The Marine

“Tell you how I use my Haki?” Bill shrugged and kept a slight frown on his face.

His frown didn’t come from irritation for Smoker, but irritation that he couldn’t put it into exact words.

It was like trying to describe the color Blue to a blind person. Descriptive language was an obstacle, and it took Bill what seemed like a long time as he sat there thinking.

“Hmmm…”  Thinking, Bill began to tap his finger on Smoker’s desk while the other Captain waited.

Finally, Bill shrugged and said: “I can’t think of a way to explain.”

Seeing this wasn’t a good enough answer for the other Captain Bill tried a different approach.

“OK, look, go ahead and use your ability.”

When he said this, Smoker pointed his finger upwards, and after activating his ability it became a chimney.

When Smoker did this, Bill eyes turned black, and he suddenly saw the finger in two different ways.

The first way was the normal view through his physical eyes. He saw Smoker, the table, the room around them, and the upturned finger that turned into a smokestack.

The second way was through his minds eye. He saw chaotic waves of energy coming from a being that shared the same space as Smoker. That being was much less detailed than the one Bill had fought when he battled the Revolutionary Dragon and was in proportion weaker.

He didn’t know why it felt weaker, thinking perhaps the difference was in the devils themselves, but whatever the case, Bill looked at the being supplying Smoker with the power and urged it to cease.

Involuntarily, Bill said “No.”, and after offering no real resistance the devil disappeared and reality reasserted itself.

With the devil gone, Smoker’s finger stopped producing smoke, and almost at the same instant that his finger stopped producing smoke the man jumped back from his desk shouting, chair crashing against the wall behind him.

“Wha?! What did you do to me!? What the hell did you do?!”

It was known to Bill that Devil Fruit users equated their abilities to themselves in a disproportionate manner. If you told someone their ability was weak, then you were telling them at that they were worthless.

So, despite Bill not feeling threatened by Smoker’s anger, he understood where it came from and threw up his palms to reassure him.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Said he, as his eyes returned to their normal shade of blue, then continued with his palms slowly lowering: “Your ability is still there, Captain. I’ve only covered it. It’s only temporary.”

“You… How?!” said Smoker, calmer than he had been, but Bill could see the man starting to sweat and briefly wondered if it was due to the fact that Smoker had a Nature System ability or whether any ability user would experience the same anxiety Smoker was experiencing now.

Bill: “This is what I wanted to point out. Just calm down and take your seat.”

Listening to Bill, Smoker tried not to shake but couldn’t help his hands trembling as he grabbed the chair and sat back down – his cigars no longer in his mouth.

Bill: “Ok, right now I want you to try and use your ability the same way you did a second ago.”

Sticking his finger out for a second, Smoker slammed his palm to the table and shouted: “What the hell did you do to me? I... I can’t…”

Bill: “Right, you can’t use the ability right now.” As he said this his eyes shaded black for a brief second and he made sure the devil was covered.

Then Bill continued: “But you can remember how that felt, right?

You can remember accessing that ability from the devil and using it as naturally as you breath, right?”

By now, Smoker’s hair was damp with sweat and Bill decided to not restrict the reality around him anymore. After all, Bill was not doing this to hurt the Captain he had spent so much time with.

But in the time, it took for the devil’s presence to reappear, the two men continued speaking.

After about an hour, Smoker’s ability was fully back, and Bill started to stand but before he left said: “I can’t teach you how I use Haki. I suspect it’s impossible to do so, but I hope after what I showed you that you realize that Haki is a spiritual ability, regardless of how it manifests.”

Nodding his head, Smoker hadn’t smoked a cigar during the entire conversation after Bill sealed his ability.

Lighting one up, the man spoke: “I think I can understand, at least a little bit more. Thank you, ‘Black Stone’.

The caravel is in the merchant docks, you can have it. My name is written on the sails so you can’t miss it.”

Then taking a puff Smoker continued: “Don’t worry about it, either. I’m going to ask for reassignment, and a caravel isn’t suited to where I plan to go. I’ve become too content here; I’ve lost my edge.”

Taking another long drag, Smoker looked up at Bill and stared him directly in the eye.

