In the first half of the Grand Line, at Carnival City, a young Smoker walked off the port, a cigar clenched between his teeth. He was holding an unconscious bounty hunter and was followed by a large group of ruthless pirate subordinates.
Compared to his time in the Marines, Smoker's appearance had undergone a huge change.
First, he was no longer wearing his beloved Marine Justice vest. He had a black captain's coat draped over his shoulders. At the same time, two crisscrossing scars covered his chest in the shape of a cross, making him look much more menacing.
Not only that, but his demeanor had also changed drastically. Back at Marineford, although Smoker was a troublemaker, he still carried an air of righteousness. Now, however, he looked like a completely vicious pirate. His eyes, in particular, were extremely brutal.
He threw the bounty hunter he was holding onto the ground, stretched his neck, and said, "Deal with this idiot. Go find the Donquixote Family's representative here and tell him I want to see him!"
"Yes, Captain!" a young pirate stood behind Smoker, laughing three times.
But before he could leave, Smoker added, "Tell the Donquixote Family's representative to resupply me with ammunition first, and then bring the price to me. Tell him to think carefully on the way about how he wants to haggle with me!"
"Understood, Captain!" The young pirate quickly replied, then led a group of pirates away from the port.
Smoker slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. He looked at the electronic calendar on the high tower in Carnival City and whispered to himself, "Three years…"
In truth, Smoker was a little lost right now, because he was starting to realize that he had a real talent for being a pirate. Maybe it was his hot-headed temper or his unconventional way of doing things.
In any case, his pirates were very loyal to their Captain. In just about a year, he had already gathered over two hundred elite pirates. If he continued at this rate, he would be building a pirate fleet soon.
He already had some solid plans for this. He would make the elite pirates he had now into junior officers and use them as a framework to recruit new members. With a base of two hundred people, he could easily pull together a two-thousand-man pirate crew. At that scale, they could be called a pirate fleet.
However, he was still lacking some ships, especially good ones. As someone who came from Marine Headquarters and had participated in several combat exercises, Smoker looked down on pirate ships when he compared them to the standard Marine warships. Both their firepower and tonnage were far too lacking.
"I need to find a way to get my hands on a couple of warships…" Smoker muttered, rubbing his chin.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi he always carried with him suddenly rang. Smoker's expression became serious. He had two Den Den Mushi. One was for his pirate business, and the other was a secret one that only a few high-ranking Marine officials had a signal for.
Smoker looked back, told his men to get some rest, then walked a few steps to the shore. He took out the Den Den Mushi only after he was sure no one was around. He looked at the Den Den Mushi's face, a look of joy flashing in his eyes, and he answered it. "Admiral Diarmuid!?"
When he left the Marines, Diarmuid was still a Vice Admiral. But less than half a year after he left, Diarmuid became an Admiral.
Smoker was also very happy about this. On one hand, it was because he had always admired Diarmuid. On the other hand, Diarmuid was the one who initiated his "Pirate Plan." The higher Diarmuid's status and authority in the Marines, the more hope and security Smoker had, right?
"Oh, Smoker. We haven't talked in a while. How have you been? Is this pirate business promising? Hahahaha," Diarmuid asked with a big laugh on the other end of the line.
Smoker also laughed, exhaling a puff of smoke, and said with a hint of helplessness, "The pirate business is really promising…"
"Hehehe. Because it's chaotic, you don't need any other rules. As long as you're strong, you can seize a high position and control the lives of countless people… Of course, it's promising. But it's also because it's chaotic that you can rise up quickly and also disappear quietly like a shooting star one day," Diarmuid said with a laugh.
"Like Shiki the Golden Lion?" Smoker suddenly asked.
Diarmuid hadn't heard Shiki's name in a long time. He was stunned for a moment, a look of nostalgia appearing in his eyes. He said softly, "That's right. Just like Shiki."
Without getting into too much philosophy about being a pirate with Smoker, Diarmuid paused and then asked, "How's it going? Do you have any problems you need our help with recently?"
"Now that you mention it, I do have a little issue. My pirate ship is just too pathetic, Admiral. Is there any way you can get me a couple of warships?" Smoker asked with a chuckle.
After leaving the ranks of Marineford and becoming a pirate active on the high seas, Smoker had become a little more dissolute like a pirate. Back at Marineford, even as a troublemaker, he was still a little more formal when talking to Diarmuid. But now, his tone was much more casual.
