The villagers of Cocoyasi could not tell Headquarters from a branch, and they did not recognize the White Hunter Smoker.
But they knew who was good to them.
That young, stern face — Marine 16th Branch, Lieutenant Colonel Hawk.
He was the one who swept away the pirates who plagued these seas and returned the treasure stolen from them.
He was the one who kept this sea at peace.
They had wondered why Lieutenant Colonel Hawk had taken so long to move against Arlong.
When they saw the tense standoff before their eyes, they understood. Pressure from above had kept Lieutenant Colonel Hawk from acting.
Now Lieutenant Colonel Hawk had paid a heavy price, braced himself against pressure from above, and cut out the root of their suffering for the sake of the people here.
"Lieutenant Colonel Hawk."
"Lieutenant Colonel Hawk killed Arlong."
"Lieutenant Colonel Hawk is a good marine."
Grateful shouts rose from the crowd, and the eyes turned toward Hawk were full of trust and reverence.
In the next instant those same eyes swung to Smoker's group, brimming with wariness and even hostility.
"Where are you marines from."
"Do not touch Lieutenant Colonel Hawk."
"Lieutenant Colonel Hawk is our benefactor."
"Protect Lieutenant Colonel Hawk."
The villagers surged forward with the simplest, firmest resolve and used their bodies to shield Hawk and his soldiers.
Clack.
The cigars in Smoker's mouth dropped to the ground.
He froze.
All his years as a marine, from Headquarters to the East Blue, what had he not seen.
He had seen pirates who burned, killed, and looted, vicious criminals, and marines who clung to life and feared death.
But being pointed at by civilians as a bad marine come to persecute their benefactor, that was a first.
In Loguetown he was known to everyone as a hard-nosed marine, the White Hunter.
How had he become the villain here.
What was this.
"Colonel…"
Beside him Tashigi was stunned too, lips parted, eyes round behind her lenses.
Her mind could not make the turn.
What was this situation.
She had never seen, never even heard of a scene like this.
Villagers stepping out to protect one marine by standing against another group of marines.
And they held no weapons at all.
They faced real steel.
If a fight broke out, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Tashigi glanced at Hawk, who stood behind the villagers' human shield.
She heard clearly what the villagers shouted, protect Lieutenant Colonel Hawk.
This young Lieutenant Colonel Hawk.
What had he done for these villagers.
What kind of favor wins the simplest people to stand against marines with only their flesh and blood.
Heh.
Smoker bent to pick up his cigars, did not bother to dust them off, shoved them back between his teeth, and drew hard.
Smoke drifted from between his clenched molars.
He looked at the villagers before him, excited, angry, yet with eyes set like iron.
He watched their not-so-strong bodies form a wall that was solid and unbreakable.
He watched them guard that young lieutenant colonel who had killed his superior as if he were a treasure.
Whatever tricks that kid Hawk had used to win such support among the common people.
The people are not wrong.
If a few individuals are fooled, perhaps there are tricks.
But when an entire village stands up for him of their own accord, it means that from their point of view what Hawk had done was right.
It was justice.
This scene of being trusted and shielded wholly by the people was exactly the sort of thing Kuzan was always talking about.
Damn, the kid had done well.
"Lower your weapons."
Smoker raised his hand. "We are not here to fight."
The marines of Loguetown hesitated, then stowed their weapons.
Smoker stepped forward, hands open to show he bore no hostility.
"Lieutenant Colonel Hawk, shall we talk."
"All right."
Hawk gently moved the villagers aside and signaled them to be at ease.
They hesitated, but seeing his calm gaze they slowly opened a path.
Hawk walked out step by step and stopped before Smoker.
They were of a height but their auras were utterly different.
One was a veteran colonel with the edge of Headquarters elite battle-hardening.
One was a rising branch blade who had just completed a bloody reckoning.
Smoker reached out first. "Marine Headquarters colonel, Smoker."
Hawk clasped his hand. "16th Branch lieutenant colonel, Rayne Hawk."
Their hands locked with strength.
Hmph.
At the moment of contact, Smoker's eyes sharpened.
The knotted muscles of his arm tightened.
A heavy pressure traveled through his palm into Hawk's grip.
Kid, decisive in killing, able to win hearts, you have skills.
But you should not have stolen all the limelight.
A man needs his pride.
The people had called him the bad guy and he could not lay a hand on the people.
Could he not lay a hand on you.
Prepare for a little friendly guidance from your senior.
Smoker snorted inwardly and steadily increased the pressure, like a tightening iron hoop.
Hawk's brows flicked.
He felt the squeezing force in Smoker's palm, like iron pincers.
For ordinary men, even many marine field officers, it would bare their teeth and bend their backs.
Unfortunately for Smoker, Hawk's strength now was truly that of an elite Headquarters rear admiral.
Smoker needed the boost of the Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit to reach a Headquarters colonel's level.
This much power was not enough.
Hawk's expression did not change. His grip answered with a touch more strength.
Not too much, not too little, just enough to cancel Smoker's pressure and even hint at turning it around.
They were colleagues. No need to make it ugly.
Hm.
Smoker's face shifted slightly, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
His force sank like a stone in the sea. It could not shake the other man at all.
A steadier, denser strength pressed back from Hawk's palm.
Interesting.
But brute force is not enough.
Stubbornness rose in Smoker's chest.
In an instant he drove the power in his arm to the limit.
Veins stood on his forearm like writhing worms.
Yet Hawk still stood steady and turned all of Smoker's explosive power with ease.
Smoker's frown cinched tighter. The kid's strength had no bottom.
With a thought, the edge of his hand blurred and turned to curling white smoke.
The Smoke-Smoke Fruit's power was unleashed.
You want to suppress a Logia with raw strength.
Naive.
Hawk's eyes hardened. So he was using his fruit.
Then he would be impolite too.
With a thought, a jet-black sheen ran from Hawk's palm and covered his whole hand.
Deep and unyielding.
Armament Haki.
Tsss.
Smoker's face changed at once.
The vaporous, intangible palm slammed into an unseen wall of steel, failed to pass through, and was crushed tight by an even more domineering force.
A violent pressure and pain ripped across his elemental arm.
Smoker's pupils shrank. He stared at the black depth coating Hawk's hand.
Impossible.
He almost roared it, his voice full of stunned disbelief.
"Armament Haki."