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  .....

  Hina released a massive cloud of smoke, enveloping the Fang Pirates entirely.

  The pirate ships became chaotic, like headless flies, uo navigate ihick fog. Some even crashed into each other.

  Before long, the navy ship caught up.

  With swift and decisive a, the marines subdued all the pirates within miying them up and piling them on the ship.

  Smoker took a stroll around, his gaze nding on a group of female pirates—about a dozen of them. Some were strikingly beautiful.

  Though fear filled their eyes as they looked at him, a faint, defiant glint still flickered beh the surface.

  Smoker wasn’t oo show meren, especially not in a pce like this.

  Women who survive among pirates aren’t i.

  "At least I don’t o worry about those ensved girls anymore. This solves the problem."

  Smoker casually walked over to Bend, the pirate captain.

  “You seemed to have a lot of fun on the isnd, Captain Bend…”

  Be out a bitter ugh, coughing as he spoke. “Heh... So I’ve fallen into your hands. Fine, I admit defeat. Go ahead, kill me. I’ve lived enough to make it worth it.”

  Smoker lit a cigar, taking a sl.

  “Don’t try to provoke me. You won’t die. In fact, you’ll live for a long, long time…”

  “But in the days ahead, death will feel like a luxury to you…”

  “Now,” Smoker added, “let’s start by colleg a little i.”

  He raised his hand, white smoke f into small spheres that he flung at the pirates.

  The deck erupted in screams of agony.

  Zephyr approached. “Smoker, what’s ?”

  Smoker didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he turned and shouted, “Marlow!”

  A bespectacled marih a schorly demeanor stepped forward, saluting. “Yes, Captain Smoker!”

  Marlow was in charge of intelligend khe bounties of every pirate like the back of his hand.

  “Sort them out,” Smoker ordered. “Keep the ones with bouhe rest—send them to the Celestial Dragons.”

  “The Celestial Dragons?!”

  At the mention of that name, all the pirates visibly flierror washing over their faces.

  Smoker poi Bend. “Send him too.”

  Zephyr couldn’t help but silently appud.

  For defiant pirates, being sves is worse thah.

  He’d heard that Celestial Dragons favored pirate sves because they were tougher to break.

  Smoker, you devil. Well done!

  The m.

  The navy ship returned early to Primisoma Isnd.

  Bancroft, a Celestial Dragon, had just woken up. Yawning, he sat zily on his private vessel, looking bored.

  “This is ridiculous... I’m a Celestial Dragon! Why am I waiting for a marine here?!”

  “Guards! Go to the isnd and capture 100 sves for me. I’m leaving—”

  Before he could finish, one of his guards ehe room.

  “Lord Bancroft, Bck Arm Zephyr has returned!”

  “Oh? He’s back?” Bancroft paused, then waved dismissively. “Fine. Since he’s here, help me get ready.”

  By the time Bancroft was ready, the navy ship had docked, towing a line of pirate ships behind it.

  On the docks, hundreds of pirates y sprawled on the ground, battered and bruised, but still visibly strong and muscur.

  Smoker stood over Bend, spping him repeatedly.

  Each sp drew blood, leaving Bend’s face swollen and bloody.

  As the ship he dock, Smoker thought of Orl, and his anger fred again.

  Zephyr stood nearby, not intervening.

  If I stepped in, I’d probably kill Bend ht. Better to let Smoker ha.

  When Bancroft saw Smoker punishing Bend, his eyes gleamed with excitement instead of anger.

  “Good, good!” Bancroft excimed.

  “A sve who ehat kind of beating? Excellent quality!”

  Notig Bancroft’s arrival, Smoker stopped and joined Zephyr to greet him.

  “Greetings, Lord Bancroft…”

  Bancroft g the marines. “So, this is your haul?”

  “Yes,” Zephyr replied. “Smive your report.”

  Smoker stepped forward.

  “Thanks to your blessing, tured 447 pirates this time. Captain Bend and his officers are all among them.”

  “We’ve already sorted them—307 pirates without disabilities are here on the dock. You select the fi for your sves.”

  Bancroft burst into ughter. “Excellent work!”

