One piece: Dark Smoker

Smoker and Hina were equally shocked.

"Teacher Zephyr..."

Neither of them expected Zephyr to show up in person.

Hina, in particular, was stunned. She had been on high alert using Observation Haki, worried that Doflamingo might launch a surprise attack. Yet, despite her vigilance, she hadn't sensed Zephyr's presence at all.

Zephyr nodded at Smoker and Hina, then walked casually over to the sofa, where he sat heavily. His sharp gaze landed on Zean.

"Zean, I never expected your time in the North Blue to be so... colorful."

Zean forced a strained smile, one that looked worse than crying.

"Teacher Zephyr, you must be joking..." she said, quickly pulling out a pack of fine cigars, offering them up with both hands before lighting one for him obediently.

Inwardly, she was panicking. She had anticipated Zephyr's arrival but hadn't expected him to arrive at such a precise moment to overhear the incriminating recording. Now, there was no way to explain her way out of this.

Still, she clung to a sliver of hope. She knew her teacher's personality well. Zephyr was strict but warmhearted, someone who scolded harshly yet always cleaned up after his subordinates' mistakes.

But her relief was short-lived.

Before she could catch her breath, another tall figure entered the cabin. Zean's face instantly turned pale.

"Sakazuki... big brother, why are you here too?"

Sakazuki's stern gaze fell on her, his expression unreadable.

"It's been a while, Zean," he said coolly.

Under his piercing stare, beads of sweat formed on Zean's forehead. In a fluster, she stammered, "I-I can explain!"

Zean's connection to Sakazuki ran deep. Back in the North Blue, she had served directly under him. Later, when she became a captain and joined the Navy's elite training program, Sakazuki had been her instructor.

A significant portion of Zean's naval career had been under Sakazuki's guidance. Her early awakening of abilities was largely thanks to his meticulous training.

Sakazuki said nothing further. He approached Zean step by step, forcing her to retreat until she accidentally bumped into a table.

The impact caused the table to shake, and with a soft *thud,* the ill-fated Den Den Mushi fell to the ground.

"Uh..." Smoker began cautiously, "Vice Admiral Sakazuki, that Den Den Mushi is an important piece of evidence. I hope you—"

Before he could finish, Sakazuki stood in front of Zean, his right hand transforming into molten lava.

Smoker froze.

*Wait, is he really going to attack her? That's... direct.*

Zean's eyes welled up with tears. "Sakazuki big brother..."

But Sakazuki's molten hand didn't strike Zean. Instead, he reached down and picked up the Den Den Mushi. With a single squeeze, it was reduced to a lump of charred remains.

Smoker and Hina: "???"

Den Den Mushi: "..."

Sakazuki turned to Zephyr and bowed deeply.

"Teacher Zephyr, I vouch for Zean's character. She would never conspire with Doflamingo. If any issues arise, I will take full responsibility."

Zephyr didn't respond immediately. He continued leafing through Doflamingo's files with an indifferent expression. Finally, he said gruffly, "The evidence is gone now. What's the point of this speech? Do you expect me to convict a rear admiral without proof?"

Then, with a dismissive wave, he added, "Stand up. Since this is the first time I've seen you bow, I'll give you this one."

"Very well. Let's leave it at that. Smoker, inform Garp of the resolution."

"Yes, sir," Smoker replied.

Sakazuki straightened up. "Thank you, Teacher Zephyr."

Zean, overwhelmed with emotion, suddenly threw herself at Sakazuki, hugging his waist tightly. Tears streamed down her face.

"Sakazuki big brother, I knew you'd believe in me!"

Sakazuki stiffened, his usual stoic expression giving way to an awkward, irritated look.

After a moment of fumbling, Sakazuki turned to Smoker and Hina.

"Thank you for looking after Zean."

Smoker, caught off guard, raised an eyebrow. Wasn't the infamous "Red Dog" supposed to be a cold, unapproachable figure? Could it be that beneath the icy exterior lay a warm heart?

Hina, however, glanced between Zean and Sakazuki and came to a sudden realization.

Zean, on the other hand, bristled at Sakazuki's comment.

"Wait a minute! What do you mean by 'looking after me'? I could've handled Doflamingo on my own!"

Sakazuki shot her a stern look. "Don't be ridiculous. If it weren't for them, you'd already be dead."

"Uh..." Zean faltered, looking embarrassed. "When did you and Teacher Zephyr arrive?"

Zephyr, still poring over the documents, replied without looking up, "We got here just as your fight began..."

"Had you not been on the brink of death, I wouldn't have been so lenient about this incident."

Smoker frowned slightly. "Teacher Zephyr, if you and Vice Admiral Sakazuki were here, why did you let him escape?"

Zephyr waved off the concern. "Compared to a small fry like him, it's far more important to know whether my subordinates are clean or not."

"Fair enough..." Smoker said with a resigned sigh.

To Zephyr and Sakazuki, Doflamingo might seem like a minor threat. But Smoker knew just how dangerous that man truly was.

Still, things weren't all bad.

