and Eden did have a relationship—a relationship of mortal enemies locked in a feud to the death, perhaps?!
"What's your name?" Smoker asked Fullbody.
"Sir Captain Smoker!"
"My name is Fullbody, a Lieutenant of Marine Headquarters!"
Thinking he had been noticed by Smoker, Fullbody puffed out his chest and spoke proudly.
"I see."
"From this day forward, you are no longer Lieutenant Fullbody. You are Seaman Recruit Fullbody."
Smoker's words directly demoted him.
"Why?"
Fullbody was stunned. He stared at Smoker in a panic.
When Smoker said he was no longer a Lieutenant, he thought he was finally getting promoted to Lieutenant Commander!
That would bring him one step closer to Captain Hina.
After all, they would both be commissioned officers of the same rank bracket.
But instead... not only did he not get promoted, he got demoted?!
This was unacceptable to Fullbody.
"Filing a false report."
"Maliciously slandering a superior officer."
"Fabricating baseless facts."
"Any one of these is enough for me to throw you in prison."
"I'm only demoting you. Consider yourself lucky," Smoker said coldly, glaring daggers at Fullbody.
"No, I've been truly wronged!"
Fullbody felt like crying. Everything he had just said was the absolute truth. He was really being framed!
Erza and Eden were definitely on the same side. He saw it with his own two eyes, how could it be fake?
Smoker: My sincerest apologies, but I just witnessed with my own two eyes that Erza and Eden are mortal enemies.