Though he felt Smoker was mostly being polite, Bane decided to state his request anyway, figuring there was no harm in trying.
"As for anything I need the Marines' help with, I do indeed have a few small personal requests." Bane sat up straighter and looked at Smoker expectantly.
Smoker was taken aback. Wait, he was actually asking?
But remembering what Fleet Admiral Sengoku had said before, Smoker replied, "What might we be able to help you with, sir?"
"It's like I said before. I greatly admire and yearn for the Marines, and I hope to devote myself to this righteous cause someday. It's just that, given my current circumstances, for now..." Bane began with several flattering remarks.
Then he changed his tone. "I'm not very confident in my own strength. I hope to grow more during my travels over the next two years. I heard that the Marines have an extremely formidable foundational martial art called Rokushiki. If possible, ahem, I'd like to study it. Would that be convenient, Colonel Smoker?"
"Huh?" Smoker looked at Bane in surprise, thoroughly puzzled.
He had previously judged that Bane must have been quite strong to kill Thatch, so why did he suddenly want to learn the Marines' Rokushiki?
Still, while Rokushiki was a powerful martial art, it was indeed relatively basic. More importantly, it was not particularly confidential. It had spread widely throughout the seas, because the Marines taught it internally as a foundational combat art for officers. Not everyone necessarily mastered all of it, but most knew the basics.
Once the number of people who knew it grew so large, its secrecy naturally diminished. Over the years, quite a few Marine members had fallen from grace. After betraying the Marines and roaming the seas, they had spread Rokushiki to some extent.
As things stood, anyone willing to spend the money could buy a complete Rokushiki manual on the black market.
So although Smoker was somewhat confused, he did not find Bane's request too unreasonable.
After a brief moment of thought, Smoker nodded. "Ordinarily, we only teach Rokushiki to Marine members. But I can make an exception and teach it to you, Mr. Bane. I hope that after further strengthening yourself, you will eliminate a few more scourges from these seas."
Bane said happily, "No problem. I'll be traveling through East Blue for a while. If I come across Pirates, villains, or the like, I certainly won't stand by and do nothing!"
Smoker nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "Then, sir..."
He thought that should be about it. Yet before he could finish speaking, Bane looked at Smoker expectantly again. "Speaking of which, I also deeply yearn for the power of Haki. I wonder whether Colonel Smoker might be able to offer me some guidance?"
Smoker had not heard the word Haki in East Blue for many years, and for a moment, he felt rather nostalgic. The Pirates he had encountered in recent years had all been small fry. On top of that, as the base commander, countless daily affairs tied up his attention, to the point that Smoker had nearly forgotten when he had last used Haki in training.
Thinking of that, Smoker rubbed his nose with slight embarrassment and asked, "You have yet to master the power of Haki, sir?"
That truly baffled him. Fine, one could understand not knowing Rokushiki or simply being curious about it. But if Bane did not even know Haki, how exactly had he killed Thatch?
Bane knew that he had exposed his lack of knowledge in this area, causing Smoker to grow somewhat suspicious.
But he did not care. The matter of Thatch could be concealed for a while, but not forever. Sooner or later, people would find out. Rather than rack his brains trying to cover it up, he might as well seize the chance to gain more benefits.
"I can only say that I have some superficial understanding of it." Bane put on a modest expression. "I do know that Haki training is a kind of..."
He mixed together some information he had known from his previous life with his own understanding and explained it at length. Only then did he say, "But at the end of the day, these are all unorthodox methods. So I want to compare them with the Haki wielded by the Marines and verify them against each other."
After hearing Bane's thoughts on Haki, Smoker felt rather moved. By Bane's own description, they truly were unorthodox methods, mixed with many scattered and disordered ideas.
Considering Bane's age, and the fact that it sounded as though he had no teacher, it could not have been easy for him to stumble this far through the seas. Under such circumstances, it was even rarer that he had maintained a sense of justice.
"I understand your difficulties very well, sir. But unlike Rokushiki, Haki is not something I can conveniently..." Smoker thought highly of Bane, but he could not simply teach Haki to anyone, so he prepared to politely decline the request.
The moment Bane heard that opening, he understood what Smoker meant. He was not disappointed. He had only mentioned it casually; getting it would be ideal, but not getting it was acceptable too.
He could always try Koushiro later. It was not as though he had no other options.
But after thinking for a moment, a dark aura spread from Bane's hand. Soon, a suitcase that had just been stored in the Darkness Dimension reappeared on the table.
"As for Haki, I don't wish to take advantage of the Marines for nothing. There should be one hundred million Belly in this suitcase. I am willing to donate it to the Marines of Loguetown as a token of my regard. I hope Colonel Smoker will not refuse." Bane looked at Smoker with complete sincerity.
Smoker???
Good grief, he was using Smoker's own money to get his own way?
Still, although Smoker had generously handed the bounty over to Bane earlier, the Loguetown Marines were indeed short on funds. What army was not short on money?
The Marines kept their accounts clearly separated. Each expenditure had to come from its designated budget, and funds from other projects could not be casually redirected. Smoker was an extremely straightforward man, so he was even less likely to resort to any tricks.
Thus, Smoker sometimes found himself troubled by funding.
Now, he had given Bane the bounty he was owed. But if Bane was willing to give it back to the Loguetown Marines, that was naturally wonderful. It meant Smoker would have a sum of cash he could freely allocate without violating any rules.
This quarter's military budget had not yet been distributed, but Marine personnel injured or killed in the line of duty, along with their families, were anxiously waiting. Smoker had long wanted to replace a batch of old firearms, and he also wanted to expand the base's manpower. Every one of those matters required money.
Yet Smoker's principles made it hard for him to save face. He wanted to accept it, but he was too embarrassed to say so.
The instant Bane saw Smoker's hesitant expression, he knew there was hope!
So before Smoker could speak, Bane waved his hand again, and another suitcase filled with cash appeared on the table.
"You..." Smoker stared at Bane in astonishment.
"I heard that ever since Colonel Smoker took office in Loguetown, not a single pirate has escaped your grasp. I imagine that throughout those years, the Marines of Loguetown must have paid a heavy price for the cause of justice. As an ordinary person with a conscience, when faced with such circumstances, I also hope to contribute more to the Marines and add a few bricks to the cause of justice. I believe that as long as everyone is willing to contribute, this chaotic Great Pirate Era will surely be brought under control!" Bane declared with a face full of righteousness.
Before Smoker could respond, Bane patted the suitcase. "These two hundred million Belly are Belly for justice. I believe that under Colonel Smoker's leadership, they will become bullets and blades fired at evil. They will become high walls and fortresses protecting the people. Whether for justice or for the people, I sincerely hope you will not refuse!"
Bane had raised the matter to such a lofty level in one breath that Smoker truly felt unable to refuse.
A moment later, Smoker spoke with heartfelt sincerity. "Your sense of justice is admirable, sir, and I am deeply grateful for your support of the Marines. In that case, I will accept this token of your regard on behalf of the Loguetown Marines!"
Then, before Bane could speak, Smoker continued, "Come to think of it, I have some personal insights and experience regarding the power of Haki. As a friend, I can privately give them to you, Mr. Bane. I hope they can be of some help."
"Thank you so much, thank you so much!" Bane repeatedly expressed his thanks.
Who said Smoker was impossible to sway? Hadn't he just been thoroughly won over?
Before you continue