Chapter 45 - Executed on the Spot

"Brother!"

Charles forced a fawning and awkward smile as he turned to the "great pirate" beside him and said, "The Navy Headquarters people are right here. As a pirate, you can't escape their attention either."

All the arrogance he had shown when dealing with the weak pirates of the East Blue was completely gone. Now, he was all about mutual benefit.

Smoker didn't respond. He simply turned his eyes—eyes filled with a complex expression difficult for others to read—toward Commander Hammer in the distance.

Commander Hammer also took a moment to size up the so-called reinforcements Charles had called in. The thug was over six feet tall, his body thick and muscular like a white bear. Sharp eyes like a hawk gleamed from beneath silver-white short hair, as stiff as iron bristles. His face was as fierce as a hungry tiger's, with two thick cigars spewing smoke from his mouth. He held a dark, metallic jitte in his hand, exuding the aura of a true demon of the seas.

"Excellent!"

Commander Hammer's eyes lit up, and he immediately tried to recruit the "great pirate" to his side.

"You there, Pirate! Help me kill that troublesome brat, and I'll give you whatever reward you want!"

Still, Smoker said nothing. He simply raised his heavy jitte as if preparing to join the fight.

Seeing this, Charles relaxed and turned his gaze toward Garen, who was still locked in a standoff with Hammer. His posture now screamed, Let's work together to crush this rebel.

Wham!

A righteous smack landed squarely on Charles' head.

Before Lieutenant Charles could even react to who had ambushed him from behind, he collapsed, half-dead, under the weight of Smoker's powerful blow with his jitte.

"You?!"

Commander Hammer stared at Smoker, equal parts fear and disbelief written across his face.

Meanwhile, Garen looked visibly relieved. Casually plunging his greatsword into the ground, he stood by, quietly regenerating his health while waiting for the show to unfold.

"I really got to see it for myself—"

Smoker finally broke his silence, his voice deep and cold.

"You people... are trash."

As soon as he spoke, thick smoke began to rise from Smoker's body.

In the blink of an eye, his massive figure turned into a swirling mass of white smoke, spiraling through the air as it charged straight at Commander Hammer.

Hammer, already exhausted from his long battle with Garen, had no strength left to resist.

In a single exchange, Smoker's smoke-like form had bound Hammer's limbs. Then, Smoker re-formed his upper body and viciously locked Hammer's neck with his jitte, slamming the man's face into the ground.

"You—"

Hammer clenched his teeth, barely able to speak.

"You really are... Smoker!"

"That's right," Smoker replied coldly.

"I'm the one you wanted dead."

"Dammit! Damn it all!"

Hammer growled, face twisted with unwillingness.

"Just a few more days and I would've gotten away clean!"

"Still dreaming of getting away clean?"

Smoker spat out a mouthful of smoke and replied icily,

"You're dying today."

With that, Smoker resumed his full human form and stomped hard on Hammer's back, pinning him down. He slowly raised his heavy jitte.

"Wait!"

Commander Hammer suddenly calmed down and said, somewhat composed,

"You can't kill me!"

Smoker's hand froze mid-swing.

"You've captured me—I'm a Navy officer. If I've committed a crime, I should be judged by the Navy's military tribunal!"

Hammer, struggling beneath Smoker's foot, added,

"You don't have the authority to execute me!"

Maybe it was because the Impel Down prison had too much food to waste, so they liked tossing in extra freeloaders. In this world, even when pirates are captured, they're not necessarily executed on the spot.

As for corrupt Navy officers, the organization had its own internal disciplinary procedures.

Without explicit orders from the higher-ups or the World Government, almost no one in the Navy—besides Akainu—would kill a captured criminal on the spot. The few iron-blooded officers who did were often branded as "cold-blooded murderers."

Hammer's voice rose in pitch, nearly shouting at Smoker:

"Smoker! If you pride yourself on justice, then don't go against Navy regulations!"

