"Explain," Smoker said, still frowning, but now not so much to play mind games as to genuinely express dissatisfaction with such a strange answer.
Tashigi, standing next to the captain, was intensely interested in the response. She had a long-standing and strong interest in the 'Pirate Slayers' so she could barely contain her anticipation, eagerly waiting for Luffy to collect himself and start providing details.
"I don't know if you've heard any rumors or believe what's written in the newspapers, but the 'Pirate Slayers' don't see themselves as a crew," Luffy began to explain with several deep breaths, speaking more or less normally. "They all consider themselves a family, and getting into this family is extremely difficult; strength alone is not enough."
Actually, the whole world had long known that the 'Pirate Slayers' considered themselves a family, similar to the 'Whitebeard Pirates.' Since they raised the pirate flag, it had been mentioned almost in every article about them. But Smoker chose to stay silent. Sometimes, just letting people talk could reveal ten times more valuable and useful information than any leading questions.
"Not enough? Then how does Roronoa find new members?" Tashigi asked, her curiosity evident for the first time.
It should be noted that Tashigi was more interested in one specific 'Pirate Slayer' than the entire group. Roronoa Zoro, apart from everything else, had long firmly occupied the pedestal of the 'Best Swordsman in East Blue,' so anyone following the 'Way of the Sword,' whether they wanted to or not, chased after Zoro's distant figure. Tashigi served in the Marine, lived in East Blue, followed the 'Way of the Sword,' and dreamed of 'rescuing' all named swords from bad people's hands, while Roronoa Zoro, by rumor, possessed at least one of such named swords. It was no wonder that Tashigi was particularly interested in the famous captain among all the other 'Pirate Slayers.' Usually, despite all Zoro's 'fame,' people were more interested in the 'Queen' regardless of age and gender.
"The most important criterion for joining the family is the ability to sacrifice everything for other family members, especially one's own life!" Luffy answered, turning his gaze to the girl. With each new statement, he spoke more confidently. "And I have seen with my own eyes what happens to people who have the misfortune of offending the 'Pirate Killers' as a family. The fate of Arlong's gang and that collaborating captain from the Marine — don't remember his name — is an example of what happens to those who offend their family. However, Arlong and that captain were an illustrative action, so everything happened as it did. Had it happened in the usual way, the world wouldn't even have known about it. Arlong's gang and the Marine captain and his men would have just disappeared without a trace. I've seen that happen more than once. If someone offends a family member, no one is left alive, which is why there are no rumors about it. Actually, while the whole world knows them by the nickname 'Pirate Slayers,' they call themselves 'Straw Hats.'
"Straw Hats?"
"Their captain rarely parts with an old, heavily worn straw hat. Hence the name of the family. As far as I know, the hat used to belong to a famous pirate."
"Alright… then let's go back to the beginning of our conversation," Smoker said slowly, considering everything he had heard. "If the selection into their so-called family is so strict, then explain to us how you ended up in it?"
The question of 'How could a traitor like you end up in the family?' though not spoken aloud, hung in the air.
"Quite simply… I didn't join the family," Luffy said with a bitter smile. "And yet, I really travel with the 'Pirate Slayers.' At one point, Roronoa Zoro found me and left me with no other choice but to start traveling with the 'Pirate Slayers.' Roronoa Zoro knows where I live, knows my loved ones, and can always return to my hometown. I practically have no choice but to travel with them.
Again, not a word of untruth. Zoro did indeed find Luffy, albeit by chance, knew his hometown, and Luffy had virtually no other choice but to become one of the 'Pirate Slayers.' If not for Luffy's desire to stay in Zoro's shadow, they could have been known to the world as 'Straw Hats' or something like that. So, if Luffy wanted to stay in Zoro's shadow, he really had no other choice but to become one of the 'Pirate Slayers.' Most importantly, Luffy had founded his own family and, in effect, single-handedly set its direction. Therefore, of course, Luffy had 'no choice' but to travel with the 'Pirate Slayers.' Where have you ever heard of a ship sailing without a captain? The devil was again in the details.
"If you're not a member of the family, why did Roronoa Zoro bother with you?" Tashigi's question came again.
"Because I know about an incredible treasure hidden in the Grand Line," Luffy sighed heavily. "I was told about it when I was a child, but I don't even know if it really exists. Besides, I don't have a map, just vague directions. But none of that bothered Roronoa Zoro," Luffy shook his head sadly. "The important thing is that I know about the treasure, and I have a chance to get it. If there's even the slightest chance of profit, no matter how elusive it may be, the captain of the 'Pirate Killers' will never let it slip away. His greed knows no bounds. He became a bounty hunter just for profit."
Another truthful answer. The problem was that Luffy was now talking about the One Piece and a bit about himself, without lying about anything. Since his arrival in Smoker's office, Luffy had spoken nothing but the truth. The result? The picture painted in Smoker and Tashigi's minds bore less and less resemblance to reality. Without knowing the details, the only thing Luffy could be caught on was his role as a pitiable victim... meaning it was basically impossible to be caught. For the past few years, Luffy had consistently played either the 'Most Miserable Luffy in the World' or the 'Most Harmless Luffy in the World,' or carefully balanced portions of the first with the second.
"So it's all about money," Smoker exhaled a cloud of cigar smoke towards Luffy. It was not a question: he was stating a fact. Strangely, there were notes of disappointment in the captain's voice. Notes that could easily be overlooked or dismissed as self-deception, but which Tashigi, lacking her captain's experience, displayed openly. Her disappointed expression was visible to anyone, including Luffy.
"I thought he was different, but a pirate is a pirate," the girl said disdainfully, even somewhat angrily, apparently unable to hold herself back. It was evident that at that moment, Zoro's reputation in her eyes had hit rock bottom. Could a swordsman's motives be any more pathetic than a mere greed for money? According to Tashigi, such a motive didn't exist.
Luffy's expression remained unchanged; the scared kid still sat in front of the captain and his lieutenant. But if Nami or Zoro were among the witnesses, they would have immediately seen that this brat was utterly pleased. Other family members might also sense Luffy's mood, though not with such crystal clarity. In other words, Zoro and Nami's minds were 'poisoned' more than anyone else's.
"If it's all about money... why do they need so much?" Unlike his lieutenant, Smoker quickly puzzled over the new question. It was understandable; Tashigi hadn't seen cases packed with money. Smoker had, and now he was bewildered. Money? Much more?! To gather such an amount, one would need to clean out dozens of East Blue banks. Smoker couldn't even imagine what one could do with such a fortune.
"I've been with them for a long time and can confidently say that they basically don't need money at all," Luffy replied with a bitter smile on his lips. "It's all about the 'Pirate Slayers' captain. His greed really knows no bounds. Give this bastard the whole world, and it still won't be enough for him. No matter how much money he has or will have, he'll never stop hoarding." Clenching his fists, Luffy for the first time since Smoker's arrival looked him straight in the eye. "It doesn't matter what the Marine knows about the 'Pirate Slayers'; I can tell you for sure that all their knowledge and assumptions are nothing compared to the reality. Despite their reputation, no one can even imagine how dangerous they really are. If the 'Pirate Slayers' aren't stopped very soon, no one will be able to stop them in the future.
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