"You're dreaming. Do you know what kind of impact it would have if you, a pirate, used a warship? It would be an insult to the Marines' honor, and they would definitely find a way to take you out. So don't even think about a warship. I can, however, approve some operational funds for you," Diarmuid said, rolling his eyes.
Smoker said with a hint of helplessness, "I don't need funds. I can just rob people. To be honest, I'm not short on cash right now. Those damn nobles are far richer than I thought…"
"Hahaha, not bad. You're starting to sound more and more like a pirate now," Diarmuid said with a big laugh. After a short pause, Diarmuid continued, "I have a secret stash of weapons on Marine Island. If you need it, you can go and 'steal' it."
"Understood. I know what to do, Admiral," Smoker said with a laugh.
This was the benefit of being a pirate with an official background. Other pirates had a high demand for gunpowder and cannonballs but were limited to the black market. But Smoker was different; he had two ways to get what he needed.
His reason for coming to Carnival City this time was to replenish his ammunition reserves, and he was looking for the Donquixote Family. But even if he couldn't reach an agreement with the Donquixote Family, he didn't have to worry because the Marines would also set something up for him. In short, they wouldn't let him go hungry.
"Although a warship is out of the question… Where are you now?" Diarmuid asked again.
"Carnival City. I'm planning on having some fun here and replenishing my ammunition reserves," Smoker said without any reservation.
"Carnival City, huh? That's not too far from Water 7. I'll tell you some good news. There's an amazing shipwright in Water 7 named Tom. He's a Fish-man. He once built a ship for the Pirate King, Roger. Around the year 1500, he was sentenced to death by the World Government for that crime, but for various reasons, he's currently on probation. You can find him there and have him build you an amazing ship…" Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
"Roger's shipwright?" Smoker said with some surprise.
"No, not Roger's shipwright. He just built a ship for Roger," Diarmuid said softly.
"I know. Thanks for the information, Admiral," Smoker said, nodding. After a short pause, Smoker asked in a low voice, "Is there anything you need me to do, Admiral?"
"You've been out here for a while, and you've gotten a lot smarter," Diarmuid praised him first. Then, before Smoker could speak, he said, "Yes, there is something I need you to do. The king of the Gorillan Kingdom, King Kurethas, intends to slander and attack the Marines at this Reverie. He wants to use the Reverie to get Vice Admiral Jonathan, the commander of G-8, removed from his position. I'll send you the relevant information about him later. Figure out a way to make that idiot shut up."
Smoker was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Can an affiliated country's royal family meddle in the internal affairs of the Marines?"
"Normally, they wouldn't have the right to. But at the Reverie, the royal families of various countries have the right to propose all kinds of topics. Any organization under the World Government must comply with a proposal once it's passed.
"From a legal standpoint, issues discussed at the Reverie, once approved by the various countries, will have a very high legal effect, with authority higher than Headquarters. So during this time, affiliated countries can use this method to meddle in our Marine affairs," Diarmuid said very calmly.
This was also a very normal thing and one of the many methods the World Government used to check the power of the Marines. And from an objective perspective, this phenomenon was also quite reasonable.
The affiliated countries, of course, also wanted to have some way to influence the Marines. However, for many years, no one had used this power. On one hand, the Marines' authority was so strong that no one dared to provoke them easily, and on the other hand, they were afraid of the Marines retaliating against them afterward.
Smoker wasn't too surprised when he heard this. He just grumbled, "Are the royal families of these affiliated countries so bored?"
"Hehehe. What do you think the Reverie is? It might be a high-level event, but it often lasts for one to two months. Do you think those kings only focus on high-level issues? No. From what I know, this kind of trivial, backstabbing nonsense is the main thing at the Reverie… In any case, I'm leaving this matter to you," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
"No problem, Admiral," Smoker agreed without hesitation.
"As for the Warlord system, once you're done with this job, the Marines will start working on it for you. Work hard. Don't get defeated by your peers during this time. That would be embarrassing for us," Diarmuid instructed softly.
Smoker said very seriously, "As per your instructions, I won't be staying in the New World until I get the title of Warlord, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"Good. That's all for now. Contact me if you have any problems. Stay safe," Diarmuid said, hanging up the phone without any more chatter after giving his instructions.
Smoker also said simply, "Understood, Admiral."
As soon as the words fell, both of them hung up the Den Den Mushi. Smoker flicked the ash off his cigar and couldn't help but laugh, mocking himself. "It's only at times like this that I can truly feel that I'm still a Marine…"
After that, it wasn't long before Smoker took care of the matter. Two months later, the Reverie officially opened in Mariejois.
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