Smoker's face darkened, and his hand holding the jitte began to tremble slightly.

A long silence followed.

Eventually, Smoker slowly lowered his weapon.

His other hand transformed into snake-like tendrils of smoke, tightly binding Commander Hammer's body.

Strangely, Hammer looked relieved.

He knew he had just dodged death—at least for now.

"Smoker! You're seriously not going to kill this guy?!"

Garen walked over with his greatsword, looking genuinely shocked.

He'd been standing by, ready to swoop in and steal the final blow for that sweet experience gain.

But Smoker had dropped the killing intent.

Smoker took a long drag of his cigar, frustration evident on his face.

"This is the Navy's protocol," he said, voice rough.

"Captured corrupt officers must be sent to the headquarters' military court for judgment."

"..."

Garen fell silent. He glanced irritably at the bound Commander Hammer—

The guy looked like he'd just received a get-out-of-jail-free card, completely unafraid of death now.

Smoker noticed Garen's displeasure. He himself was seething with it.

But as a Navy officer, Smoker had no choice but to force himself to believe in the justice of the institution.

He said in a low voice,

"Don't worry. With this guy's crime of murdering a superior officer, even the military court will sentence him to death!"

Garen's expression, however, remained sullen. What he wanted wasn't just justice—it was justice with experience points.

He still hadn't put away his greatsword.

Suddenly—

"Ha... hahahaha..."

A mocking laugh rang out beside them. The source? Commander Hammer, the man who'd already lost.

"So laughable!"

Hammer laughed maniacally, his eyes tearing up from how hard he was grinning.

"You're already a captain, and yet..."

"You still don't understand what so-called justice really is?!"

"Death sentence?"

He pointed at his still-intact head and, with the air of a seasoned mentor, began to lecture the naive junior before him.

"You think all the money I've saved over the years was for nothing? I've been prepared for this exact situation!"

"As long as the money's right, a death sentence can be reduced to life in prison!"

"Serve a few years, and once the heat dies down, they'll knock it down to a fixed-term sentence for 'good behavior!'"

"If I'm lucky, you might even see me again sailing the seas in a few years!"

Smoker's face turned pitch black.

"This is what you call justice..."

Hammer's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Those bloated fat cats in charge can stamp a few papers from behind their desks and just swallow all the money I've scraped together over the years!"

"Heh..."

Hammer's words were like demonic whispers gnawing at Smoker's mind.

"Carrying the word 'justice' on your back makes making money so much easier!"

Smoker clenched his teeth, eyes ablaze with fury.

"What now?"

Hammer taunted, thoroughly enjoying his "mentor moment" as he sneered:

"If you stick to the Navy's justice, you can't kill me!"

"But if you don't kill me, then I might just use that very same justice to walk away scot-free!"

"So what will you do?"

Smoker trembled with rage, his expression full of inner turmoil and pain.

His mind was in chaos.

Even his own teacher, Admiral Zephyr, had been haunted by this very dilemma.

Hammer opened his mouth to continue—

But a greatsword was suddenly pressed to his neck.

"You—what are you doing?"

Hammer exclaimed in surprise.

"Even your commanding officer didn't kill me!"

"Eh?"

Garen casually pressed the blade a little closer and replied with innocent eyes:

"Don't get me wrong. I never said I was in the Navy."

Hammer's face went pale as ash.

"Hey, Commander Hammer,"

Garen said, his tone dripping with malice as the sword edged closer,

"How does this headline sound: Loguetown Navy Corruption Scandal—Commander Hammer Resists Arrest, Executed on the Spot.'"

Panic filled Hammer's eyes. He turned to Smoker for help.

Smoker remained silent.

After a few breaths, he simply turned around with a grim expression.

"...This is why I never wanted to be a Navy officer,"

Garen sighed softly, raising his greatsword.

"Because if I were..."

"Scum like you would still be alive."

With one clean stroke, the blade fell.

(End of Chapter)