One piece: Dark Smoker

Hina was quick to act.

In no time, she returned with a large basket filled with a chaotic assortment of fruits—bananas, apples, pineapples, melons, and pears.

Smoker inspected the selection, nodding in approval.

"Not bad. These shapes cover most Devil Fruit appearances." He paused briefly, then muttered, "As for that sugarcane… let's put it aside for now."

Hina, puzzled, asked, "What do you need all these fruits for?"

While Smoker was known for his appetite, his cravings typically leaned toward meat. Fruits were more of an afterthought.

Smoker casually slung an arm over Hina's shoulder, grinning mischievously.

"I'm about to conduct a grand experiment. If it succeeds... well, you'll see."

"If it works," he thought to himself, "I'll never have to worry about getting Devil Fruits again!"

Before Hina could press further, the door suddenly burst open with a loud kick.

Startled, Hina leaped away from Smoker as if struck by lightning, while Smoker glared at the intruder, his eyes practically spitting fire.

However, when he got a good look, he froze in confusion.

"Who the hell is this guy?"

The man standing there was gaunt, clad in filthy, ragged clothes. His face was covered in grime, and part of his scraggly beard looked singed.

The moment the man spotted Smoker, his eyes lit up.

"Smoker! I've been searching for you for days!"

Smoker's jaw dropped.

"Dr. Aubrey?! What happened to you?!"

The once-dignified scientist now looked like he had crawled out of a disaster zone. Yet, Aubrey didn't seem to care. He was too excited to notice he'd interrupted something, grabbing Smoker's hand with fervor.

"Smoker, it's a success!"

Smoker blinked, bewildered.

"What are you talking about? What's a success?"

"Everything! Everything you talked about before—we made it happen!"

"What?!"

Smoker vaguely remembered a drunken night where he'd been rambling to a group of scientists about firearms technology from his previous life. His explanations had been disorganized and incomplete at best, barely making sense.

And yet, these mad geniuses had actually made something out of his drunken nonsense?

For scientists like Aubrey, a clear direction or goal was often enough to spark innovation.

Gripping Smoker's hand, Aubrey rattled on excitedly.

"You were right! Granulated gunpowder dramatically improves power and burn efficiency!"

"And the cannonballs! Conical shells are far more effective than round ones, and we even added some alloys to enhance their performance…"

"And don't forget the AK-47 design you mentioned—"

He stopped himself, waving his hands. "Forget it! Come and see for yourself. We're conducting test shots today!"

Without waiting for a response, Aubrey started dragging Smoker toward the lab.

"Wait! Slow down!"

Smoker, unsure where the frail-looking scientist got such strength, couldn't resist being pulled along. He cast a longing glance at the basket of fruits, reluctant to leave them behind, but ultimately gave in and followed.

---

**On the deck,**

a neatly arranged array of equipment awaited testing: a heavy cannon, a set of conical shells, a set of round shells, two rifles, several magazines loaded with bullets, and an eager group of scientists and marines buzzing around.

Smoker picked up one of the rifles, inspecting it closely. Its design and structure bore a striking resemblance to the AK-47 from his past life, at least 70-80% accurate.

He ran his hand along the stock and barrel, noting how smooth and well-crafted it was. The parts fit together seamlessly.

"This… this is incredible. You achieved this in such a short time?"

Aubrey puffed up with pride.

"Of course! Never underestimate the weapons lab!"

Then, as if remembering something, he sighed.

"But honestly, we owe much of our progress to a Shaping Fruit user. They can mold materials into any form, which sped up the prototyping process significantly."

"Still," Aubrey added, "while she's great for creating samples, mass production is another story. There's still a long way to go."

Smoker gave a small smile.

"Every journey begins with a single step. At least we've taken the first one."

Aubrey, reassured, burst into laughter.

"Exactly! Progress is unstoppable!"

The testing began.

They fired a few shots into the sea with the cannon, then used the rifles to shred a row of targets. Aubrey, clipboard in hand, and the other scientists were giddy with excitement as they collected data.

Suddenly, a large hand reached over and snatched the clipboard away.

The scientists glared at the intruder, ready to tear into whoever dared interrupt their work.

But their anger fizzled out when they saw who it was.

Zefa and Sakazuki stood before them.

