"..."
"You've defied your superiors plenty of times yourself, haven't you?"
Hawk replied calmly, his meaning unmistakable.
You, Smoker, haven't you mouthed off to your superiors and ignored the rules more than a few times?
Did anything happen to you?
Did you get dragged before a court-martial?
"..."
The corner of Smoker's mouth, clamping a cigar, twitched.
His own instances of insubordination?
Indeed. More than he could count on both hands.
Talking back to Headquarters brass, paying lip service to orders, even flat-out throwing down his duties.
But he was different.
First, he hadn't laid hands to kill.
Second, he was a disciple of Zephyr and a friend of Kuzan. He had backing.
"Heh."
Smoker let out a low chuckle. "No wonder."
It clicked.
Rules?
On this chaotic sea, rules matter, but what matters more?
Strength.
This kid before him, young, stuck in the weakest of the Four Seas, the East Blue,
had already trained up Armament Haki,
and felled Arlong the fish-man, bounty 20 million, with a single punch.
A talent like that is a treasure anywhere.
Sengoku, that stubborn old man, might blow his top over the broken rules,
but in the end he would put the bigger picture first.
So long as Headquarters confirmed this kid's strength and value, the punishment would be a lot of thunder and little rain.
A transfer out of the East Blue was certain, but the discipline would be mostly for show.
What was more,
a figure rose unbidden in Smoker's mind.
A man wreathed in the heat of magma, eyes cold, who upheld Absolute Justice as his sole creed.
One of Marine Headquarters' top fighting forces, one of the three Admirals, Akainu, Sakazuki.
Admiral Akainu
If it was him who learned of this,
a young Marine who hated evil, ruthless in method, formidable in strength,
who butchered a corrupt superior colluding with pirates,
that would be
exactly to that Admiral's taste.
"Damn."
Smoker cursed inwardly.
This kid looked reckless and impulsive, killing his superior outright,
but had he long since seen through these little inner workings of the Marines?
Relying on his own overwhelming strength, with nothing to fear?
"No wonder you aren't nervous at all."
Staring at Hawk's face, calm to the point of excess from start to finish, Smoker muttered in a complicated tone, "So you were prepared all along."
"Mm."
Hawk smiled slightly, which was as good as admitting it.
He was indeed prepared.
The Marines' rules?
Of course he knew them.
Insubordination and killing a superior was no light crime.
But Nezumi's collusion with pirates and corruption was also fact.
Weighing one against the other, Headquarters was not going to sideline a potential rising star in the name of rules for the sake of a single parasite.
His value was far beyond what a corrupt rat could drag down.
"Alright. I've got the picture."
Smoker nodded, his eyes now holding much more approval for Hawk.
The kid was young, ruthless in method, and absurdly strong,
yet his attitude toward the people was beyond reproach.
He had seen with his own eyes how the villagers stood up for him earlier.
A Marine who could win the hearts of the people suited him just fine.
As for his stance toward pirates and parasites,
Smoker didn't take to that scum either.
"I should get going."
He blew out a ring of smoke, turned, and started to leave.
After two steps he halted, turned his head, and looked at Hawk.
"Hawk, I'm curious."
"What is your justice?"
Smoker's voice was low, tinged with inquiry.
"My justice?"
Meeting Smoker's probing gaze, Hawk's eyes tightened slightly.
In his mind, the cold prompt of the Justice System seemed to echo still.
That ever-shrinking survival countdown had once hung over his head like a sword.
Justice?
At first it had been nothing more than his price for survival.
Kill evil, gain Justice Points, exchange them for days of life, and keep living.
Nothing more.
But in these six months,
the Marine brothers who fought shoulder to shoulder with him, their grins when sharing the spoils, their backs thrown in front of him without hesitation in the face of conflict,
those people who had everything taken from them and then regained it, eyes full of gratitude and caution,
and just now, the unarmed villagers of Cocoyasi Village forming a human wall with their bodies, glaring in anger at a Headquarters colonel just to protect their own,
when these simple faces stood before him,
someone born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze could not help but be deeply moved.
"…"
The corner of Hawk's mouth lifted.
His thoughts were clearer and firmer than ever.
"Justice of slaughter."
He spoke each word, voice steady yet ringing.
"My justice is the justice of slaughter."
"With slaughter, cut all evil down to the roots."
"With justice, let all goodness be upheld."
"..."
"Hahahahaha."
Smoker was silent for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.
He looked deeply at Hawk, as if to carve the young yet resolute face into his memory.
Then he said no more.
With the conflicted-faced Tashigi and the Marines of Loguetown, he turned and left the ruins of Arlong Park.
Watching Smoker's departing back, the Marines of the 16th Branch finally loosened their taut nerves.
More than a few let out long breaths, their backs soaked with cold sweat.
They had truly been ready to stand off to the end against a Headquarters colonel.
Fortunately, no clash had occurred.
"…"
Hawk watched Smoker's group disappear from sight, then slowly turned. "Dane."
"Here, Lieutenant Colonel."
"Clean up the scene and see the bodies properly handled."
"Notify branch logistics to tally up Arlong's plunder as soon as possible. Return seventy percent along the original path to the people of Cocoyasi Village and the nearby islands."
"The remaining twenty percent, distribute quickly to the brothers who took part in the operation."
"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel."
Major Dane took the order and immediately turned to direct the soldiers.
Clearing bodies, moving the haul. Across the ruins of Arlong Park, Marines moved busily and in good order.
"Hoo."
Hawk lit a cigar Smoker had sponsored.
He glanced at the system panel.
Current Justice Points remaining: 3024.
Remaining days of survival: 3650.
Killing Arlong and Nezumi had netted 3000 Justice Points.
Not bad.
Next came waiting for Headquarters' response.
Hopefully nothing unexpected would happen.
…
On a Marine warship leaving the waters of the 16th Branch,
Smoker stood at the bow. The sea wind whipped his silver hair and sent the cloak with the word Justice on his back snapping.
He took out a Transponder Snail and dialed. Purupuru.
"This is Headquarters Communications. Identify yourself and state your business."
"Headquarters Colonel, Smoker."
"Reporting the death of East Blue 16th Branch Colonel Nezumi."
"Details as follows."
Smoker paused. "By the time I reached Cocoyasi Village, the scene was already a complete mess."
"Nezumi, colonel of the 16th Branch, and Arlong the fish-man pirate, due to a dispute over the split of funds from their long-term collusion, engaged in a fierce firefight."
"The traces of battle were obvious. Heavy casualties on both sides."
"In the end, Nezumi and Arlong fatally wounded each other and died together."
"After the battle ended, 16th Branch Lieutenant Colonel Reyn Hawk arrived with his men."
"He swiftly took control of the situation and wiped out the remnants of the Arlong Pirates."
"He protected the local civilians in time and upheld Marine justice."
"Report concluded."
"…"
The other end of the line fell silent for a moment, as if digesting a report utterly different from the contents of the emergency call.
"Colonel Smoker, this differs greatly from the urgent communication we received…"
"Shut up."
Smoker's tone hardened. "I saw it with my own eyes."
"Tell Kuzan."
"What I saw is the truth."