Author's Note: I just wanted to let you all know I'm so pleased with the feedback and interest generated in this fic. It really makes my day. :D

Chapter Four: Domestic Bliss P2

"You can't ignore these concerns, Captain," the admiral said on the den-den mushi.

"I'm not ignoring the concerns," he barked into the receiver.

"It sounds as if you are. She fits many of the characteristics of what little we know about the woman," he explained, trying to downplay his request. "If she isn't who we think she is, I don't see why we can't bring her in for questioning."

"Because she is my wife," he said angrily, tempted to hang up the den-den mushi and cut communication all together.

He was seething. How dare one of the admirals accuse his wife of being associated with one of the worst pirates operating today? When he found her almost two years ago, he and the other marines busted a sex trafficking ring where she was, in fact, being trafficked. If she truly was associated with a powerful pirate, they wouldn't have let that happen to Sienna. Also, if she was as closely tied to this damn pirate as they accuse her of, why hasn't a wanted poster and a bounty been set? Just being associated with dangerous people put a target on people's back. This was a mistake. It had to be. His wife was not aligned with pirates!

"And because she's your wife, wouldn't you want to know?"

"I'm not putting her through the marine's interrogation methods," he groused. "Good day, Admiral."

He slammed the den-den mushi down to hang up much to the poor snail's dismay.

How dare Akainu drop something like that on him especially at the end of the day when he would be seeing his wife soon? That man was a sadist, he swore.

During the ride on his motorbike home, he was stewing in his thoughts and anger. Would they press this issue? He had to believe so. An admiral wouldn't have called him to discuss it otherwise. They must have really believed Sienna was involved heavily with a pirate who's name Akainu didn't disclose. He didn't even show Smoker the respect of telling him who the damn pirate was, just told him that the bounty exceeded over 100 million berries. It was frustrating and disgusting. Even if she was involved, then she must have been kept a secret from the world and didn't commit any crimes. She would've had a bounty: her name and face would've been recognizable everywhere. It wasn't adding up. He shouldn't have let his anger get the better of him during that call and asked these goddamn questions.

Smoker didn't trust the higher ups with her. Many of the marines believed in absolute justice. If it turned out to be true, they wouldn't forgive her crimes despite the fact that she leads a normal, law abiding life now, married to a fellow marine. Absolute justice didn't care. It wasn't a principle he stood by.

He entered their home. He locked the door behind him and kicked off his boots. He headed to their bedroom. She was sleeping due to how late at night it ended up being when he got home. He removed his clothes, leaving himself in just his underwear before slipping into the bed next to her.

He looked at her peaceful, sleeping face, wondering what she could be hiding, dreaming about. She wasn't a closed off person. She was pretty candid. Any time he asked her about anything, she answered honestly and without hesitation. He couldn't believe she once aided and abetted a criminal. She didn't, couldn't have. He should just forget about it and go to sleep.

She was awake before him. He heard her in the kitchen, frying what smelled like eggs. Sienna was surprisingly not that bad of a cook. He wondered if she had any training before they met given her food has never been bad. He wondered about a lot of things she did before they met….

He dressed for the day and sat down at the table. She sat next to him with two forks and plates of eggs. He immediately dug in. He could feel her eyes on him, and, from the corner of his eyes, he could see her fidgeting. What was wrong?

"I've missed you being here," she told him.

He made a sound of acknowledgment as he continued to eat. Then, he felt her hand on his. He noticed there were callouses he didn't remember being on her palm and fingers. Her skin was still smooth and warm of course, but the callouses confused him. What was she doing that would cause calluses? She didn't work. Surely, cleaning wasn't that arduous.

Once he finished his breakfast, he told her goodbye and left for the day.

Patrolling was boring. His mind wasn't in it. He couldn't stop thinking about his wife whomst, in the grand scheme of things, he hasn't known that long. She was young, in her early twenties, there were only so many things she could've done in her past especially when it came to being a lover with someone else. He didn't ask her about her sexual past given he didn't feel it mattered. She's clean, and quite frankly beyond that he didn't care. It didn't matter. Now, he wondered if it was with a pirate who was a lover of hers. That mattered given he was a god damn marine.

He stood and headed out, much to the confusion of the others at the base. He needed to cool down before he could do anything of value. He walked along the streets without a single interruption until—

Bump.

He looked down and saw a short boy, who looked to be in his teens, fall down onto the ground. He didn't budge, of course. The boy was practically a bean sprout in comparison to him.

