The
rain felt heavy on the paving
stones of the street. It seems as if even the weather would like to
mark his sorrow. The streets seemed to be empty – it was no wonder
in this rain.
Who wanted to be outside in this weather?
Well – one person wasn't inside a protecting pile of this splendid city. The man stand at the docks looked over sea. It was stormy, and wild. The mans hear was complete wet what it let it seem if it was dark grey - he doesn't stir, even a little bit. It didn't even awkward him that his trousers and his jacket long was complete wet and heavy. Maybe he would be sick in a few days. For years he wasn't sick. But now it doesn't matter to him.
For what thing he did it all? For his dreams? But – what kind of dreams he had?
To bet true he just had one dream during all his life. He wanted to make the world a little bit better. World should got a little more justice! He decided it as a boy, as a man he carried it through merciless and violent. Sometimes with doubtful methods – but never unfair. It was his kind of justice. Even if he joined the marine – he followed his own justice. This justice was for him even more important than his sense of duty to the marine.
Pirates like Arlong who hurt woman and children, who take innocents lives, these pirates should execute.
It was clear to him, that there were other pirates too. Like years ago. Gold Roger…
Since a few months the admitted that such pirates exist also today. Pirates who had dreams – and pirates who would die for their dreams. That was something, Smoker was fascinated by, it let grew up respect for them inside of him. At least as much a commodore of the marine could have for a pirate.
After much time, Smoker turned away. He took two cigar's – just to recognize that they weren't to use because the already were to wet. Angry Smoker threw them on the street. Where this angriness came from he didn't know.
Or… he knew it? This unbelievable angriness on himself, on the marine, on the world government and general the whole world.
The roots lay in the past.
In his own past, not long ago in compared of his age. But yes – it was already in the past. Not longer today.
You shouldn't turn back, Smoker always said. He lived very well with this. Until today. Now, it doesn't works anymore. With one moment he couldn't loose it, couldn't stop claw on it. It seemed if he lived in the past, now.
Smoker closed his eyes, tried to remember. The moment everything has begun…
It must be the day he met straw-hat Ruffy the first time in Alabasta. This day he hunted him and again the boy escaped. Just because this time also a member of his family helped him – it was just like in Logue Town. But this encounter was providential and fateful for the captain, Smoker was at this moment. This time he was defeated, he never had before.
Or was the defeating long, long later? To look at the battle it was a tie. But it was just because his opponent didn't fight really. For him it was a defeating he couldn't handle with. Even, if no one ever realized it.
Portgas D. Ace…
The Name, he should never forget from now on. A name that changed his life. Or at least it changed the next, sequent months.
Because the short fighting in Alabasta shouldn't be the last encounter of the two devils fruit user…
Weeping the rain falls over Smokers face, during he leaned on the wall of a building. A eaves, he found protection under…
But it didn't help much. It was as if the weather didn't allow he found protection. The commodore uttered a curse.
The wind dragged on his heavy, wet jacket and let shivering his half-naked body during his feets – standing in his boots - stood in water. In this silence it was as he always heard it…
The faint klick the handcuffs made.
Again Smoker shivered. This time it wasn't because of coldness or wetness.
The boy… what looked he like as they take him to his execution? Broken? With proud up head? I don't know…
Smoker felt, his fist hurting. The plaster of the wall chipped off. Had he crushed his fist against it? It must be.
Before he even could think about it, a person stepped to him. It was a woman and Smoker didn't has to look up to know her.
"You shouldn't be outside, Smoker-kun. It doesn't bring him back." "You never understand in the least what-"
Gruff the commodore's words were cut off.
"Hina understand very well. But Hina doesn't accept that you let yourself go! It's enough, Smoker-kun! Live must go on!"
Fretful Smoker vomits the air. This damned woman, she seemed as she understood nothing. She doesn't understand, what it means to him.
…
Or she understood better than him…?
