Chapter 9 Would you consider joining the navy?
Bane followed Smoker to his office at the naval base. Smoker also told his men to collect the money.
As Bane suspected, Smoker was a very fair man. He did not plan to take the bounty, and he did not want to embarrass Bane or ask him for any proof.
This might also indicate that the Navy is currently on good terms with him.
Smoker's next words confirmed this idea.
Smoker had three cigars in his mouth. After he poured a cup of tea for Bane, he sat down on the sofa.
"By the way, I'm a bit curious. Is the darkness ability you used before related to the devil fruit you took from the Whitebeard Pirates? " Smoker found a topic to discuss and asked for more details at the same time.
Bane was drinking tea and did not plan to hide anything. Others would find out about the fruit's power sooner or later. Plus, he felt the Navy was being friendly. Showing some goodwill might help with future cooperation.
"Yes, it was stolen from the Whitebeard Pirates. It is the logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit," Bane replied.
"Logia- type? " Smoker was a bit surprised. He was also a Logia type and knew how rare they were.
That made him think Bane had more potential and value.
He did not ask more detailed questions. Going deeper could be seen as rude, so Smoker changed the topic. "Come to think of it, our Navy has never heard about what you've done before. It seems you must have been a law-abiding person. Did you start working as a pirate hunter recently? "
"Well, to be precise, Thatch is my first achievement," Bane replied casually.
"I see. That's really impressive," Smoker said a bit awkwardly.
He wanted to befriend Bane, but he was a straightforward person and not good at making polite comments. If he wanted to compliment Bane, he couldn't think of anything new to say.
Unable to think of anything else to say, Smoker decided to get to the point right away. After a short pause, he looked at Bane and said seriously, "Honestly, our navy has always been friendly and welcoming to civilian leaders like you who are noble, honest, hate evil, and are strong. The pirate hunter business isn't bad, but it can't compare to the future of our navy. As a user of a Logia ability, you have a proven record of defeating a captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. If you join our navy, I believe the headquarters will treat you very well. "
Bane didn't expect Smoker to invite him to join the navy so soon after they met.
Are you interested in the Navy? Of course, I am.
After all, the navy has a large military force and is known as the ruler of the sea. It has a great influence across the sea. It's good to have support from a powerful organization. If he joins the navy headquarters now, the Whitebeard Pirates would have to think carefully before taking action against him.
At the same time, the Navy has many resources and a good education system. This can help Bane learn different skills like Six Styles, Kendo, Haki, and Fighting Techniques, which would steadily improve his strength!
However, Bane wasn't ready to join the Navy just yet.
On one hand, even though the navy thinks highly of him, it has many dark sides. It is heavily controlled by the world government. They may call themselves the rulers of the sea, but in reality, they are just the enforcers for the Celestial Dragons. On the other hand, now isn't the right time to join. Smoker said the navy would offer sincere treatment, but how sincere can that really be?
For now, his true identity hasn't been revealed. Everyone at sea believes that Bane killed Thatch, whether it was through a sneak attack or some other method. The result is what matters, so including Smoker, everyone generally thinks Bane should have a strength equal to that of a captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Others may not know the truth, but Bane knows his own limits. With his current strength, even a rear admiral in the navy could probably overpower him easily, and that might even be an overestimate.
However, Bane thinks he has a lot of potential to grow. If he can learn powers like Haki, along with his Dark-Dark Fruit and his physical fitness, he can shine as long as he has time to develop.
Even though he ate the Dark-Dark Fruit and it affected the world's progress, there is still room for flexibility.
The Straw Hats will set sail next year. If they can successfully trigger the Marineford War, the changes in the navy afterward will create a great opportunity for Bane.
This is the Navy's "World Recruitment. " It aims to adapt to changing times and address the serious threats from the New World, while also recovering from the losses incurred during the Battle of Marineford.
In the two years after the war, the Navy conducted ongoing large-scale recruitment and offered the best benefits ever.
Fujitora Issho and Aramaki were both civilians without any naval background. However, they used their strength to rise to the top through this recruitment and became two new admirals of the navy.
This is what we call sincerity, okay? If Bane decided to join the navy now, he might only become a captain and then gradually build qualifications, accomplishments, and strength. It would be unrealistic to hope for an admiral position within two years.
Only World Recruitment can provide such an opportunity.
Bane believes that his strength might not be enough to compete for the Admiral position by then, but he should be able to aim for the Vice Admiral position, right?
If he develops well in these two years, he might even replace a current Admiral.
Everyone should have a dream; otherwise, what's the difference between you and a hobo? If he becomes an admiral of the navy, he could later consider bringing peace to the New World, rebel against the Celestial Dragons, cause trouble for the world government, and gain control over the world's resources and power. Who knows? He could even return to the Empire with a large army and act arrogantly.
Of course, this is just an opportunity and a choice. If Bane realizes later that being a pirate is more beneficial, he won't feel guilty about joining that path.
Smoker didn't know what Bane was thinking. He only saw Bane sitting on the sofa, contemplating after hearing his invitation. Bane's expression showed excitement at times, which made Smoker think that Bane was very interested. This was certain.
As Smoker thought about this great thing, Bane quickly organized his scattered thoughts, calmed his emotions, and replied with a serious tone, "I'm sorry, Captain Smoker, but I don't plan to join the navy just yet. I'm only 20 years old and have just started my life at sea. I haven't seen many places, and I'm not ready to dedicate all my time and energy to justice. Maybe I will wait for two years. In two years, I might consider joining the navy because I do like it."
Smoker felt a bit regretful upon hearing this, but he could sense Bane's sincerity. He was not someone who liked to push others, and Bane's words showed goodwill toward the navy.
After a moment of regret, he said, "You don't need to apologize for this. I understand how you feel. I can promise you on behalf of the Navy that as long as you have justice in your heart, our Navy will always welcome you."
"Thank you for your understanding," Bane smiled.