"What the hell do you—"

He immediately shut up when he looked up at Smoker. He was about to yell, but the look of absolute terror on the tan boy's face who ran into him changed his mind. The boy knew the mistake he made.

"My apologies, sir," he said, backing away from the captain.

"It's fine."

The boy scrambled away. It made him pause. Smoker didn't recognize him as a townie. Perhaps, he's just moved to LogueTown recently. He didn't know there were any new ships in the dock recently. Besides, this boy looked and dressed like a pirate. He doubted the kid would set sail on his own when the captain had a pretty strong control over this town. It would be wildly stupid.

He shook his head and walked away.

Was it time for lunch already? He didn't care. He was hungry, so he was going home for leftovers. He headed home and opened the door. It was unlocked, so she must be home, or she forgot to lock it. Whatever. No one with half a brain would rob his house.

He picked out the tuna casserole she made last night out of the fridge. He just took the whole container and began to dig in.

"Hi, honey," she said.

He grunted in acknowledgment before leaving the house.

That boy he ran into looked like a pirate. He should investigate him, do a simple background check. He walked back to the base with something to do.

"A pink haired boy who kind of looks like a pirate?" Tashigi questioned. "Are you sure he's not your wife in drag?"

He didn't laugh despite his subordinate's laughter. It wasn't funny. Granted, he never laughed at anything. Life was too serious for that.

She eventually coughed into her fist to clear her throat and said, "He does sound familiar. I think he's a new hire at the sword shop as a blacksmith."

"Hmm," he acknowledged.

"Did he do something?" she asked.

"No, but I'll keep an out on him," Smoker answered.

"Captain, please don't harass him," she said.

"I don't harass people, Tashigi," he gruffed.

He would like to believe he wasn't an obsessive type. But his curiosity was gnawing at him. Something about that boy was bothering him. He couldn't quite place it, but he was sure that pink haired boy wasn't innocent. Something about him was off. He couldn't quite place it, but he couldn't shake the feeling. So, he did some research and digging on the boy. And, well, he didn't find anything. He truly meant nothing. There were no housing records or any indication he was staying in a hotel, no arrest records, no photo IDs, or anything. The only thing he found was what Tashigi said about him being a new blacksmith. There was nothing but that on this guy. It was suspicious, highly suspicious….

He came home late. He knew he did. To be fair, he didn't say he was coming home for dinner, but he also didn't say he was going to stay late at the base. When he opened the door, he saw the smile light up her face. It was clear she was waiting for him, and a pang of guilt rang hollow in his chest.

He sat down and dug in. Apparently, she was into fish as of late because tonight it was tilapia. It made sense. They were on an island. He saw it all the time in the markets.

"Did anything exciting happen today, dear?"

"No, just the same old shit," he said offhandedly.

"Oh."

Dinner was over quickly, uneventfully. He went to the living room to partake in one of his hobbies. Rock stacking cleared his mind and required his focus. That was until he heard her enter the room, standing in front of him. He looked up from the rocks he was stacking on top of one another. He blinked a few times to adjust to her wardrobe change. Instead of her normal clothes, she was wearing a robe. Her eyes were down cast, cheeks pink, and her hands were fidgeting together. He didn't use the word 'cute,' but if he were to use it she would fit the description. The sleeve of her robe dropped down her shoulder purposefully, and he understood her intention.

"Do you… um, do you want to, you know, tonight?"

Did he? He was tired, and he had a lot on his mind. He was having odd feelings about her right now given the questionable intel given to him. He couldn't get the admiral's words out of his head. They clouded his thoughts and judgement when it came to Sienna. Was it fair? No. Was it how he felt tonight? Yes. He wouldn't be the best lover tonight. He'd have to decline for both their sakes.

"No, not tonight."

"Wh-why?"

He heard the pain in her voice and immediately looked up. He was right. She was clearly hurt by his rejection. It wasn't just disappointment. There was something else there he couldn't quite put into words or a conclusion.

His cheeks felt warm much to his chagrin as he tried to say something to explain why he wasn't interested in sex tonight, "It's been awhile. It's been a long day, and I—"

"Never mind, I understand," she said tightly, quickly. "I'm going to bed."

The look of disappointment and pain on her face struck him immediately as if someone slapped him in the face. It was a brief look on her face because she retreated back towards their bedroom. Immediately, he was up and followed after her. He couldn't leave it at that.

"Wait, Sienna."

When she turned, he lifted her by the back of her thighs. He heard the soft gasp from her before her hands grasped his shoulders. He noticed she was a little heavier than the last time. He also noticed she had put on some muscles the last few months if the thighs in his hands were any indication. She looked tough, good.

