The day.

  Hina woke up in Smoker's arms.

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

  The veniences of a Logia-type ability were undeniable. She hadn’t o open her door in weeks.

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

  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 Smo get him up! Do you know what time it is?!” Hina snapped, embarrassed and flustered.

  “Oh... on it!”

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

  Jakie rubbed his , snickering. “Isn’t this eople mean by wanting to crawl into a hole and hide?”

  Gion shot him a gre. “You 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.

  “ht! Last time Mouse brought bae chocotes from his hometown in the North Sea. Want some?”

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

  “Of course I want them! Hand them ion demanded, reag out unapologetically.

  Jakie hahem 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 pyed the long game, showing thoughtfulness araint while letting his as speak for him.

  With Smoker as the strategist and Hina as his wingwoman, Jakie had steadily bee a stant prese Gion’s side.

  It turned out that for someone who valued appearahe 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. e 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 pn to self-fund military operations, and Vice Admiral Tsuru wao talk to him personally.

  “Got it! I’ll head ht 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 plotlisuru’s grasp of intelligend strategy was unmatched. Even someone as brilliant as Sengoku wouldn’t ignore her insights.

  Smrabbed his coat aured 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 isnd some distance from Marineford.

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

  When they got closer, Smoker reized Vice Admiral Tsuru.

  But what surprised him was the tall figure in a cloak standing beside her. It was her than Sakazuki, known as "Akainu."

  “Good day, Captain Smoker, ander Hina,” Tsuru greeted warmly.

  “I believe this is the first time we’ve met formally.”

  Tsuru approached with a smile. Uhe frail, elderly figure from the main storylihis version of Tsuru right, sharp, and radiated fidence. Her eyes gleamed with intelligence.

  Although her demeanor was gentle, her Smoker nor Hina dared to rex. They immediately saluted her with the utmost respect.

  Tsuru smiled faintly.

  “o 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 wao hear more details...”

  Sm 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 expining his pn iail, outlining his strategies and the reasoning behind them.

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

  When he fisuru and Hina maintained calm expressions.

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

  This kid… His ambitions are enormous...

  More impressively, the pn 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 o stop at disrupting the sve trade. We could infiltrate the entire web of the underworld emperors’ industries.”

  “These ventures wouldn’t just gee military funding; they’d provide intelligend even political leverage.”

  Smoker inhaled sharply.

  No wosuru 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 terparts.

  If the Navy truly set aside its honor, they could easily dismantle operations like Umit the Sea King’s shipping empire ibson the cealer’s smuggliwork.

  Even a modest intervention would carve out signifit gains.

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

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

  Tampering there was risky, especially sihe Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy, was a gover spy. Any interference could trigger unwatention.

  ons and gambling are covered. Drugs… well, there’s only Caesar ’s dy that I know of.

  He’s probably still w under Vegapunk and hasn’t ied it yet.

  Should I hings along, have him develop the dy as a luxury exclusively for the Celestial Dragons?

  As Smoker’s thoughts wasuru turo Akainu.

  “What do you think, Sakazuki?”

  Though Akainu was already a didate for admiral, practically guarao achieve the rank, he remained deferential toward Tsuru.

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

  “The pn is solid overall,” Akainu said, his deep voice carrying a weight of authority. “But there’s one issue.”

  “Sve 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 ’t openly intervene. Everything will depend on you.”

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

  Tsuru nodded in agreement.

  “I’ve also heard the Wover is pnning to fully implement the Pirate Amy system. That could disrupt your pns.”

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

  The Wover had long sidered this initiative but wasn’t particurly motivated due to pirates’ unruly nature.

  Until retly, only Crocodile and someone named Orly had joihe Warlords.

  But with the Navy’s strength now signifitly bolstered, the gover was recruiting powerful pirates to fill the remaining slots in the Warlord ranks as a terbance.

  Smoker houghtfully.

  “They’ll definitely create plications. Vice Admiral Sakazuki, do you have any suggestions?”

  Akainu’s gaze sharpened, and his tourned intense.

  “Every suggestion begins with strength.”

  He removed his cloak and slowly advaoward Smoker.

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

  “It’s been years since we st sparred...”

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

  Smoker smirked, his hands turni bck as Haki surged through them.

  “Jumping straight to abilities now, are we?”

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

  “Let me assure you, I’m not the same man you faced five years ago.”