If you're going to talk about that, I'm not sleepy anymore!

With the topic of joining the Navy set aside, the two soon moved on to other matters.

However, before long, Smoker's Den Den Mushi began to ring. He pulled it from his coat, glanced at it, and then stood up with a look of apology. "Sorry, Bane, I..."

Seeing this, Bane took the initiative to speak up. "Am I interrupting your work? Should I head out and look around?"

They were inside a Navy base. While he didn't harbor any suspicions toward Bane, Smoker didn't want him wandering around the facility, so he waved a hand. "No need. Just rest here; I'll go outside to take the call."

Smoker quickly stepped out of the room. He didn't go far, stopping at the corner of the hallway by a window to answer the call.

"Smoker?" The voice of Fleet Admiral Sengoku came through the Den Den Mushi.

Hearing that long-absent voice, Smoker felt a touch of nostalgia, though he didn't let it show. He replied in a calm tone, "It is me, Fleet Admiral."

Navy Headquarters, Marineford.

On the top floor of the Fortress of Justice, inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku sat at his desk, reviewing a mountain of paperwork while speaking into the Den Den Mushi.

Hearing Smoker's voice through the receiver, Sengoku's expression softened with nostalgia.

Smoker had been in the Navy for many years. He possessed great talent and had mastered a Logia-type ability; logically, he shouldn't have been wasting his time in a place like the East Blue.

In fact, Smoker had once been a rising star at Headquarters. He was a student of the former Admiral Dark-hand Zephyr, a close friend of the current Admiral Kuzan, and had very close ties with Navy legends like Garp. He was the type of elite talent who had both the aptitude and the connections.

But the man's personality was too rigid; he couldn't tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes. Whenever he saw injustice, he had to intervene. The political climate at Navy Headquarters was far too thick—one could even say it was too close to Mary Geoise and too far from true justice.

Headquarters was rife with unsavory dealings that Smoker couldn't stomach. Consequently, his career was a series of ups and downs; he would earn merit and promotions, only to be demoted shortly after for causing trouble. Within a few years, he had become the Navy's most notorious "problem child," a top-tier thorn in their side.

Perhaps to let him settle down, or perhaps to temper his temperament, Sengoku eventually transferred Smoker away from Headquarters, relegating him to the position of base commander in Loguetown in the East Blue.

Thus, Smoker became the only base commander in the East Blue to hold a Headquarters rank.

Sengoku had originally thought that once Smoker was sent away, he wouldn't be able to stand the loneliness for long. Once he softened his stance, Sengoku could find an excuse to bring him back to Headquarters. Having gone through that experience, Smoker would surely understand the bigger picture and become a truly useful asset.

As it turned out, Smoker was stubborn to the core. Once he arrived in the East Blue, he took root, never once mentioning a return to Headquarters. He wasted his potential in that "newbie village" fishpond until the Straw Hat set sail the following year, at which point he finally made up his mind to change and left the East Blue.

Later events proved that once Smoker left the East Blue, his promotion speed was like a rocket; in just two years, he went from Colonel to Vice Admiral.

However, because he had spent his prime developmental years stagnating in the East Blue, fighting wits and strength against backwater pirates, his own combat prowess had not only failed to grow but had significantly declined.

In this regard, he was much like Moriah, who holed up in the Florian Triangle, or Crocodile, who stirred up trouble while hiding in Alabasta.

Consequently, even after becoming a Vice Admiral, Smoker's performance in several battles was embarrassing, and his strength was underwhelming.

Sengoku smoothed out his thoughts and finally spoke. "I heard reports that the person who took down a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World has appeared in your Loguetown. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Smoker replied.

"Can you confirm it?" Sengoku asked again.

Smoker thought for a moment before answering. "There shouldn't be any issues. He came to me to claim the bounty for Thatch. His appearance matches the wanted poster released by the Whitebeard Pirates. However, he is not the space-related ability user rumored; he is a user of the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit. According to him, he seized this ability from the Whitebeard Pirates as well."

"A Logia-type? What do you think of him? Is he suitable for recruitment into our Navy?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked again.

Smoker sighed softly. "His name is Bane, a pirate hunter. I've already discussed the possibility with him. He holds a generally favorable view of the Navy, but he has no intention of joining us at the moment. He is only twenty years old and says he wants to see more of the world. Perhaps in a couple of years, he will consider joining."

"Is that so? That is a pity," Sengoku said with slight disappointment.

Of course, as the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku's "pity" was merely a passing remark. If this matter hadn't involved the Whitebeard Pirates, Sengoku would never have noticed a small fry like Bane, let alone personally inquire about his willingness to join the Navy.

However, considering that this man named Bane held a favorable view of the Navy—and might join in a couple of years—and given Smoker's confirmation that he was a Logia user with the feat of killing Thatch, Sengoku still viewed Bane as a talent worth courting.

After some consideration, Sengoku continued, "Then show him more of the Navy's goodwill. If he has any requests or needs, as long as they aren't excessive, you may satisfy them. This will let him know that the Navy values him, and it may subtly influence his future judgments and decisions, minimizing the possibility of him falling into evil."

"The Fleet Admiral is truly a brilliant strategist. I understand." Smoker realized the logic and agreed.

After finishing the discussion about Bane, Sengoku hesitated for a moment, but soon spoke into the Den Den Mushi again. "We are considering a new round of personnel transfers at Headquarters recently. You, in the East Blue..."

"Don't worry about me. I'm doing just fine in the East Blue," Smoker interrupted, his brow furrowing as he flatly refused.

Sengoku felt a bit awkward being rebuffed by this guy. After a moment of silence, he asked again, "Are you really doing fine?"

"I am. At the very least, I can uphold my own justice here," Smoker replied calmly.

"Very well, then." Seeing that the man remained as stubborn as ever, Sengoku said no more and hung up the Den Den Mushi.

After putting the device away, Smoker took a deep drag of his cigar, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke that obscured his face.

A moment later, he collected his emotions and, acting as if nothing had happened, walked away from the window.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." When Smoker returned to Bane, he was carrying four suitcases—three large and one small.

Before Bane could speak, Smoker placed the cases on the table. "This is your bounty: 362 million Belly. Do you need to count it?"

Bane laughed heartily. "No need. I trust the Navy's reputation."

As he spoke, Bane reached out, a wisp of dark energy coating the suitcases on the table. In an instant, the darkness swallowed the cases whole.

It had to be said, the Dark-Dark Fruit was incredibly convenient for carrying cargo.

Smoker didn't show any surprise at this. He tapped the ash from his cigar and said to Bane, "Also, in light of your achievements, the Navy is willing to provide you with any assistance within our power. If you have any other needs, feel free to tell me."

Bane's eyes lit up at these words. If you want to talk about that, then I'm wide awake!