On a Marine warship.
In a dim, smoke-filled strategy room, a shirtless man stirred awake, lifting his boots off the table and yawning.
"Naptime's over…"
He grabbed a bounty poster resting before him with calloused hands, a cigar burning low in his mouth.
"Two hundred million Berries…"
The man's sharp eyes squinted at the poster. In it, Shirogai Yamikuro stood under a downpour, slick black hair pushed back, his tired but taunting smile frozen mid-glance.
"Hmph. Only two hundred million?" he scoffed. "Those old fossils upstairs are too damn cautious. I told them—skip the steps and put it at a billion straight."
This was Smoker the White Hunter.
"That kid, Shirogai… he's not the kind of pirate some Rear Admiral can handle. Hell, even Vice Admirals will die chasing that bounty."
Smoker exhaled a heavy puff of smoke.
"They're not just underestimating him—they're signing Marine death warrants."
The Den Den Mushi buzzed beside him.
"Boruru boruru… boruru boruru…"
Click.
"This is Smoker."
A brief silence.
Then, a familiar voice erupted.
"Smoker! Hina is very angry! You owe Hina an explanation—what the hell is going on with this Shirogai?!"
Smoker sighed, already knowing what she must have seen.
"You ignored my warning, didn't you? You chased the Straw Hats. So, you've seen what he can do…"
The line went silent again.
Then, after a long pause:
"Yes."
Smoker's gaze returned to the poster on his desk.
"I warned you. He's not like the others. There are always monstrous rookies every year, but this one—he's beyond that. Shirogai is a monster."
"He doesn't need to learn from failure. He's already among the strongest in the world."
Hina's voice lowered with confusion.
"Then why didn't Cipher Pol pick up anything? How can someone this strong come from the East Blue and still be unknown?"
Smoker chuckled darkly.
"Cipher Pol? Please. They serve the Celestial Dragons, not the Marines. Even if they had info on Shirogai, they wouldn't share it with us."
The Den Den Mushi blinked in confusion.
"Why?"
Out at sea, Hina looked out at the smoldering remains of the Swanda Express, its hull cracked open and crew either captured or lost at sea.
Mr. 2 Bon Clay's luck had truly run out.
After fleeing Alabasta, he had crashed directly into a Marine reinforcement fleet. Five warships chased the Swanda Express down. Hina's vessel shattered its hull. Most of the crew were captured. Bon Clay fell into the sea mid-fight—fate unknown.
"Hmph…"
Smoker blew another puff.
"They must've realized his Devil Fruit ability by now. And I bet they're drooling over it."
"What's so special about it?" Hina asked. "I saw him use black smoke. It's similar to your Smoke-Smoke Fruit, right?"
Smoker gave a cold grin.
"What you saw was just him using my Smoke-Smoke Fruit. He learned it—on the spot."
The Den Den Mushi's eyes widened in shock.
"Learned it?!"
"He ate the Talent-Talent Fruit," Smoker said calmly. "He can learn and replicate any Devil Fruit ability he witnesses."
[Talent-Talent Fruit]
"Are you joking?!" Hina shouted. "That sounds like a [God level] power! How is something like that real?"
Smoker leaned back.
"It doesn't guarantee victory. Plenty of powerful Devil Fruits have ended up wasted in the hands of fools."
"But combine Shirogai's intelligence and talent with this ability? You get someone who's not just dangerous—he's unpredictable."
"The first time he saw me use my Smoke ability? He copied it within a few seconds."
The line fell silent. Hina was breathing heavily.
"…No wonder you pushed to raise his bounty to three billion Berries," she finally muttered. "And suggested sending in the Admirals directly."
Smoker slammed the table, cigar nearly falling from his lips.
"And they laughed. They said I was exaggerating!"
"They still think in terms of hierarchy and protocol. But Shirogai's strength scales with every new opponent he faces."
"If he ever witnesses the Admirals' powers… or worse, the Four Emperors…"
He paused.
"…Then we're screwed."
Hina whispered,
"He could copy… Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit… Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit… Kaido's Azure Dragon form… even Admiral Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit…"
"…Aokiji's Ice-Ice… Kizaru's Glint-Glint…"
Her voice trembled.
Smoker's tone darkened.
"That would be a man who's essentially gathered the deadliest abilities of the New World into one body."
"Can you imagine what kind of enemy that would be?"
"…Hina cannot imagine."
Smoker paced the room.
"Well, you'd better start. Because they're trying to recruit him."
"...What?"
"They're offering him the vacant Shichibukai seat. After Crocodile's fall."
"Wait, are they serious?" Hina asked in disbelief. "They think giving him a seat will tame him?"
Smoker gritted his teeth.
"Fools. They're playing with fire."
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