"I can't make that decision," Smoker replied after a brief pause to think.
"Well then," Kairos Flint said with a casual shrug, "if that's the case, I guess I've got no other choice."
He turned and added calmly, yet pointedly, "Looks like I'll have to sell some news to make up for the villagers' losses. For instance, something along the lines of: 'East Blue Naval Captain colludes with pirates and oppresses innocent civilians for nearly eight years, leading to tens of thousands of deaths'. I imagine Morgans would pay top beli for a story like that. Or how about this one: 'A Navy officer teams up with the Dragon Pirates to murder a retired marine, and then coerces her two adopted daughters into a life of misery.' Sounds juicy, doesn't it?"
It wasn't so much a suggestion—it was leverage. Kairos was making his intentions clear.
"Are you threatening me?" Smoker asked darkly, his expression hardening.
But he couldn't deny that the scenario Kairos painted had struck a nerve.
And if such information were handed over to Morgans and his World Economic News, it wouldn't stop there. Smoker knew of Morgans' infamous thirst for "big news." He had a reputation for spinning half-truths into national scandals, exaggerating details or even fabricating entire narratives just to sell papers.
"This isn't a threat," Kairos replied with a sly smile. "It's a friendly reminder."
Then he gently pulled Nami forward.
"Do you recognize my companion?" he asked. "No need to answer. I know you're not suffering from memory loss."
His tone turned serious, sharp.
"But you do know her. Her adoptive mother was a Navy officer. When the Dragon Pirates invaded, she stood her ground and died protecting her village. After that, Nami had no choice but to join the Dragon Pirates. She made a deal—100 million beli to buy back her village's freedom."
He paused.
"As a human being, you understand that a pirate's word means nothing. But she still clung to that one sliver of hope. For eight years, she endured that life—fighting, stealing, surviving—just to raise that money. Do you have any idea how many times she came close to dying for it?"
"And now, all I'm asking is that you return the money that rightfully belongs to the villagers. Why did so many villages suffer? Why did so many people die? It wasn't just the pirates. It was because of the Navy's silence. The Navy's corruption."
Then his voice rose into a roar.
"Smoker! Can you look me in the eye and tell me—tell the world—that your Navy bears no responsibility for this? That you don't owe these people anything?!"
The accusation echoed.
Smoker said nothing. He couldn't. Because Kairos was right.
The villages had suffered because of Navy corruption. Because of complacency. Because of men like Captain Nezumi.
"...I understand," Smoker finally said, his voice low but resolute. "Once the investigation is complete and we recover the stolen funds, I'll see that the money is sent to the villagers."
And with that, he turned away, walking back toward the warship.
He had nothing more to say. Not now.
His next destination: the 16th Branch of the East Blue Navy. There, he would dig up every ounce of evidence of Captain Nezumi's collusion with the Dragon Pirates, recover every beli, and bring justice the only way he still could.
"Colonel Smoker, this isn't exactly Navy protocol..." Tashigi said as she caught up behind him, clearly worried. "If the higher-ups hear about this—"
"I'll deal with them," Smoker cut her off coldly.
The higher-ups? Let them talk. By the time anyone at HQ heard about this, the money would already be in the hands of the villagers. Even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku came down personally, all he could do was grumble and slap him on the wrist.
Besides, Smoker had leverage too.
He had a powerful Devil Fruit. He had allies. He had a teacher. When push came to shove, his connections ran deep. He could survive the backlash.
After Smoker and his team arrested Captain Nezumi and his corrupt marines, they sailed off into the distance.
Kairos stood still, watching the ship disappear beyond the horizon.
Only then did he lower his gaze and let out a long sigh.
"Acting really wears you out..."
The passionate speech he had delivered earlier—the outrage, the fury, the conviction—was all mostly an act. An emotional performance. But it was necessary. Otherwise, how would he have shaken Smoker into action? How else could he get a Navy officer to abandon protocol and return the villagers' money?
"At least it's done now," Kairos muttered to himself.
This had been the most complicated task he'd taken on so far.
He wasn't just dealing with villains this time. He had to factor in Nami's past, her trauma, her sacrifices. He couldn't just bulldoze through it for his own goals. He had to weave everything together, piece by piece.
It was exhausting.
Fortunately, he knew Smoker. If he hadn't known the kind of man Smoker was, if he'd misjudged him or picked the wrong officer to confront—then chances are, the moment Captain Nezumi's name came up, the Navy would have sent a bounty hunter after him instead.
He might've ended up with a brand-new bounty on his head within a matter of days.
But thankfully, that didn't happen.
"Thanks," a voice said softly behind him.
He turned—and froze.
It was Nami.
Before he could react, she stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek.
His eyes went wide.
That was… forward. Unexpectedly forward. A full-on sneak attack.
No. He couldn't let that slide.
He needed to fight back.
And so, another battle began—this time, not with weapons, but with words and blushing cheeks.
The war of affection had begun.