From the moment Smoker saw Takumi use Armament Haki to catch a bullet with his bare hand, he made up his mind.
If Takumi wasn't a pirate, then Smoker was going to recruit him into the Navy.
It wasn't just Takumi's natural talent for Haki at such a young age that caught Smoker's eye.
It was also his composure and keen observational skills.
Bullets travel incredibly fast. Most people, even if they can block a bullet, would find it nearly impossible to catch one with such precision. A tiny miscalculation would result in a bloody and painful injury.
But Takumi did it with ease.
That's why Smoker was so interested in him.
If he could get Takumi to join the Navy, it would be a huge win.
Smoker's intentions were clear.
Takumi, on the other hand, was quietly frustrated.
It was obvious that Smoker had been planning this from the start, just waiting for him to fall into the trap.
If Takumi had wanted to join the Navy, he would've accepted Garp's offer long ago—he wouldn't have waited until now.
Takumi was about to refuse when Aokiji's lazy voice cut in. "The kid's not a pirate, right? He doesn't have a bounty on his head and hasn't committed any crimes. Picking a fight with him... that's not really your style, Smoker."
Smoker shot Aokiji an annoyed look. "Whose side are you on?"
Aokiji waved him off. "I'm on the side of justice, of course. But there's no need to always resort to violence. It's a beautiful day—why not find a sunny spot and take a nap?"
Smoker was speechless.
Aokiji's words made it seem like he was bullying Takumi.
A bead of sweat rolled down Smoker's forehead.
After all, he was still in his twenties—young enough to care about his reputation.
"Hey, Takumi," Smoker said, clearing his throat. "It's just a friendly spar. You wouldn't turn that down, would you?"
"I refuse," Takumi replied flatly.
Smoker nearly choked on his cigar, coughing several times. "Cough, cough... Fine, no sparring. Then just join the Navy."
"No."
"Kid, don't push your luck!"
Aokiji interjected again, "Seems like the one pushing their luck here is you, Smoker."
Smoker was fuming. "Aokiji, did you come to Loguetown just to make things difficult for me?"
"Not at all," Aokiji said innocently, scratching his head. "I'm just calling it like I see it. If the kid doesn't want to join the Navy, then let it go. Why force it?"
"Takumi's talent would be wasted if he doesn't join the Navy," Smoker argued, his brows furrowed. "Sure, he says he's just a traveler now, but what if he becomes a pirate later on?"
Aokiji looked at Takumi. "Kid, are you planning to become a pirate?"
"Not interested," Takumi answered, unamused.
"See?" Aokiji turned back to Smoker. "He says he's not interested in being a pirate. You can let him go now, right?"
Smoker was at a loss for words.
Outside the office, a few Marines stood awkwardly, not sure what to do.
Smoker was stuck—he couldn't move forward or back.
If he stubbornly insisted on fighting Takumi, regardless of the outcome, his reputation would take a hit.
What irked him most was Aokiji's complete lack of support...
If Takumi were a pirate or had a bounty on his head, Smoker would have a reason to fight him.
But the kid wasn't a pirate, and there was no bounty.
That made things tricky.
Weighing his options, Smoker clenched his teeth around his cigar and said grudgingly, "Fine, you can go. But if I ever catch you doing something wrong, I'll hunt you down, no matter where you are!"
Takumi just gave him a look. Seriously? With your skills? Better not waste your energy.
With a calm "Oh," Takumi stepped past Smoker.
Smoker reluctantly moved aside to let him through.
Takumi left the office, and with a Marine guiding him, he collected his bounty.
Leaving the Navy base, Takumi followed his memory and headed back to Roger's Tavern.
Inside, Rayleigh was chatting with the tavern owner. When he saw Takumi return, he smiled. "So, how much did you get?"
Takumi handed over the money, keeping two million Beli for himself and giving Rayleigh the remaining two million, five hundred fifty thousand.
After all, Rayleigh had captured one more bounty than he had.
Rayleigh took one million for himself and handed the remaining one million five hundred fifty thousand to the tavern owner.
"Huh? This is way too much, Mr. Rayleigh. I can't accept this," the tavern owner said, trying to return the money.
Rayleigh grinned. "I'm staying in Loguetown for the next few days and I'll be staying here. Consider it payment for the drinks and the room."
"But... but it's too much," the tavern owner protested. "I really can't accept this, Mr. Rayleigh."
"If you don't take it, I'll take Takumi and go find another place to drink," Rayleigh said, getting to his feet as if ready to leave.
Seeing no other option, the tavern owner relented. "Alright, alright, I'll take the money."
He turned to Takumi. "Kid, you're not from Loguetown, right? If you don't have anywhere to stay, you can stay here with Mr. Rayleigh. You can drink as much as you want until you leave."
Takumi nodded. "Sure."
After all, it didn't matter to him where he stayed.
"Takumi," Rayleigh said suddenly, "you still owe me a drink."
Takumi sighed. "I know."
Rayleigh chuckled. "Well, since the owner here is covering all our drinks until we leave, you'll just have to buy me that drink next time."
Takumi just stared at him.
"Hahaha," Rayleigh laughed, cracking open a bottle and sliding it over to Takumi.
Takumi took the bottle, but just as he took a sip, the sound of footsteps came from the tavern door.
A group of thugs kicked open the small wooden door, barging in noisily.
"Bring out all the booze!" The leader of the group was a fat man with two large axes strapped to his waist, looking every bit the tough guy.
"Sorry," the tavern owner said with a blank expression. "This place has been reserved. You'll have to find another tavern to drink in."
"Hey! Do you know who our boss is? Talking to him like that—are you asking for trouble?" one of the lackeys shouted.
"Yeah, you better bring out the booze, or we'll smash this place up!" another thug added.
Behind them, a thin man wearing a red-snake patterned coat and a blue-and-white striped headscarf appeared at the entrance.
"Move aside," the headscarfed man said coldly.
The two thugs in front turned to sneer at him.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Never seen him before."
"You think you can order us around? Get lost if you know what's good for you!" they laughed.
Without a word, the headscarfed man pulled out a double-barreled pistol and, without hesitation, shot both men in the head.
********
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