  "Very good, very good! You marines are finally proving useful!" Bancroft said, his tone casual, but his gaze lingered with i as he ied the se.

  Smoker stepped forward. "Honorable Lord Bancroft, I noticed the sves on your ship seem weak and frail. They don’t match your esteemed status at all!"

  "Why not take this opportunity to repce them with new sves? That way, when you return to the Holy Land, you’ll be the envy of everyone!"

  At first, Bancroft didn’t seem to care. But when Smoker mentiohe ce to show off, his eyes lit up.

  "You’re absolutely right. Guards!"

  Gernika stepped forward. "At your service!"

  "Kill all the sves on my ship! Clear the spad prepare to house my new sves!"

  Smoker quickly interjected, "My lord! Please allow me to hahis. I ehey disappear quietly without staining your ship with their blood."

  Bancroft waved dismissively. "Fine, you ha."

  With that, he turned his attention back to seleg his new sves.

  Gernika stepped closer to Smoker. "Captain Smoker, all sve disposals must be monitored by CP."

  Smoker offered a polite smile. "Of course. I will carry out the will of the gods without fail."

  Gernika nodded and began overseeing the transfer of sves.

  Under CP’s watchful eyes, the old sves disappeared into darkness, their muffled cries fading away. Meanwhile, the new sves were fitted with colrs, ready for transport.

  However, there was a slight problem.

  There were only 200 sve colrs avaible, but over 300 pirates had been captured. Bancroft, of course, wahem all.

  Smoker and the others were momentarily stumped, unsure of how to proceed.

  Fortunately, CP had experien such matters.

  They verted one of the pirate ships into a makeshift prison ship, cramming the extra sves inside.

  Initially, Smoker felt uneasy. If the pirates rebelled and caused a se, it might ahe Celestial Dragon a him into trouble.

  But his s quickly vanished.

  In his past dealings with pirates, he’d entered stubborn types like Bend—pirates who never gave in.

  But CP had their methods.

  Two agents dragged Bend into a dark room. Half an hour ter, they brought him back.

  The once-defiant pirate captain was now utterly broken, sobbing untrolbly.

  CP applied the same treatment to a few other troublemakers, and soon, the remaining pirates were as obedient as rabbits.

  Smoker couldn’t help but marvel.

  “Specialized skills really do make a difference!”

  As Gernika stood nearby, stoic as ever, Smoker walked over with a sly grin.

  "I heard Lord Bancroft call you Gern?"

  CP identities were top secret. While Smoker kly who Gernika was—the unlucky guy Kaido had smashed to death—he preteherwise.

  Gernika g him but didn’t respond.

  Unbothered, Smoker tinued cheekily, "I wao ask you a professional question."

  Gernika frowned slightly. "What is it?"

  "How much does a typical sve cost?"

  Gernika looked surprised but saw no harm in answering.

  "Ordinary sves are about 200,000 to 300,000 berries. High-quality ones, like dancers or pirate sves, are around 500,000."

  "Rare species, like Longarm or Fish-Men, are double the price ur sves."

  "The most expensive are Giant and Mermaid sves, costing over 100 times the price of a normal human."

  Smoker houghtfully. "I see…"

  He recalled that back when Luffy reached the Sabaody Archipegur sves were priced at about 500,000 berries. It seemed inftion had doubled prices over the years.

  Then he asked what he really wao know. "What about bounty hunters? How are sves with bounties priced?"

  Gernika expined, "Their price is the market value of a sve plus their bounty. If they’re famous pirates, the price goes up even more."

  Smoker frowned. "Wouldn’t that mean the higher their bounty, the less worthwhile they are as sves?"

  "It’s about prestige," Gernika replied. "The gods don’t care about the cost. What matters is the status of owning them."

  Smoker’s eyes lit up in uanding. "Ah, I see. Thank you for the lesson."

  Then, with a grin, he added, "By the way, Gern-sa’s exge taformation!"

  Gernika was about to refuse ht but hesitated. Seeing that the Celestial Dragon seemed to have a favorable impression of Smoker, he relutly agreed.

  Smoker thanked him a.

  As he thought about the captured pirates and their bounties, a gleam of excitement filled his eyes.

  "This is going to be a fortune!"

  .....

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