One Piece: Pirate King? I just want to kill all of you-Chapter 72: Smoker, the Waters Here Are Deep, and You Can’t Handle Them

Upon hearing those words, Smoker’s eyes trembled, his face growing increasingly grim.

Seeing his opponent utterly speechless, Will didn’t stop there. Instead, he continued in a serious, booming voice, "Smoker! Think about what it is you truly want to protect in your heart!"

Smoker froze, sinking into deep thought, his eyes reflecting an intense internal struggle.

Long ago, he had chosen to join the Marines because he believed they represented justice on the high seas. But after becoming a Marine, he discovered many things that baffled him, things he couldn’t comprehend.

Take the Celestial Dragons, for instance, or certain actions of the World Government. Smoker couldn’t understand why the Marine higher-ups never opposed the World Government’s orders. To him, many of those orders were clearly wrong, a betrayal of justice, yet the Marine brass carried them out without question.

These realizations gradually turned him rebellious, making him a notorious troublemaker within the Marines. So when Will spoke those words, Smoker found himself unable to argue back.

His original plan had been to climb the ranks and change the Marines from within once he reached the top. But now, as Will—an outsider to the Marines—tore through that thin veil of pretense with his words, Smoker’s faith in his Marine identity began to waver.

"If I were no longer a Marine... could I, like he said, uphold the justice in my heart?" Smoker’s thoughts were in turmoil, his expression complex.

His years of service and the people who supported him made the decision agonizingly difficult.

Seeing that Smoker was clearly affected, Will decided not to press further. He turned and headed toward the ship’s gangway, offering a few parting words of advice as he walked, "Smoker, no matter what you decide, remember this: a person has to rely on themselves. And right now, your resolve is far too weak. If you want to uphold the justice in your heart, then hurry up and master Haki. Work on building your strength!"

Smoker stood motionless, as if welded to the spot, unsure if he’d even heard Will’s words.

As Will stepped off the ship and moved toward the new vessel he’d recently acquired, a sudden shout rang out.

"Wait!"

Smoker had rushed to the ship’s edge, calling down loudly.

"Hm?" Will raised an eyebrow, turning back with a puzzled look.

Smoker hesitated for a moment but finally spoke, "Get out of here by the end of today, Madman Will. The trouble you’ve caused has already reached the World Government. I just got word that Vice Admiral Garp from Marine Headquarters will arrive by tomorrow at the latest—to capture you."

Will blinked, then said with a meaningful tone, "Navy Hero Garp, huh? Didn’t expect that guy, who usually avoids meddling, to come all the way to the East Blue for me. But no worries—it’s not a big deal. He’s just a little Coby, after all."

"Little Coby?" Smoker’s face twisted in confusion. He had no idea who this "Coby" was, someone apparently stronger than Vice Admiral Garp. He made a mental note of the name.

Will didn’t bother explaining. After a moment’s thought, he said, "Don’t worry, I’ll probably be leaving soon anyway. But before I go, how about we exchange Den Den Mushi numbers?"

Without waiting for a response, he called out to the new ship, "Kalina!"

"Got it, Captain!" came a cheerful reply from Kalina, who had been leaning on the railing, watching the scene unfold with a grin. She darted back to the cabin, grabbed one of Will’s Den Den Mushi, and tossed it down to him.

Will caught it and, with a casual flick, threw it to Smoker.

"Uh..." Smoker caught it, looking surprised. Glancing at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, he frowned and asked, "Aren’t you worried I could use this to track your movements?"

Will’s face showed no trace of concern. With a carefree laugh, he said, "Listen in if you want. If you’ve got the time to waste, that is."

Even if Smoker did monitor him, Will didn’t care. He rarely initiated calls anyway, so there’d be little for Smoker to hear.

Smoker’s gaze flickered uncertainly, but he said nothing more, silently pocketing the Den Den Mushi. Then he pulled one of his own from his coat and tossed it to Will.

Will caught it but didn’t board the ship immediately. Instead, he offered one last piece of advice, "By the way, Smoker, listen to me. The waters of the World Government and the Marines are deep—far too deep for you to navigate. You’d be better off getting out while you can."

"Deep waters?" Smoker’s brows furrowed. "How deep?"

Will’s tone carried a heavy implication. "Oh, about three or four stories deep."

Seeing Smoker lost in thought, Will said no more. With a wave of his hand, he called out, "Think it over, Smoker. See you on the Grand Line!"

With that farewell, he strolled onto his new ship.

"The Grand Line..." Smoker muttered, snapping out of his reverie. He watched Will’s retreating figure, his mind still churning.

Without lingering, Smoker disembarked and hopped onto his custom three-wheeled motorcycle. Using his smoke powers as propulsion, he sped away from the port.

As he raced along, the wind whipping against his face, Smoker’s thoughts returned to Will’s words.

"Uphold the justice in my heart... The Marines... The World Government... The Celestial Dragons... The powerless people who can’t fight back..."

"Wait—Celestial Dragons?!" Smoker’s eyes widened as a realization hit him. "Didn’t that guy just say he killed a Celestial Dragon in the Land of Bridges?!"

Only now did it fully sink successfully. Smoker slammed on the brakes, his bike screeching to a halt in the middle of the road.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

He was certain he hadn’t misheard—Will had definitely said he killed a Celestial Dragon. Yet the Marine intel only mentioned Will assaulting one.

Someone was lying. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

And if Smoker had to choose who to believe, his gut instinctively leaned toward Will. That arrogant man didn’t seem like the type to lie. The Marines and the World Government, on the other hand... Smoker knew all too well about their lies.

That was another reason he trusted Will’s words.

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