"Where is Tashigi?" Smoker asked first, taking the cigar out of his mouth, when one of his lieutenants reported the arrival of the 'Pirate Slayers.'
The smoke from the cigars in his office was so thick that it was as if the proverbial axe could be hung. The arriving marine, amidst the swirling smoke, could not even see the silhouette of his captain.
"I've already sent a petty officer to find her on your behalf, sir" the young lieutenant reported with pride, puffed up with enthusiasm, having recently been promoted following his actions in the defeat of another pirate crew.
"Why was I only informed now?" came the dissatisfied voice in response. "Their ship should have been spotted long before it entered the port."
The newly minted lieutenant involuntarily grimaced but gave the truthful answer:
"When they appeared at the observation post responsible for the port, a shift change was just starting, so a small window opened through which the 'Pirate Slayers" managed to slip. By the time they were noticed, they were already entering the port."
Although Smoker could not see through the smoke, his frown deepened. The human factor in action. Negligent idiots were in for many unpleasant days ahead. The captain guaranteed it.
"Casualties?" Smoker asked with even more dissatisfaction in his voice after taking a deep drag.
There was no doubt that there would be casualties. Not when a crew like that comes ashore.
"Lieutenant Rolwald and his men, sir" the lieutenant replied, trying not to breathe too much of the smoke in the room.
"Did anyone survive?!!" Smoker roared after another drag.
"Everyone, sir!"
The response was somewhat unexpected for the captain:
"Are you sure?" Smoker asked involuntarily.
"Yes, sir! All of Lieutenant Rolwald's men and he himself are in good condition, except for a few bruises and scratches."
"So, they were just knocked out?" the captain clarified, genuinely confused, his anger dissipating.
"Yes, sir! They're all conscious now… It was Johnny 'Beheader' and Yosaku 'Butcher,'" the lieutenant added after a brief pause.
…
Smoker was momentarily at a loss for words. The 'Pirate Slayers' did not seem like the type to leave their enemies alive. On the contrary, they were known for being not only ruthless but also extremely brutal towards their enemies. The Marines were the enemies of all pirates, thus, by definition, the main enemies of the 'Pirate Slayers.' There could be no question of leniency.
Smoker took several deep drags, contemplating. It was possible that leniency wasn't the issue here. The captain saw no reason why pirates would spare Marines, especially pirates with a reputation like the 'Pirate Slayers.' However, perhaps it was precisely this reputation that played a role? Maybe the Marines were so insignificant to them that 'Beheader' and "Butcher" didn't want to dirty their hands with them? Smoker had encountered people who might spare their enemies if they didn't see them as a real threat. Pirates typically killed everyone, whether enemies or not. This was far more common than the opposite, almost always.
Despite these thoughts, it was only a few seconds before Smoker refocused on the lieutenant in front of him. Unlike his subordinate, the thick smoke and dim light didn't bother Smoker; he could see the lieutenant perfectly.
"So, the 'Pirate Slayers' have scattered around the island?" Smoker asked.
"…Most likely," the lieutenant answered after a brief pause.
"Explain."
"…We lost them, sir."
"Lost them?"
The tone in Smoker's voice made the lieutenant feel shivers running down his spine.
"Yes, sir! But it was nobody's fault," the lieutenant hurriedly explained. "Besides Lieutenant Rolwald and his men, the 'Pirate Slayers' also knocked out all nearby observers."
"How did they know where they were?" Smoker was becoming increasingly displeased.
"Unknown, sir!"
"How did they knock them out?"
"Also unknown, sir! Unlike Lieutenant Rolwald's men, who were subdued with physical force, the observers seem to have been incapacitated by some unknown ability. They are alive and unharmed, but according to doctors, their condition resembles a coma."
"Devil Fruit power?"
"That was my thought as well, sir."
Unlike elsewhere in the East Blue, the existence of Devil Fruits was not a myth or secret to those living in Loguetown. Although the power was surprising and frightening to the city's residents, it was understandable due to Smoker's own abilities. Thus, where any other East Blue person might start invoking God and the Devil, the residents of Loguetown would first think of Devil Fruits, especially those working directly with Smoker.
"As I have repeatedly mentioned in briefings, if we analyze all the known rumors about this crew, it is almost certain that someone among them possesses Devil Fruit powers," Smoker said, rising from his desk and throwing open the previously tightly shut and curtained window. "Most likely, it was the Devil Fruit user who incapacitated all our observers."
The office, thanks to the draft, was quickly clearing of the swirling smoke.
"Sir, so you think it's true?!" the lieutenant involuntarily exclaimed. "Can they really be immortal?!"