He walked them to the bedroom and dropped her down onto the bed. He'd give her what she needed. Surely, he would drop this and not think of the lie that the admiral put in his head about his wife if he pushed through this wall he'd put up as of late. There were plenty of pink haired women her age in the world. It wasn't her.

Determinedly, he climbed on top of their bed and grasped her by her calves to pull her towards him. He heard a soft gasp escape her. He didn't even bother to look at her face. He was too determined in his single minded goal to get her naked and satisfy her sexually. It would make her happy and help him get past this.

He grasped the tie at her rob and opened it. He looked at her. Her breasts were smaller and perkier than before, and she had abs now. When did that happen? She was never overweight from the time he knew her. In fact, when he pulled her out of that ring a few years ago, she was underweight and under the threat of dying. But now seeing her with muscles and healthy skin brought relief. More prominently, it stirred his arousal seeing her naked and open like this. He grasped her wrists, pinning them to the bed with one hand above her head.

"Smoker, wha—"

He pressed their lips together, silencing her. He heard a small sound come from her muffled lips and felt her writhe in his hold. It spurred him to get on with it. His racing thoughts were dimming in this new goal. He'd drown it out through sex. It would work.

She thrashed free from his mouth and said breathlessly, panickedly, "Stop."

He did. He stopped. He completely stilled above her. For the first time since he threw her on the bed, he looked at her face. She out of breath and panic was in her eyes. What did he do? It wasn't that different from the last time the had sex. He hadn't tried anything new tonight. It was the same way they'd always done it.

He let go of her wrists and sat up, giving her space. He studied her, waiting for her to catch her breath and regain composure. It took a few moments, but she looked up at him and then sat up slowly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You can't make love to me like it's your job. I'd rather not do this at all," she said tightly.

He didn't know what to say as he watched her pull the covers over her head and turn away from him in their bed. He was perplexed and dumbfounded. He was trying to give her what she asked for, but it seemed he'd only upset her further. He didn't know what to say to comfort her. He raised his hand, contemplating rubbing her back or shoulder, but he hesitated. He wasn't in the headspace to give her what she needed, and quite frankly he felt that if he tried he'd make it worse. He put his hand down and decided to sleep on it.

The next day he woke before her. He considered sticking around until she woke too, but he thought better of it. They could both use the space. When he came home this evening, he would need to talk to her. He got dressed and headed out without breakfast, wanting to get this wretched day over with.

Apparently, his bad mood was evident for everyone around him. They were walking on eggshells and didn't look him in the eye. They gave him a wide berth which was probably for the best. He wasn't in any mood for anything. He was on edge.

He tried to regain his focus as he began to stack rocks and smoke several cigars at once. It was becoming a hotbox, but the nicotine fogging him was calming. It helped him unclench. He tried to forget about the messy situation he left at home with his wife. She wasn't a fiery type nor was she antagonistic, yet it felt as if there's a wall between them. She was reaching out, yet he couldn't meet her halfway. If that stupid admiral hadn't planted those poisonous lies, he probably wouldn't be so on guard. Perhaps, he could be a better husband.

"C-Captain?" one of the marines said cautiously.

He didn't even spare him a glance or a word of acknowledgment.

"I just received a fax that Monkey D. Luffy is coming. He's got a 30 million beli bounty," he swallowed, coughing due to the smoke inhalation.

He stood without a word. 30 million bellies? Fine, he could use a fight to clear his mind. Then, maybe he could regain his composure to talk to Sienna and discuss a few things. He knew he couldn't and wouldn't have that conversation in this angered and maritally frustrated state. It would be counterproductive and possibly make things worse.

He headed out, ignoring his babbling underling telling him to be careful. It was pointless. Smoker was looking for a fight. That was that. He would apprehend the pirate, and forget his troubles. That was the plan.

"But Captain—"

"Don't tell me what to do," he said with clear authority and intent in his voice.

The underling sobered up and said, "Yes sir!"

He walked along the docks, keeping his eye out for the upcoming pirate. He was ready for this fight. He had some things to get off his chest, and he hadn't had a good fight in a long time.

He continued to look around for Monkey D. Luffy. It seemed he was an elusive pirate that clearly didn't care to make himself known. It was getting old. He decided to ride his motorcycle around in search of him. And, it didn't take that long afterwards to know where the source of the commotion was coming from. Lightning struck down on the highest peak on the island, the execution stand. People screamed and cried about pirates. There.

He would cut them off. He would use this massive storm coming to his advantage. He knew they would be heading for the docks to get off this island.

