One piece: Dark Smoker

Time passed quickly, and before long, it was the year 1505 in the Sea Circle calendar.

A navy ship sliced through the harsh sea winds, cutting through the waves as it made its way across the Grand Line.

Hina stood at the bow of the ship, her pink hair flowing freely in the wind. Her clothes clung to her body, accentuating her slender figure.

Two years had passed, and Hina had grown taller, her figure more graceful. Under Smoker's careful training, her presence had become more commanding.

She gazed out at the ocean for a moment before turning to Smoker. "Smoker, what are you looking at? You're so focused..."

Smoker, sitting on the ship's railing, was deeply engrossed in reading a newspaper.

When he heard Hina call to him, he slowly lifted his head, exhaling a long puff of smoke.

"Ha... It's been seven years since Roger died. The seas are still so unsettled," he muttered with a sigh.

"Huh? Is there some big event happening?" Hina asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Nothing huge, but a few smaller things," Smoker replied, his voice steady as he scanned the paper.

"Like what?"

"A pirate attack on the Kingdom of Tim, a World Government ally. They captured and killed 500 soldiers. The World Government had to step in to settle things," Smoker said, his expression darkening slightly. "And there's a death notice... Princess Scarlet of Dressrosa passed away young. She was supposed to be a talented heir to the throne."

Hina nodded thoughtfully. "Seems like there's always something happening..."

She didn't pay much attention to the news. With so many stories from around the world, it felt like waves in the sea—constantly coming and going, not worth stressing over.

But for Smoker, it was different. He read these articles to see how much his actions had impacted the course of events.

At least, there had been no sign of Rob Lucci or Kaku's team getting affected.

"Colonel Smoker! Lieutenant Hina!"

At that moment, several navy soldiers ran over, out of breath.

"Lieutenant Nitt Orl sent a message! He's found the trail of the Fang Pirates!"

"Where?" Smoker asked sharply.

"Nine o'clock direction, three hours' sail away."

Smoker nodded. "Finally caught up with those bastards! Let's go after them!"

"Sir..." The soldiers looked uneasy.

"What's wrong?" Smoker asked, sensing something was off.

"Looking at their course, they're heading straight for Pumiso Island!" one of the soldiers replied.

"Pumiso Island?!" Smoker froze for a moment, his thoughts racing. "Map!"

A navy officer quickly unfolded a map, and Smoker's eyes narrowed as he studied it.

"The Fang Pirates are less than two hours from Pumiso Island," the officer said.

Smoker's expression grew serious. The realization hit him hard.

"Which means, out of the three hours, over an hour was them standing still?!" he asked, disbelief in his voice.

"Yes... yes!" the officer confirmed.

Smoker went silent, processing the information. With such a distance, there was no way to intercept them ahead of time.

Hina glanced at the map, her mind already working.

"Smoker, maybe I should go ahead..." she suggested, her voice calm yet resolute.

Smoker looked at her, his gaze softening for a moment before his usual stern demeanor returned.

"No. It's too risky. We need to approach with caution."

Without hesitation, Smoker stopped her.

At this distance, simply relying on the Moonwalk wouldn't be enough.

Although his Smoke-Smoke Fruit allowed him to fly, the strong sea winds today would make it impossible to control his direction if he turned into smoke. He could easily get lost or end up off course.

Smoker stared at the map, the details of the Fang Pirates flashing through his mind.

Captain Bend, bounty of 133 million berries.

First mate Macha, bounty of 60 million berries. Both were powerful combatants.

What made them even more dangerous was that they weren't just some elite pirate crew—they had eight large ships and a fleet of five to six hundred pirates.

Such a large crew in the first half of the Grand Line was rare. If they reached an island with civilians, the chaos would be catastrophic.

Smoker gritted his teeth and gave the order.

"Call Orl, reveal our position, and do whatever it takes to slow down the pirate fleet!"

"Throw away all unnecessary supplies from the ship, reduce weight, and sail at full speed!"

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers saluted and hurried off to deliver the commands.

Once they were gone, Hina approached, her face filled with concern.

"Letting Orl handle such a strong pirate crew alone is risky, isn't it?"

Nitt Orl was not only their classmate but also a close friend. He had eaten the Bird-Bird Fruit, Night Owl form, making him the only one in their class who could fly long distances. His skills in reconnaissance and tracking were top-tier, and he had numerous battle achievements. However, in terms of combat strength, he was average. Even if he was just stalling, facing pirates with bounties over 100 million berries was still extremely dangerous.

Smoker sighed, the weight of the situation pressing on him. "I can only hope the Fang Pirates see a navy presence and back off from Pumiso Island..."

"Hina, if it comes down to it..."

"Don't worry, Smoker. If the distance isn't too far, I'll try to catch up as fast as I can!" she reassured him, her determination clear in her voice.

Smoker gave her a nod, his mind already racing with strategies as he prepared to face the looming threat.

"

"Thanks, Hina..." Smoker said, walking to the ship's railing and staring out at the sea.

[Be careful, Orl...]

...

On the ship, over 100 people were aboard, most of them Smoker's classmates. The Elite Expansion Class was originally supposed to last only two years, after which the students would return to various branches to strengthen their ranks. However, for some reason, the class had been extended significantly, and they still hadn't graduated.

As a result, their opportunities to go out to sea were limited, and none of them held high ranks. Smoker, the highest-ranking among them, was only a colonel.

But there were some advantages. With plenty of resources invested in them, their abilities had improved considerably. Almost everyone had mastered the Six Powers and was working on learning Haki.

Smoker and Hina, in particular, had both mastered both types of Haki.

Together, they could even hold their own against Zephyr for a while.

This time, they were out to capture the Fang Pirates. The mission had originally been scheduled to be completed days ago, but the Grand Line was unpredictable. Just as they were closing in on the pirates, a strange current had appeared, leaving the navy ship lost and disoriented. By the time they regained control, the Fang Pirates had vanished.

With no other options, Smoker had sent Orl out to scout. After several days of searching, Orl had finally located the pirates.

Recently, the Fang Pirates had been heavily pursued by the navy. With no navy presence in the past few days, they would undoubtedly be rampaging and looting in retaliation.

Smoker's anxiety was growing by the minute...

...

In the distance, Orl soared high above the sea. Though his speed was incredible, he made no sound.

He slowly put away his transponder snail, a bemused expression on his face.

"Smoker's making it too hard for me..."

"But at least he knows who to trust. This difficult task is the kind of thing only I can handle!"

With that, he focused on the pirate ships below, spread his wings, and shot down like an arrow.

"No matter if you're a big fleet or a rookie pirate, you won't harm the civilians on my watch!"

"As a navy man, I won't let you get away with it!"

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