Actually, ever since Smoker saw Lin Mo catch a bullet barehanded using Armament Haki that morning, he had secretly made a decision.
If Lin Mo wasn't a pirate, then he would recruit him into the Navy!
What impressed him wasn't just Lin Mo's talent in Haki at such a young age, but also his composure and keen observational skills.
Bullets move incredibly fast.
Even if someone could block a bullet, very few could accurately catch it—that required extraordinary perception.
A single mistake could lead to bloody consequences.
But Lin Mo had done it with ease.
That's why Smoker paid such close attention to him.
If he could use this opportunity to get Lin Mo to join the Navy, it would be a win with no downside.
Smoker's intentions were already very clear.
But Lin Mo found it all a bit absurd.
So Smoker had been scheming from the very beginning, just waiting for him to fall into this trap.
If he had wanted to join the Navy, he would've accepted Garp's offer long ago. Why wait until now?
Lin Mo had no intention of fighting, nor did he want to join the Navy. Just as he was about to refuse—
A lazy voice cut in again:
"This kid isn't a pirate, doesn't have a bounty, and hasn't committed any crimes. Isn't this just bullying the weak, Smoker? That's not really your style."
Smoker shot Aokiji an annoyed glare. "Whose side are you even on?"
"I'm on the side of justice, obviously," Aokiji waved him off casually. "No need to always think about fighting. The weather's nice—wouldn't it be better to find a sunny spot and take a nap?"
Smoker: "..."
The way Aokiji put it, it was like he was the one bullying Lin Mo.
A cold sweat appeared on Smoker's forehead.
After all, he was still in his twenties—still young and cared about his image.
"Hey, Lin Mo," Smoker cleared his throat. "It's just a sparring match, nothing serious. Surely you wouldn't refuse that, right?"
Lin Mo replied bluntly, "I refuse."
Smoker choked on his cigar and coughed several times. "Cough cough, fine, then just join the Navy directly."
"No."
"You little brat! Don't push your luck!"
Then Aokiji chimed in again, "Seems like you're the one pushing your luck now, Smoker."
Smoker: "..."
Now he was pissed. "Aokiji, did you come to Loguetown just to make things harder for me?"
"Nope," Aokiji scratched his head innocently. "I'm just stating facts. If he doesn't want to join the Navy, then let him be. Why force him?"
"With Lin Mo's talent, it'd be a shame if he didn't join the Navy. Right now he's just a 'traveler,' but what if he becomes a pirate someday?" Smoker frowned deeply.
Aokiji turned to Lin Mo and asked, "Kid, do you want to be a pirate?"
Lin Mo said with clear annoyance, "Not interested."
"See?" Aokiji turned back to Smoker. "He said he's not interested in being a pirate. Can't you just let him go now?"
Smoker was completely speechless.
Even the marines outside the door were watching awkwardly.
Now he couldn't advance or retreat.
If he really insisted on fighting Lin Mo now, regardless of the outcome, his reputation would take a hit.
What pissed him off most was that this damn Aokiji wasn't helping him at all...
If Lin Mo were a pirate or had a bounty, then he'd at least have a legitimate reason to fight him.
But the kid wasn't a pirate and had no bounty on his head.
That made things difficult.
After weighing the pros and cons, Smoker bit his cigar and begrudgingly said, "Fine, go. But don't give me any reason to chase you down. If you slip up even once, I'll come for you no matter where you are!"
Lin Mo: "..."
With your strength? Spare me.
Lin Mo replied with a casual "Oh."
Smoker stepped aside and gave him room to leave.
Lin Mo exited the office, and with the help of a marine outside, collected his bounty.
Leaving the Marine base, Lin Mo followed the familiar route back to Roger's Tavern.
Rayleigh was chatting with the tavern owner. Seeing Lin Mo return, he smiled and asked, "So, how much did you get?"
Lin Mo pulled out the sorted pile of Berries. He kept 2 million for himself and handed the remaining 2.55 million to Rayleigh.
After all, Rayleigh had captured one more person than he had.
Rayleigh kept 1 million and handed the remaining 1.55 million to the tavern owner.
"Huh? That's way too much, Mr. Rayleigh. I can't accept this," the tavern owner tried to return the money.
Rayleigh grinned. "I'll be staying in Loguetown for a few days. I'll live here at your tavern. Just consider this my tab for drinks and lodging."
"But... that's still too much," the owner said hesitantly. "I really can't accept it."
"If you don't take it, Lin Mo and I are going to find another tavern to drink in."
With that, Rayleigh even stood up.
Helpless, the owner gave in. "Alright, alright, I'll accept it."
Then he looked at Lin Mo and asked, "Kid, you're not from Loguetown, right? If you don't have anywhere to go, feel free to stay here like Mr. Rayleigh. While you're here, drinks are on the house."
Lin Mo nodded. "Okay."
Didn't matter to him where he stayed.
"Lin Mo," Rayleigh suddenly said. "You owe me a drink now."
Lin Mo replied dryly, "Got it."
Rayleigh continued, "Since the owner said all drinks are free until we leave, I guess you'll have to treat me next time we meet."
Lin Mo: "..."
"Hahaha," Rayleigh laughed and took a swig, then opened a bottle for Lin Mo and pushed it over.
Lin Mo silently picked it up and took a sip.
Then—
Footsteps echoed from the tavern entrance.
A group of thuggish men burst in, kicking open the small wooden door and storming inside noisily.
"Bring out all your booze!" yelled the leader—a fat man with two axes hanging at his waist, looking pretty fierce.
"Sorry," the tavern owner said flatly. "This place is already reserved. Go drink somewhere else."
"Hey! Do you know who our boss is?! Talking to him like that, are you looking to die?!"
"If you know what's good for you, bring out the drinks, or we'll smash this place up!"
Just then—
A skinny man with a red snake emblem on his coat and a blue-and-white striped headscarf appeared at the entrance behind the gang.
"Move," the man in the headscarf said coldly.
Two guys blocking the door turned and looked him up and down in disdain.
"Who the hell is this?"
"No idea."
"Trying to act tough? You'd better scram if you don't wanna get hurt!"
They laughed mockingly.
Without a word, the man in the headscarf pulled out a double-barreled pistol and, without even blinking, shot them both in the head.