Chapter Text
“Smoker, you still haven’t been clear to me on why we’re going to this island…” Tashigi huffed, polishing her katana.
“Quiet, woman,” Smoker gruffed back, looking out at the spec of an island that was growing bigger the closer they arrived. “We’re going, because there has been a report that an illness was spreading around like wild fire… depending on the severity of it that is going to decided why we are heading there.”
Smoker hopped for the better of the island, that is was just a simply virus or flu. It may have killed some (like unfortunate children or the elderly), but it was nothing too deadly or contagious. If it was something lethal that was a threat to the rest of the neighboring islands, let alone the rest of the country… well, he just hopped for the lesser of the two evils. He may have been young, but he remember right around the time that he joined the marines, that there was a city in the North Blue so toxic that the government tried their hardest to make sure everyone who lived there, the young and the old, where exterminated. For a while, there was a notable survivor running around, but he must have died before he was captured. With no reports of the illness after words, luckily no one must have been infected.
The ship pulled into the Harbor of the island, but what he saw was exactly the opposite of something that an island overtaken for illness. There were a few officials from the town at the docks to great the marines, but the fisherman were also active, and he swore he saw two children in the background.
The head of the town bowed his head when Smoker and Tashigi approached him, seemingly more relaxed than a man who’s village was evidently in a pandemic.
“What’s the meaning of this…?” Smoker questioned, watching the village elder now bow his head more apologetically than anything.
“I thank you so much for coming, we were all worried whether the government would send aid to help us in time.” He responded, then looked back. “I meant to contact officials this morning, because… somehow a miracle happened in the past few days.”
“What?” Tashigi questioned, noticing that a crowd was forming to get a glance at the giant ship.
“I… did not contact the government for nothing. This ailment that was spreading across our village was something that none of us had ever seen before. It started to kill the children… then it started to kill almost anyone of any age. Our doctor tried to come up with a cure, but soon enough the disease took his life as well. The sense of impending doom was cast upon all of us… but then an unlikely miracle arrived.”
Smoker listened curiously. Though he was internally frustrated that he sailed out here for nothing, the fact that this island was going to be okay was a nice feeling. “What happened?”
“I swear you wouldn’t believe me if I told you…” he responded, then seemed slightly worried. “I know that this sounds unbelievable, but they truly did help us, a-and this man is still healing some of the children. I understand that he is what he is… but at the moment-“
“Spit it out.” Smoker said sternly, a slight glare on his face.
“… T-the people that assisted us are… pirates. But please! You can’t take them away after everything that they did! I was skeptical at first too, but then-“
“Take me to where they are…” Smoker said, his expression unchanging.
They didn’t arrive on a fleet or anything, just a smaller ship with a dozen or so soldiers. Right now six of those were being led by Tashigi to find the ship, and the other six were following Smoker to where the village elder was taking them. Nervously, the man opened the door and allowed the people to walk in, a conflicted expression still on his face.
Inside, there were children running everywhere. They were running around and screaming with glee as they played with each other. Once a few of them spotted the marines, it was difficult for Smoker and the rest to even make their way through.
“The number of children without parents as increased drastically since this event…” The elder uttered softly to him, walking in and smiling down at the children who ran up to him.
Smoker was about to reply but felt small hands tugging at his coat. He glanced down seeing two wide eyed little boys staring up at him, grinning wide.
“Are you a marine too?!” “You look cooler than those other guys!” the both of them said happily, ignoring the few nervous expressions from his subordinates.
He leaned down to look at the two, nodding. “I’m a Vice Admiral, I’m supposed to be cooler than them.” He responded, gently ruffling the boys’ hair.
The two just seemed to grin wider, then ran off to tell some of the other kids that a real Vice Admiral guy was here. Smoker stood back up, then turned to the elder.
“So, where are they?”
“Are you looking for the nice doctor man?” another small voice spoke, this time coming from a little girl. “He’s in the room where he makes us not sick anymore, but if you wanna play with his polar bear, he’s over there.” She hummed, pointing to the other end of the room.
Polar Bear? You have got to be fucking kidding… Smoker took a few steps closer to the far side of the room, and sure enough, there were a few members of fucking Trafalgar Law’s crew. Bepo was laying on the floor so all the kids could grab onto him (him being happy enough that the kids didn’t think he was weird. Hell, a talking bear that knows karate is the coolest thing ever to these kids). Penguin was sitting on the floor next to Bepo, and a kid who obviously liked his hat was asking him about pirate things.
Near the stairs, Shachi stood, glancing back and forth at the clock on the wall. Next time he glanced over however, Smoker was staring him straight in the face.
“Eh!” he jumped back slightly, catching himself on the railing. “Y-You’re-“
“Shut up and take me to your Captain.” He hissed softly, holding him by his shirt.
“… Law requests that you put your cigars out.” Shachi replied, glancing to the door down stairs.
“I’m not listening to the likes of Trafalgar Law-“
“Captain doesn’t want anyone to smoke in that room, and I don’t care what you do to me, I’m not letting you in unless you put them out… may I remind you there are children here” he added the last part nervously. Though Shachi was amazed he was able to say that to someone like Smoker, he was immediately terrified that Smoker was going to kill him on the spot if he didn’t remind him about the children.
Smoker grunted, glancing around the room again before letting go of Shachi's shirt. "Fine... but don't think I'm going to be forgetting about you..." Smoker huffed, leaving Shachi shaking. He took the cigars out of his mouth and put them out, going down the stairs.
"He... he might still be working, just try and be quie-" "Shut up."
Smoker opened the door, glancing inside the room. He spotted Law, standing with his back to Smoker as he seemed to be washing his hands at the sink. Smoker glared and was about to open his mouth, but was cut off by the sound of a young guy talking.
"You should just let me die..." the guy, no more than thirteen years old, huffed. "There isn't any point. My dad died.. my brothers died.. I just want to be with them."
Law sighed lightly, walking back over to the boy. His usual holier than thou attitude seemed to be replaced with one that Smoker hadn't seen from this annoying little smart ass.
"They wouldn't want you to be with them so soon..." Law responded, having the guy lay down again.
"I don't care! What's even the point of going on if I don't have them with me!" he yelled back, Law seeming unphased.
"You have to go on for them, that's the point." Law responded, his devil's fruit power activating. "You're the one left alive, so you have to keep living for them."
The kid was trying his best not to get upset, though Law wouldn't hold it against him if he did start to cry. "The world is a cruel place, but you'll find a kind person in it once and a while... You have to keep living for those people. You got a chance to continue living, so don't laminate on whether or not you should have lived or not. Take this opportunity and do something.."
It took a few moments, then Law made sure that the guy stayed laying down. "Rest now, all right." he said more as an order, then went back to the sink.
"... I'm glad that you listened to Shachi, Smoker-ya." Law said after a moment of silence, Smoker feeling his eye twitch. "I'm almost finished if you would like to converse outside.