Pirates: Building High Walls Starting from the East Blue.

Chapter 39 Left Behind

"You despicable navy men, have you forgotten the justice you bear?"

"Oh! Don't say that! Smoker and everyone else are good people. The really bad ones are that rat colonel and the colonel from branch 153. Those are the truly evil colonels!"

"Would a good navy officer have pirates to explain things for them? Those despicable pirates, those despicable navy officers!"

"I already told you we're not bad people! We're not lying to you, we really don't intend to do anything to you, it's just that if we go there you'll have something to eat, oh dear, this is so hard to explain!"

"Stop lying to me, you evil navy!"

"Please don't talk about Smoker like that, he's really not a bad person!"

"..."

Colonel Smoker, his face darkening, watched the two arguing and said coldly to Mok, who was still trying to explain for him, "Shut up!"

He glanced at the sallow-faced, emaciated old man again, but still didn't say anything to him, or even look at him again, and flicked the ash off his cigarette.

"And don't call me 'Smoker' again, or I'll arrest you! Take him away right now, and then get the hell out of here!"

"Okay! Smoker~, yes, Smoker~" Moke nodded cheerfully, then scratched his head, looked at the chaotic scene in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and said to Colonel Smoker beside him, "How about you lend me some people? There seem to be too many people here, and if you want to hurry, I don't have enough manpower."

The words were spoken.

Smoker: ...

His face turned pale and then black.

What does this guy think the Navy is?

But looking at the chaotic scene before him, and at the group of emaciated, ragged scavengers and the stench emanating from the surroundings, it turned out to be their family's garbage dump.

This scene...

It involuntarily reminded him of the scene he had witnessed in the Kingdom of Goa.

Perhaps if it were just him, as a Marine, he would turn a blind eye, just like Vice Admiral Garp!

After all, it's a member state!

But now some bastard has suddenly appeared. In that case, let's see what kind of changes that guy will make!

He sighed deeply, his face darkening, and waved his hand at Tashigi. "Hurry up!"

just.

"Colonel Smoker..." Tashigi looked at Colonel Smoker with a hesitant expression and said softly, "I have never arrested civilians."

"...You handle it!" Faced with his second-in-command Tashigi's question, Smoker paused for a moment, but his face remained dark. "Tell them to arrest them quickly and get out of here."

"yes!"

Helpless~

Tashigi had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead the Navy to help.

"Don't run, everyone! Please don't run! We're not bad people!"

"Please trust us, you will have food when you get there!"

"We really didn't lie to you!"

"..."

Seeing this scene before him, Luce's eyes widened once again.

The Navy is actually helping pirates capture people?

Damn it!

"What the hell are you marines doing?!" Roose roared in fury. "You're helping pirates capture slaves?! You evil marines!"

Smoker: ...

Moke: ...

Looking at Smoker, who was emitting white steam, Mok felt that the scene before him was indeed a bit bad. He scratched his head with an awkward smile and was about to say something when...

A pirate named Moke ran over and said, "Captain Moke, we've found a group of children who have been hidden."

Instantly.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!"

"Grandpa Luce!"

The previously furious Luce froze, then his face filled with panic. Hearing the shouts, he abruptly looked up at the found child, then turned back to Moke with a sorrowful expression. "Please spare the children, please spare my granddaughter!"

however.

"Oh, you have a granddaughter too! Take her with you!" Moke said cheerfully. "The Cornomy Islands are just short of children!"

"..."

These damned pirates, they don't even spare children?

Luce's face froze, and he cried out in panic again, "No! No! Don't take the child away! I have treasure! I have more treasure! I heard it's a treasure from the sea. I heard about it at the congress of the member states. I'm not lying, it's very valuable. I was planning to use it to get everyone back to the Kingdom of Michael, or to exchange it for some food. Please don't hurt the child! I can give it to you!"

"Wow, there's even a secret treasure? A treasure from the ocean? Could it be the Devil Fruit the boss was talking about?" Moke's face immediately lit up with excitement. "Take it all, take it all! Hahaha, we've made a huge haul! Let's take the kids and the treasure with us!"

"Damn it, damn it..." Upon hearing that the pirates were even taking the treasure and the child, despair instantly filled Roose's eyes. "You bunch of demons!"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't take it for nothing. Let's see what it is first!" Seeing the despair in Luce's eyes, Moke thought the old man suspected him of trying to steal his things, so he quickly explained cheerfully, "Take them all! Take them all away!"

"..."

