If he were truly provoked, he would even dare to curse back at those higher-ups. Still, if he could avoid being reprimanded, he preferred not to be.
"Oh, oh, right, I almost forgot."
Hearing Smoker's words, Tashigi also snapped out of her shock. She quickly turned her head toward the other marines who were likewise staring in astonishment at the scene before them, and shouted loudly: "Is the ship repaired? If it's repaired, then let's head back!"
However, just as her words fell…
"Is the ship repaired? Is the ship broken?"
The navigator looked utterly confused, but upon seeing the unfriendly look in Tashigi's eyes, he jolted, instantly remembered something, and then slapped his thigh hard.
"Right, right, right, the ship is repaired."
As he spoke, this quick-witted marine even cast a regretful glance at the smoking slave-hunting group on the opposite side. "Why does it have to be such a coincidence? It was just repaired!"
"Repaired?"
"Repaired!"
"Since it's repaired..."
Smoker's normally impassive face instantly changed as he roared angrily at the marine: "Then why the hell aren't you going to get the ship moving? What are you all standing around here spacing out for?"
As soon as he said this, seeing their superior's furious expression, the marines hurriedly came back to their senses and rushed off to make preparations to sail.
But at that moment…
"Hahahaha!"
A hearty laugh rang out.
Hearing this voice, Smoker's expression changed, but it seemed already too late.
When he suddenly turned his head, a figure descended from midair, laughing loudly as he said, "You're leaving already? After seeing me, you don't even come over to say hello?"
"Rebel Instructor Zephyr!"
Smoker stared at the figure before him with a dark expression. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing much. It's rare to see my once-adorable student, so I came over to say hello."
Facing Smoker's gloomy expression, Zephyr did not mind at all, still smiling as he looked at him.
Then his gaze swept to the side, but in the end, it settled back on Smoker, and he spoke with a tone of sentiment and satisfaction. "Well done, kid. Looks like your time in the West Blue has changed you quite a bit."
"Hmph!"
Hearing Zephyr's words, the gloom on Smoker's face eased somewhat. Then he snorted coldly and looked Zephyr up and down. "You've changed quite a bit, too, Rebel Instructor Zephyr."
As he spoke, he removed the cigar from the corner of his mouth and said with a hint of mockery: "I just wonder whether the you from the past, seeing the current you hanging around with a bunch of extremely evil wanted criminals, would give the current you a vicious slap across the face."
"Hahahaha, even that mouth of yours has gotten sharper!"
Yet in the face of this mockery, Zephyr still did not mind. He even laughed heartily, then looked at Smoker with an appreciative gaze. "Kid, you did well this time."
"I have no interest in hearing praise from a rebel."
Smoker sneered, then looked at Zephyr again. "If there's nothing else, hurry up and get off the warship. I don't want to receive a furious call from Marine Headquarters later."
"You get reprimanded over something like this?"
Seeming to understand Smoker's meaning, Zephyr frowned. "When did Marine Headquarters become so petty? How come I never heard of that old guy, Garp, getting reprimanded?"
Smoker: "..."
Smoker looked at Zephyr speechlessly. Was it really okay for this guy to openly say in front of so many people that he was colluding with the Marines?
Then he said irritably: "Don't forget your identity, former Chief Instructor of the Marines."
"Hahahaha, looks like Marine Headquarters still values me quite a bit!"
Zephyr laughed again, then he seemed to recall something. His eyes showed a trace of melancholy.
After a moment, he shook his head, lifted his gaze to Smoker again, and was just about to say something when a flash of lightning streaked past, and immediately after, Enel, who had originally been on the slave-hunting ship, appeared directly beside Zephyr. Then he looked mockingly at the Marines before him. "Do we need to clean this place up, too?"
As soon as these words fell, all the marines' expressions changed as they looked at the Umbrella Corporation's senior executive, Enel, the God of Thunder.
Even Smoker was the same, his expression darkening, smoke rising from his body as if he were already preparing for battle.
But before Smoker and the others could say anything…
"Thump!"
"Hahahaha, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Zephyr laughed loudly, then directly punched Enel on the top of the head, and continued, "Is it taken care of?"
"You old geezer, what are you doing?"
Enel covered his head and complained dissatisfiedly, then said with a disdainful tone: "It's taken care of. Just a bunch of trash. This God dealt with them with a single yawn."
As he spoke, ignoring the marines who were watching warily from the opposite side, he looked at Zephyr again. "Oh, right, there's a big guy up there making a fuss about wanting to see that fellow, Ian."
"See Ian? Who?"
Hearing Enel's words, Zephyr's expression froze. But before the impatient Enel could say anything else, the slave-hunting ship that had been blasted black was steered over, and a huge yet somewhat bedraggled figure appeared on the deck.
A giant?
How could there be a giant on the ship?
No wonder this slave-hunting ship seemed a bit large!
Just as Zephyr was feeling astonished, he saw the giant on the opposite deck bow his head heavily, tears and snot flowing together down his face. "Mr. Zephyr, please let me meet Mr. Ian!"
...
"Mr. Ian, the God of Sun, greetings to you!"
Marco looked at the Umbrella Corporation boss standing before him, Ian, who was even younger than himself, yet already famous across the seas.
This guy's guts were really too big.
Although the World Government had already erased the former sacred land of scholars, Ohara, Marco, who had lived through that era, still knew some of Ohara's secrets.
Even though the island had changed drastically by now, he still knew... This was the location of the former Ohara.
But this guy actually dared to build his base on top of the ruins of Ohara?
Was he not worried that the World Government and Marine Headquarters would once again launch a Buster Call here?