Smoker

Hina took a step back, her little mouth slightly agape as she asked in surprise, "Where did you get this?"

A Devil Fruit cost as much as a hundred million Berries on the Black Market, and even then, they were scarce beyond price.

Hina could not imagine how much risk Lin Qi had taken to get this Devil Fruit for her.

Lin Qi merely looked at her with a smile.

"Fine, I'll eat it!"

Seeing the look in Lin Qi's eyes, Hina hardened her heart and lowered her head to take a bite.

She secretly resolved that she would use the power she gained to help Lin Qi properly in the future.

Then...

"Bleurgh—" Hina doubled over and dry-heaved repeatedly. Looking at the Devil Fruit in her hand with a bite taken out of it, she decisively tossed it into the trash.

"This taste... Hina can't think of anything that could be worse."

"So, what kind of power did you get?" Lin Qi looked at Hina expectantly.

Hina closed her eyes and sensed it for a moment before saying joyfully, "As long as it's related to prisons, I can materialize it and add special properties to it."

As she spoke, a long whip and a pair of handcuffs appeared out of thin air in Hina's hands. She looked at Lin Qi eagerly. "Want to give it a try?"

Lin Qi's gaze moved back and forth between the handcuffs, the little leather whip, and Hina's beautiful face. He suddenly shivered and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Forget it, forget it. Maybe later."

"Pfft~" Hina twirled the little whip and said coquettishly, "Look how scared you are. It's not like I'd really hit you."

After spending a little more tender time with Hina, Lin Qi returned to his room to sleep.

Early the next morning, Lin Qi got up at the crack of dawn.

He was eating cookies on the sofa when the doors to Hina and Momousagi's rooms opened at the same time.

The two stretched lazily, both revealing their slender waists like sleepy cats.

Smack~

The cookie in Lin Qi's hand fell to the floor.

Had the battlefield of love finally arrived?

"Good morning, Sister Momousagi."

"Morning."

Momousagi and Hina greeted each other like close sisters, startling Lin Qi badly.

Something was off about their reactions...

"What are you thinking about? You even dropped your cookie." Momousagi bent down, picked up the cookie from the floor, tossed it into the trash, and sat beside Lin Qi.

"What? You look pretty surprised."

Hina sat on Lin Qi's other side. Not minding the cookie on the table that Lin Qi had already taken a bite from, she picked it up and tossed it into her mouth.

"N-No, it's nothing." Surrounded by the two women and breathing in their distinct fragrances, Lin Qi tried to act composed.

Knock, knock, knock~

A burst of urgent knocking saved Lin Qi.

A Marine shouted from outside the door, "Big Brother Lin Qi, is Rear Admiral Momousagi there? The Marshal wants her at a meeting."

"Oh, and the Marshal wants you there too."

Lin Qi and Gion looked at each other. What was so urgent this early in the morning?

But Lin Qi vaguely had a suspicion that it was related to what he had done last night.

"Alright, we understand. You can go back."

After getting dressed, the two arrived at the conference room to find that nearly all of the Marines' middle and upper ranks had gathered.

The hundred seats were nearly full. Momousagi pulled Lin Qi over to sit off to one side.

Once everyone had arrived, Sengoku emerged from behind the curtain and pinned three photographs from his hand onto the tactical board for everyone to see.

"Smoker!"

Lin Qi had a bad feeling. The topmost photo on the tactical board was unmistakably Smoker.

But this Smoker was somewhat different from before. Not only was the background behind him a prison, but he also had a cigar clenched between his teeth.

With a smack, Sengoku tapped Smoker's photo with his pointer and said gravely:

"The first matter we will discuss today concerns this young Marine."

"The Marines once assisted the World Government in escorting a Logia Devil Fruit."

"However, during the escort, they were attacked by the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors."

"Combat broke out. Our side was outmatched, and to prevent the fruit from being taken, this young Marine ate the Devil Fruit himself."

Hearing this, Lin Qi inwardly cursed his bad luck.

Just the word Logia alone meant that even ten lives would not be enough for Smoker to pay for it. The current Admirals were all Logia users, which said everything.

Moreover, the Marines had been assisting the World Government in this matter. This was trouble.

The implications of this matter went far beyond what appeared on the surface. It carried a deeper significance.

That was, this precedent could not be set. They had to make an example out of someone!

Just imagine it: if Smoker got away unscathed this time, then future Devil Fruit escort teams could pose as Pirates, attack themselves, and use that as an excuse to eat the Devil Fruits.

Sure enough, Sengoku continued, "The World Government demands Smoker's execution. What do you all think?"

"The World Government? Hmph. I suggest putting Smoker under my command so he can redeem himself through service." Akainu said coldly, his face full of hard lines.

In his eyes, if a Marine made a mistake, the Marines should handle it themselves, rather than letting the World Government meddle.

"Ah la la la~ Smoker didn't do anything wrong. If he hadn't eaten the Devil Fruit, everyone on that ship would have died, and the Devil Fruit would have been taken too. Executing a hero would inevitably chill the Marines' hearts, so why not give him to me?"

Aokiji began competing with Akainu for Smoker. Both wanted a Logia subordinate.

There was a distinct sense of tension between the two.

"Whatever. As long as it's the Marshal's decision, I support it with both hands." Kizaru said as he slowly raised both hands.

Lin Qi's mouth twitched. Kizaru truly deserved to be called a wage slave—he stayed out of everything and offended no one.

After the Admirals had spoken, the Vice Admirals spoke next, followed by the Rear Admirals.

As for Lin Qi... he could not get a word in. He held the lowest rank among everyone present.

There were quite a few who suggested executing Smoker.

There were plenty of World Government lackeys within the Marines.

"Enough. Stop."

Sengoku rubbed his brow in frustration, his already troubled mood growing more irritable.

"Lin Qi, tell us what you think."

"Me?!"

Seeing all the big shots turn to look at him in unison, Lin Qi stood up and spoke despite himself.

"I agree with Admiral Aokiji's opinion. We cannot chill the Marines' hearts. An army is founded upon morale; when morale is high, it is invincible, but when morale collapses, the enemy can win without fighting. I hope the Marshal will reconsider."

As Smoker's friend, Lin Qi naturally had no reason to speak for anyone else.

"An army is founded upon morale. Well said." Sengoku's eyes lit up. He turned to the others and said, "Wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."

About fifteen minutes later, an angry roar came from behind the screen. "Enough! I'm the Marshal of the Marines!"

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku returned to the front with a dark expression.

"The decision has been made. The World Government has agreed not to execute Smoker, but as punishment, Smoker must guard Loguetown in the East Blue for twenty years."

"Twenty years!" Aokiji raised his voice. "Throwing a promising young Marine into that remote corner of the East Blue for twenty years—by the time those twenty years are up, Smoker will probably be ruined!"

In the East Blue, there was no Haki and no powerful fighters. Smoker would be lucky not to regress there, let alone improve.