Smoker could hear Vic push the door open, but the room was filled with smoke, and he couldn't see who it was.
Smoker didn't like having the room filled with smoke; he was mainly focused on developing his Devil Fruit ability. Naturally, he was annoyed to be disturbed. He initially thought it was the clumsy Tashigi who pushed open the door, but apart from the sound of the door opening, he didn't hear anything else. Smoker immediately became alert.
The room was filled with too much smoke, and Vic didn't like the environment. He waved his hand, and a small whirlwind rose up in the room, drawing all the smoke into it.
Smoker finally saw the figure at the door through the increasingly thinning smoke. It was familiar yet unfamiliar. It was familiar because the face hadn't changed much, only a bit more mature.
The reason Vic is so unfamiliar is because of his demeanor and aura. He is so different from when he was in the Navy. Back then, Vic was still a bit naive, humble and eager to learn. Now, Vic is confident, calm, and Haki, exuding charm that attracts not only women but also men.
"I wonder if you'd welcome me as a pirate!"
A whirlwind carrying smoke crashed through the window and flew out, after which Vic spoke, startling Smoker out of his daze.
How to describe Smoker? He can't tolerate any flaws, but his sense of justice is unquestionable. He has his own judgment, though he can be a bit old-fashioned.
It wasn't until he met Straw Hat Luffy that he underwent a transformation, becoming the more charismatic Smoker. However, his strength was somewhat lacking, perhaps due to limited talent or perhaps because his training was delayed by other matters. But he was fortunate enough to eat the Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit.
"Of course! Of course you're welcome! Come in!"
Smoker was a little excited and quickly came out from behind his desk to greet Vic. He looked flustered and tripped over the chair outside the desk, then hurriedly bent down to help it up.
When the news of Vic's defection from the Navy was published, Smoker resolutely refused to believe it. It wasn't that he didn't believe Vic had defected, but he didn't believe the charges listed in the newspaper, at least not the charge of killing countless civilians.
He knew Vic's character well; he couldn't possibly have committed such a tragedy. That's why he kept applying to return to Marine Headquarters, hoping to find out the truth.
His applications were rejected several times, but he eventually returned to headquarters despite orders. He couldn't get any information from Fleet Admiral Sengoku Kuzan, who had been promoted to Marine Admiral, who was returning to headquarters to report that he learned the truth and the whole story from Kuzan!
The truth of the matter proved that his conjecture and insistence were correct. At that time, Smoker only felt regret and sorrow. The regret was naturally for Vic. He had witnessed how strong Vic's talent was. Becoming Marine Admiral in the future was a certainty. It was a loss for the entire Navy to leave just like that!
The Navy is truly pathetic. They can't even protect someone as talented as Vic. No matter how eloquent they are, they're still just puppets of the World Government. What future does such a Navy have? Smoker is lost!
" Smoker! Why are you back in the East Blue? With your strength, this shouldn't be happening. Were you ostracized?"
After Vic walked into the office and sat on the sofa, he said that Smoker had taken some of what he had said to Smoker at Marine Headquarters to heart. Although Smoker's current strength was not yet at the level of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Commodore, he could still be a Commodore at the Headquarters. However, he was only a Lieutenant Commander at the Headquarters and had been assigned to guard the weakest region, the East Blue.
"That's part of the reason, but I volunteered to return to the East Blue. I just want to focus my energy on catching pirates, and besides, this is my hometown. Protecting it is more important than anything else!"
Smoker sat down in the chair that had been helped up, facing Vic. He was close to Aokiji and their ideologies were similar, so he was naturally considered Aokiji. Naturally, the people from Akainu's faction didn't like him.
Moreover, he is a Logia Devil Fruit user, posing a significant threat in the future. The hawks, having found his weakness, naturally want to suppress him relentlessly. However, he doesn't want Vic to know about this, so he hasn't gone into details.
"Did you bring Tashigi along too?"
Vic knew some of the reasons; Gion had told him. However, since Smoker didn't want to talk about it, he didn't bring it up either. He would always cherish this friend, but due to their positions, he couldn't help Smoker advance in his career.
"Yes! I'm worried about leaving her at headquarters, so she's practicing her sword down there right now."
Smoker lit two more cigars and put them in his mouth, nodding his chin twice towards the window. He couldn't quite define Tashigi's place in his heart anymore. She wasn't quite a sister, nor was she quite a daughter; he just wanted to keep her by his side and protect her.
"You're running away! This is a huge obstacle to your improvement. There aren't many strong people in the East Blue. If you continue like this, you'll be forgotten. Right now, you probably can't even beat Ain, let alone Rebecca!"
Vic knew about Smoker's losing streak in the New World, which was all due to his lack of strength. Vic couldn't bear to see how much pain Smoker must have suffered after going through all that!
Smoker isn't much younger than Shanks, but one is already one of the Four Emperors, while the other can only guard Loguetown in the East Blue. He has wasted too much time; the pirates in the East Blue simply can't get past his Logia abilities, and he probably hasn't used any other methods to catch thieves.
"If the navy can't even tolerate someone like you, then I don't care at all. Protecting my little corner of the land is enough for me!"
Smoker was somewhat disheartened, but not as clear-headed and resolute as Dragon. He seemed a bit self-destructive, and there was also the bewilderment that came from the shattering of the glorious image of the Navy in his heart. However, the only thing that remained unchanged was his sense of justice. Even though he was disappointed in the Navy, he still upheld his own sense of justice.
Do you know who's in charge of the Navy?
"Of course I know! They are the Five Elders..."
"Knowing it's them is enough. My situation is too big for the Navy to handle. Sometimes they're not in control of their own lives! I'm fine now, completely free!"
"Are you really not allowed to return to the Navy? I heard there's a special squad within the Navy, which is essentially an external unit and theoretically doesn't need to report to the Five Elders."
"It's no use. I've offended the Celestial Dragons and challenged their authority. They're still eager to get rid of me, but the cost is too high, so they haven't acted until they're absolutely certain!"
I can only be a pirate now, nothing else. Do you know why I survived after killing Celestial Dragons?
Because of my strength and my lack of scruples! They didn't dare push me too far, yet they weren't confident they could kill me. That's why they used my status as one of the Shichibukai to appease me. So only strength can guarantee the success of that crucial decision you've made; everything else is just luck and opportunism!