Short chapter this time around.

Also: a quick clarification since I got a couple questions about it - Noir was promoted to Vice Admiral. Sengoku plans to nominate Aokiji as Fleet Admiral when he retires and wants Noir to take Aokiji's spot as Admiral.


Page of Wands, upright - Exploration, excitement, freedom...


Late July, 1522

For the life of him, Smoker could not reconcile the bounty poster with the clown standing in front of him. And no, he wasn't talking about the pirate that was actually dressed as a clown. Black hair and eyes? Check. Scar below the left eye? Check. Straw hat and rubber body? Check and double check. Seriously, this man was worth 30 million?

Monkey D. Luffy grinned at him. "I won't lose here!" He declared, cracking his knuckles. It might have been intimidating, were the brat not barely over five and a half feet and skinny as a bean pole. "I'm going to enter the Grand Line and become King of the Pirates!"

Smoker was distinctly unimpressed. He remembered Roger's execution, remembered the aura surrounding the man. Even cuffed and half-starved from his imprisonment, blades against his neck, there had been no denying Roger's power. His speech before his death had only cemented that in the minds of everyone present.

He'd asked Noir once, years ago, how Roger had finally been captured. Garp perhaps? One of the Admirals? Noir had been a Marine at the time, under Garp's command even, so Smoker figured she knew. Noir's face had gone strangely blank, hardening until it seemed to be carved from stone. She'd told him, in a flat tone of voice that suggested any further questions on the subject would be most unwelcome, that the King of the Pirates had turned himself in.

That was all Noir ever said on the topic. It made sense to Smoker though, that no one had ever been strong enough to capture him. Of course, that left the question of why Roger turned himself in at all. But it didn't matter any more.

For Straw Hat to make such a claim? Absolutely ridiculous.

"You won't be spouting such rubbish for long." Smoker snarled. Because damn it all, King of the Pirates was a title he could respect, if only for the sheer power of it's bearer. He would not allow this upstart to make a mockery of it!

With a momentary thought, Smoker's arms wisped into smoke and billowed around Straw Hat. Another half-thought gave the smoke tangibility, allowing him to lift the idiot into the air.

"I ate the Smoke-Smoke Fruit." Smoker said. And hadn't Noir teased him endlessly about the irony. Rafi had too, but the Ink Logia had no room to tease given her full name sounded like calligraphy. "My body is made of smoke!"

He slammed the pirate into the ground. "Is that all you have?" He mocked. He expected more from Garp's grandson. Straw Hat's poster might not have his surname, but the resemblance was uncanny, and Smoker had met the Vice Admiral before.

The black coated fist connecting with his face was a complete and unpleasant surprise. It was only his years of experience sparring with Noir - who was a ruthless sparring partner and needed a new definition of what was appropriate for a friendly spar - that enabled Smoker to dodge the rest of the barrage. He eyed Straw Hat. This situation had turned a lot more serious. Where the fuck did this brat learn Haki in East Blue? Haki was rare even in the first half of the Grand Line! Most pirate capable of the skill stuck to the New World, and so the Marines didn't start teaching Haki until one reached the rank of Vice Admiral.

Noir's crew was the exception, but if she wanted to teach Haki to her subordinates, she wasn't exactly going to let anyone tell her 'no.'

Unfortunately, Smoker hadn't learned Haki during his time under her command. He'd been a new Devil Fruit user - not a baby Devil Fruit user no matter what Rafi said - and more concerned about keeping his body from flying off in smoke. His three years on the Akatokuro were spent learning control and learning how to fight Haki users and other Logias. Because Logias who thought themselves invincible died young, and Noir would not stand Smoker or Rafi getting cocky enough to die from Stupid. If they did die in such a way, Smoker had no doubt Noir would drag their asses back from the afterlife just to kill them herself.

While he couldn't use Haki, he did know how to fight it. Not only from Noir's lectures, and he'd heard those enough times to have memorized them, but also from personal experience. Straw Hat wasn't even close to Noir's skill level.

Faster than Straw Hat could react, Smoker exploded into smoke. He threw the pirate into the air and brought him back down hard before materializing over him. "Do you get it now? You won't ever make it to the Grand Line!" Smoker scoffed and shook his head. He reached for the jitte on his back. "You might be worth 30 million, but your luck just ran out.

Another hand grabbed the hilt, preventing Smoker from drawing his weapon. "I wouldn't say that." A deep voice said. Smoker looked back, and bit back a slew of swears.

What the ever loving fuck was Dragon the Revolutionary doing here?

There was no way Smoker could take him. Trying would only get Noir to hunt him down and punt him through several walls. Still, Smoker could buy time. "The government wants your head." He growled.

Dragon grinned, and fucking hell that was a terrifying grin. "The world is waiting for our answer."

Our? Who was Dragon talking about? The Revolutionaries? Smoker didn't have time to ponder. Winds gusted from nowhere with the force of a hurricane, sending both Smoker and Straw Hat tumbling through the streets. By the time the winds died, Straw Hat was nowhere to be seen.

That wouldn't do more than slow Smoker down. He knew this town like the back of his hand. Noir had won that contest after Smoker had gotten turned around chasing the fleeing Sea Dog pirates. Noir hadn't had any sympathy for him, and the damage to his wallet ensured Smoker fixed that gap in his knowledge very quickly indeed. Straw Hat needed to get to his ship to enter the Grand Line. Stop the ship, stop the entire crew.

Luck was not on his side. When Smoker reached the docks, the ship had already set sail with a favorable tailwind. By the time he could get a ship ready to pursue, they would be long gone.

What was that man? To have had such a favorable wind in the middle of a storm, appearing and disappearing on the same day of the Pirate King's execution…

Straw Hat's near execution flashed before his eyes. The same smile as Roger. 'I'm going to enter the Grand Line and become King of the Pirates.'

Smoker didn't believe in omens. He'd scoffed at Noir's deck of tarot cards more than once. It was always chance and coincidence, twisting events to fit the prediction.

There was coincidence, and then there was whatever the hell just happened that day. Smoker knew, deep in his bones, if anyone had a shot at Roger's title it was Straw Hat. Smoker grinned, sharp and full of teeth.

He would just have to chase down Straw Hat and stop him then.


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