Smoker had summoned the admiral and vice admiral to showcase the results. After all, if he could impress them, securing funding for future research would be a breeze.

Zefa observed the test results, his calm expression betraying subtle tremors in his fingers.

*What have I just witnessed?!*

The conical shells, while their full power was uncertain, had already shown an increased range of one-third. The newly designed automatic rifle had a firing speed ten times faster than standard bolt-action rifles.

*(Bolt-action rifles typically fire 20-30 rounds per minute, while automatic rifles can fire 600-800 rounds per minute, excluding reload times—a tenfold difference.)*

This was groundbreaking—a development that could elevate the Navy's overall strength.

As a high-ranking Navy officer, Zefa understood the Navy's current struggles all too well.

Since Roger's declaration ignited the Great Pirate Era, pirates had sprouted up like weeds across the world, putting immense pressure on the Navy. Worse still, the allure of "freedom" and "dreams" led many young talents who should have joined the Navy to instead embrace piracy.

This imbalance was taking its toll.

Three generations of the Navy

Zefa's generation, the first, was a golden age. Legends like Garp, Sengoku, and Zefa himself represented unmatched strength, while Tsuru stood as an unparalleled strategist.

The second generation, Sakazuki's, was promising, with three monstrous talents on the path to becoming admirals. Even though Garp's son had defected, the remaining rising stars like Gion and Tokikake held solid potential.

But the third generation—those born into the Pirate Era—was a stark contrast. Their quality had drastically declined.

Aside from Smoker and Hina, Zefa hadn't seen any particularly remarkable recruits in years. This reality weighed heavily on him.

The Navy's current power was precarious.

They could crush any pirate crew individually but lacked the strength to maintain full control.

This created a frustrating stalemate: if the Navy showed too much force, the independent pirate crews would band together, escalating the conflict into full-scale wars.

Breaking this deadlock seemed impossible unless they somehow produced a dozen more admirals overnight to overwhelm the New World.

Otherwise, any efforts would only result in more displaced individuals turning to piracy under the devastation of war.

But this research changed everything.

While these innovations wouldn't pose a direct threat to the New World's elite pirates, they could swiftly eliminate pirates in the Four Seas and Paradise regions. Over time, as the New World's pirates lost their supply of fresh recruits, their influence would naturally wane.

It was like dealing with a massive tree—perhaps you couldn't chop it down outright, but you could boil its roots with scalding water day after day.

Seeing Zefa arrive, Dr. Aubrey's joy was palpable, his mustache twitching with excitement.

"Admiral Zefa! What brings you here?!"

The scientist, having been cooped up in the lab, was completely unaware of recent events.

"It's been a while, Aubrey," Zefa replied with a warm smile. "I'm no longer an admiral, just a retired old man."

Dr. Aubrey vehemently shook his head.

"Nonsense! To me, you'll always be an admiral! If it weren't for you standing your ground back then, the Science Division would have been disbanded. You're the reason we exist today!"

Smoker, overhearing this, was surprised.

*Zefa has such deep ties to the Science Division?*

It made sense now—Zefa, unlike most, had access to advanced tools like the prosthetic crusher arm. Smoker had assumed it was a perk of his rank, but clearly, there was more to the story.

---

Zefa watched another round of test firing, even volunteering as a target to endure shells and bullets himself. Satisfied, he eventually left with Sakazuki.

On the way, Zefa suddenly asked, "Sakazuki, what do you think of Smoker?"

Sakazuki considered briefly before responding, "A capable all-rounder—skilled in both combat and intellect."

Zefa smiled wryly and nodded. "Indeed. That kid is full of surprises. His last achievement hasn't even been rewarded yet, and now he's made another major contribution. Honestly, I'm at a loss as to how to handle him."

"Well, I'll leave it to Sengoku and Tsuru. They're better at figuring these things out."

Then, turning serious, he added, "And about that last matter—have you and Zean made a decision?"

Sakazuki met Zefa's gaze with firm resolve.

"We will strictly follow orders."

Meanwhile, back with Smoker and Hina.

After returning, Smoker locked the outer door securely. Using his Logia powers, he slipped through the crack and into the room, cradling his stash of fruits with a sly grin.

"This time," he chuckled darkly, "not even the Five Elders could make me open this door."

He laughed maniacally, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Kyahaha…"