One piece: Dark Smoker

On the flamboyant pirate ship of Donquixote Doflamingo, tension filled the air.

Doflamingo sat alone in the conference room, his expression dark and brooding. Reflecting on the years he had spent with his four top officers, who had become family to him, he clenched his fists. The loss of even one of them felt like losing a limb—an excruciating pain that pierced his very soul.

Rising from his chair, he walked to a corner safe and retrieved a phone transponder the size of a human head. This was no ordinary device; it was a recording phone transponder that contained his past conversations with Zean.

Half a month ago, after a heated confrontation, their partnership had shattered completely. Doflamingo had contemplated handing the recording over to the Navy, but he knew it wouldn't be enough to bring Zean down. Her connections and influence were too deeply entrenched.

How can I use this to inflict the maximum damage? he thought, pondering his next move.

Suddenly, the door to the room slammed open.

"Who is it?!" Doflamingo barked, his tone sharp and his fingers already weaving his signature Five-Color Strings. His volatile temper had turned him into a ticking bomb, and his subordinates were already on edge after several had fallen victim to his wrath.

"It's me, young master!" Senor Pink's voice rang out as he burst in, panting and visibly excited.

Doflamingo raised an eyebrow, recognizing the usually calm Senor Pink. Suppressing his irritation, he asked, "What's the matter?"

Senor Pink placed a small piece of a Vivre Card on the table. "The life card of Diamante... it's moving again!"

"What?!" Doflamingo's eyes widened. His other officers, drawn by the commotion, crowded the doorway, equally shocked.

They had already held a memorial for Diamante, assuming him dead. But now, the card was shifting, faintly but unmistakably.

Doflamingo's trademark chuckle returned, low and sinister. "Fuffuffuffu... Excellent. Adjust our course and follow the signal at full speed!"

Before leaving, he turned to Senor Pink with a rare look of gratitude. The officer had insisted on keeping the fragment of Diamante's Vivre Card, even against the objections of others. Doflamingo walked to his wardrobe, pulled out an exquisite suit, and handed it to Senor Pink.

"This suits you better. You've earned it."

Senor Pink's face lit up with emotion. "Thank you, young master."

"No, thank you," Doflamingo said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "You've proven your loyalty and saved one of our own. Fuffuffuffu!"

Meanwhile, in the Navy interrogation room, the atmosphere was heavy. Moments earlier, Diamante had been sharing tales of the North Sea, gossiping about Akainu's past escapades in disguise, including a rather embarrassing incident at a certain establishment.

Smoker and Hina had been listening, amused but focused, when an icy voice shattered the moment.

"So, you're enjoying yourselves? Mind if I join in?"

All three froze as Zean stepped into the room, her face cold and her eyes sharp.

"Diamante," she hissed, her tone cutting, "so this is where you've been hiding—on *my* ship. Clever move."

Zean had only caught the tail end of the conversation and had no idea Diamante was a prisoner. Misinterpreting the situation, her gaze shifted to Hina. For a brief moment, there was something in her expression—disappointment, perhaps even regret.

"Hina," she said, her voice low but laced with emotion, "I expected better from you."

"You... you've truly disappointed me!"

Zean's voice carried a heavy weight of disdain as her piercing gaze locked onto Hina.

The Navy had always been a male-dominated institution. Strong men were everywhere, but strong women were rare—a scarcity Zean lamented. Finding someone as exceptional as Hina had been a rare blessing. But now, she felt betrayed.

Though their time together had been brief, Zean genuinely admired Hina. She had seen potential, strength, and resilience in her. But now? It felt like it was all a facade.

Hina, feeling the weight of Zean's words and gaze, couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She had always respected Zean, and now, being judged by her left her uneasy.

Smoker stepped forward, breaking the tension. "A shame, Rear Admiral Zean. But I am curious—how did you manage to find us?"

Zean let out a cold laugh. "Your disguises were excellent. I almost didn't notice anything unusual. Almost."

She pointed at Hina. "An outstanding marine like her? Someone of her caliber should easily qualify for elite training. Why would such a talent be unheard of? That didn't sit right with me."

She turned her sharp eyes to Smoker. "And a warrant officer with no notable background... knowing Haki? Isn't that just a bit too strange?"

Zean's tone hardened as she continued. "Did you think these little details wouldn't catch my attention?"

Hina inwardly cursed her carelessness. Awakening her Haki had been a thrilling experience, and she'd failed to consider how suspicious it would appear for someone at her rank. Worse, opening an interrogation room right after leaving the hospital? That was practically inviting scrutiny.

Smoker nodded in acknowledgment, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You're as sharp as they say, the Spear of the North Blue. I underestimated you."

Zean didn't let the flattery faze her. "Good. Now sit tight. Given our shared journey, I'll consider this a voluntary surrender."

Her words were calm, but her actions were swift and merciless. Without warning, Zean unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp thorns.

The attack was relentless, directed heavily at Smoker and Diamante. Hina, however, found herself targeted by fewer spikes—a subtle indication of Zean's lingering admiration.

"Damn it!"

Diamante, still weak and unable to dodge, quickly raised his iron cape, transforming it into a sturdy shield. The thorns, lacking Haki, clattered harmlessly against it.

Smoker, on the other hand, used *Shave* to effortlessly evade the attack. His speed took Zean by surprise.

She frowned, her mind racing. *A pirate mastering Shave? How is that even possible?*

And then there was Hina. Zean knew Hina's abilities well from their time training together. By her calculations, Hina shouldn't have been able to dodge.

She was right. Hina's legs were struck by the thorns—but to Zean's shock, they passed straight through, leaving no real damage. Holes appeared momentarily before sealing up entirely.

Zean's eyes widened. "Logia?! Impossible!"

In the first half of the Grand Line, a Logia-type user was practically invincible unless faced with a seasoned Haki user. Zean's jaw clenched. Someone as skilled and promising as Hina—how could she have become a pirate?

Still, this revelation made things far more complicated. Fighting a Logia required more than just basic Haki. To consistently deal damage, one needed both mastery and precision—qualities usually found in vice admirals and above.

Zean's own Haki was strong, but this cramped interrogation room wasn't an ideal battlefield. With two opponents, including a Logia, she couldn't afford any mistakes.

Her lips curled into a sneer. "Don't think being a Logia makes you invincible. There are plenty of ways to take you down!"

With that, she leaped out of the room and pressed her hand against the wall.

Suddenly, a row of sharp spikes erupted, sealing the door completely.

The entire room transformed as thorns grew rapidly from the walls, floor, and ceiling. Layer upon layer of spikes collapsed inward, forming a dense, scaly barrier.

In just a few breaths, the room was encased in dozens of thick layers, effectively turning it into a sealed, impenetrable cage.