Smoker pinned Zean down firmly, but she wasn’t someone who could be subdued so easily.

  The earlier attack had caught her off guard, allowing Smoker to overpower her momentarily. Now, as she struggled fiercely, her body surrounded by Haki, she started to fight back.

  Though her thorns didn’t emerge, her resistance was formidable. The smoke ing around her began to dissipate, and Smoker felt his grip weakening.

  “Hmph, so you won’t cooperate?” Smoker sneered, pulling out a small seastone pendant from his pocket and pressing it against Zean’s forehead.

  Seastone was universally effective against Devil Fruit users. Unlike Smoker, who had traio resist its effects, Zean immediately felt her strength drain away. She colpsed, uo fight bay further.

  “Damn it… you have seastone?!” she muttered weakly.

  Smoker quickly called for Hina to fete iron s. Together, they bound Zean securely.

  *Seastone is really effective. It’s the ultimate on against Devil Fruit users,* Smoker thought. *I o keep up my seastoaraining… I ’t afford to get caught off guard one day.*

  With Zean tied up, they tossed her onto a sofa. Smoker and Hina sat across from her, looking calm but resolute.

  “Calmed down, Rear Admiral Zean?” Smoker asked. “How about we talk?”

  Zea them coldly. “There’s nothing to discuss! I uimated you two, clearly. I didn’t think you’d escape.”

  She scowled, her voice sharp. “Where’s Diamante? Why isn’t he with you?”

  Smoker lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke before responding.

  “You’ve got it wrong. Diamante isn’t with us—he’s just another prisoner, like you.”

  Zean frowned. “What do you mean? Who are you, really?”

  Hina answered calmly, “Smoker and I are both graduates of the Navy’s first elite exparaining css. We ended up on this isnd while pursuing pirates.”

  “When we saw Diamante ing off your ship, we decided to iigate. It’s part of our mission.”

  Smoker added, “Diamante has already fessed. Things are clear now. The e between you and Dofmingo isn’t as deep as it seemed.”

  Zea out a small breath of relief. If what they said was true, at least the obnoxious stists wouldn’t be harmed.

  But the relief was short-lived. She realized that her aight already be exposed. Still, she didn’t let her unease show.

  “So, what now? What do you io do?” she asked coldly.

  Smoker took another puff of his cigarette.

  “Holy, I don’t have a problem with the Navy cooperating with pirates,” he said.

  “As long as the e is good, why not use their strength? I’ve never believed that w with pirates is an unfivable crime.”

  Zean raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  Smoker leaned forward. “That’s why I want to Cooperation with you.”

  “Work with me?” Zean was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

  “There’s something Dofmingo has that I need. But Hina and I alone aren’t strong enough to take on his entire crew. We need your help.”

  “As payment, we’ll retrieve the Den Den Mushi he has. That way, even if Diamante accuses you of colborating with him, it won’t hold up. Sound fair?”

  Zean’s eyes lit up at the o on… I’m listening.”

  ---

  A few days ter, the Donquixote Pirates’ ship eeding across the o.

  Dofmingo stood at the bow, his face dark, his sharp eyes sing the horizon.

  Footsteps approached from behind. Without turning, he asked, “What’s the status?”

  Senior Pink, dressed sharply in a suit, replied respectfully, “Everything’s normal, young master. A few days ago, Diamante’s vivre card flickered briefly, but it hasn’t happened since.”

  Dofmingo nodded. “Good. Keep going.”

  “Uood.”

  Trebol shuffled over, chug. “Hey, hey… Doffy, don’t worry. Diamante’s as tough as they e.”

  “You’re too close, Trebol,” Dofmingo pined before breaking into a grin. “Fuffuffuffuffu… Of course, I know that. But I’m curious—who dares to hurt one of my family members?”

  “I’ll find them… and grind them to dust!”

  The day, their ship arrived at an isnd.

  Senior Pink checked the vivre card in his hand. The card trembled violently, pointing toward the isnd.

  “Young master, the target is on this isnd. Shall I scout ahead?”

  Dofmingo nodded. “Your ability is perfect for re. But be careful. If they defeated Diamahey won’t be easy to handle.”

  Senior Pink’s eyes gleamed with gratitude. “Uood, young master.”

  He leaped high off the ship, perf a fwless flip before diving into the ground like a fish, moving swiftly beh the surface.

  Dofmingo turo his crew. “Officers, e with me. The rest of you, stay and guard the ship.”

