Sea Circle Calendar Year 1517.
A pirate ship with a pirate flag was quietly docked at Loguetown’s port.
The sunset gradually faded on the horizon, reflecting the desolation in the hearts of the “Sharp Blade Pirates.”
Not long ago.
The pirates of the Sharp Blade Pirates were high-spirited, fantasizing about seizing supplies in Loguetown and making a name for themselves in the Grand Line.
But now, dozens of Marines in white uniforms, armed with weapons, had completely surrounded the Sharp Blade Pirates.
As for the captain of the Sharp Blade Pirates…
At the center, a tall man in a Marine coat, with his chest and abdomen exposed, had knocked the pirate leader holding a sharp long knife to the ground, his face full of disdain.
“A pirate crew with a bounty of seven million thinks they can enter the Grand Line? Overestimating themselves!”
Curiously, the weapon used by the tall Marine was not a sword but a jitte with a Seastone embedded at the tip.
“Have all the remaining pirates been captured?” the tall Marine asked the nearby Marine.
The Marine immediately stepped forward to report.
“Report to Captain Smoker, all members of the Sharp Blade Pirates have been captured.”
Smoker put away his weapon and lit a cigar in his mouth, white smoke rising, slightly obscuring his somewhat fierce face.
“What are our casualties?”
“Report, Captain. We have five Marines injured, three of whom were shot and seriously wounded. They are expected to need several months to recover.”
“… Get them treated as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.”
…
After handling the scene.
Smoker turned and walked towards the center of Loguetown.
Facing the central street, the entrance had a triangular archway, and the streets around it were lined with various shops, very bustling.
At this moment, the citizens gathered in front of the archway, seeing Smoker easily subdue a pirate crew, couldn’t help but cheer.
“As expected of Captain Smoker!”
“Yes, since Captain Smoker arrived, the order in Loguetown has become peaceful. It’s really great!”
“Catch all those pirates, long live the Marines! Long live the Marines!!!”
Amid the cheers of the citizens, Smoker led the Marines and the captured pirates into the central street.
Despite the cheers and jubilation of the crowd.
The smoker was not in a good mood.
Since Roger opened the Great Pirate Era, countless people had swarmed to the Grand Line, searching for the legendary great treasure left by the Pirate King.
The number of pirates had rapidly expanded!
And the Marines?
Although the Marine numbers were still more significant than those of the pirates under the World Government’s recruitment, the number of young people willing to become Marines was far less compared to the ever-increasing number of pirates.
Over time, the threat posed by the Marines to the pirates would inevitably decrease.
Besides.
Pirates don’t produce; they only plunder and destroy, causing numerous tragedies of ruined families, with the ultimate suffering falling on ordinary civilians.
Worried, Smoker couldn’t help but ask the adjutant behind him.
“How is the recruitment of new Marines going?”
The number of Marines in Loguetown was not large. In many battles against pirates, many Marines were temporarily unable to serve due to injuries, and there were also brave Marines who sacrificed their lives. Hence, the recruitment of new soldiers was very important.
The adjutant immediately took out a report and answered, “Sorry, Captain Smoker, I forgot to report to you. This month, only twenty-seven young people came to Loguetown’s recruitment office, and only nineteen passed the screening.”
“Is that so?”
Smoker took the new recruit report and began to flip through it, but he didn’t see any particularly outstanding individuals on the list.
This was quite normal.
After all, most people with dreams and talents would choose to become pirates who didn’t have to follow orders, making it extremely rare for the Marines to recruit exceptional talent.
In this regard, Smoker was powerless; he could only silently sigh in his heart.
Not long after, they reached the fork in the central street.
Straight ahead was a large square leading to the execution platform where Roger was once executed, while a right turn led to the road to Loguetown Marine base.
Smoker stopped, watching the other Marines turn right to return to the base.
The Marines weren’t surprised. They all knew that Captain Smoker liked to stop by the execution platform when passing through the central street.
After the Marines left.
Smoker walked towards the execution platform.
At the age of twelve, he had witnessed the scene of the Pirate King’s execution.
It was an extremely hot afternoon:
Faced with public execution, Gol D. Roger showed no fear; instead, like a triumphant general, he ended his glorious life with supreme honor.
That scene left an extremely deep impression on Smoker’s heart.
It often reappeared in his mind.
Thus, after returning to Loguetown as a captain, he liked to come alone to the execution platform to recall his thoughts at that time.
By now, it had started to rain lightly, and people on the streets began to scatter.
Taking shelter from the rain was common sense for the citizens.
But as Smoker approached the execution platform, he noticed a very special person in the square.
It was a seventeen-year-old black-haired boy, standing straight. Even though it was raining, he kept looking at the execution platform.
Smoker walked to the boy’s side and asked, “Do you want to be a pirate?”
In today’s world, many young people idolized Roger and want to become pirates chasing “freedom” and “dreams,” so Smoker asked this question.
Hearing this.
The black-haired boy shook his head.
“No, I’m just here to pay my respects to the place where Roger died and to reaffirm my determination to become stronger.”
Smoker was a little surprised.
“Why do you want to become stronger?”
Curls answered matter-of-factly.
“Only the strong can protect what they want to protect, right?”
With the boy’s clear voice in his ears, Smoker’s originally calm heart was moved. After a moment of silence, he agreed.
“Yes.”
Cold raindrops fell from the sky like broken pearls, pattering on the two of them.
However, the rain did not extinguish Smoker’s cigar, and white smoke continued to drift with the wind.
Finally, Curls turned and saluted the cigar-smoking Marine, “Captain Smoker, the rain is getting heavy. See you tomorrow.”
“Mm, see you tomorrow.”
Smoker was puzzled, not understanding what the boy meant. Before he could think it through, the boy’s figure had gradually disappeared in the wind and rain.
…
A quarter of an hour later.
Smoker returned to the Marine base in Loguetown.
He had just sat down in his office when the adjutant rushed in to report.
“What’s the matter?” Smoker asked, puzzled.
The adjutant excitedly took out a form and spoke with excitement, “Captain Smoker, the recruitment office sent a new recruit’s latest information today, and this recruit is very special; he’s also a Devil Fruit user like you.”
“Mm?”
Smoker was surprised. He didn’t expect to find a new recruit with Devil Fruit powers in this small Loguetown.
He took the form, and the new recruit’s information was clearly visible.
Loguetown Marine New Recruit Information:
Name: Charlotte Curls
Age: Seventeen
Gender: Male
Family Background: Normal
Note: Possesses Paramecia-type Devil Fruit ability, the fruit is called ‘Shadow Fruit.’
Become a Patron read up to 40 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
