HST: Chapter 165/166

Chapter 165: Invitation

Smoker watched Caelan and Hina nervously, afraid that she might actually agree to leave.

Even though he knew his old classmate wasn't someone easy to sway, if Caelan decided to steal someone, no one could stop him.

Hina looked at Caelan in surprise and asked, "You want Hina to follow you?"

"Of course. You're so capable, I'm eager to recruit you!"

Caelan smiled.

You clearly noticed her because she's pretty!
Gion, standing nearby, grumbled inwardly but dared not voice her thoughts.

She had just lost a bet to Caelan. If she interfered with his invitation to Hina, she'd probably suffer a miserable night.

Besides, she also wanted Hina to join.
She missed her old friend and wanted to catch up properly.

On top of that, she still held resentment over being placed on the World Government's wanted list.

Now that Caelan was forming a new navy to challenge the World Government, she absolutely wanted to support him—and show the Five Elders just how wrong they were about her.

Hina was caught off guard and secretly felt a bit pleased.

Being praised by one of the most powerful figures in the world—recognition from someone like him—was naturally an honor.

"Of course you, Hina. Are you interested in joining us?"

Caelan looked directly at Hina's face—but not just her face.

It wasn't only her looks that drew him to her, but her years of experience in the Navy as well.

She was a genuinely talented officer.

"I'm afraid I can't accept that."

Hina replied hesitantly.

What Caelan described sounded wonderful. It was exactly the kind of justice she wanted, and she truly believed he could make it happen.

But walking away from the Navy she had served for so many years wasn't easy.

"Then, what's your reason?"

Caelan asked.

It was a classic reversal. As the one extending the invitation, Caelan should be offering terms. But instead, he turned the question on her.

"My reason?"

Hina's expression went blank. She didn't really have one.

She had no love for the Celestial Dragons or the World Government.

She had joined the Navy only because it was more righteous than piracy.

If she had to give a reason, it would be her personal connections.

For example, Teacher Zephyr—and her best friend, Gion.

Now, with Gion already having joined Caelan...

The only person in the Navy she still cared about was Zephyr-sensei.

So she said, "Zephyr-sensei taught me what it meant to be a Marine. I don't think I can go against his teachings."

Caelan was slightly surprised. That wasn't the reason he'd expected.

But it wasn't a problem.

"My new navy is still a navy," Caelan said jokingly.

Hina's mouth twitched. She clearly didn't accept that line of reasoning.

The Navy she wanted to stay in was the one Zephyr envisioned.

"Hina, have you heard the story of how Zephyr lost his arm?"

Caelan's tone grew serious.

"Of course I have. That year, Zephyr-sensei was leading a training mission when he was ambushed by Edward Weevil, who called himself Whitebeard Jr. Only two students survived, and Zephyr-sensei lost his arm."

Her tone dropped.

Zephyr had once been a gentle man, but his family had been destroyed by pirates long ago.

That pain led him to devote himself to his students. But after the incident, when even his last hopes were shattered, he changed.

He began hunting pirates around the world like a man possessed.

Hina always felt heartbroken about it.

She didn't want to betray his teachings or cause him further disappointment.

Caelan asked, "What if the pirate who cut off Zephyr's arm were recruited by the World Government and made a Warlord of the Sea? Would Zephyr still stay in the Navy?"

Hina immediately looked up at Caelan, stunned.

What did he mean? Had he heard something?

"If that pirate became a Warlord, Zephyr-sensei would absolutely leave the Navy."

"He hates that man. If the World Government did that, Zephyr might want to destroy the world himself."

"But... the World Government wouldn't go that far, right?"

She asked, uncertain.

Even she didn't trust the World Government's morals, but there were so many powerful pirates. Surely they wouldn't choose that one?

"Of course they would. I've already captured four Warlords. Doflamingo is finished."

"If they don't replenish the ranks, the Warlords system will fall apart."

"And Weevil, the one who cut off Zephyr's arm, definitely has the strength to be a Warlord."

Caelan said with certainty.

