To who it may concern,

I was there when it happened. Who could forget when they executed the pirate king? The second his head hit the platform a whole new era began. You could call it sick fascination, the way I shoved through that crowd to hear the snick of the blades as they punctuated his dying words. You could call it morbid obsession too, the way my eyes lit up when I saw his head hit the platform with a resounding thud.

That single moment in my childhood, Gold Roger's execution, defines everything in my life. It inspired me to become what I am today, a marine, destined to protect and serve my people no matter what the cost.

Everything was so simple when I first enlisted. They taught you that all pirates were bad and there was no exception to that rule. All the filthy sea-dogs wanted was to rape your women and steal your money before setting fire to your town. That's what they taught you and you believed it with every ounce of your being. You never questioned the higher ups.

I held true to that for years until I began advancing in the ranks. I slowly learned that the world government was full of scum. Men who made deals with pirates, letting them go free in exchange for gold. It made me sick to find out how corrupt the world really is.

When the Shichibukai were recruited I began to lose faith in the system. They had told us that all pirates were horrible beings, unfit to walk this earth. They said never question it, never doubt it, never think twice about killing one of them and suddenly there's a bunch that are "off limits." Untouchables, their deaths punishable by law. What has happened to the justice system?

My superiors all tell me to "lighten up a little", ask me "what are they hurting?" These Shichibukai abuse their powers! The limits have been pushed too far and only the gods know what will come next.

I promised I'd never stray from the path of justice, took an oath when I first joined. I know what's right and wrong in this world, and I vowed to protect it. I know I said I'd protect, and I will. It's the serving part that I don't think I can handle anymore. How can I serve such a dishonorable government? One that breaks their laws and willingly looks the other way?

Lately, the line between what is good and what is bad has begun to blur. It seems like everything has flip-flopped. The people are starting to see the marines as vile sinners and the pirates are now the saints. That boy Luffy has completely changed the definition of the word pirate and I'm damn well sure he's gonna revolutionize the way we view the "bad guys."

I know this is considered mutiny in the traditional marines handbook but what's traditional here anymore? I'll never call myself a pirate but I'm starting to understand what Gold Roger was trying to say all those years ago, so consider this my letter of resignation. I'm not going to protect those pirates but I sure as hell ain't gonna help destroy them either. You and I both know they've saved more lives and done more good in this world than any marine has and I'm not going to sit around and help you ruin that.

Sincerely,

Commodore Smoker