One piece: Dark Smoker

Since crossing over, Smoker had been living a life completely disconnected from technology.

However, the knowledge and experience he accumulated in his past life made him never underestimate the power of science.

In the world of pirates, most people sneer at technology.

That's because their level of understanding is too low!

The top forces in the world—whether the government, the revolutionaries, or the pirates—have an entirely different attitude toward science. They've never stopped pursuing it.

Whether it's Big Mom coveting Germa's life sciences, or Kaido having Doflamingo cultivate artificial Devil Fruits, even Im has made Vegapunk research the "Holy Mother's Flame."

In short, in the world of pirates, technology is perhaps the most powerful, the most promising, but also the hardest to obtain force.

After joining the Navy, Smoker had been paying attention to the scientific division.

In the original story, this organization is very mysterious, only making brief appearances on Punk Hazard and the Head Island.

Smoker's rank was too low, so he couldn't touch them directly. But if he showed too much interest, it might be seen as ulterior motives.

Reluctantly, Smoker decided to temporarily give up on making contact with the science division.

Unexpectedly, this time, he somehow ended up with a connection to the scientific team.

It seemed his luck wasn't bad after all.

Although these scientists had some quirky temperaments and didn't get along well with the Navy soldiers, Smoker knew how to handle them.

Within a few days, he had already become familiar with them.

As for how he did it… naturally, it was through technology!

The Navy's science division was also split into different fields.

The scientists on this ship were all part of the artillery team, focusing primarily on guns, cannons, and ammunition.

Smoker, in his previous life, was also a military enthusiast.

He could easily talk about various classic firearms and artillery.

When it came to rolling up his sleeves to do research, he wasn't a match for these scientists.

But when it came to discussing development directions and strategies, he was in a different league!

Before long, Smoker, the "assistant," had become the "mentor"...

One day, Smoker was eating in the cafeteria when a scientist with a spiky hairstyle walked in, hurriedly sitting beside him.

"Mr. Smoker, care to join me?"

"Oh, sure, Dr. Iyer, have a seat!"

Smoker moved over to make room, and Dr. Iyer didn't bother with pleasantries, diving straight into the topic.

"Mr. Smoker, your concept of the automatic rifle from last time was genius! Can you explain it in more detail?!"

Smoker: "Oh, sure, I once considered a design like this..."

He dipped his hand in some sauce and quickly sketched out the structure of an AK47, then began explaining.

Dr. Iyer's eyes lit up as he listened intently.

Before long, a large crowd of scientists gathered around.

Even Dr. Aubrey, the most academically accomplished among them, was among the crowd.

These stubborn and hard-to-please scientists were now like obedient students, with some even pulling out pens and paper to take notes.

After Smoker finished explaining, he couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly when he saw their admiring looks. He added a few more words.

"Research on firearms isn't isolated. To make breakthroughs, we can't just focus on advancing the firearms themselves; we need to strengthen research in other fields as well!"

"For example, alloys can reduce the weight of firearms, making them more portable..."

"Or optics—scopes can turn anyone into a sniper!"

"Or chemistry—the potential of gunpowder has yet to be fully explored..."

"Not to mention the production line—if successful, it could greatly reduce firearm manufacturing costs..."

"In short, don't reinvent the wheel! We need to leverage our collective strengths! Heh... just some humble thoughts, take them as you will."

The scientists were initially shocked, then solemn, exchanging looks before standing up and clapping enthusiastically.

"No, no, you're too kind..." Smoker tried to deflect their praise.

Actually, Smoker was a little embarrassed. He wasn't just standing on the shoulders of giants; he was practically stepping on their heads!

But in this world, he was an undisputed pioneer...

Now, Smoker's relationship with these scientists was already very harmonious.

He'd present ideas and point out major directions, and the scientists would eagerly research them.

This was partly due to how the scientific development in the pirate world was skewed.

Vegapunk was already researching Terminator-like technology, Germa 66 was experimenting with genetically modified humans, and yet the Navy's weaponry was still at World War I level.