Crocodile was in prison, Moria had joined him, Hancock was literally in his bed, and Jinbe was leading labor reform on Fish-Man Island.

In one move, four Warlords were gone.

The remaining three had their own problems.

Doflamingo was on the verge of being captured. Mihawk refused to follow orders.
Only Bartholomew Kuma was still obedient—because he had no choice.

The World Government was facing a worse situation now than even after the Marineford War in the original storyline.

They had no choice but to replenish the Seven Warlords of the Sea early.

In canon, this didn't happen until after Marineford. But this timeline had an even bigger void to fill.

Under pressure, it was entirely possible that Weevil would be named a Warlord under the urging of Miss Buckingham.

"Caelan is right. After he defeated Crocodile, the World Government immediately began discussing who would replace him."

"But before they could reach a decision, even more Warlords disappeared. The need to replenish the ranks is urgent."

"They don't care what crimes the candidates committed. As long as they're strong enough, that's all that matters."

"Even if the person who hurt Zephyr wasn't a pirate, but any other criminal, Zephyr wouldn't be able to tolerate it either."

Gion glanced at Hancock and Gecko Moria as she spoke.

She knew how the Five Elders operated.
In desperate times, they wouldn't care about the Navy's opinions.

The next batch of Warlords would be full of scum. That was inevitable.

"Is that so...?"

Hina looked dazed.

Caelan and Gion's logic made too much sense. She could already picture Zephyr walking away from the Navy in heartbreak.

"So now, you can join us."

Caelan smiled.

Hina glanced at Gion and saw her nodding in encouragement.

After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Then... I'll follow you."

Caelan extended his hand with a broad smile. "Welcome aboard!"

Hina took his hand and replied, "Please take care of me from now on!"

Meanwhile, Smoker was completely numb.

Wait... You're really going with him?!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 166: Smoker and Sengoku

Smoker looked at Hina with a complicated expression. He opened his mouth, wanting to persuade her, but in the end said nothing.

Hina handed over the command and bid farewell to her comrade.

Caelan knew it was time to leave.

Everything that needed to be done was complete—the children were taken care of, and there was no reason to remain on Punk Hazard.

"Goodbye, Smoker. If you ever want to join me, you're always welcome."

Caelan patted Smoker on the shoulder, then turned and led everyone away.

The Wind Rider and Gecko Moria's ship took the lead, followed by seven warships carrying the 2,000 Navy officers he had "recruited."

Caesar was handed over to Moria's care, and the SAD production equipment from the research lab was also placed under his supervision.

Smoker also departed. He took the remaining fewer than 800 Marines and the children who needed medical care, leaving the island aboard three warships.

Aboard the ship, the mood was grim. The Marines remained silent.

Their once-proud base commander had turned out to be a traitor, and the comrades they'd fought alongside had defected.

So many events had occurred in such a short time. The crew was left dazed and lost.

And on the deck, there was one person even more depressed than the rest.

"My love ended before it even began..."

Smoker had two cigars in his mouth, the thick smoke hiding his sorrowful expression.

He was deeply frustrated.

When he encountered Caelan in Loguetown, Tashigi had been taken.

Now, in Punk Hazard, his old classmate Hina had also been taken.

He had once dreamed of getting closer to Hina—perhaps even dating her.

Now, that dream was gone. It was clearly Caelan and Hina's turn for romance.

If Smoker could beat Caelan, he would've landed a punch on him long ago.

"Hah!"

Smoker punched the air, venting his frustration.

But just as he was mourning his "love," the communications officer brought even worse news.

The signalman approached him, Den Den Mushi in hand, with a sympathetic look.
"Vice Admiral Smoker, call from Marine Headquarters."

A call from HQ was like a death sentence now. Whoever picked up would definitely get scolded.

Smoker took the Den Den Mushi with a headache, setting aside all thoughts of romance.

When they had arrived, the G5 branch had 3,000 elite soldiers and 10 heavily armed warships, all under Vice Admiral Vergo.

Now, Vergo was dead, exposed as a spy, and there were fewer than 800 soldiers left, with only three warships.

