After the fall of the "Black Shadow" organization, Smoker returned to Marine Headquarters, but he didn't expect to be called in immediately. This time, the meeting wasn't just with Fleet Admiral Marshal, but with two legendary figures in the Marines...
"Zefir", the former trainer of the best Marines, a man who was once a symbol of strict justice.
And "Monkey D. Garp", the Hero of the Marines, the man who chased the Pirate King to the very last moment.
In the meeting room, the two men sat on opposite sides of the table, while Smoker stood in the middle, observing the tense atmosphere.
Garp was loudly chewing on rice cakes, while Zefir glared at him with a scowl.
"Smoker, kid, you've caused quite a stir in the New World." Garp said in his booming voice, then suddenly laughed. "But I like it! Crushing those bastards completely, hahaha!"
Zefir didn't seem as pleased as Garp. He shot a sharp look at Smoker before speaking more seriously:
"But I want to know, why didn't you leave any survivors? You didn't take prisoners, you didn't gather any information, you just... destroyed everything."
Smoker didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took out his cigar, lit it slowly, and exhaled smoke before answering:
"There's no need for interrogation when the truth is clear. They were a cancer in the New World, and they needed to be eradicated."
Zefir paused for a moment, then placed his hands on the table, looking at Smoker intently.
"You've always believed in your own brand of justice, but do you understand what that means? When you start acting as both judge and executioner… what's left of justice?"
Smoker didn't back down.
"If the Marines don't eradicate evil at its roots, who will?"
Garp, who had been watching silently, smiled a small smile and said:
"Heh, you've got the same spirit I saw in another young man a long time ago…"
Smoker looked at him with curiosity but didn't ask. He knew Garp was talking about someone from the past, perhaps someone who left a significant impact.
But Zefir wasn't satisfied.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Smoker. Justice based on absolute power… over time, it can turn into something else. Something you won't be able to control."
Smoker exhaled smoke again, then calmly replied:
"That's why I won't allow myself to stray."
Zefir stood up, looked at him for a moment, then said:
"I hope you're right."
As for Garp, he laughed again, then tossed a rice cake towards Smoker, saying:
"At least eat something, you can't save the world on an empty stomach!"
Smoker caught the rice cake, looked at it for a moment, then smiled slightly.
Their methods may have been different, but they were all Marines who stood tall
against the storms without fear.
— End of Chapter —