Chapter 72 Meeting with the Chief of Staff

The next day.

Hina woke up in Smoker's arms.

After freshening up and getting dressed, she turned into a wisp of smoke and slipped out through the door crack.

The conveniences of a Logia-type ability were undeniable. She hadn't needed to open her door in weeks.

Hina stepped into the courtyard, basking in the warm sunlight. She stretched her arms out, enjoying the peaceful morning.

Suddenly, a teasing voice broke the tranquility.

"Well, well, Hina. Had a rough night, huh?"

"?!!"

Hina's face turned red as she spun around, only to see Gion grinning at her.

Behind her Jakie chuckled slyly, his expression full of mischief.

"Where's Smoker? Go get him up! Do you know what time it is?!" Hina snapped, embarrassed and flustered.

"Oh... on it!"

Flushing bright red, Hina quickly turned back into smoke and darted through the door crack again.

Jakie rubbed his chin, snickering. "Isn't this what people mean by wanting to crawl into a hole and hide?"

Gion shot him a glare. "You can tease Smoker all you want, but don't bully Hina. She's a shy one, my little sister."

"Of course, of course..." Jakie nodded quickly but muttered inwardly, Who's the one driving here? I just followed your lead!

Naturally, he wouldn't dare voice this thought.

"Oh, right! Last time Mouse brought back some chocolates from his hometown in the North Sea. Want some?"

As he spoke, he pulled out several packs of chocolate.

"Of course I want them! Hand them over!" Gion demanded, reaching out unapologetically.

Jakie handed them over with a grin.

Over the past few years, he had diligently followed Smoker's advice: speak less, do more, and master the art of subtle advances.

He played the long game, showing thoughtfulness and restraint while letting his actions speak for him.

With Smoker as the strategist and Hina as his wingwoman, Jakie had steadily become a constant presence at Gion's side.

It turned out that for someone who valued appearances, the key was to be present, thoughtful, and supportive, letting feelings develop over time.

At that moment, the door opened, and Smoker stepped out, looking like he'd barely survived the night.

"Ah, sorry, overslept. Come on in, both of you," he said groggily.

But Jakie and Gion didn't step inside. Instead, they informed Smoker that he was needed for a meeting.

Apparently, Zephyr and several high-ranking officers had discussed Smoker's plan to self-fund military operations, and Vice Admiral Tsuru wanted to talk to him personally.

"Got it! I'll head over right away. I wouldn't want to keep Vice Admiral Tsuru waiting," Smoker said, genuinely eager to hear the Navy strategist's thoughts.

Although he had the advantage of knowing the future plotlines, Tsuru's grasp of intelligence and strategy was unmatched. Even someone as brilliant as Sengoku wouldn't ignore her insights.

Smoker grabbed his coat and gestured for Hina to join him as they followed Jakie and Gion.

He expected the meeting to be held in an office or somewhere within Marineford. To his surprise, they were led onto a battleship, which set sail for an uninhabited island some distance from Marineford.

After half a day of sailing, they arrived at the island. From afar, Smoker could see two figures standing at the center of the island.

When they got closer, Smoker recognized Vice Admiral Tsuru.

But what surprised him was the tall figure in a cloak standing beside her. It was none other than Sakazuki, known as "Akainu."

"Good day, Captain Smoker, Commander Hina," Tsuru greeted warmly.

"I believe this is the first time we've met formally."

Tsuru approached with a smile. Unlike the frail, elderly figure from the main storyline, this version of Tsuru was upright, sharp, and radiated confidence. Her eyes gleamed with intelligence.

Although her demeanor was gentle, neither Smoker nor Hina dared to relax. They immediately saluted her with the utmost respect.

Tsuru smiled faintly.

"No need to be so formal. If anything, it's bold of me to summon you both here today."

"Zephyr mentioned your proposal, and I'm quite intrigued. I wanted to hear more details..."

Smoker glanced at Akainu standing nearby.

