Chapter 95: Reunion with Smoker
Sabaody Archipelago.
Inside a restaurant, Bane was feasting alongside Nami, Wiper, Dr. Genus, and Fubuki.
After descending from Sky Island, Issho had become completely fired up about heading to Marine Headquarters, using his powers to accelerate their ship the entire journey. As a result, they had reached this place in just one week.
Just before arriving, Bane had contacted Smoker, who without hesitation told them to wait here while he came to pick them up.
Before returning from the One Punch Man world, Bane had brought some scientific equipment and materials from the House of Evolution.
During this week of sailing, Dr. Genus had completed creating a small gadget - a text translator.
Similar to the scouters from the Dragon Ball world, it was a single-eye glass visor with headphones. When worn, it could scan text and convert it into characters that he and Fubuki could understand.
This was thanks to Nami carrying various books with her, which provided Dr. Genus with reference samples.
At this moment, Fubuki sat at the dining table wearing the device, looking at the menu.
"Give me another order of this bubble meat and a colorful fruit juice drink," Fubuki said to the nearby waiter.
"Didn't you already order one earlier?" Nami asked casually while eating her fruit platter.
Fubuki's expression darkened: "The moment it arrived, before I could even see what the bubble meat looked like, Bane had already shoved the whole thing in his mouth and swallowed it!"
"Hahaha, that guy always eats like that - no gentlemanly manners whatsoever," Nami teased.
As she finished speaking and turned around, she saw that her fruit platter had already been dumped entirely into Bane's mouth. Bane mumbled indistinctly: "I never said I was a gentleman in the first place."
"Hey, that was my platter!" Nami slammed the table in frustration, then resignedly told the waiter: "Add another platter for me."
"Foolish. Why don't you just sit farther away?" Dr. Genus sat alone at another table, maintaining proper dining etiquette with a napkin and using knife and fork to cut his steak, looking quite superior.
He couldn't understand why, despite everyone knowing full well that Bane had no table manners whatsoever, these two women still stubbornly insisted on sitting at the same table with him. In his view, this was simply foolish behavior. He was much more clever.
While everyone was chatting and laughing, two figures entered the restaurant - Issho and Zoro.
After scanning the room, they walked directly over and sat down with Bane's group.
"How did it go? Any results?" Bane asked, swallowing an entire steak along with the bone.
Zoro shook his head: "None of those pirates you wanted us to find have arrived at Sabaody Archipelago yet."
Captain Eustass Kid, Big Eater Jewelry Bonney, and Death Surgeon Trafalgar Law - these were the rookie pirates Bane was particularly interested in. Upon reaching Sabaody Archipelago, Bane had sent Issho with his powerful Observation Haki and Zoro with his Rumble-Rumble Fruit to investigate whether these individuals had arrived.
Unfortunately, none of them were here yet. Though this made sense, since Bane's group had reached Sabaody Archipelago quite quickly, and the various influences they'd generated along the way wouldn't necessarily have affected all of these pirates.
"That's really unfortunate," Bane clicked his tongue.
Trafalgar Law had the Op-Op Fruit, and Bane was quite interested in the guy. He had originally wanted to meet him to see if there might be any opportunities.
As for Jewelry Bonney, she was Bartholomew Kuma's precious daughter. If they could use Trafalgar Law's power to cure her illness, they might be able to win Kuma over. After all, Kuma was definitely worth the effort.
As for Eustass Kid, while he might have some honor and loyalty, he belonged to the genuinely evil pirate camp - burning, killing, and pillaging without restraint. Bane had no intention of recruiting him, especially given his personality that refused to submit to anyone, preferring death to surrender.
So Bane's interest in him was more of a death stare - he had his eyes on Kid's Devil Fruit ability.
They had already agreed that if there was a chance later, they'd bring a gift back for Genos. After thinking it over, Kid's Magnet-Magnet Fruit ability would be perfect for Genos. With extra parts carried on his person, even if he got smashed to pieces, he could reassemble immediately and restore his fighting capability.
"But it doesn't matter. These guys are all restless types, and if they haven't arrived yet, maybe by the time we finish dealing with Marine business, they'll have reached Sabaody Archipelago," Bane reconsidered and waved his hand dismissively.
"Hmm? Those fruits you're eating - I saw people selling them on the street earlier. While they taste good, you can't eat too many at once or you'll get poisoned," Zoro warned, seeing Bane gulp down more than ten small fruits in one go.
"I'm eating them precisely because I know they're poisonous," Bane said nonchalantly.
Zoro looked puzzled: "What's troubling you?"
Since they'd been sailing at sea, Bane hadn't had time to prepare any toxins. Now he was beginning to gradually build up his poison resistance bit by bit.
Before Bane could explain anything to Zoro, two more figures entered the restaurant. Both wore Marine justice cloaks - one with three cigars in his mouth was clearly Headquarters Captain Smoker.
The other also wore captain's insignia, dressed in a burgundy women's suit with long pink hair and an attractive face, smoking a ladies' cigarette as she stood beside Smoker.
Undoubtedly, this was Smoker's friend, Captain Hina.
"Over here!" Seeing Smoker, Bane raised his hand in greeting.
Following the voice, Smoker's originally stern face broke into a smile: "You finally made it. Looks like you've met quite a few like-minded companions on your journey?"
"That's right. Let me introduce you - these are..." Bane introduced his new companions to Smoker.
Smoker also introduced Hina to everyone. Since both sides were on friendly terms, they quickly got acquainted.
Without delay, Bane's group settled their bill and headed toward the Marine port at Sabaody Archipelago with Smoker and Hina.
Their ship and subordinates would remain here for now, free to move about. After all, it wouldn't be appropriate for Bane to bring several hundred people to Marine Headquarters - that would be too presumptuous.
So only this core group would be going to headquarters.
"Last time you mentioned that Vice Admiral Garp's two grandsons had both been captured. I know Ace is imprisoned in Impel Down, but what happened to the other one called Luffy?" Bane asked Smoker curiously as they walked.
At the mention of Garp's troublesome grandson, Smoker looked thoroughly exasperated, having been the one to escort the kid from East Blue to headquarters.
"That Luffy kid is like a monkey - way too energetic, and completely stubborn. Even after getting beaten three times a day by Vice Admiral Garp, he still keeps yelling about becoming Pirate King. I was nearly driven crazy by those two on the whole journey," Smoker complained.
After pausing briefly, Smoker continued: "After Vice Admiral Garp brought him back to headquarters, the moment he let his guard down slightly, the kid almost escaped. He even injured several Marine soldiers, which infuriated Vice Admiral Garp. Now he's got Seastone shackles on and is locked up in headquarters' prison. According to Vice Admiral Garp, he plans to deal with that kid after settling matters with the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Is that so?" Bane could easily picture the scene and couldn't help but chuckle, then didn't ask any more questions.
The group quickly boarded the warship and set off for Marine Headquarters.
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