Haiyuan calendar year 1517.
A sailboat flying a pirate flag was quietly docked at the port of Rogue Town.
The setting sun gradually faded into the horizon, as if echoing the loneliness in the hearts of the "Blade Pirates".
Not long ago.
The pirates of the Blade Pirates are still in high spirits, dreaming of entering the Grand Line to show their strength after looting all the supplies in Rogue Town.
But now, dozens of navy men wearing white uniforms and holding weapons have surrounded the pirates of the Blade Pirates.
As for the captain of the Blade Pirates...
In the center, a tall man in a navy coat with his chest and abdomen exposed, knocked the pirate leader holding a sharp long knife to the ground, with a look of indifference on his face.
"A pirate group with a bounty of seven million wants to enter the Grand Line. They are overestimating their capabilities!"
What is strange is that the weapon used by the tall navy is not a sword, but a ten-handed sword with seastone inlaid on the top.
"Have the other remaining pirates been captured?" the tall marine asked the marine next to him.
The sailor immediately stepped forward to report.
"Reporting to Colonel Smoker, all the pirates of the Blade Pirates have been captured."
Smoker put away his weapon and lit a cigar in his mouth. The white smoke rose up, slightly covering his somewhat ferocious face.
"What about our casualties?"
"Reporting to the colonel, we have a total of five sailors injured, three of whom were shot. The injuries are quite serious and it is estimated that they will need several months of recuperation to recover."
“… Send them to treatment as soon as possible.”
"yes."
…
After handling the scene.
Smoker turned and walked towards Rogue Town.
The port faces the Central Street. There is a triangular archway at the entrance. The street is surrounded by various shops and is very prosperous.
At this time, the citizens of Rogue Town who were gathered in front of the archway couldn't help but cheer after seeing Smoker easily deal with a pirate group.
"As expected of Colonel Smoker!"
"Yes, ever since Colonel Smoker came, order in our Rogue Town has become peaceful. It's really great!"
"Catch all those pirates. Long live the navy! Long live the navy!!!"
Amid the cheers of the people of Rogue Town, Smoker, along with the navy and captured pirates, gradually stepped into the central street.
Facing the cheers of the crowd.
Smoker was not in a good mood.
Because ever since Roger opened the Great Pirate Era, countless people have flocked to the Grand Line in search of the legendary treasure left behind by the Pirate King.
The number of pirates is expanding rapidly!
And what about the navy
Although the number of navy officers is still larger than the number of pirates due to the conscription of the World Government, the number of young people willing to become navy officers is far less than the number of pirates who are actually increasing day by day.
If this continues, the threat posed by the navy to pirates will inevitably decrease gradually.
besides.
Pirates do not engage in production, but only plunder and destruction, causing many tragedies of broken families and deaths, and in the end it is the civilians who suffer.
Worried, Smoker couldn't help but ask the adjutant behind him.
"How is the recruitment of new Marines going?"
There are not many navy soldiers in Rogue Town. In the many wars against pirates, many navy soldiers are temporarily unable to perform their duties due to injuries. There are also brave navy soldiers who sacrifice their lives. Therefore, the replenishment of new recruits is very important.
The adjutant immediately took out a document and replied, "I'm sorry, Colonel Smoker, I forgot to report to you. This month, only 27 young people came to the recruiting office in Rogue Town to apply for the army, and only 19 of them passed the review."
"Yeah?"
Smoker reached out and took the recruit information and began to look through it one by one. Unfortunately, he didn't see anyone particularly outstanding on the list.
This is also a very normal thing.
After all, most people with dreams and talents become pirates who are not subject to anyone's jurisdiction, and the navy can only recruit very few outstanding talents.
Smoker was powerless to do anything about this and could only sigh silently in his heart.
Soon, everyone reached the fork in the central street.
Going straight ahead is a huge square, which leads to the execution platform where Roger was executed. Turning right is the road to the Rogue Town Naval Base.
Smoker stopped and watched as the rest of the marines turned right and headed back to the naval base.
The navy officers were not surprised, for they all knew that Colonel Smoker would always stop at the execution platform when he passed by Central Street.
After the navy left.
Smoker headed towards the execution platform.
When he was twelve years old, he witnessed the execution of the Pirate King.
It was an extremely hot afternoon:
Facing the public execution, Gol D. Roger did not show the slightest fear on his face. Instead, he looked like a general returning from victory, ending his glorious life with supreme glory.
That scene left a very deep impression on Smoker.
It would pop up in my mind from time to time.
Therefore, since returning to Rogue Town as a colonel, he liked to come to the execution ground alone and recall his feelings at that time.
At this time, it started to drizzle and pedestrians on the road began to evacuate.
Taking shelter from the rain is basic common sense among the people.
But as Smoker approached the execution platform, he discovered that there was a very special person in the square.
He was a black-haired boy about seventeen years old. He stood straight and looked at the execution platform even though it was drizzling.
Smoker came to the black-haired boy and asked, "You want to be a pirate?"
In today's world, many young people want to become pirates who pursue "freedom" and "dreams" because they look up to and admire Roger, so Smoker asked this question.
Hearing this.
The black-haired boy shook his head.
"No, I just came to pay my respects to the place where Roger died, and to confirm my determination to become stronger."
Smoker was a little surprised.
"Then why do you want to become stronger?"
Coles answered as a matter of course.
"Only the strong can protect what they want to protect, right?"
As the boy's clear voice reached his ears, Smoker's originally calm mind moved, and after a moment's silence, he agreed.
"yes."
Cold rain fell from the sky, hitting the two of them like pearls falling off a string.
However, the rain did not extinguish Smoker's cigar, and the white smoke continued to float with the wind.
Finally, Coles turned around and saluted the cigar-smoking navy man: "Colonel Smoker, the rain is getting heavy. See you tomorrow."
"Well, see you tomorrow."
Smoker was a little confused, not knowing what the boy meant. Before he could figure it out, the other person's figure had gradually disappeared in the wind and rain.
…
A quarter of an hour later.
Smoker returns to the naval base in Roguetown.
He had just sat down in his office when his adjutant came in anxiously to report.
"What's wrong?" Smoker asked puzzledly.
The adjutant excitedly took out a form and said excitedly: "Colonel Smoker, the recruitment department sent a new recruit's information today, and this new recruit is so special. He is a devil fruit user like you."
"Um?"
Smoker was a little surprised. He didn't expect that in this small town of Rogue, there would be a new recruit with the ability of a devil fruit.
He took the form and saw the information of the new recruits at a glance.
Logger Town Navy Recruit Information Table:
Name: Charlotte Coles
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Family background: Normal
Note: Possesses the ability of a superhuman devil fruit, the fruit is called the 'Shadow Fruit'.