Naruto Online: Hyuga Branch Family? Let's go all out!

Chapter 270 Smoker's Collapse

When Ning Yuan and Dorag entered the coffee shop, it was raining heavily. When they came out, not only had the rain stopped, but the sky had also darkened.

The coffee shop was spotless, with not a single customer in sight.

There was a squad of marines guarding the entrance, led by Smoker, with Tashigi standing beside him.

"Does an interview really need to take this long?" Smoker looked at Ning Yuan with suspicion. "You wouldn't happen to be...?"

"Naval Captain, Smoker?" Before Ning Yuan could speak, Dragon spoke first.

"It's me, what are you going to do about it!" Smoker immediately clenched his fists. Even if I'm not strong enough, I will protect this place with my life.

But why isn't he wearing that hood anymore?

So this is what Dragon looks like. And what is that mark on his face? Is it a shoe print?

This attitude would have been met with praise from the old Doraga at most.

But now, having accepted Ning Yuan's new ideas, he considers Smoker one of his own.

The way to win him over is simple: just find a secluded place, chat with him for a few minutes, and the World Government will automatically label him a revolutionary.

But this is not what Dragon wanted.

What he wanted was for Smoker to become a member of the Revolutionary Army while also remaining in the Navy and continuing to rise through the ranks.

So, Dragon grinned and said, "You're quite good, a man who upholds justice. How about joining our revolutionary army and working with us on this great cause!"

"Your so-called great cause is nothing more than burning, killing, looting, and massacring civilians everywhere?" Smoker replied coldly.

"That's just a slander against me by the World Government!" Dragon shook his head. "I did kill many people, but every single one of them deserved to die!"

"Whether you deserve to die or not is not up to you!" Smoker clenched his fist. "All I know is that someone like you should be sent to Impel Down and imprisoned until death!"

"Sigh!" Dragon sighed, ignoring Smoker, and turned to Ning Yuan: "Reporter Ning, I hope my interview will appear in the report exactly as it was, without any deletions!"

Ning Yuan glanced at Smoker beside him with a troubled expression, then nodded: "I'll try my best!"

"That's it!" Dragon nodded, then transformed into a whirlwind and vanished on the spot.

Ning Yuan subconsciously gripped the manuscript in his hand, and then a hand was stretched out in front of him.

"What?" Ning Yuan looked at the person who reached out his hand. Who else could it be but Smoker?

"Give me the original transcript!" Smoker said. "It concerns the world's most dangerous criminal; I need to review your report!"

"A naval captain is in charge of this?" Ning Yuan was taken aback. "But I can't give it to you. Journalists have the right to report the truth!"

"I'm not discussing this with you!" Smoker rolled his eyes and snatched the manuscript from Ning Yuan's arms.

He was actually prepared to fight Ning Yuan, after all, someone who could take pictures normally without being disturbed by the strong winds of Doraga was not someone who was weak.

But he reached out so slowly that Ning Yuan didn't react in time.

"Did he eat a powerful fruit but have no combat experience?" Smoker guessed, somewhat envious.

After all, while the Smoke-Smoke Fruit is a Logia-type Devil Fruit, it is indeed somewhat lacking in combat.

He was too lazy to go back, so he stood at the entrance of the coffee shop and started reading the manuscript by the light of the coffee shop.

Smoker read the first half of the manuscript very carefully and was quite immersed in it.

Because it tells the story of Dragon's naval career.

Dragon entered the naval academy at a young age and studied under Captain Zephyr. Because of his excellent grades, he became a captain immediately after graduation, and was promoted to captain in just a few years.

This is the same experience as Smoker's.

However, Dragon's personality was not as rigid as Smoker's, and he also had a lieutenant general father. In addition, he was very strong, so he quickly crossed the threshold of becoming a general.

After that, Dragon naturally became a major general and then a lieutenant general.

Then, he left the navy.

The reason for leaving the Navy was also stated in the manuscript.

"That was a major mission that could be called a promotion mission. The Sengoku general told me that as long as I completed this mission, I could be promoted to general upon my return."

"So there's a promotion task to complete before becoming a general?" Smoker thought to himself, then continued reading.

"But I never expected the promotion mission to be like this!"

What is it?!

"Every three years, the Celestial Dragons designate an island outside the World Government's jurisdiction as a hunting ground, and all the inhabitants of that island are massacred!"

"My mission is to accompany the Celestial Dragons to the hunting grounds, ensure the smooth conclusion of the hunt, and protect the safety of the Celestial Dragons participating in the hunt!"

"After this mission, I left the Navy and founded the Revolutionary Army."

What?

Smoker's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is that so?"

No way, this must be a joke. I know the Celestial Dragons are bastards, but no matter how bastard they are, they wouldn't do something like this, right?

Even if that island isn't a member state of the World Government, how many people live on an island?

Even the smaller ones cost several thousand, while the larger islands have hundreds of thousands of people!

What kind of hunting is this?

This is clearly a massacre!

No, massacre also means treating your opponents as human beings. These Celestial Dragons completely treat people as prey!

"No!" Smoker glared angrily at Ning Yuan. "As a journalist, shouldn't you be reporting the facts? How can you spout nonsense and write this kind of thing?"

"This is an exclusive interview, bro!" Ning Yuan said speechlessly, "An exclusive interview is of course just me writing down whatever he says."

"But don't you know he's talking nonsense and slandering the World Government?" Smoker gripped the manuscript tightly and stared blankly at Ning Yuan.