"Come on." No one except Hina could do this. She took her jacket, laid it around the shoulders of her friend and than steer him with gentle strength to the great ship, laid over there. It belonged to Hina and it was the place she took Smoker to. This diehard couldn't stand for ever out there in the rain!
She had looked at him. She had watched him. But her friend preferred to hide everything instead to talk about his problems. But was it any wonder? She wasn't surprised. At least she knew Smoker for such a long time.
The mess of the ship was warm and dry. Hina stroked a light, lit up her cigarette and stick it between her lips. She looked up and surveyed Smoker. At least she talked this hardhead around to take of his wet clothes. But he even hadn't another choice. Hina slammed some dry clothes on the table and looked angry at him.
Not that Smoker couldn't controvert her. But he just didn't want to argue with Hina.
Now the commodore sat over there, just in trousers. His wet boots lay in the corner and made a puddle grown up. Two obligatory cigars were to find in the corner of Smokers mouth as he starred in the ashtray.
The captain didn't say a word. Both were silent.
As Hina come to an end with the second cigarette she starts to talk.
"If you feel better tell Hina about him."
It seemed as if Smoker didn't even hear it. But than he pushed out the rest of his cigars, fished around his lighter and than light up another two cigars.
His look didn't lay on Hina, but on the bottomless blackness of his coffee. It seems to him as if this coffee stood there for a endless time. He didn't touch it. But he warmed up his fingers quiet. But this cup gave no longer any warmth.
"It
was… not long after Alabasta. The
urching don't go out of my had. His
devilsfruit..."
Smoker
hadn't to speak any more, Hina know what he wanted to say. "The
fruit attract Smoker-kun magical, right?" Her eyes sparkled amused
as she draws on her cigarette. "Fire and smoke. Interesting.
The
older one grumbled and looked mad at Hina. He didn't like it that
she felt him into his words.
"I couldn't defeat him
physically. So he couldn't defeat me." He was quiet a while, as
if he had to think about his words. Or as if he had to tell an
absolute other thing.
"It was just a little island. I had the urching for sure! His boat was mine, he couldn't run away. But… this bastard!" It seems as if Smoker wasn't really angry about. About this memory. No, it seems as if he was a little bit amused about. As if you could say such a thing about Smoker.
„He ran away, right?" Hina looked up and knocked of the ash of her cigarette. Strange, she realized. This ashtray seemed to be full so fast every time Smoker and she sat there and talked about something…
He nodded a little bit, go with his thumb about the metal of his lighter, before his hand clasps it.
"Like every time before." Something in Smokers voice seemed to be changed. Also Hina know him so long, she couldn't recognize what it was. It was something she never heard before. Sadness? Resignation?
The commodore wasn't sure if he should talk again. He hasn't told Hina ever from one of this cases and what happened the last time. In the last months or at the last year it was.
But it seemed as if he couldn't take it any longer. He has to talk to her.
"The urching… he said he should give me more stimulation for the hunt…" The fingers of the large hand clasps harder around the lighter. But Smoker just starred in the cup not to his friend Hina.
"The urching… kissed me…" A small growl was to her. But Hina know him. A amusing grin was to see in her face as she looked at her cigarette. So it was…
Her old friend could negate it. But she saw, that it wasn't for him that the world goes under. Maybe it was as this the time the boy kissed him. For sure!
Hina was silent, wouldn't stopped Smokers words. Even if she had so many questions. Not it was that every day a old friend of her said, the was kissed by a man…
But it wasn't a problem for her. Not with Smoker. It was… surprising. But it was okay.
As it seems that Hina won't say anything more, Smoker spoke again.
"I was hunting him again. This…." He couldn't accept this happening. The boy… he though he could do everything he wanted!
"I don't know how often. He always run away." No one exept Hina would hear his words ever. The commodore said here, that he lost. He couldn't do anything to a pirate. It would bring him so much trouble. Trouble he couldn't stand this time.
The ashtray seemed to overflow and the room just was lit up by the moonlight as Smoker ended his story.
