One piece: Dark Smoker

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In the captain's quarters, Zéon swirled her glass of wine.

"Diamante, since we're just idling here, why don't you tell me what Doflamingo wants from me?"

"Based on your words, I can decide whether to bring my gun or just keep my drink. So, think carefully before you speak."

Diamante chuckled awkwardly. "Lord Zéon, you sure know how to joke."

Then he leaned in a little closer.

"Actually, the proposal is quite simple. Our family wants to use the G2 jurisdiction as our base and start a slave trade operation on the Grand Line!"

"So, we need you to cover for us. Of course, there will be benefits for you as well..."

Zéon froze for a moment. "Slave trade?!"

Her gaze lowered, seemingly deep in thought, before she looked up again after a brief pause.

"Slave trade in the G2 jurisdiction brings in about a hundred billion in profit every year."

"But those businesses are mostly controlled by pirates and underground forces. If you dive in recklessly, there won't even be scraps left."

Diamante burst into laughter.

"Lord Zéon, we're pirates after all!"

"The strong survive, the weak perish. If that day comes, it will be because we weren't strong enough!"

"But... with us as family, the young master will never fail!"

Zéon didn't respond, instead lifting her glass and taking a sip.

Inwardly, however, she thought, "Family, huh…"

Despite her distaste, Zéon had to admit that Doflamingo was indeed talented—audacious, cunning, ruthless... and his strength was commendable.

Too bad he couldn't see things clearly.

Without Whitebeard's overwhelming power, he was prone to playing the "happy family" game.

And he could at least pick reliable people!

Yet his so-called "family" was full of oddballs, each one with inflated egos and little actual power.

Especially Diamante and that sniveling T-bor, their skills largely spent on boasting and talking trash—two walking disasters waiting to happen.

They were loyal, truly, but that was about all they had to offer.

There was one kid with a mushroom head who seemed grounded, but he was too low-key, and Zéon had barely seen him.

Of course, despite her arrogance, Zéon would never voice these thoughts aloud.

After all, she'd been in the system long enough to know how to maintain decorum and avoid direct confrontation.

"I naturally believe in the capabilities of the Doflamingo family, or else I wouldn't have led you on this long detour."

Zéon's mission was to test new artillery developed by the Navy's tech division and gather operational data.

The best choice would have been to lie in wait in an area frequently visited by pirates.

But her curiosity about Doflamingo's offer had brought her to this desolate place.

Because of that, the mission had been unnecessarily prolonged.

In fact, on this ship, there were not only G2 personnel, but also scientists and their guards. The two groups mixed poorly, causing constant friction.

The G2 Navy despised the stubborn, inflexible scientists, while the scientists derided the G2 Navy for their simple-mindedness and brute force.

It wasn't so bad in the short term, but as time wore on, the conflicts grew unbearable, and Zéon couldn't help but feel frustrated.

If it weren't for the higher-ups insisting on this mission, she would have ditched this mess long ago.

In her mind, the detour was already a huge sacrifice.

Diamante slapped his thigh.

"Exactly, Lord Zéon! Your cooperation with the young master would be a powerful alliance! And we are truly sincere!"

Zéon smiled faintly and swirled her wine glass.

"Is that so? I do enjoy working with sincere partners, so here's to a pleasant collaboration!"

Diamante quickly raised his glass, eager to clink it with hers.

But Zéon had already pulled her glass back and was sipping it on her own.

Diamante's expression stiffened, and he awkwardly lowered his glass.

...

On the island's outskirts, amidst the ruins.

Two plumes of smoke, one black and one white, rose into the air.

The white smoke rapidly coalesced, taking on Tashigi's form once again.

Though the bombardment had been intense, it had no effect on a Logia-type user like her.

However, Hina wasn't thinking about herself at the moment.

She hurriedly moved several wooden planks and revealed Smoker, who was trapped beneath.

"Smoker, are you okay?!!"

Compared to Hina, Smoker was in far worse condition.

His body was scorched, with countless wounds covering him. His limbs were twisted and broken, and if not for the dark mist swirling around him, Tina might have thought he was already dead.

Smoker wasn't dead, but he was in Pain.

