Time passed day by day.
Smoker's daily life consisted of either training or sparring with disgruntled Marines who refused to acknowledge him.
It was monotonous, yet fulfilling.
After quite some time, they finally reached Marine Headquarters.
Smoker stood early at the bow of the ship, staring ahead at the most iconic landmark in the pirate world.
As the warship drew closer, his breathing became heavier.
Back when he saw Marineford in the anime, it hadn't struck him with any particular emotion.
But now, standing before this fortress of war and feeling its oppressive atmosphere and immense authority firsthand, even knowing he wasn't an enemy, he still felt a suffocating pressure.
Once they entered the inner bay, a wave of numbness ran through Smoker's entire body.
The mountainous Marine Headquarters occupied the entire island, casting a massive shadow over the whole inner bay.
It looked like a giant beast coiled in its lair, its sharp claws represented by rows of heavy artillery gleaming with cold light, ready to tear intruders to shreds at any moment.
[So this is the true king of the seas...]
[No wonder it inspires such awe...]
As he marveled at the sight, Garp suddenly appeared behind him.
"Hey, brat! This your first time here, huh? What do you think?!"
The moment he heard Garp's voice, Smoker shuddered instinctively.
It was because, during their voyage, Garp had taken an interest in Smoker's Dark-Dark Fruit and insisted on sparring with him multiple times.
Smoker figured his poor performance last time was due to wearing the Sea Prism Stone pendant, which heavily hindered his abilities.
If he fought at full strength, maybe he wouldn't win, but he should at least last longer than before, right?
After all, chances to test himself against a top-tier powerhouse like Garp didn't come often. This was a rare opportunity!
So, full of confidence, Smoker agreed.
Unfortunately, he lasted only three seconds.
The first two seconds were spent sizing each other up.
In the third, Smoker was slammed headfirst into the deck.
Pendant or no pendant, the outcome didn't change much.
After that, for some mysterious reason, Garp became increasingly interested in the Dark-Dark Fruit and kept pestering Smoker for more rounds.
Thankfully, Garp started holding back a little, letting Smoker endure a bit longer each time.
Though Smoker felt like dying after every match, it wasn't all in vain.
The constant pressure had drastically improved his strength, especially his resilience, which had grown exponentially.
Smoker also came to a firm realization.
In front of this old man, Devil Fruit types, Logia, Paramecia, or whatever, meant nothing.
All those flashy powers were useless.
In fact, Zoan users, with their natural endurance, could at least tank a few more hits.
As Garp suddenly appeared behind him again without a sound, Smoker reflexively trembled and saluted, "Vice Admiral Garp…"
Then he looked back at the towering Marineford and said honestly, "It's… awe-inspiring. The embodiment of justice on the seas."
But in his mind, he couldn't help thinking:
[To face such a stronghold head-on… What kind of monsters must Whitebeard and Shiki be…]
Smoker remembered his first battle with a pirate.
The opponent had only a small bounty, barely worth noting.
Back then, Smoker had just transmigrated and arrogantly assumed he could crush the guy with ease.
But reality slapped him hard.
He had to exhaust every trick he had and gamble with his life to win.
Had the pirate lasted even one more minute, it would've been Smoker's head rolling.
That fight taught him a valuable lesson:
Never judge people in this world with the logic of his previous life.
Take Caribou or Buggy, for example, comic relief in the manga, seemingly harmless.
But before meeting the Straw Hats, they were both ruthless criminals with blood on their hands and enough infamy to make the Marines lose sleep.
If even those kinds of people were already that dangerous… what kind of monsters were the Yonko?
Smoker murmured again, "Marine Headquarters truly lives up to being the symbol of justice."
"Bwahahaha! Wrong! Totally wrong!!" Garp laughed, wagging his finger at a nearby warship docked at the pier.
A few Marines were being chased around like rabbits by their superior officers.
Then he pointed at Smoker.
"The real justice doesn't come from that big ol' building, it comes from people!"
Smoker froze for a moment, then gave a sharp, formal salute.
"Yes, sir! I won't let you down!"
Garp chuckled, then glanced around the base.
"Marineford's fine and all, but it's way too stuffy…"
"I was planning to show you around, but your check-in deadline's almost here. Guess we'll save the tour for next time…"
Smoker's face darkened a little.
This sea voyage had taken a month and a half.
Not because the 161st Branch was that far from Marine Headquarters, but because Garp's sailing route was… let's say, unpredictable.
One day, he'd see a pirate that annoyed him and chase them down for two days to deliver a beating.
The next, he'd detour to a nearby island to buy tea leaves and rice crackers.
Each delay was just a few days, but added together… they doubled the trip.
If Fleet Admiral Sengoku hadn't chewed Garp out over the Den Den Mushi, they'd probably still be drifting around aimlessly.
Smoker looked up at the sky.
The sun had already begun to set, and lights were coming on in various parts of the base.
His registration test was scheduled for the morning after tomorrow.
Which meant he only had one full day left.
He nodded and said sincerely, "Vice Admiral Garp, thank you for looking after me these past few weeks."
Garp waved it off casually, but then added something else.
"Oh right, once you're in the elite program, don't go looking for trouble… but if trouble comes to you, don't hold back either. That place runs on fists!"
"…Oh?" Smoker blinked, then cracked a wicked smile.
Is that so?
Perfect.
All that pent-up frustration from Garp's tough love?
He'd be happy to take it out on some new 'classmates'.
Before long, the ship docked.
Smoker grabbed his documents and headed off to check in, barely making it before the end of the day.
The staff welcomed him warmly.
Not only did they issue him a brand-new Marine uniform, but they also assigned him his own apartment in the residential zone.
Smoker was surprised.
He thought he'd be staying in a shared dormitory, he didn't expect such good conditions!
Marineford wasn't just a military fortress.
Behind it lay a vast residential district where tens of thousands of Marines and their families lived.
Following the map, Smoker weaved his way through the area and finally arrived at one of the outer apartments.
Upon entering, he found the place spacious with a decent layout.
But it clearly hadn't been occupied for a long time, thick dust covered everything, and the furniture was old and broken.
Smoker didn't mind at all.
He took off his pendant and activated his ability.
Darkness spread through the room, swallowing all the dust and debris, even peeling a layer off the walls and ceiling.
Then, from within the darkness, all kinds of furniture and items began to emerge.
In no time, the entire apartment had been renovated and restored.
With everything clean and tidy, and night falling fast, Smoker decided not to train today.
Instead, he pulled out a bottle of wine, set a glass on the table, and prepared to relax with a quiet drink.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Knock knock knock,
"Who's there?!"
A familiar voice answered.
"Ararara~, long time no see, little Smoker, it's me!!"
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter