Ben followed Smoker into his office at the Marine base. Smoker had already ordered his men to retrieve the reward money.
Just as Ben had suspected, Smoker turned out to be a fair man. He didn't try to embezzle the bounty, nor did he make things difficult for Ben by asking for proof.
Perhaps this also showed that, at least for now, the Marines held a favorable attitude toward him.
Smoker, with three cigars clamped in his mouth, poured Ben a cup of tea and sat down casually on the sofa.
"I've been curious," Smoker said, trying to ease into the conversation, "that darkness-related ability you used earlier — was it from a Devil Fruit you stole from the Whitebeard Pirates?"
Ben sipped his tea, making no effort to hide the truth. The nature of his power would be public knowledge sooner or later anyway, and since the Marines seemed friendly for now, he figured showing some goodwill might not hurt.
"That's right. I stole it from the Whitebeard Pirates. It's a Logia-type: the Dark-Dark Fruit," Ben replied.
"A Logia, huh?" Smoker was slightly surprised. As a Logia user himself, he understood how rare they were.
Which also meant Ben's value and potential in Smoker's eyes had just gone up significantly.
Smoker didn't press for more details — going further would've been impolite. Instead, he shifted the topic.
"By the way, we Marines haven't heard anything about you until now. That makes me think you must've been a law-abiding citizen until recently. Did you just start working as a pirate hunter?"
"Yeah, more or less. You could say Thatch was my first real success," Ben said offhandedly.
"I see. Talk about making a splash with your debut," Smoker said stiffly.
He genuinely wanted to build rapport with Ben, but being a blunt man by nature, he wasn't great with compliments and couldn't find any clever words.
At a loss for small talk, Smoker decided to cut to the chase. After a short pause, he looked at Ben with a serious expression and said:
"To be honest, the Marines have always welcomed independent experts like you — upright, strong, and intolerant of evil. While the pirate hunter path isn't a bad one, it's nothing compared to the future the Marines can offer. You're a Logia user, and you've taken down a division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. If you're willing to join us, I'm confident Marine HQ would offer you a very favorable position."
Ben hadn't expected Smoker to extend an invitation so soon after they'd met.
Did he have interest in joining the Marines? Absolutely.
After all, the Marines were a massive organization — the dominant force of the seas. Their influence was vast. Aligning with them meant protection and power. If he could make it to Marine HQ, even the Whitebeard Pirates would think twice before coming after him.
Plus, the Marines had abundant resources and a complete training system. He could use that to master Rokushiki techniques, swordsmanship, Haki, hand-to-hand combat — everything he'd need to steadily boost his strength.
However, Ben had no intention of joining just yet.
For one thing, while the Marines prided themselves on justice, their darker side — and their connection to the World Government — couldn't be ignored. In truth, they were little more than the Celestial Dragons' watchdogs.
And second, the timing just wasn't right.
Smoker had talked a good game about offering a "generous position." But how generous could it really be?
Would they offer him the rank of Vice Admiral? Of course not. And even if they did, would he dare accept it?
Right now, the world assumed Ben was strong enough to kill Thatch — whether by sneak attack or in direct combat. So naturally, people like Smoker believed he had strength equal to a division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
After all, who would hunt Thatch without the power to back it up?
But Ben knew the truth. At his current level, even an average Rear Admiral could probably wipe the floor with him — maybe he was overestimating himself by even thinking that.
Still, Ben believed he had immense growth potential. Once he learned Haki and other advanced techniques — combined with his Dark-Dark Fruit and his evolving physical strength — he could shine with time to develop.
Yes, eating the Dark-Dark Fruit had altered the course of history somewhat, but the world was still in motion.
Next year, the Straw Hats would set sail. If he could play his cards right and help push events toward the War of the Best, the outcome of that war would open up a huge opportunity:
The Marines' World Military Draft.
To compensate for the devastating losses during the war and to face rising threats from the New World, the Marines would hold a massive recruitment campaign — offering the most generous terms in history.
That's how men like Fujitora and Ryokugyu — once total outsiders — rose to the top and became Admirals purely through personal strength during the draft.
That was true sincerity. That was the chance worth taking.
If Ben were to join the Marines now, maybe he'd get a Captain rank, and then slowly grind up the ladder through years of service, missions, and merit. Becoming an Admiral within two years? That would be a joke.
Only the World Draft offered that kind of leap.
By Ben's estimation, even if he couldn't secure an Admiral title, getting to Vice Admiral was well within reach. And if he grew strong enough in the next two years — who's to say he couldn't become Admiral after all?
After all, you need dreams — otherwise, what separates you from a salted fish?
If he could become an Admiral, maybe one day he could even pacify the New World, overthrow the Celestial Dragons, and bring down the World Government itself. With power and resources in his hands, maybe he could even return to the Empire (wherever he came from) and dominate.
Of course, that was just one possible path. If, down the line, becoming a pirate seemed more profitable, Ben wasn't morally opposed to going that route either.
Smoker had no idea what Ben was thinking. All he saw was Ben sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, his face flashing with occasional excitement — which led Smoker to believe Ben was seriously considering the offer.
Smoker was already congratulating himself mentally when Ben suddenly pulled his thoughts back together, calmed his expression, and replied seriously:
"I'm sorry, Colonel Smoker, but I'm not ready to join the Marines just yet. I'm only twenty. I just started traveling, and there's still so much I haven't seen. I'm not prepared to commit all my time and energy to the cause of justice — not yet. Maybe in a couple of years… At that point, I'd seriously consider joining. I really do like the Marines, after all."
Smoker felt a pang of disappointment but could hear the sincerity in Ben's voice. He wasn't the type to force anyone, and Ben's attitude toward the Marines was clearly respectful.
After a brief silence, Smoker nodded and said:
"No need to apologize. I completely understand your thoughts and feelings. On behalf of the Marines, I can promise you this — as long as your heart remains with justice, the doors of the Marines will always be open to you."
"Thanks for understanding," Ben replied with a smile.
(End of Chapter)