Although Smoker's ideas still had many issues due to the differences between the two worlds, the scientists were happy to try.

After all, to them, success meant progress, failure was just learning, and they wouldn't lose anything.

Watching the enthusiastic discussions among the scientists, Smoker felt relieved.

[At least this way, I've formed a good connection with the science division. If I want to reach out again in the future, it'll be justified.]

[Even if I can't think of a purpose for now, laying the groundwork is never wrong.]

[At worst, if I get tired of fighting and killing, I could take a cushy position in the science division.]

Of course, Smoker was tirelessly teaching these skills in order to improve the Navy's lower ranks.

On the Grand Line, it was undoubtedly the high-tier combat power that determined the naval balance.

In simple terms, it was about how many top-tier fighters or Admirals each side had.

But what truly affected the lives of ordinary people were the lower-tier soldiers and the countless low-level pirates!

The Four Emperors indeed had the overwhelming power to destroy nations, but even they could only kill so many people before running out of steam.

What truly stained the seas with blood were the countless small pirate crews.

The technologies Smoker handed over should help the Navy soldiers' equipment progress further.

While it posed no threat to the big pirates, it could be a devastating blow to smaller pirate crews.

Imagine this:

A pirate crew deep in blood debt faces off against a Navy fleet they could barely stand against.

And then suddenly, the Navy switches from flintlock rifles to automatic rifles.

The scene would be exhilarating just to think about...

These days, Smoker was constantly surrounded by Navy scientists, answering questions, giving lectures, or sketching designs.

Finally, once everyone had their own research topic, they stopped bothering him.

And Smoker finally had some free time to find Hina.

It had already been seven days since they'd parted ways...

When Smoker saw Hina, he was taken aback.

"Hina, what happened to you?!"

Hina's once fair face was now exhausted, her eyes were dark, and her hair was messy. Her gaze was somewhat vacant, reminding him of how he looked just before his death in his previous life.

However, her neck, ears, and wrists were adorned with a lot of expensive jewelry.

"Hina's fine, just a bit tired. I haven't been sleeping much."

"This ship's files are a mess, they're practically useless..."

Smoker felt a pang of sympathy.

"Maybe we should give up on this and try something else..."

"No!" Hina shook her head stubbornly.

"Being her assistant gives me the right to look through anything openly. I can't pass up such a great opportunity..."

"Don't worry, once I get through the mess of files, things will be easier..."

At first, when Zeon assigned Hina as his assistant, he only expected her to handle some paperwork and basic tasks. He didn't expect much help beyond that.

But to his surprise, Hina had an incredible talent for administration. Every task she handled was organized to perfection, even better than Zeon could manage himself.

Zeon was so impressed that he quickly shifted all the work onto Hina, turning himself into a laid-back supervisor. His days consisted of training or lounging on the deck, enjoying the sunshine, carefree and at ease.

Meanwhile, Hina was stuck working non-stop for three days, clearing up Zeran's backlog of mess. Just when she thought she could catch a breath, Zeran immediately handed her all of the ship's operations.

Everything except military secrets was now under Hina's control. She stood there, stunned. It felt like she had taken over as the highest commander—apart from not holding a rank like major general and not having access to classified information. How could the other officers accept this?

To her surprise, the "elite" members of G2 were thrilled when they heard the news. Far from resenting her for taking over, they were moved to tears.

"Finally, Major Zeon isn't making life miserable for us anymore!"

Now, they had someone who actually told them what to do, rather than yelling at them during missions or beating them while handing out assignments.

And so, Hina unwittingly "took power"...

Her new position made things much easier for her—files were at her fingertips, and she could access personnel records without a hitch. But there was a downside.

If Zeon'S backlog had been a pile of trash, now Hina was facing an entire landfill. Just going through the directory made her head spin. For four days straight, Hina barely slept, trying to sort everything out.

By the time she was done, she was exhausted but at least could focus on the work. It was then that she had some time to meet with Smoker.

"Ugh..." Smoker took a sharp breath in. "He's totally treating you like a workhorse."