Lo and behold, he was right. There Monkey D. Luffy was running along the street with three other men he assumed was a part of the crew. He cut them off, bringing his bike to a sideways stop. Upon closer inspection, he saw the boy from the other day standing there with a deer in headlights look on his face. He looked absolutely terrified. So, he was correct: that pink haired boy was up to no good.

"Monkey D. Luffy," he announced. "You're not leaving."

"Gomu gomu no pistol!"

He watched as the boy's arm stretched out to throw a fist at him. It, of course, went through the puff of smoke that his entire body was made of. The look of shock on their faces was old by now. He'd eaten the smoke-smoke fruit years ago. The uniqueness of his devil's fruit allowed him to crush criminals pretty effortlessly.

The blond man tried to kick him. He just went through Smoker. The pink haired boy looked to attack, but the captain shoved the boy across the cobbled street with a blast of hard smoke. All that was left was the pirate boy with a 30 million beli bounty on his head.

It was effortless. He simply grabbed the boy's arm that tried to punch him once more. When the rubber body snapped back to normal form, he slammed the boy to cobbled street. He sat down on his back and shoved his head down with his large hand. The boy grumbled and squirmed like a fish out of water.

"Hmm, 30 million beli, and this all you offer?" he said in his usual detached tone.

With his other hand, he grabbed his sea stone jute from his back. He was about to end the boy; but someone grasped his weapon. He looked over and was shocked by the hooded man standing behind him. That face tattoo on the side of his face was a dead give away. Never would Smoker have expected to see the most wanted man alive in the presence of a marine, saving a rookie pirate that should mean nothing to him. Why was Dragon, the leader of the revolutionaries, here? What was his purpose?

"What are you doing, Dragon?" he asked.

"Making sure he continues his journey," he said with a near feral smirk underneath that hood.

Then, a burst of lightning struck. It was a blur. All of his senses were scrambled and when regained his bearings, he saw that he was on the other side of LogueTown. The wind and the rain picked up, growing more chaotic as time drummed on. He could hardly see anything except a large sale with a Straw Hat Jolly Roger sailing away from the docks. They'd escaped LogueTown and his grips.

He could feel the scowl growing on his face as his cigars went out from the rain. Since he was stationed at LogueTown, never had a pirate escaped here. They either went to impel down or died during the encounter with him. It was a first and a bruise to his ego and pride.

He heard his fellow marines approach with thundering footsteps. They didn't say anything which was probably for the best. He was seething.

He didn't want to think about it, but pirates escaped from here. He had a wife, who that damned Akainu claimed might have been involved with pirates, would like to kidnap. They would either take her back to that damned pirate or hold her for ransom to keep Smoker from harming them. It was disgusting, but he wouldn't put it past pirates to do that.

"Look for Sienna," he told his marines behind him.

"But the storm, air, it's—"

"Look for her!" he shouted.

Immediately, they ran to different sections of the island.

He rushed home to see if Sienna was safe and sound. He threw open the door and called for her. She didn't answer. He looked around, and he realized she wasn't there. Panic set in. He tore through their house to find something, anything to give a clue as to where she'd gone.

The only thing out of place he could find was a pair of dirty clothes that weren't either of theirs. They were clearly meant for a man, and they reeked of sweat and grime. Why would a man's clothes that weren't his be in their house? Was she seeing another man? They looked like the clothes of the pink haired boy he ran into and saw with the Straw Hats, and he did leave her alone all day. She could be doing anything or anyone.

He saw red.

Would she do that? Their marriage was on the rocks, but it didn't seem to be in her character to do that. Had it gotten this bad between the two of them? Had he truly been that unaware of her needs? Was she with that man now? He asked his men to search the town for him. If she was with another man right now in this town, he would know soon enough. And just then, one of them came bursting through the door.

"Sir, we can't find Sienna," he said. "I'm so sorry, sir. She's not on this island anymore."

"What do you mean you can't find her?"

"We've searched every house, shop, restaurant, building. She's not here, sir. We suspect she may have left with one of the pirates, and…."

His sentence died out of fear of Smoker's wrath as he should. The anger, hurt, and frustration were palpable. Sienna was likely captured by the first crew of pirates that have gotten away since he was stationed here. It had been a long time since he'd felt this level of rage.

"Prepare my ship," he stated, walking past his subordinate. "I'm chasing down that pirate and getting my wife back."

Author's Note: I don't know why this chapter was difficult to write. I think it was accurately depicting previous chapter's events without messing something up or having continuity errors. Anyway, I hope it came out well.