By this time, the Marine ship had come very close, closing in to a distance of about ten meters from the pirate ship. For someone as powerful and experienced as Smoker, a gap like that was nothing at all. Without hesitation, he moved with incredible speed, crossing the space between the ships in a blur to appear directly on the deck of the Minnow Pirates' vessel.
Looking straight at Gojo, he said in a firm voice, "Drop your gun."
Gojo obeyed immediately, tossing his gun onto the wooden planks in front of him with no resistance.
The moment Smoker landed on the deck, the Minnow Pirates understood that all hope was gone. They realized that capture by the Marines was inevitable, and many of them could not bear that fate. In a desperate panic, several of the pirates began leaping into the sea, clinging to the faint hope of escape.
But before any of them could even touch the water, Smoker moved again with impossible speed, expertly using his weapon. He struck every pirate who was trying to flee, injuring them just enough to prevent any chance of escape. One by one, they fell groaning in pain back onto the deck.
Finally, the Marine ship pulled up directly alongside the Minnow Pirates' vessel. Marine soldiers began boarding immediately, swiftly starting the work of apprehending all the remaining pirates. A few of the soldiers then stepped forward to carry Finn's body away from Gojo.
Gojo also sank to the ground, breathing heavily. Up until now, he had managed to maintain his calm, collected demeanour, but it was obvious that using his Devil Fruit abilities to such an extreme had taken a serious toll on his body. His stamina had been depleted considerably, leaving him physically drained.
Smoker noticed Gojo's condition and chose to wait, giving him a few moments to recover before speaking. He stood by silently, observing him, until roughly fifteen to twenty minutes had passed. By then, everything on the Minnow Pirates' ship was firmly under the control of the Marines, and Gojo had rested long enough to regain some of his strength.
Finally, Smoker approached Gojo and said, "You shouldn't have risked killing those pirates."
Gojo, his eyes still closed, remained seated and spoke in a calm but firm voice. "They killed my uncle right in front of me," he said. "At that time, I was completely powerless. But, fortunately for me, I found a Devil Fruit on this ship and ate it. It gave me the strength I needed to avenge my uncle, and I did it."
Smoker had little to say in response. After all, the hatred that arises from the murder of family is on an entirely different level. He could understand, at least to some extent, exactly where Gojo was coming from.
There was little Smoker could say to console Gojo. So he chose to remain silent for a moment, simply looking at him, before finally speaking. "And since you have killed the captain of this ship, Finn, you will receive his bounty," Smoker said. "That is around 500,000 berries."
At the sound of Smoker's words, Gojo raised an eyebrow, his eyes still closed. While facing Smoker, he replied calmly, "Are you sure? I don't need any credit or money for killing the captain of the Minnow Pirates. You can have it. After all, if it weren't for you Marines, I wouldn't have even had the chance to kill these two. So I don't think I can accept this money."
Smoker shook his head slightly. "You don't have to overthink it. After all, you were the one who killed the captain of the Minnow Pirates. It is only right that you receive the bounty for him."
Gojo, still with his eyes closed, turned slightly towards Smoker and said, "It is quite rare to meet Marine officers like you. If you are truly willing to give me the bounty of the captain of the Minnow Pirates, then it will be best for me. After all, I have nothing now, and that money will certainly be helpful."
Smoker, after hearing these words from Gojo, looked confused and asked, "Yes, your village was raided by the Minnow Pirates, but it's not like it is destroyed. Your house is still there. How can you abandon it? I mean, you have your house to return to. It's not like you are saying you have to start anew. You have a place to return to."
Gojo shook his head and said, "You don't know human nature, Captain. All the land deeds for my house and my uncle's house were kept in our homes, and the villagers there are not very kind. You could even call them selfish, and I don't really blame them. After all, this is a man-eating world. They must have taken all our deeds from the house and used them for themselves. So even if I go back to get my land and house, I will have to fight — or worse, I might have to fight the officials, which could make me look like a criminal. At such a young age, I don't want a tag of criminal on my head, or to be dragged into long, ugly fights over deeds and rights. I want a chance to live quietly, work honestly, and spend my youth without being forced into unnecessary battles or carrying a criminal label."
"So I will not return to that village again. The memories I have of that place are all painful. I lost my parents there, and my uncle as well, leaving me completely alone. It is best for me to start anew somewhere else, far away from all that sorrow."
Smoker, after hearing Gojo's words, could only sympathize with him. After all, such tragedies are quite common in this world. In fact, it could even be said that Gojo's situation was still far better than that of many others who have lost everything and have no one left to rely on.
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