"You hate this kind of administrative work, don't you?" he asked.

Hina wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, her hand adorned with gold and diamonds.

"I don't have a choice. He's been so generous with me."

Zeon had, in his good mood, often handed Hina gold coins and jewelry. He'd share his expensive wine and rare cigarettes, things no one could easily buy. In just a few days, Hina had accumulated a box full of gold and jewelry. With her military rank, she could never have earned so much by going without food or drink for years.

Smoker sighed.

"Well, you've got a rare opportunity here. Go rest for a bit."

Hina, her eyelids growing heavier, agreed. "Alright, but remember to wake me in an hour. I still have a meeting..."

After Hina fell asleep, Smoker sat nearby, smoking, contemplating how a perfectly good girlfriend had turned into a workaholic.

But compared to other jobs, at least Zeon was generous... In a way, he was a lot like Doflamingo.

Wait a minute... Doflamingo... Smoker suddenly realized something.

"Damn it!!" he cursed. "Diamandy!"

Hadn't that guy been locked up for a week now?! He hadn't eaten or drunk anything, and there was no sound from the cell. Was he already dead?

Smoker couldn't be sure. Since the Dark-Dark fruit wasn't a "fortress" type ability, he could check on Diamandy at any time. But with so many people on board, he couldn't just release him without drawing attention.

After some hesitation, Smoker gathered some food, drink, and supplies, slipping them into the darkness of the cell. "I hope this helps him hold on for a little longer..."

A while later, Hina woke up, feeling much better. After saying goodbye to Smoker, she returned to her work.

Now that the chaos was cleared up, Hina still had plenty to do, but it was nothing compared to the overwhelming mess from before. She even found time to train with Zeon.

In the training room, Hina and Zeon were practicing, though it was more like Zeon was teaching Hina.

Zeon shot sharp spikes from his left hand like a machine gun. Hina avoided them using her body and reflexes, careful not to reveal her abilities.

"Nice! That was a good move!" Zeon praised. "You need to focus not just on the attacks in front of you, but also learn to predict them!"

"When attacking, you need to predict your opponent's evasion! When evading, you have to predict their attack!"

Despite their short time together, Zeon was starting to appreciate Hina more and more. She was young, yet her strength and skill were impressive—even in headquarters, someone like her was rare.

Zeon grinned. "Tina, come on! Keep up! You can handle it, right?!"

Tina, panting, stood her ground, her eyes burning with determination.

"Good!" Zeon said with a smile as he attacked again. His spikes rained down like a storm. Hina gritted her teeth, dodging, but her fatigue slowed her down.

As the fight went on, Hina's injuries grew, and her uniform became soaked with blood. She was no longer able to dodge effectively, relying instead on her senses to avoid the spikes by feeling their approach through the faint air currents.

Hina entered a strange state. Even though her vision was blurred, her awareness of the attacks grew sharper, and she unconsciously dodged many strikes she couldn't see coming.

Zeon watched from a distance, amazed.

"Observation Haki?! No, it's not fully awakened yet, but it's taking shape..."

Lost in thought, Zeon inadvertently launched a spike at Hina with far more speed than intended.

"No!" he shouted.

The spike shot toward Hina's abdomen at an incredible speed.

In a split second, Hina swerved instinctively, narrowly avoiding the attack as it grazed her side, cutting her clothes.

That last dodge took all her strength. Her eyes closed, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Hina!" Zeon rushed to catch her.

Hina struggled to open her eyes. "Major Zeon, I'm fine, it was just..."

Zeon's eyes gleamed. "Congratulations, Hina! You've awakened Observation Haki! That's a skill even I'm not very good at!"

"Observation Haki?!" Hina's eyes brightened. "That's amazing..."

Zeon smiled. "Silly girl, don't get too excited. You're exhausted. Rest first, and I'll help you consolidate your training later."

Hina nodded gratefully. "Please, Major Zeon."

Soon, two medics arrived with a stretcher and carried Tina away.

Zeon smiled as he watched them go.

Once they left, his smile faded...