“Thank you, Bill. If you hadn’t been there, I truly don’t know what Dragon would have done.”

Then standing from his desk Smoker saluted Bill and stayed standing.

Walking out of the door, Bill didn’t know why but he stopped and turned back.

“One more thing, Captain. When I fought Dragon, the being behind him was much more defined. If his was a perfect shadow, then yours is a misty mirage. I don’t know what that means, but I could also feel that it’s ability to manifest was stronger… keep that in mind, maybe you could still grow stronger in more ways than one.”

After that, Bill didn’t wait to see Smoker’s scowl and directly left the room.

He could hear talking from downstairs and knew Masterson had returned with the girls, but Bill walked several offices up and opened the door.

Inside he saw the fattest person he had ever seen, and it seemed the man may have even gained weight over the last six weeks.

“Fuei?!” the man who was eating a drumstick started choking.

Walking inside the room, Bill saw two irritated women in nursing outfits, and thinking that only god knew what they had been through Bill said: “Thank you for caring for my Mate, madams.”

Then after shaking one of the dazed women’s hands, he said: “I know it must have been hard, tell me, how many orderlies has Nelson here go- ““How Dare Y- ““QUIET!”

Turning his head from the nurses, Bill eyed Nelson and said: “I am your Commanding Officer. You will only speak when spoken to, is that clear 2nd Mate?”

Looking at Bill with hate, the fat man clearly had forgotten his lesson and just as he started to mouth off again Bill went over and slapped him hard three times on his massive belly.

“Fuew!”

Spittle flying out, Nelson glared but didn’t speak again as Bill got the answer from the two nurses.

Apparently, Nelson here had went through eight nurses in six weeks. Thankfully the man was so fat that there wasn’t a threat of sexual or physical harassment, but the man’s mouth was untamable.

Nodding his head, Bill said he understood and told the two nurses to gather the others and head down to the warehouse where the Clockwork Island refugees were staying – where they could collect an additional 500k Beli for their efforts.

This stunned the women but then they were elated and began thanking Bill over and over, it seemed that even the foulness of Nelson was forgot in the moment that such a bonus was offered.

500k Beli was about the yearly pay for an enlisted Seaman in the Marines, for these orderlies, it was probable two years’ worth of work.

This was a moderate expense Bill thought, and he put the money on Nelson’s tab.

Dismissing the ladies, Bill walked back over to Nelson and saw the crane that had been installed.

This would have been necessary for the orderlies to wash and clean the man, but Bill looked and shook his head.

“Isn’t it just embarrassing?” said he.

“Wha?” replied Nelson, and then understanding what Bill meant replied sharply: “What’s embarrassing? It’s their honor to serve me!”

Shaking his head again, Bill wasn’t looking at Nelson but at the crane when he replied: “You can’t even wipe yourself…”

Nelson: “It’s their honor to clean the noble me!”

Still shaking his head, Bill just said: “Get real, nothing about you is Noble. Just look in the mirror, and since your too fat to see yourself fully, just think about how your actions had sunk a Marine fleet…

There’s just nothing Noble about you, Nelson.”

When Bill said this, the former Commodore went red in the face and started shouting: “Silence!!! I was betrayed by that mercenary and my fleet was destroyed by the dragons!!!”

When he spoke, Bill didn’t know why but he knew Nelson was telling the truth, so he just replied: “Yeah, but that doesn’t change the facts.”

Nelson: “There were too drago- UH?”

Bill could see Nelson in his periphery looking at him wide-eyed before continuing you fast: “You… You believe me?!”

Nodding his head, Bill replied: “Yeah, you’re probably telling the truth. In this world a flock of dragons probably isn’t the weirdest thing to occur.”

Elated by this news Nelson stumbled: “exce…gr… GREAT!

Now follow me, and I’ll take you to them, with those dragons we can eat their hearts and become immortal! Think about it!! Eternal life!”

Done looking at the crane, Bill started undoing the latches why saying: “Oh? Immortality, uh?”

Hearing the nonchalant tone in Bill’s voice, Nelson roared: “Yes! Immortality! I’m offering it to you! To me and you!”