The intense pain was so overwhelming that just breathing felt like torture.

Fortunately, his strong will kept him conscious, and he managed to absorb some of the damage with his ability.

The recovery process was rapid, and within seconds, Smoker had fully healed, though the aftereffects of the intense pain caused him to tremble, gasping for air.

"Dammit... that hurts like hell!!!"

This was the worst pain he had ever felt.

The explosion had been violent.

His iron block couldn't withstand it.

Countless shrapnel had torn into his body.

The intense heat had carbonized his flesh.

The powerful shockwaves had shattered his limbs.

The pain was unbearable, and the effects of the Dark-Dark Fruit had amplified it by several times.

No wonder Blackbeard had screamed like a baby...

Hina quickly helped him sit up. "Smoker, are you okay?"

Smoker glared at the navy ship with hatred.

"Those bastards, something's off!"

Hina was taken aback. "What do you mean?!"

"Under normal circumstances, the Navy wouldn't open fire on a building."

"Our house clearly looks like a shelter, it shouldn't be a target!"

"Well..." Hina's gaze wandered a bit.

"Uh... yesterday the wall had a hole in it, and since we were low on wood, I used a pirate flag to cover it..."

Smoker: "..."

On the warship, Zéon stood by the command room window, gazing out at the small island in the distance.

"When will your young master arrive?!"

Diamante stood up. "After the last day, you'll be able to meet him!"

Zéon narrowed her eyes.

This island looked interesting.

"Get in touch with Doflamingo and change the meeting location. I'll wait for him on this island!"

Diamante froze, then hurriedly said, "Wait, but..."

"No buts. That's the plan. Unless..." Zéon cut him off, her voice growing firm.

Here's a smoother English adaptation of the passage while maintaining the original character names and atmosphere:

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Zeon's gaze became dangerous. "What surprise have you prepared for me?"

Diamante froze for a moment, then chuckled awkwardly. "What are you talking about... Alright, I'll contact the young master right now!"

Diamante felt helpless. Though he was a prominent figure in the North Sea, in front of Zain, he had no room to be arrogant.

He moved to the corner and began contacting Doflamingo through the transponder snail.

Meanwhile, the warship began to turn, slowly heading toward the island.

Hina watched from a distance as the warship approached.

"Great! Smoker, the warship is here! We're saved!" she exclaimed.

Smoker patted Hina's shoulder. "Don't rush. Let's hide and observe the situation first."

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with that ship.

"Eh?" Hina replied, puzzled.

Despite her strange feeling, she kept quiet and followed Smoker as they hid in the forest.

Soon, the warship docked near the ruins of the house.

Zeon disembarked and looked at the wreckage, clicking his tongue in admiration.

With just one shot, the house was reduced to rubble. It seemed the new cannonball technology was quite effective...

Then, a group of scientists in white lab coats hurried down, completely ignoring Zeon as they began studying the debris.

Zeon knew what kind of people these scientists were and didn't care much for them, so he turned and walked away, summoning several officers.

"Pass my orders. The guards of the science team are to stay here and ensure their safety."

"Everyone else, search the area. See if there are any pirates hiding here!"

"Yes, sir!"

The navy began to act on the orders.

At that moment, Diamante casually walked over.

"What a beautiful island... I'm going to stretch my legs, and once the young master arrives, I'll come find you!" he said.

Zeon had no objections. Diamante was a pirate, and though everyone here was his trusted subordinate, it was always good to have fewer eyes on things.

Diamante, carrying a sword, made his way off with a crab-like walk.

Seeing him leave, a Navy captain walked up to Zeon and whispered, "Major, should we..."

He made a throat-slitting gesture.

This captain was one of Zeon's trusted subordinates from the North Sea and was one of the few who knew Diamante's identity.

Zeon paused for a moment, thinking it over.

"Not yet. Send a few of our own men to follow him..."

"Yes, sir!"

In the distance, Smoker and Hina were watching the coast through binoculars.

Although Smoker had been in this world for quite some time, he didn't know many people aside from those from the original storyline. So, Tina played the role of guide.

"Those in white coats are from the Navy's science division!" she explained.

