When Tashigi and Smoker arrived at the scene, Smoker went ahead, leaving Tashigi to search for him.
When she finally reached the restaurant where Sandy and the others were, Tashigi saw Smoker slumped over a table—his condition unknown!
If she wasn't mistaken, the Straw Hat Crew were pirates, right?
And what kind of people are pirates? A group of ruthless criminals who commit all sorts of evil!
Furious, Tashigi drew her sword and pointed it at Sandy and the others, shouting, "What did you do to Colonel Smoker, you pirates!?"
Sandy glanced at Smoker, Luffy, and Ace before chuckling. "What did I do to him? I invited him to eat."
Tashigi frowned. "Then why is he lying there motionless?"
Sandy sighed. "Can you put your sword away? He's just drunk. If you don't believe me, check his breathing yourself."
Seeing how cautious she looked, Sandy rolled his eyes and went to settle the bill with the restaurant owner.
When he came back, Zoro asked, "What do we do now?"
Sandy laughed. "What else? Carry them back to the ship!"
Zoro immediately lifted Ace, while Sandy picked up Luffy.
On his way out, Sandy casually took a cigar from Smoker's collar and lit it.
From the side, Tashigi hesitated before asking, "Um, who can help me carry Colonel Smoker out…?"
Cough, cough. Smoker was tall and muscular, and she—well, she wasn't exactly built for heavy lifting.
Sandy grinned. "Just let him rest here. Don't worry, I already paid!"
Tashigi quickly shook her head. "No, that's fine."
After a pause, she looked up at Sandy and said, "I don't know why Colonel Smoker would eat and drink with you, but we won't give up on arresting you. Next time, it's best if we don't run into you—mmph!"
That's right—Sandy kissed her!
Tashigi's eyes widened as her face turned bright red.
Sandy raised his eyebrows. "You talk too much. I had to shut you up somehow, right?"
"You—you—" Tashigi stammered, pointing at him in disbelief.
Sandy waved his hand and smiled. "See you next time, Tashigi. I'll miss you!"
From the side, Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Of all people to kiss, you kissed a Navy officer? You're unbelievable."
The townsfolk on the street turned to stare, never having seen such a bold act before.
Just then, Sandy sensed something was off and turned around. "Zoro, where are you going?"
Zoro stopped, looking confused. "Back to the ship?"
Sandy rolled his eyes. "That direction is where we just ate. Are you drunk?"
Zoro's face reddened. "That little bit of alcohol won't make me drunk!"
Sandy smirked. "So you're not drunk. Then tell me, Zoro—have you noticed something weird since we left Little Garden?"
Zoro frowned. "What are you getting at?"
Sandy lowered his voice. "Your sense of direction. It's gotten worse."
"Shut up!" Zoro snapped.
"I'm not teasing," Sandy said, trying not to laugh. "We were walking straight ahead, and you somehow started walking backward. I'll ask Chopper about this later…"
Zoro's face turned red with frustration.
Sandy chuckled, "If you can't face your own weakness, how will you ever become the world's greatest swordsman?"
"Don't talk to me like some old man!" Zoro barked.
"Why not? I'm your brother—"
"Kill. You. Shut. Up!"
When they finally reached the ship, Sandy sighed helplessly. "Seriously, how do you get lost on a straight road?"
Zoro grumbled. He didn't understand either—he was walking straight! But no one could ever find out about this embarrassment.
To change the subject, he asked, "What about Luffy and Ace?"
Sandy shrugged. "We'll head back to the ship. Once everyone's on board, we set sail."
"So soon?" Zoro asked.
"Of course," Sandy said, lighting another cigar. "Smoker's temper is like a bull's. Once he wakes up, he'll definitely come after us again."
Zoro's eyes widened. "Wait—you got him drunk on purpose!"
Sandy smirked. "When he wakes up and realizes a pirate invited him to dinner—and he actually ate—what do you think he'll do?"
Zoro shook his head. "You're twisted."
Just then, Nami and Vivi stepped out, hearing the commotion.
Seeing Sandy and Zoro carrying people, Nami blinked. "What's going on here?"
Sandy cleared his throat. "The one Zoro's carrying is Ace—Luffy's brother. They drank someone's alcohol thinking it was water, so they got drunk. Are Sanji and the others back? We should set sail before someone comes to collect payment."
Zoro stared blankly. "Wait, that's not what hap—"
Before he could finish, Nami's eyes widened. "They're all back! Let's go, NOW!"
On the other side—
Smoker woke up groaning, clutching his head. The memory of drinking and laughing with Sandy and the Straw Hats replayed in his mind.
He slapped his forehead. "Damn it!"
Because of that bastard Sandy, Smoker's reputation was in shambles!
A Marine officer, drinking with pirates? And not only that—he'd lost the drinking match! Didn't that make it look like the Navy was weaker than pirates!?
Just then, Tashigi entered with hangover soup. "Colonel Smoker, how are you feeling?"
Smoker rubbed his temples. "Headache. Where are we?"
"The restaurant owner let us rest here," Tashigi explained nervously. "You just—"
"Spit it out," Smoker interrupted.
She hesitated before blurting, "Did you really eat with the Straw Hat Crew?!"
Smoker fell silent, utterly exasperated.
After a long pause, he sighed. "Tashigi, give me the Den Den Mushi. I need to contact Admiral Aokiji."
"You what?!" Tashigi gasped.
Smoker leaned back, looking conflicted. "The Straw Hat Crew… they're not like other pirates. Especially that bastard Sandy. I can't decide what to make of them. I'll ask Aokiji for guidance and let him decide…"
...
Author's Note
I've created a second Webnovel account under the name Shadow_demon_007A2.
So far, I've already posted 9 different fanfics, including works from:
High School DxD, Shin Chan, Dragon Ball, Marvel, Ben 10, Pokémon, and Versatile Mage, with more on the way.
If you enjoy my stories, please visit the new account, give your support, and add the novels to your library—it really helps a lot.
Thank you for reading and supporting my work!
— Shadow_demon_007