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"You damned Marines, have you forgotten the justice you carry on your backs?"

"Hey! Don't say that! Smoker and the others are good people. The real bad ones are Colonel Mouse and the colonel of Marine Branch 153. Those are the bad colonels!"

"Would good Marines need pirates to explain things for them? Damned pirates, damned Marines!"

"I told you, we're not bad people either! I'm not lying to you—we really aren't going to do anything to you. It's just that if you go there, you'll have food to eat. Ugh, this is really hard to explain!"

"Stop trying to deceive me, you evil Marines!"

"Please don't say that about Smoker. He really isn't a bad person!"

"..."

Colonel Smoker watched the two people arguing with a face full of dark lines, then said coldly to Moke, who still wanted to explain on his behalf, "Shut up!"

After giving the gaunt old man a casual glance, he said nothing to him and did not spare him another look, merely flicking the ash from his cigarette.

"And stop calling me Smoker, or I'll arrest you! Take the people away already, then get the hell out of here!"

"Okay! Smoker~ Yes, Smoker~" Moke nodded cheerfully. Then he scratched his head, looked at the chaotic scene before him, hesitated for a moment, and said to Colonel Smoker beside him, "How about lending me some men first? There seem to be too many people here. If we want to hurry, I don't have enough manpower."

As soon as the words fell—

Smoker: ...

His face turned from green to black.

What did this guy take the Marines for?

But as he looked at the chaotic scene before him, then at the sallow, ragged scavengers and the foul-smelling garbage dump that served as their home—

This scene...

Involuntarily reminded him of what he had seen in the Goa Kingdom.

Perhaps if it had only been him, then as a Marine, he would have turned a blind eye to it, just like Vice Admiral Garp had!

After all, that had been an allied nation!

But now, a bastard had suddenly appeared. Since that was the case, he would see just what changes that guy could make!

With a long sigh, he waved at Tashigi with a dark expression. "Hurry up!"

However—

"Colonel Smoker..." Tashigi looked at Colonel Smoker hesitantly and said in a small voice, "I've never arrested civilians before."

"...Handle it yourself!" Smoker fell silent for a moment at his adjutant Tashigi's question, but his face remained dark. "Make them finish arresting everyone and get the hell out of here."

"Yes!"

Helplessly~

Tashigi could only grit her teeth and lead the Marines over to help.

"Everyone, don't run! Please don't run! We're not bad people!"

"Please believe us. Once you get there, you'll have food to eat!"

"We really aren't lying to you!"

"..."

Watching this scene unfold, Luce's eyes widened once again.

The Marines were actually helping pirates capture people?

What the hell!

"What exactly are you Marines doing?" Luce roared furiously. "You're actually helping pirates capture slaves? You evil Marines!"

Smoker: ...

Moke: ...

Seeing the white smoke rising from Smoker's body, Moke also felt that the scene before them looked rather bad. He scratched his head with an awkward grin at Smoker and was just about to say something when—

A Moke Pirate ran over and said, "Captain Moke, we found a group of children who were being hidden."

At once—

"Grandpa! Grandpa!"

"Grandpa Luce!"

The enraged Luce froze again. Then panic appeared on his face. Hearing the cries, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the children who had been found, then turned back to Moke with a sorrowful expression. "Please spare the children. Spare my granddaughter!"

However—

"Oh, you have a granddaughter? Take her too!" Moke said cheerfully. "The Konomi Islands happen to be short on children!"

"..."

These damned pirates would not even spare children?

Luce's face stiffened, and he said again in panic, "No! No! Don't take the children away! I have treasure, I still have treasure! I heard it's a secret treasure of the sea. I heard about it at an allied nations conference. I'm not lying to you, it's very valuable. I originally wanted to use it to help everyone return to the Michael Kingdom, or trade it for some food. Please don't hurt the children. I can give it to you!"

"Oh, there's even a secret treasure? A secret treasure of the sea? Could it be the Devil Fruit the boss mentioned?" Excitement immediately appeared on Moke's face. "Take them all away, take them all away! Hahaha, what a huge haul! Take the children and the secret treasure too!"

"Damn it, damn it..." Hearing that the pirates intended to take both the treasure and the children, Luce's eyes immediately filled with despair. "You devils!"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm not taking it for nothing. Let's see what it is first!" Seeing the despair in Luce's eyes, Moke thought the old man suspected him of robbing him and hurriedly explained with a cheerful grin. "Take them away! Take everything away!"

"..."

Smoker stood nearby with a dark expression as he watched the scene unfold, even the cigar in his hand trembling slightly.

Was this how this guy always went about arresting people?

