One Piece: With Sign-in System

"Calm down, Tashigi."

A steady male voice rang out.

The moment Ron heard this voice, an image of a certain guy popped into his mind—a man with slicked-back white hair, a cigar perpetually hanging from his mouth, and an air of arrogance.

The corners of Ron's mouth curled slightly.

"Captain Smoker!"

Tashigi's face lit up as if she had just found her savior. She hurriedly said, "You're here just in time! You can vouch for me, right? I'm a Marine Headquarters officer, a sergeant trained at the Marine School of Justice. My records and background are all clear! I have absolutely nothing to do with that so-called 'Swordswoman'! I don't even know that Kuina woman!"

Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke, looking completely uninterested in the debate. "Do you even need me to confirm that? There's no way you're Kuina. You guys shouldn't let yourselves be fooled by a bunch of pirates."

He scratched his ear lazily and added, "That Kuina actually defeated Vice Admiral Onigumo. Do you think this girl here has that kind of skill?"

The Marines behind Tashigi suddenly nodded in realization.

"That makes sense."

"Yeah, there's no way Officer Tashigi could match a swordswoman of that level."

"Turns out it was just a resemblance all along."

"My apologies, Officer Tashigi. I actually started doubting you for a moment there."

Tashigi twitched slightly at the corners of her mouth.

Sure, the misunderstanding was cleared up… but why did it feel so infuriating?

These guys were almost fooled by some random pirates, and the only reason her identity was confirmed was because she was too weak to be mistaken for Kuina?

Well, sorry for being so weak!

While Tashigi silently fumed, Smoker turned his gaze toward the group of pirates. "So, you're the ones who raided the stores and were planning to escape into the Grand Line?"

"Shit! It's the White Hunter!"

"Run for it!"

As soon as the pirates realised who the man standing near them was, they were thrown into complete panic. Forget arguing—they immediately scattered in all directions, trying to flee.

"You think you can escape from me?!" Smoker scoffed.

In an instant, his entire body turned into smoke as he shot toward the pirates.

With his brute strength and Devil Fruit abilities, the small-time pirates—whose combined bounties didn't even reach 30 million Berries—were swiftly subdued.

Tashigi and the other Marines quickly restrained them, tying them up so they could be transported to the Marine base later.

Smoker, now sitting on a nearby rock, exhaled another cloud of smoke, watching his subordinates handle the cleanup.

"I've been stationed in Loguetown for eight or nine years now," he muttered to himself. "Dealing with these weaklings from the East Blue every day… My body's going soft."

His gaze darkened slightly.

"Maybe… it's time I returned to Headquarters."

Just then, his expression changed. His entire body tensed as he sharply turned his head.

A figure stood silently behind him.

A single drop of cold sweat rolled down Smoker's forehead.

Since when?!

I didn't sense a thing…

Before his mind could even process the situation, his body moved instinctively.

By the time he reacted, his fist was already hurtling toward the unknown figure—his full strength packed into one powerful White Blow.

Propelled by white smoke, Smoker's powerful White Blow came crashing forward—but before it could land, a single hand caught it effortlessly.

At the same time, a voice that was all too familiar to Smoker rang out, causing him to freeze in place.

"Oi, oi… is that really how you greet an old acquaintance?"

The moment Smoker registered that voice and got a clear look at the man's face, his pupils contracted, and his expression turned to shock.

"It's you!"

"Been a while, hasn't it?"

Ron smiled and released his grip on Smoker's fist.

"Captain Smoker?"

Tashigi, her short blue hair tucked neatly behind her glasses, turned toward the commotion, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

However, Ron's face and most of his figure were obscured by Smoker, leaving her unable to get a good look.

"Let's talk somewhere else," Ron said casually. "I'll be waiting at the tavern where I was drinking earlier."

Without giving Smoker a chance to respond, he turned and walked away.

Smoker watched his back closely.

So… you really are still alive.

Beside him, Tashigi also stared at the figure clad in a black coat, his tall, lean frame disappearing into the distance. A hint of curiosity flickered across her gaze.

"Captain Smoker, is he a friend of yours?"

"Friend? Not a chance," Smoker muttered, stepping past her. "Just someone I know."

"Where are you going, Captain?" Tashigi called after him.

"Just taking a walk," he replied without looking back. "Make sure those guys get transported to the base first."

He waved a hand dismissively and strode off in another direction.

…

Inside a dimly lit tavern in Loguetown.

Smoker and Ron sat side by side at the counter, each with a glass of whiskey on the rocks in front of them.

Smoker glanced at Ron, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Didn't hear a damn thing about you for the past two years. Thought maybe Kaido beat you so badly you just disappeared from the seas for good."

The last time they had met in this very tavern, Ron had still been a black-haired youth—but his name barely known.

Who could have imagined that in just a few short years…

That very same youth had become the man now sitting beside him.

A man who had shaken the world time and time again under the name of the Traveler.

A man whose legend had spread across the entire sea.

Even though Ron had vanished for two years, there were still countless people across the world who believed—without a doubt—that he was still alive. That one day, Traveler Ron would return to the seas and continue writing his legend.

Ron swirled his glass, the ice clinking against the sides. Hearing Smoker's words, he chuckled. "Most people would assume I was dead, wouldn't they?"

Smoker took a sip of his drink. "If you'd actually died on Onigashima, Kaido wouldn't have kept quiet about it. But for two whole years, we never heard a single word from that side."

Ron glanced at him, then smiled and took a sip of his own.

Smoker shot him a sidelong look. "Am I wrong?"

"No." Ron shook his head. "I'm just surprised. I never thought you'd be the type to pay attention to what's going on in the New World."

Smoker took another drink, letting the liquor burn down his throat before replying, "I wasn't, back then. But over the past few years, I've been keeping a close eye on everything happening in the Grand Line… and beyond."

Smoker glanced at the young man beside him.

"The world's balance… the stability that once existed—it all shattered because of you. Now, everything is changing."

"Oi, oi, oi—" Ron raised his hands in mock innocence. "You make it sound like it's all my fault. I didn't do anything at first, you know."

Smoker ignored him and continued drinking. "If I had known back then that you were taking Nico Robin aboard your ship, I would have stopped you."

"You wouldn't have been able to stop me," Ron chuckled, raising his glass. "And you can't now, either."

With a smirk, he slid his empty glass toward the bartender.

"Another one."

"Got it," the bartender replied, reaching for a fresh bottle.

Smoker's face darkened at Ron's words. He downed the rest of his drink in one go, the burn of alcohol doing little to ease the frustration bubbling inside him. No matter how much he hated to admit it, Ron was right.

"What's your next move?" Smoker asked, his voice steady, but his gaze sharp. "Are you planning to keep going against the Marines?"

Ron rested his chin on one hand, idly tapping the counter with the other. His tone remained casual, but the words that followed made Smoker's pupils contract sharply.

"I've already crossed that line. There's no going back. The World Government won't stop hunting me—I'm a thorn in their side."

Then, after a brief pause, he added with a faint smile:

"But soon… I'll be making a move. A big one. If I succeed, this world… will never be the same again."

"…!!!"

Smoker's usual tough, indifferent demeanor cracked. His eyes widened, his mouth parted slightly, and for a moment, he just stared at Ron's composed side profile.

"Change… the world?" His voice was hoarse, as if the words themselves were too heavy to process. "Oi… you're joking, right?"

Ron turned toward him, his eyes still closed, his expression calm—but the smile on his lips carried an unmistakable certainty.

"No."

He opened his eyes slightly and met Smoker's gaze.

"I'm dead serious."