Shichibukai

"Extra! Extra!"

A young newspaper boy roamed the streets, hawking the latest papers in his hands to passersby.

"Give me one!"

A rough voice came from behind him.

"Sure thing!"

A white-haired man with two cigars clenched between his teeth placed some money in the boy's hand and took a still-warm newspaper.

"Smoker, Loguetown has been so peaceful lately. Everyone's been living quite comfortably!" The bespectacled girl returned from her patrol, her face full of delight.

"Probably because of this guy!"

Smoker handed her the newspaper.

Black Winged Great Demon - Ulquiorra Cifer had defeated the Tyrant, Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Shichibukai, at sea and had been invited by the World Government to become a new Shichibukai.

A few days earlier, Grand Line, Marineford.

"Bartholomew Kuma, are you sure you want to step down from your position as a Shichibukai?"

Sengoku had never expected Cifer's target to be the Tyrant, whose whereabouts even he usually did not know.

"I lost to him. He spared my life and told me to give up my position as a Shichibukai myself."

Kuma losing to Cifer was within Sengoku's expectations. Still, from the looks of it, he had apparently surrendered before he had even truly fought the other man.

Yet Sengoku was fairly satisfied that Kuma had been chosen. The other Shichibukai were either tied to nations or had once caused a great sensation, and they still possessed considerable deterrence against ordinary pirates.

Kuma rarely showed himself in public, and he obeyed the World Government completely. Even without being a Shichibukai, he could still serve the same purpose.

Letting Cifer take that position might not be a bad thing. Hopefully, he would stop causing trouble—as long as he did not run into the Celestial Dragons again.

Sengoku and the Gorosei had long since discussed Cifer becoming a Shichibukai. Thus, the World Government announced that very day that Cifer would replace Kuma as a new Shichibukai.

The news stirred all factions, with the Whitebeard Pirates reacting the most strongly.

"Old Man! That guy Cifer rejected your invitation, yet now he's become a Shichibukai. What does that mean? Is he looking down on the Whitebeard Pirates?"

The hot-tempered Jozu wore an angry expression, indignant on Whitebeard's behalf.

"Don't judge Cifer by ordinary standards, Jozu. He isn't someone who will be content beneath another!"

Whitebeard understood clearly that a man with such overwhelming strength and astonishing presence would never submit to the World Government.

Fish-Man Island.

"Father, brothers, look! Lord Cifer is a Shichibukai too, just like Elder Jinbe!"

Shirahoshi was delighted, because Big Brother Jinbe had said that the Shichibukai were people acknowledged by the World Government.

"What exactly is Cifer-kun trying to do?"

Unlike the people celebrating around him, Jinbe wanted to know why Cifer had chosen to become a Shichibukai.

Of course, no one could have imagined that he had done it merely for convenient travel.

"A new Shichibukai, huh? This pirate has been rather active lately!"

Tashigi flipped through the newspaper in her hand and habitually pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"The pirates in Paradise call him the Butcher. Any pirate who encounters him—those with bounties are turned into bounty money, while those without bounties are all killed."

"This has left the pirates of Paradise on edge lately, too afraid to put to sea. And the pirates in the Four Blues who know of him are hesitating over whether to enter the Grand Line."

That was why Loguetown, which he guarded, had been so peaceful lately. Though it was good that everyone was living orderly lives, the fact that it relied on a pirate's intimidation made him feel that the Marines' dignity had fallen far too low.

Smoker's expression was grave. As Aokiji's friend, he naturally knew more about Cifer than ordinary Marines did.

That was a truly lawless man!

"Looks like I'm pretty famous!"

A figure emerged from a nearby alley, holding a newspaper in one hand and carrying an enormous bundle over his shoulder.

"Ulquiorra, why are you here?"

There was no fear in Smoker's eyes, only confusion and displeasure.

He was confused because he had also heard of Cifer's agreement to guard Paradise for a year. He should not have appeared in East Blue.

He was displeased because this bastard had abducted Hina for nearly two whole months. She was his classmate and one of his few friends!

"You're too impatient, Captain Smoker. I had quite a hard time getting to East Blue." Cifer slapped the newspaper against Smoker's chest and brushed past him.

Loguetown was not Cifer's destination. The town of beginnings and endings, falling leaves returning to their roots—it was nothing but that. He had no interest in seeing a dead man's execution platform.

He had only come into town to purchase supplies. The food on the ship simply could not withstand the appetites of two gluttons.

And getting here had indeed not been easy. Fortunately, they had fished an old man headed for Loguetown out of the sea, allowing them to arrive safely.

Otherwise, with the way the two of them navigated, they had no idea which corner of the Grand Line they might have drifted into by now.

Naturally, Smoker would not interfere with Cifer. It was not his place to question a Shichibukai's whereabouts, and in any case, this man would at least not attack Marines or civilians.

After taking two steps, Cifer suddenly stopped and turned to look at Smoker, who was staring at him.

"Now that I think about it, I don't have a navigator on my ship. The road ahead won't be easy. Smoker-kun, would you like to accompany me for a while?"

"I refuse!"

What kind of joke was that? He was the commander of the Marine branch in Loguetown. If he left and something happened to Loguetown, what then?

Besides, he had no desire to keep company with pirates.

"Then lend me your subordinate for a while."

Smoker drew the jitte from his back. Seeing that, Tashigi also drew the katana at her waist, and the atmosphere grew tense.

"Still unwilling? Then I can only grab some random civilian from Loguetown and have them accompany me. I wonder who will be so lucky..."

"Wait!"

A pirate was still a pirate!

But Smoker had no way to become Cifer's enemy. As Aokiji's close friend, he understood Aokiji's strength very well, and he could likewise gauge Cifer's strength.

If he were alone, he would fight Cifer. At worst, he would die. But he was Loguetown's commander; every action he took had to take the town's civilians into consideration.

"Tashigi, are you willing to go with him?"

Naturally, he could not leave. Sending Tashigi would not necessarily be bad. According to Hina, Cifer barely counted as a pirate and was more like a bounty hunter.

He would not hurt Tashigi, and Tashigi could monitor him as well—provided he truly was as Hina had described, rather than merely pretending in order to become a Shichibukai.

Tashigi could not believe that Captain Smoker, who was stubborn to the bone, had yielded. But when she saw the murderous look in Smoker's eyes, she understood.

As a Marine devoted to justice, she naturally had to put civilians' safety first. Besides, she had heard of Cifer too. He was not some terrible villain.

"Understood!"

Tashigi saluted Smoker to show that she accepted the order.

Cifer told them where his ship was docked, then strode away. Tashigi also bid Smoker farewell and returned to the branch to pack her things.

"Don't be afraid. Sailing with me won't do you any harm."

That was the last thing Cifer said to Smoker.

There naturally would be no harm. Cifer was just, after all. But once this voyage was over, would Tashigi still be able to uphold the justice in her heart?