  Zean took the lead as they stepped ashore.

  Following close behind her were the top executives Pid Trebol.

  Behind them trailed Gdius, Machvise, Lao G, and Jora.

  As for Vergo, he was o be seen.

  Mo, Sugar, Buffalo, and Baby-5 hadn’t joihe crew yet.

  Not long after, Senior Piurned.

  “Young Master, I’ve firmed it—Diamante is just ahead, captured by the Navy! The ones holding him are Zean and an unfamiliar male marine.”

  “Only two of them? Fuffuffuffuffu, they’re uimating me. Lead the way!”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Not far away, Zean and Smoker stood in an open clearing.

  Diamante hung in the air, bound tightly with ropes.

  Zean eaking into a Den Den Mushi, her tone calm and focused.

  As she ehe call, Smoker approached her.

  “Hatchi just reported—Dofmingo’s crew has arrived.”

  Hatchi, a marine from the G-2 branch with the Balloon-Balloon Fruit ability, floated above, ag as their lookout. While his floating ability cked agility and stealth, Hina solved those problems by enveloping him in her elemental form. From a distahey appeared as nothing more than a drifting cloud.

  This strategy allowed them to deteingo’s group before they could get too close.

  Zean surveyed the surroundings. There were massive boulders nearby, with a cliff not far off.

  “Why choose a spot like this?” she asked, her tone sharp.

  “This pce is perfect for them to use their abilities.”

  Smoker’s expression ologetic.

  “It couldn’t be helped. There are civilians on the isnd, and I couldn’t risk colteral damage from the battle. This was the only spot far enough from the settlements.”

  “I’ve statioher marines iown to protect the civilians in case the pirates try anything. As for the warship and the sce division, they’re positioned far away to avoid plications.”

  Zean nodded. “Good. That’s a thh pn.”

  At that moment, Hina desded gracefully from the sky.

  “Dofmingo is here, and most of his executives are with him,” she reported.

  Smoker nodded. “Uood.”

  Before he could say more, a massive stone arm, the size of a warship, emerged from the cliffside and reached for Diamatempting to rescue him.

  “Hmph, how rude,” Zean muttered.

  With a wave of her hand, thick, thorny vied from the ground, pierg through the stone arm and pinning it in pce.

  She looked up, log eyes with Dofmingo, who floated in midair.

  “So, we meet again, Dofmingo,” she said, her tone ced with sarcasm.

  “Zean… So it *was* you who captured Diamante,” Dofmingo replied, his voice tense.

  Zean pulled a hair tie from her pocket, quickly tying her hair into a ponytail. Her expression was calm but fident.

  “Well, the details are plicated, but the oute is the same. Call it whatever you like.”

  Dofmingo’s forehead veins bulged in anger.

  “You know the sequences of harming my family, don’t you?”

  Zean smirked. “Family? Oh, e on. Pying house at ye? Sure, boys mature slower, but Dofmingo, you’re taking it to the level.”

  Dofmingo’s face twisted in rage.

  Smoker: (｀?ω?′)

  Trebol suddenly shed out, his voice loud and nasal. “Sticky !”

  A of green mucus shot toward Zean.

  Smoker stepped forward, abs the attack with his smoke ability.

  Trebol’s jaw dropped. “Huh?! What kind of power is that?!”

  Meanwhile, Pica emerged from the immobilized stone arm, his face grim. Zean’s thorns had targeted his real body using Observation Haki, and he had narrowly escaped a critical injury.

  He muttered under his breath, “Damn woman…”

  Zean’s expression darkened. “Who are you calling a damn woman, you squeaky-voiced coward?”

  Piearly lost it. “Doffy, I’m going to kill her! I swear I’m going to kill her!”

  “Bring it on!” Zeaed, rolling up her sleeves.

  Smoker quickly stepped in to restrain her. “Calm down, Rear Admiral Zean. Stick to the pn.”

  He turo Pid Trebol. “Dofmingo is mihe squeaky-voiced guy and the snot monster are yours.”

  Pica froze. “Squeaky-voiced?!”

  Trebol gred. “Snot monster?!”

  Ign them, Smoker Hina. “The rest is up to you. Keep an eye on Diamante—don’t let them use the chaos to rescue him.”

  Hina smiled fidently. “With Hina here, you rest easy.”

  “Good.”

  Smoker stepped beside Zean.

  “Alright, everything’s set. Let’s go!”