Smoker, who was standing to the side, watched the scene with a dark expression, and even the cigar in his hand was trembling slightly.

Is this guy always out there arresting people?

You'd really think they were a bunch of vicious pirates!

And they...

Smoker looked up with a dark expression at the Marines in front of him who were helping the pirates capture people.

A group of corrupt marines who help pirates?!

"Evil Navy! No, Navy!" Seeing that there was truly no other way, Luce looked up at the Navy Captain beside him, his voice pleading and urgent, "Righteous Navy, please save the child!"

The words were spoken.

"..."

Smoker snapped out of his daze, his expression hesitant. He glanced at Luce, then looked up at the other children, also dressed in tattered clothes, who had been brought out. He sighed deeply and said softly, "It'll be better for you over there!"

however.

"Better?" Hearing Smoker's words and seeing the unmoved Smoker, Roose's old and thin face once again showed that expression of grief and despair, and he roared with all his might, "You bunch of degenerate pirates who have betrayed justice!"

"The guy who smokes is a really nice person!"

"They even collude with evil pirates!"

"We've collaborated, but we're not bad people, really!"

"Still trying to deceive me now? Evil Marines, despicable pirates! You devils!"

"I'm really not lying to you! Let the smoker tell you!"

"Shut up, you too!" Smoker's face turned green as he watched Mok's explanation only make things worse. Looking at the situation before him, which seemed to be progressing much more smoothly, he said impatiently, "Get your men out of here!"

"Oh, smoker, it's alright! I'll explain it to you myself later!"

"you……"

Before the man in the cigarette could say anything...

"Puru puru, puru puru~"

Mok's Den Den Mushi rang. He hesitated for a moment before answering, "Oh, I know, boss. I'm coming back right now!"

then.

Then, looking at the smoking guy beside him, he said, "The boss called me to work, so I should go, everyone hurry up! The boss is calling us."

"Get lost!"

"You corrupt navy, I curse you!"

"..."

At last.

With the help of the Navy, the Moke Pirates finally completed their mission.

then.

Amidst a barrage of vulgar insults directed at the Navy, he led the crew aboard the Moke Pirates' new ship and set off for the Navy's 16th Branch.

Only...

Smoker, his face equally grim, was trembling with anger as he puffed on his cigar.

"Colonel Smoker, don't be angry. They'll understand when they get there." Tashigi chuckled as she looked at Smoker, who dared not retaliate after being scolded. Then, she sighed, "I just saw it. They're in a much worse situation than the Goa Kingdom. At least the Goa Kingdom has rotten fruit abandoned by nobles to eat. They'll definitely understand Colonel Smoker's good intentions then!"

"Whatever!" Smoker curled his lip dismissively, flicked his cigarette ash, and gave the departing Moke Pirates' ship a long, hard look. "If I find out they've done anything wrong, I'll arrest them myself. Right now, I don't want to see them for even a second longer!"

He turned his head and said, "Go back!"

"Yes!" Tashigi stood at attention and replied, but after a moment, she seemed to remember something, "Oh, right! I almost forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

"Colonel Smoker said he was going to return the gift Colonel Shachter gave us?" Seeing Smoker's furrowed brow, Tashigi quickly said, "It's not too late to let Mok and the others take it with them. I'll have them wait!"

Just as he was about to call for the Navy to shout at the Moke Pirates to make them stop,

Sudden.

"No!"

"???" Tashigi turned her head in confusion, looking at Colonel Smoker who was blocking her way. "No, no what? Colonel Smoker didn't say..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

"I said, stay here for me!" Smoker blushed slightly as he looked at Tashigi's smirking second-in-command, then glared at her before looking away.

Why was he criticized so harshly?

Do you still want him to return the things?

He flicked off his cigarette ash and said expressionlessly, "That's what I deserved. You know, the shells I fired back then haven't even been destroyed yet!"

"Yes! That's right, we deserve it, Colonel Smoker! And the military funding application..."

"Those bastards, keep sending them!" Smoker said viciously, as if remembering something. "Tell Marine Headquarters that we encountered the vicious Mok Pirates in the Michael Kingdom and suffered heavy losses. Tell them to bring the money back immediately!"

Should we teach him to learn from that guy?

Fine, I'll see what you're going to do this time.

Ignoring Tashigi's strange expression, Smoker returned directly to his warship. Watching the Mork pirate ship sail away, Smoker frowned again, took a deep drag, and removed his cigar. "Work?" he asked, flicking off the ash. "What's that guy up to now?"

(End of this chapter)