Doflamingo had suffered a significant setback and wouldn't rise to power as he might have otherwise. Plus, there was plenty of leverage to gain from this situation.

Zean caught on to Zephyr's implications and hesitated before asking, "Teacher, are you saying...?"

Zephyr nodded. "Though you did work with Doflamingo, it was merely a case of the underworld devouring itself. There's no crime in that.

"As for the recording, the deliberate editing is far too obvious to be credible.

"This matter won't be held against you, nor will it appear in your record!"

"Really? That's amazing!"

Relief washed over Zean's face. She quickly bowed deeply to Zephyr. "Thank you, Teacher Zephyr!"

Then she turned to Sakazuki, her voice unintentionally rising. "Thank you, Sakazuki big brother!"

The room grew quiet.

Zephyr immersed himself in Doflamingo's files, his expression shifting subtly. Meanwhile, the others stood silently, waiting.

After a while, Zephyr let out a heavy sigh.

"This Doflamingo... Tell me everything you know about him."

All eyes turned to Zean. Among those present, she was the most familiar with Doflamingo.

Without hesitation, Zean began recounting everything—his personality, fighting style, methods, and past exploits.

After gathering most of the intelligence about Doflamingo, Smoker decided to leave out one critical detail—his former identity as a Celestial Dragon. Revealing that would raise questions he couldn't answer.

Zefa rubbed his temples as Smoker finished.

"Smoker, you're right. Letting him go was a mistake!"

Akainu looked intrigued. "Teacher, what's wrong?"

Zefa sighed. "I thought he was just another small-time crook, but he's much more deeply embedded than I expected."

"Countries, pirates, the underworld... even the government and navy—he's infiltrated them all. This level of scheming isn't typical for pirates."

Zean nodded. "I agree. He's incredibly dangerous. If we can eliminate him, we should do it quickly."

Zefa held up the documents. "This situation is bigger than Doflamingo alone. Since the start of the Great Pirate Era, the dark forces have grown immensely. We've tried to infiltrate them, but our efforts haven't been very successful.

"CP seems to have managed, but they hoard their intel and leave us in the dark. It's a frustrating position to be in. However," Zefa smirked, "this might be the perfect opportunity."

The others exchanged puzzled glances.

---

**That night.**

On a quiet, remote island to the east, a small, peaceful town lay in silence.

The tranquility shattered as a dog barked wildly in the streets, only to whimper and fall silent moments later.

Señor Pink helped the injured Doflamingo stagger along, stepping over the mangled remains of the dog. They stopped in front of the town's largest mansion.

"Young master, this is the tallest building here," Señor Pink reported.

Doflamingo nodded, and the two entered. Screams soon echoed from the mansion, and blood splattered against the windows.

Eventually, Pica and Diamante arrived, following the pre-arranged emergency plan for the Donquixote Pirates. When separated, they regrouped at the tallest building on the nearest island.

"Young master, are you alright?!" Pica asked, rushing forward.

Diamante fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

"This is all my fault! If only I had been stronger..."

Doflamingo chuckled darkly. "What's done is done. For the family, I'd sacrifice anything. But now, tell me everything that happened while I was away."

The three recounted their battles, though Diamante carefully omitted the details of his earlier blunders.

Hearing their accounts, Doflamingo covered his face in frustration.

"So it was my impulsiveness... I not only failed to secure navy support but also pushed Zean to become my enemy. And Trebol..."

He had saved Diamante but lost Trebol, along with most of his crew, resources, and assets. In a single night, Doflamingo was left with nothing.

"Where's Vergo?" Diamante asked.

"He's on a separate mission," Doflamingo replied curtly.

"So, what's the plan now?"

A sinister grin spread across Doflamingo's face.

"Simple. We rebuild. This small setback won't crush my ambition. We'll start here, with this town."

---

As dawn broke, early risers in the town discovered the mansion's doors wide open. One curious villager stepped inside, only to stumble upon a bloodbath. Screaming in horror, they alerted the others.

Hearing the commotion, Pica turned to Doflamingo. "Young master..."

Doflamingo's voice was cold. "These noisy ants are a nuisance. Silence them."

Pica nodded. "As you wish."

He melded into the walls, and moments later, the screams outside were cut short, leaving only eerie silence. The once-vibrant townspeople were now lifeless remnants.

As Doflamingo and his group stepped over the carnage, heading toward the outskirts, they heard faint crying.

"Papa... Mama... What happened to everyone?"

The sobbing belonged to a small green-haired girl carrying a baby on her back. Despite her tears, she desperately tried to pull her companions to safety.

But the other children, frozen with fear, either vomited, broke down, or pushed her away. Undeterred, the girl wiped her tears and resolutely walked toward the forest alone, the baby still clinging to her back.

Watching her from a distance, Doflamingo licked his lips.

"Señor, follow that girl."

"Yes, young master!" Señor Pink nodded and vanished into the shadows.

Doflamingo turned to Pica. "Deal with the rest."

"As you command."

Doflamingo chuckled as he watched Pica vanish.

"Children, huh? Perhaps they hold potential. After all... pirates should be groomed from a young age."