How could he explain this to Marine Headquarters?

Forget it. He decided to just tell the truth. If he had to die, might as well get it over with quickly.

He picked up the Den Den Mushi, and a powerful, anxious voice boomed through the receiver.

"Who is this?! Why is Base Commander Vergo dead?!"

At Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was sweating.

When Sengoku noticed Vergo's life card disintegrate, his heart dropped.

The G5 branch was one of the few Marine outposts in the New World and played a critical role.

The death of its commander was a major incident that rocked the entire Navy.

Especially with Caelan having just entered the New World, and G5 immediately falling into chaos, it was hard not to connect the dots.

If Caelan was responsible, the implications were troubling.

"This is Vice Admiral Smoker of the G5 branch, reporting to the Fleet Admiral!"

"While conducting a mission, we encountered Caelan. After investigating, we discovered that former Base Commander Vergo was a spy planted by Donquixote Doflamingo. He was exposed by the God Slayer Caelan and executed on the spot!"

Smoker reported everything truthfully.

"How do you know he was a spy? What if Caelan just made that up?"

Sengoku's voice was filled with disbelief.

It was hard to accept that a vice admiral and base commander could have been a traitor.

"There's video evidence. I'll transmit it to Headquarters immediately."

Smoker's tone was firm.

"I see."

Sengoku let out a deep breath, his voice grave.

If Smoker was saying this, then it was likely true.

And thinking about it, this was certainly something Doflamingo would do.

Years ago, Sengoku had sent his adoptive son, Rosinante, to infiltrate the Donquixote family. Rosinante had been killed by Doflamingo.

It wasn't far-fetched that Doflamingo had infiltrated the Navy in return.

But Sengoku never imagined that Doflamingo's spy could have risen to the rank of base commander of the G5 branch.

If not for Caelan, they would still be in the dark.

He recalled the G5 branch's "steady improvement" in reports year after year—and now, the truth was clear.

He had once believed Vergo was highly capable, but in hindsight, it was likely falsified performance reports.

"We owe Caelan for this. Without him, who knows how long the G5 branch would have continued to suffer, or how much worse the damage could have been."

Sengoku let out a sigh of relief.

Caelan had once again done a great service. He clearly still had some regard for the Navy.

"Fleet Admiral, don't thank him so fast. The G5 branch suffered huge losses."

Smoker replied bitterly.

With over half of its elite force gone, Caelan had caused even more damage than Vergo ever could.

"What happened? Did he attack you?"

Sengoku asked sharply.

If Caelan had attacked with his full strength, the losses wouldn't just be severe—the entire G5 branch would be gone.

Even a Marine admiral couldn't stop Caelan.

"He didn't attack us. He poached our people."

"Taking advantage of the Vergo scandal and the reputation of the Celestial Dragons, Caelan said he wanted to form a new navy. More than 2,000 elite Marines were persuaded to follow him."

"Vice Admiral Hina also joined him."

Smoker's voice was full of helplessness.

Most of his subordinates had been taken, and now he didn't even know who to complain to.

"This is outrageous! What does he think the Navy is? A job fair?!"

Sengoku roared.

What Caelan had done was nothing short of a direct blow to the Navy's foundations.

The loss was even greater than the destruction of an entire branch.

What made it worse was that Caelan had succeeded—he walked in and took 2,000 elite soldiers with him.

What had he said to them? What kind of spell had he cast?

The G5 branch now had barely 900 soldiers left, and Smoker was its strongest asset. The branch was effectively crippled.

Sengoku sighed heavily.

"Smoker, return to Headquarters and make a full report. I'll send Borsalino to take over the G5 branch."

He had no intention of punishing Smoker. In fact, Smoker had been loyal enough by not joining Caelan.

This wasn't Smoker's fault.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

Smoker replied at once, letting out a long sigh of relief.

It looked like he was safe.

Click.

Sengoku ended the call, his face still filled with concern.

Caelan's ambitions toward the Navy were growing bolder.

If this continued, Caelan might hollow out the entire Navy.

(To be continued.)