It shocked Hina that her friend looked so endless old and spiritless in the pale moonlight. Fortunately it was just for a moment, than Hina looked away.
"I don't know which time it was, as everything changed. A year could be so long… or so short…" The hate to the pirate was transferred in something other. What was it? Smoker couldn't tell. Love was to trashy and friendship was to less and also to trashy.
It was something between them. Something brought them to meet again and again. It brought Smoker to false his reports.
And it brought them more than once to fall about another in passion like two animals…
In the end he couldn't arrest the boy.
Smoker stood up; take his jacket and his boots. It was so warm here, that everything was dry now. At least Hina didn't take him back, said he should stay.
She just breathes quiet as Smoker stood up.
"Smoker-kun misses him, right?"
It was like a stabbing pain. Why she had to ask such questions, by the devil? He wouldn't be confronted with his! He wouldn't admit that he misses a pirate.
With
closed eyes Ace laid his head into Smokers lap,
starred into the sky. The grass was a little bit wet under them.
Again Smoker hunted him through the town. Now there were here.
It was like always. Smoker chased the young pirate, away from the soldiers. And anytime… when nobody was there, like here, it stopped.
Every time it was the same. Smoker pushed him against a tree or a wall, they cursed each other and than they kissed each other.
Always it was a battle between their tongues.
And now they sat there. It was quiet and then Ace fall into sleep.
Smoker looked at him, skim a strand of hair out of Ace' face. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep…
But Smoker knew. There was no happy end for Ace and him. The boy was a pirate. He was a commodore of the marine. Utopian to believe it wouldn't go wrong…
Smoker washed away this memory but didn't looked at Hina.
"It
happened weeks ago, Hina."
"Weeks you let yourself go. You
always just think about him. Live must go on, Smoker-kun." He still
didn't look at her. He knew her. He knew what she would say.
"The Shichibukai has won. He gave the boy to the marine. And the world government and the marine did what they have to."
The rib cage of the commodore rises and falls fast. He knew what happened! She shouldn't tell him. He got the message weeks ago!
Portgas D. Ace lost against Marshall D. Teach – or Blackbeard. Ace was brought to Impel Down. And than… they execute him in Mary Joa.
Smokers hands trambled. Without another word he leave the mess, let Hina alone. He felt such alone and helpless…
Well, he always was a lone wolf, all his live. But now it was even worse than before. He found his obverse.
Fire and Smoke…
He has to known that it would end like this. That he would be alone again.
But this time… he wasn't been like always, wouldn't stand on the ground. He was punished for it, came back to earth.
He has to known, that he couldn't reach Mary Joa in time. But Smoker tried it. He wants to be there when they execute the boy. Wanted to help or at least let him know, that he won't forget him… something like this. But he didn't reached Mary Joa in time.
It was so hard for him he even couldn't tell Ace goodbye. Couldn't curse him a last time… nothing…
As Smoker leaves the ship it rains.
He swallowed. How should he hold up his justice? Everything seemed to reel now. Ace shouldn't had to die! Never.
The boy said so often Smoker should become a pirate. Maybe Smoker had do this one day. Maybe. But now?
He didn't know what he should do. Without Ace. Without his obverse.
Smoker looked at his lighter in his hand and let it slip back into his pocket.
"Take it." Ace grinned wide and gave a lighter to Smoker on the table. Smoker looked up, moaned.
"What I could do with it? I have one." "Just take it. And keep it." The boy laughs. "For the case I could be here. Than you could light up your cigars alone without my help." Smoker moaned again, growled. "Go away!"
Smoker kept the lighter, he never threw it away. The old one he threw away. And now he had the one, Ace gave to him. Without told him about. Smoker hated memories. And also everything what had to do with it.
One moment he stand on the water. The lighter in his hand, haltingly. Should he threw it away?
Smoker didn't do it. He let it slip in the pocket of his jacket, turned away and leave the port behind him.