Chapter 303: Smoker!
Roja stood there as he commanded, while the Marines didn’t know why they were unable to defy his words.
Tashigi was stunned for a long time. She felt that this was somewhat natural and couldn’t know the reason. She finally woke up when a large group of Marines led by smoker arrived on the street.
“S… Smoker-san!”
Seeing smoker, Tashigi couldn’t help say his name.
However didn’t pay any attention to her, instead, his gaze was fixed on Roja.
Roja glanced at Smoker and said: “How come you’re so late, they almost run away.”
“They won’t be able to… how come you have time to be here.”
Smoker didn’t see Roja for a long time. Since he left the headquarters, he had done various tasks and his position rose and fell. He reached the position of Rear Admiral before but now he was a Captain.
He was getting further and further from Roja which made it difficult for them to see each other.
“Oh, No wonder you are still a Captain now.”
Roja wasn’t in the least angry with Smoker as he joked: “With that att.i.tude of yours, it’s expected.”
Smoker took the cigar from his mouth and shook his head helplessly: “So you’re here for me. I caught all the pirates that pa.s.sed by while I am here.”
Roja smiled and said: “You’ve done it well.”
At this moment, Tashigi couldn’t help look toward Smoker and ask.
“That… Smoker-san… He is…”
Smoker looked at her and said: “He is the one you admire the most.”
“Huh?!”
Tashigi’s eyes widened as she couldn’t believe it. Then she looked at Roja and she seems to finally react.
She looked at Roja extremely excited and her voice began to stutter and tremble.
“You… You are…”
“Smoker you’re really too hard on them.”
Roja looked at Tashigi without saying anything and then turned to look at Smoker.
Smoker shrugged with ‘I know’ expression.
….
At the Marine base in Loguetown, which was an ordinary base different from the headquarters, all the Marine trainees were very excited. From time to time, they would peek at the door while worship and awe were all you could see on their faces.
Inside the room, Roja and Smoker with some others were standing in front of each other.
“How do you feel here?”
Roja casually looked at the marines below while asking Smoker. He didn’t see Smoker for many years. Smoker’s character was very tough, he didn’t accept any unreasonable orders.
People like Ain and Hina had a higher position now than the original story. They basically stayed in the headquarters while being the subordinates of Roja.
“Fortunately, it’s better than other smoky places.” Smoker made a puff with his cigar as he said.
Roja certainly knows what Smoker was talking about but he didn’t care as he smiled: “I think you are really qualified to say this.”
Smoker’s face stiffened as he said: “It’s not the same.”
Roja smiled and turned toward Tashigi who was standing next to him and said: “Didn’t he say smoky places, isn’t this place full of smoke?”
“Uh…”
Tashigi stood there while her forehead was full of cold sweat. As she heard Roja’s question, she couldn’t answer for a long time.
Tashigi Admired two people in the Marine, the first was Smoker who often takes care of her, and the other one was Roja, the Ghost Sword who all pirates didn’t dare to go out by just hearing his name.
Since Roja began serving the Marine as an Admiral, he recruited Fujitora who is at least as powerful as an Admiral. Also in this period of time, the Marine became stronger which suppressed the pirates.
At least these years the Sea was far better than the years before.
This is one of the reasons Tashigi admires Roja. Another reason is Roja’s name, the Ghost Sword which dominated the sea with just one-handed swordsmanship, this is also made her admire him even more.
“S… Smoker-san is smoking too much…”
Under Roja’s gentle smile, Tashigi felt herself recover slightly from the tension as she answered Roja with a sullen smile.
Cough! Cough!
Smoker almost chocked by the smoke and couldn’t help widen his eyes as he looked at Tashigi.
“Ah?! That… In fact, Smoker-san is doing his job seriously, every time we go to catch pirates he was the first to act…”
Tashigi looked at Smoker as she pulled the good guy card.
Roja looked at this and couldn’t help laugh, while black lines appeared on Smoker’s head.
“What’s so funny?! Smoking is good to be in the limelight. Nothing changed at all. I just heard that you fought with Mihawk and s.n.a.t.c.hed the strongest swordsman t.i.tle from him, is it true?”
Smoker said to Roja.
This sentence didn’t make Roja have any reaction at all, he just laughed. But Tashigi on the other side widened her eyes.
Mihawk? The strongest swordsman on the world?!
She couldn’t help but ask Roja: “Ro… Roja-san… What Smoker-san just said…”
“Ah, I just happened to meet him and had a spar with him, I was slightly better.” Roja smiled at Tashigi as he replied casually.
Boom!
Roja responded casually as he didn’t care about it much, but Tashigi heard this, she felt like her brain had just short-circuited.
“This is… Too Great!”
Tashigi was very excited and could only say that as she didn’t find the words to express her excitement.
Smoker’s mouth opened as he was about to scold her. Roja looked at her strangely.
“What’s so great?”
Look at this, I can’t tell whether it was me or her that defeated Mihawk.
_______________________________________________________________