Recalling the dynamics of the strong in this world, Smoker remembered Akainu had once been Tsuru's subordinate. If Tsuru had brought him along, it likely meant he was "one of them."

As for Jakie and Gion, they were probably trustworthy as well.

Nodding, Smoker replied, "Of course, Vice Admiral Tsuru."

He then began explaining his plan in detail, outlining his strategies and the reasoning behind them.

Tsuru listened intently, occasionally interrupting to ask pointed questions, which Smoker answered thoughtfully.

When he finished, Tsuru and Hina maintained calm expressions.

However, Jakie and Gion were utterly dumbfounded, their jaws practically on the ground. Even Akainu looked surprised, his usual stoicism faltering.

This kid… His ambitions are enormous...

More impressively, the plan seemed entirely feasible.

Tsuru rubbed her temples thoughtfully before speaking.

"You've given me a new perspective."

"If you think about it, the Navy's involvement doesn't need to stop at disrupting the slave trade. We could infiltrate the entire web of the underworld emperors' industries."

"These ventures wouldn't just generate military funding; they'd provide intelligence and even political leverage."

Smoker inhaled sharply.

No wonder Tsuru was the Navy's strategic mastermind—her ambitions were broader than his own. Truly a formidable leader who stood shoulder to shoulder with her male counterparts.

If the Navy truly set aside its honor, they could easily dismantle operations like Umit the Sea King's shipping empire or Gibson the Concealer's smuggling network.

Even a modest intervention would carve out significant gains.

In fact, Zephyr's operations in the underworld had already flourished with minimal support from the Navy, nearly monopolizing the gambling sector.

Of course, there were exceptions, like the pleasure districts.

Tampering there was risky, especially since the Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy, was a government spy. Any interference could trigger unwanted attention.

Weapons and gambling are covered. Drugs… well, there's only Caesar Clown's candy that I know of.

He's probably still working under Vegapunk and hasn't invented it yet.

Should I nudge things along, have him develop the candy as a luxury exclusively for the Celestial Dragons?

As Smoker's thoughts wandered, Tsuru turned to Akainu.

"What do you think, Sakazuki?"

Though Akainu was already a candidate for admiral, practically guaranteed to achieve the rank, he remained deferential toward Tsuru.

His respect for her was greater than for even Sengoku or Garp, whose fame and strength eclipsed hers.

"The plan is solid overall," Akainu said, his deep voice carrying a weight of authority. "But there's one issue."

"Slave trading is likely the first step in this operation, correct? If I'm not mistaken, Smoker, you'll be overseeing it."

"In the early stages, the Navy can't openly intervene. Everything will depend on you."

"With greedy pirates and ruthless underworld powers in the mix, can you hold onto this industry?"

Tsuru nodded in agreement.

"I've also heard the World Government is planning to fully implement the Pirate Amnesty system. That could disrupt your plans."

The Pirate Amnesty system? The Seven Warlords of the Sea?

The World Government had long considered this initiative but wasn't particularly motivated due to pirates' unruly nature.

Until recently, only Crocodile and someone named Orly had joined the Warlords.

But with the Navy's strength now significantly bolstered, the government was recruiting powerful pirates to fill the remaining slots in the Warlord ranks as a counterbalance.

Smoker nodded thoughtfully.

"They'll definitely create complications. Vice Admiral Sakazuki, do you have any suggestions?"

Akainu's gaze sharpened, and his tone turned intense.

"Every suggestion begins with strength."

He removed his cloak and slowly advanced toward Smoker.

His right arm transformed into blazing magma, dripping onto the ground and leaving molten craters in its wake.

"It's been years since we last sparred..."

"Smoker, I want to see if you have the strength to carve this path for the Navy!"

Smoker smirked, his hands turning jet black as Haki surged through them.

"Jumping straight to abilities now, are we?"

In their previous sparring sessions, Akainu had relied heavily on physical combat.

"Let me assure you, I'm not the same man you faced five years ago."