"The female officer is Zeon! She's the princess of the Todenau Kingdom in the North Sea."

"She was a colonel in the North Sea before, and after wiping out dozens of dark forces, she was promoted to the Navy Headquarters."

"Recently, she was appointed as the vice-commander of the G2 branch!"

"North Sea, huh..." Smoker instinctively thought of Doflamingo.

"Who else is high-ranking in G2?"

"The branch commander is Rear Admiral Kaisha, and the vice-commander is Major General Gumer and Major Zain!"

"I see..." Smoker nodded. "It seems there's no issue with their identity. We could head out now..."

Suddenly, Hina raised her eyebrows. "Hey, who's that guy?!"

She was looking at Diamante.

He wasn't wearing a uniform, and didn't seem to be a Navy officer, scientist, or government official. Could he be a noble from another country?

Smoker took a look through the binoculars and froze.

He didn't recognize many people, but Diamante was one of them.

"Ah, it's him... Looks like we can't leave now. This Major General Zeon from North Sea has something is really weird!"

"What do you mean?" Hina was confused.

"Do you know the Doflamingo family from the North Sea? That guy is Diamante, one of the high-ranking members of the Doflamingo Pirates..."

"Are you serious? How can a Navy Major be with pirates?!!"

"I'm not sure... but it looks like Diamante went off on his own. How about we go ask him ourselves?"

...

Diamante was walking through the jungle when he suddenly noticed several scattered footprints.

"Huh? Could there be others on this island?"

If the Navy had discovered unfamiliar footprints, they would have reported it immediately.

But Diamante wasn't Navy, and he was arrogant enough to follow the trail, not caring about the possible consequences. After a while, he found himself on the other side of the island.

On the beach, Hina had changed into a Navy uniform and was quietly waiting for Diamante.

"Well, well, well. Hello there," Diamante sneered as he glanced at Hina's uniform. "A little Navy... Private, is it?"

Hina kept her expression neutral, replying coldly, "Diamante of the Doflamingo Pirates. I never expected someone like you to follow the warship here!"

Diamante's pupils shrank, and he grinned widely. "You really are an ignorant little girl..."

With that, he drew a ribbon from his waist and flicked it into a sword, aiming it at Hina's chest.

Suddenly, Hina transformed into a puff of white smoke and reappeared right in front of Diamante, landing a punch to his chest.

Diamante was caught off guard, quickly raising his cloak.

"Bullfighter Cloak—Return Roll!"

The cloak wrapped around him, transforming into a steel shield. Hinas punch left a dent in the shield, but it didn't cause any harm.

"Damn it... A Logia-type user?!" Diamante cursed under his breath, preparing to retaliate, but before he could, a black hand reached out from behind and grabbed his neck.

Diamante was shocked. As he tried to resist, he realized he couldn't control his cloak anymore.

"Dammit, what's going on?!" he yelled.

The one who had seized him was none other than Smoker.

With the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, Smoker had neutralized Diamante's ability, turning his cloak into a prison.

Smoker sneered. "You've trapped yourself, just like a cocoon."

Diamante roared angrily, "You bastard! Who the hell are you? Let me go!"

But his rage was futile.

What was once an advantage, now left him utterly helpless.

Smoker pulled a Sea Stone pendant from his pocket and placed it around Diamante's neck.

Instantly, Diamante felt his body go limp.

"Dammit... Sea- Stones..." he grumbled.

Hina hadn't expected the battle to be so easy. She stepped forward.

"Smoker, do you need to interrogate him?"

Smoker shook his head. "No need. Though this guy's an idiot, he won't betray his captain!"

"That's right! I won't sell out Doflamingo!!"

Smoker ignored him, carefully avoiding the Sea Stone, and pulled a transponder snail from Diamante's pocket.

"As expected, it's a long-range transponder snail. This is perfect!"

"With this, even without taking the G2 warship, we can still contact headquarters for rescue."

Hina sighed in relief. "At least we have some good news..."

"But I'm still curious... Why would a pirate be on the warship? Let's investigate further!"

"Alright, no problem!" Smoker nodded, then turned to Diamante. "Before we do that, though, there's something I've wanted to try!"

(End of Chapter)