One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

"Hey! Smoker, not bad at all! Looks like that bunch of rookies is shaping up into quite the elite force!"

Returning to the G-5 Branch, Wright was pleased to see that during his absence, Smoker had handled most of the branch's affairs—though it was evident that Ain had been doing much of the heavy lifting.

One couldn't deny it: Ain was exceptional at managing internal operations.

Even Hina seemed far more interested in leading patrols than dealing with the mundane base affairs.

"Do you even remember that you're the base commander?"

Smoker, chewing on his cigar, growled with irritation. Ever since Rosinante had been assigned elsewhere, Smoker had been feeling the mounting pressure from the capable women around him.

When Rosinante was here, he could at least smooth things over, but now Smoker could only throw himself into training the recruits to distract himself from Hina's pointed stares.

As for Fujitora? That old gambler had mastered the art of selective ignorance, dodging these matters with an unshakable "I see nothing" demeanor.

Wright reviewed the latest records of the branch's affairs, nodding in satisfaction.

"Well, you've been promoted to commodore now, and with Hina as a commander and Ain as a lieutenant commander, you three should have no problem keeping the G-5 Branch running smoothly!"

"If things get tricky, Fujitora is your trump card. He's the ultimate problem-solver, after all!"

"Here, the rules are simple—unlike other branches. As long as your fists are strong enough, the grunts will listen!"

Smoker's mouth twitched. "Strong fists, huh? Count me out!

"You're the one who faced Kaido head-on. I wouldn't survive a single slap from that monster!

"And don't forget—it was your idea for Fujitora to stay under the radar and only act as a last resort!"

"Kaido isn't exactly out there picking fights every day!"

Wright retorted as he sifted through a new stack of documents on his desk. "Speaking of which, what's the latest with the major pirate crews in the New World?"

"Big players, huh? Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom—those are still the three biggest forces," Smoker replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "But there's been a lot of buzz about the Red-Haired Pirates recently. Looks like Shanks is on track to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other three 'Sea Emperors.'"

"That said, their numbers are small. Sure, his crew is full of elite fighters with remarkable balance in strength, but they're still limited by their territory."

"Shanks, huh…"

Wright tapped his desk thoughtfully. He couldn't quite wrap his head around how Shanks, with just one ship and a handful of subordinates, managed to rise to the level of the other emperors despite having far fewer resources.

"In terms of territorial control, Shanks isn't quite on par with the other three yet, but his reputation is undeniable," Smoker continued. "All he needs is one decisive victory or some game-changing power to expand his territory, and he'll be equal to them."

Wright frowned. "There's no question about Shanks' strength. His reputation among pirates is also top-tier—almost ironic, isn't it? A pirate whose name carries more weight than the Marines' in some places."

Smoker smirked. "Speaking of which, there's one thing that's been bugging me—and a lot of other Marines, for that matter…"

"How does a pirate as powerful as Shanks lose an arm in the East Blue?"

Wright was silent for a moment before sighing. "Because he's an idiot."

"…"

Smoker clearly wasn't privy to the "friendship" between Wright and Shanks, but the weight behind those two words left him puzzled and curious.

"Anyway, let's talk about Whitebeard. That old man's still protecting Fish-Man Island! Even the Navy hasn't managed to pull that off."

Smoker's tone turned sharp. "The Ryugu Kingdom is now part of the World Government and attends the Reverie. But with Whitebeard still shielding Fish-Man Island, what does that say about the Navy's authority?"

Wright glanced at him. "The Navy's 'authority'? That means nothing to the World Government. They'll only support something if it doesn't interfere with their interests—and you know exactly who's backing the slave-trading rings in the Sabaody Archipelago.

"If the Navy wants respect, we'll have to earn it ourselves. Once Fish-Man Island migrates to the surface, a lot of these problems will resolve themselves.

"Although Whitebeard is our enemy, I have to admit his title as 'The Strongest Man in the World' isn't just about raw strength—it's about his way of life."

"You sure made things difficult for him back on Fish-Man Island, didn't you?" Smoker chuckled. "Now you've got both Kaido and Whitebeard gunning for you. Good luck!"

"Hah!" Wright laughed. "You're underestimating Whitebeard. Kaido might come after me if he has the time, but Whitebeard? At most, he'll keep an eye on me.

"And honestly, he might even agree with what I did. Protecting Fish-Man Island isn't just about claiming territory for him—it's something he feels responsible for.

"Jinbe and his crew call him 'Pops,' and he sees it as his duty to shield them. What I've done aligns with his ideals, not against them.

"Whitebeard's dominance isn't just about strength. It's his principles that make him the 'Strongest Man in the World.'"

"…I have to admit, you've got a point," Smoker conceded after some thought.

"The Whitebeard Pirates are the largest crew in the New World, but in terms of sheer chaos, they're outdone by smaller groups—and especially by Kaido and Big Mom.

"Speaking of Big Mom, that old hag destroyed another island recently—something about overdue tribute sweets.

"And Kaido's crew has been recruiting relentlessly, especially Zoan-type Devil Fruit users."

"Oh? How's Drake doing?" Wright asked. Big Mom's destructive tendencies didn't surprise him—her gluttony was infamous.

Drake, however, had been working undercover for nearly a year.

"Not long after you left, Drake sent a report," Smoker replied. "He's made some progress. Kaido's Beasts Pirates have officially extended him an invitation.

"Kaido's especially fond of ancient Zoan-type users. Two of his three Calamities wield those fruits."

"The Calamities, huh…" Wright grinned slyly. "Imagine if Drake surpasses Jack and takes his spot as a Calamity—what a spectacle that'd be!"

"…Drake's got talent, but that's a tall order," Smoker said, suppressing a laugh. "Jack's young but ridiculously gifted. Catching up to him won't be easy."

"That's fine. Drake doesn't need to surpass him—just be better than most. As for Jack… we'll deal with him when the time comes."

"…You make it sound so easy."

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