Anyone who didn't know better would really think they were a gang of vicious pirates!

And they...

Smoker raised his darkened face and looked at the Marines helping the pirates seize people.

A bunch of fallen Marines helping pirates?!

"Evil Marines! No, Marines!" Realizing there was truly no way out, Luce raised his head toward the Marine Colonel beside him, his voice pleading and agitated. "Righteous Marines, please save the children!"

As soon as he spoke.

"..."

Smoker came back to his senses, his expression somewhat conflicted. After looking at Luce, he raised his head again and looked at the raggedly dressed children who had been brought out as well. He let out a long sigh and said flatly, "It'll be better for you over there!"

Yet—

"Better?" Hearing Smoker's words and seeing that he remained unmoved, Luce's old, gaunt face once again showed grief, indignation, and despair. He roared with all his strength, "You fallen pirates who have betrayed justice!"

"Smoker and the others are pretty good people!"

"And you're even colluding with evil pirates!"

"We may be cooperating, but we aren't bad people, really!"

"You're still trying to deceive me at a time like this? Evil Marines, hateful pirates! Devils!"

"I really didn't lie to you! If you don't believe me, let Smoker explain it to you!"

"You shut up too!" Seeing Moke only making things worse, Smoker's face turned green. Looking at the situation before him, which seemed more or less settled, he said impatiently, "Hurry up, take your people and get the hell out of here!"

"Oh, Smoker, it's fine! I'll explain it personally later!"

"You..."

Before Smoker could say anything.

"Pururururu, pururururu~"

Moke's Den Den Mushi rang. After pausing for a moment, he answered it directly. "Oh, got it, Boss. I'll head back right now!"

Then—

He looked at Smoker beside him again. "Boss called me to work, so I should get going, Smoker! Everyone, hurry up! Boss is calling us!"

"Get lost!"

"Fallen Marines, I'll curse you all!"

"..."

In the end.

With the Marines' help, the Moke Pirates finally finished their work.

Then—

Amid wave after wave of vicious insults aimed at the Marines, they took everyone aboard the Moke Pirates' new ship and set off for Marine Branch 16.

Leaving behind...

Smoker, whose expression was equally unpleasant, angrily trembling as he smoked his cigar.

"Colonel Smoker, don't be angry. They'll understand once they get there." Watching Smoker get cursed at without daring to talk back, Tashigi wore a barely concealed smile. Then she sighed again. "I saw it just now. They're in even worse shape than the people in Goa Kingdom. At least in Goa Kingdom, there were rotten fruits discarded by the nobles for them to eat. When they get there, they'll definitely understand Colonel Smoker's good intentions!"

"Whatever!" Smoker curled his lips disdainfully, flicked away some ash, and cast a deep look at the departing Moke pirate ship. "If I find out they've done anything bad, I'll arrest them myself. Right now, I don't want to see them for even a second!"

He turned around. "Let's go back!"

"Yes!" Tashigi snapped to attention in reply, but after a moment, she seemed to recall something. "Oh, right! I almost forgot!"

"What did you forget?"

"The gift Colonel Xia Che sent—didn't Colonel Smoker say he wanted to return it?" Seeing Smoker frown, Tashigi hurriedly said, "We can have Moke and the others take it with them. It's not too late yet. I'll tell them to wait!"

As she spoke, she was about to signal the Marines to shout at the Moke Pirates and tell them to stop.

Suddenly.

"No need!"

"???" Tashigi turned around in confusion and looked at Colonel Smoker, who had stopped her. "No need? No need for what? Didn't Colonel Smoker say..."

Before she could finish.

"I said leave it with me, damn it!" Seeing his subordinate Tashigi suppressing a smile, Smoker's old face reddened slightly. After glaring at her, he averted his gaze.

After getting cursed that badly, how could he return it?

And now they wanted him to give it back?

Flicking ash from his cigar, he said expressionlessly, "That's what I deserve. You should know those cannonballs I fired back then still haven't been reimbursed!"

"Yes! That's right, it's what we deserve, Colonel Smoker! Then the military expense application..."

"Keep sending it to those bastards!" As if recalling something, Smoker said viciously, "Tell Marine Headquarters that we encountered the vicious Moke Pirates in the Michael Kingdom and suffered devastating losses. Tell them to transfer the money immediately!"

Want him to learn from that guy?

Fine. I'd like to see what you lot do this time.

Ignoring Tashigi's strange expression, he returned directly to his warship. Watching the Moke pirate ship gradually sail away, Smoker frowned again. After taking a deep drag, he removed the cigar from his mouth. "Work?" He flicked off more ash. "What is that guy planning to do now?"