Tashigi quickly tugged at Smoker from behind: "Calm down, Colonel!"

"How can I calm down? If I hadn't taken a second look, this report would have been published!" Smoker gritted his teeth, still a little shaken. "Thank goodness, thank goodness I asked one more question."

Then there's Ningyuan.

"You actually reported on this kind of thing? What are your intentions? Do you also want to live in the puddles?"

Ning Yuan shrugged: "I don't understand what you mean. How does recording facts become nonsense!"

"You call this recording the facts?" Smoker pointed to the words on the manuscript, and what was infuriating was that the marines next to him couldn't see them.

"Recording his words truthfully is called recording facts, and that's what an interview is all about!" Ning Yuan nodded. "Even if he says farts smell good or grass is blue, as long as he says it, I have to write it down!"

"So you're not going to take responsibility for the truthfulness of what you said?" Smoker was both amused and exasperated.

Ning Yuan shrugged: "How can I take responsibility for this? I'm just a reporter, not a detective. If you want to verify it, verify it yourself. Aren't you a naval captain? You can even call Admiral Aokiji. The newspaper has the time, place, and people in it. It shouldn't be difficult for you to ask!"

"Hey, do you think I'm afraid to ask?!" Smoker pulled out a Den Den Mushi without hesitation and started making a call.

When he made the call, he looked at Ning Yuan with a defiant expression, convinced that the most vicious criminal was lying and trying to slander the Celestial Dragons.

Ning Yuan kindly reminded him, "I advise you to keep your men away from you, otherwise they might not survive after you hear the truth!"

"Trying to scare me?" Smoker sneered, only to see that the Den Den Mushi had transformed into Aokiji.

"Moshi moshi?" Aokiji's languid voice rang out: "It's you again, Smoker. What is it? I'm busy as an admiral, okay? Don't keep bothering me!"

"The call connected. Just wait and see how I expose you!" Smoker quickly turned to Aokiji: "It's like this, Admiral, the Revolutionary Army leader, Dragon, just appeared in Loguetown!"

"Oh?" Aokiji's expression turned serious. "Why is he here?"

"I'll write a report for you later!" Smoker said. "Here, Dragon mentioned something that happened 14 years ago in the West Blue, in a place called Bonebone Island. Admiral, do you know what happened there back then?"

He was clever enough not to say it outright, lest the marines next to him overhear.

After all, what if it's true?

Aokiji fell silent.

It happens once every three years, or even once every 14 years, which is only four times.

No matter how much time has passed, it will not be enough for Aokiji to forget the thick smoke filling the sky and the screams of countless people.

Seeing Aokiji's expression, Smoker keenly sensed that something was wrong.

Her heart sank, and her voice trembled: "I... I saw your name on this list. It must be fake, right?"

Aokiji remained silent.

Smoker's anxiety could finally die.

"Wait, this is fake, right? It's a scam, isn't it?"

"This is, this is, a huge island with 30,000 people!"

Overwhelmed with grief, Smoker's voice trembled with emotion: "General, please speak! Tell me, is this really true?"

Even when bullied by some kind of overwhelming power, this man of steel only lost his composure. Even when Dorrag pinned him to the ground, he still did not lose his fighting spirit.

But when he discovered that what he held dearest was a joke, he finally couldn't hold on any longer.

He has suffered too many blows today, but none of them are as great as this one!

Isn't our navy here to uphold justice? Aren't we here to protect the people?

How could someone do such a thing?

Protecting the Celestial Dragons while indiscriminately slaughtering ordinary people?

Although it wasn't the Navy itself that took action, how is that any different from the Navy taking action itself?

"Smoker!" Aokiji sighed, finally speaking, "I'll support whatever choice you make, but I just want to tell you that justice still needs someone to uphold it!"

Ning Yuan didn't know what Smoker was thinking, but he did understand Aokiji's philosophy.

They believe that even the worst order is better than no order, so no matter how dilapidated or dark the World Government ship is, they don't want to get off.

But Ning Yuan only wanted to say: "If the direction is wrong, the more you do, the more mistakes you'll make!"

"What?" Aokiji and Smoker turned their heads at the same time.

Ning Yuan shrugged: "Just take it as me talking nonsense! By the way, is this article even allowed to be published?"

"No!" Aokiji shook his head. Although he didn't know what kind of article it was, as long as it contained this part, it definitely couldn't be published in the newspaper.

"Fine!" Ning Yuan shrugged. "As long as your sense of justice doesn't bother you, it doesn't really matter whether I log in or not!"

Aokiji remained silent.

As for Smoker, he's on the verge of collapse and could join the Revolutionary Army with just a little push.

However, this job shouldn't be done by Ning Yuan.

In this world, his main job is to enjoy life and do some mischief on the side; as for everything else...

Dolag?

I'm just an advisor; he's the one doing the work.

"Tashigi!" Ning Yuan extended his hand to the navy girl. "Shall we go for a walk in the streets?"

"But..." Tashigi looked at Smoker. "I've been in the army for so long, and this is the first time I've ever seen Colonel Smoker cry."

"Don't worry about him, someone will come to comfort him!" Ning Yuan grabbed Tashigi's hand and then called to the marines beside him, "And you guys, it's time to go home and eat. Give your commander some peace and quiet, okay?"

The marines looked completely bewildered. So what exactly happened? And what was written in that manuscript?

Also, when did Tashigi and this reporter start holding hands?

(End of this chapter)