With the latches undone, Bill walked in front of the massive fat man, and eyed around the room. Nelson was too fat to fit through the door and so he must have come through the wall.

Quickly seeing the panels, Bill undone the locks and held a huge portion of the wall in his hands, easing it down.

Nelson, seeing Bill continue to act nonchalantly, shouted again: “Don’t you believe me, don’t you care?!”

Thoroughly tired of the shouting, Bill walked back to Nelson and grabbed one of his huge cheeks.

“Listen.” Said Bill.

“I don’t know if what you’re saying is right, but I don’t think you’re lying.”

Then, grabbing the mans big belly Bill felt around to see how he was going to lift the heifer without the man’s bones breaking from his own weight.

“But so, what?” he continued.

“Look at yourself. You want immortality? What have you ever done in your fat life to deserve such a thing?

No…” Bill said, hefting Nelson up over his shoulder. Not gently but easy enough that he didn’t crack the man’s ribs.

Letting out a groan, Nelson farted when Bill landed on the ground after jumping from the second story.

Speaking with a frown, Bill continued: “You don’t deserve immortality, Nelson. But you do deserve something.”

After he said this, Bill opened the Marine branches door and called inside. Masterson, Carol, and Yoko walked out and were stunned by the bulk of the fat 2nd Mate.

“What the heck is that?!” pointed Yoko as Carol hid behind her dumbfounded father.

Just as Nelson was about to venomously respond, Bill pinched his big cheek and spoke first: “This is Nelson Royale, our newest crew mate.”

“That’s a person?!” shouted the girl again; and repeating the same move Bill cut Nelson off by pinching a fat cheek.

“Yes, it’s a person, his name is Nelson and he’s our newest member.”

Then turning to walk, Bill spoke over his shoulder: “We were just talking about what he deserves. Well, I don’t think he deserves much but I do think he should be given the opportunity to walk again.”

Masterson: “Captain, what can a man like… that… even do?”

This time Bill didn’t cut Nelson off, and as the bobbed up and down on Bill’s shoulder the man screamed: “I am Nelson Royale! 5^th in line to the Throne of Frauce Kingdom! I will not be treated this way, b.by you commoners!”

When he said this, Bill jostled his shoulder and Nelson wheezed.

Walking to one street vendor, Bill purchases a wooden stick and a rope. Then walking to another one purchased three poor-quality sponges and two rough linen sheets.

After Bill bought these few items, he gave them to Yoko to hold, and upon seeing this Nelson started asking what they were for.

Bill didn’t answer immediate but the scene of him walking around with Nelson on his shoulder had caused a stir large enough for Tashigi and a squad of Marines to rush and see what was going on.

After seeing who it was, Tashigi smiled and offered to show Bill to the caravel, which he accepted.

As they walked to the docks, Bill turned and said to Masterson: “He is not a noble. Nelson here is a Navigator Mate 2nd Class. You outrank him Masterson, and while he’s serving in my Department that’s the way it is.”

Hearing this, Masterson nodded slowly but Bill could tell he was uncomfortable.

“Is that what all Nobles look like?” Asked Carol, whose father quickly stopped her from talking.

Shaking his head, Bill answered: “No, Carol, this is not what a Noble looks like. Nelson here is just sick, and he doesn’t realize it.”

Yoko: “How can he be sick and not know it?”

Shrugging his shoulder, he jostled Nelson again and answered: “This kind of sickness doesn’t happen overnight, and its symptoms can be hard for to see for the person affected.

It’s called entitlement. It can happen either when a person doesn’t experience enough challenges or when they experience too much of it.”

By this point they saw the boat and walking on board Bill sat Nelson down and handed him a rope, sponge, and linen sheet.

“What’re these for?” Nelson asked indignantly, thinking never in his life had been treated this way and wishing that he could have Bill killed for his insolence.

Pointing out the items, Bill spoke slowly.

“Attach the sponge to the rope, and that’s how you’ll clean yourself. The sheet is for drying off and keep the sun off your back,”

Then, holding the stick, Bill asked him: “Can you think of what this would be for?”

Shaking his head, no, in his head Nelson was cursing Bill’s ancestors.

“Every time I hear you swear, I’m going to hit you with this stick.

I don’t care the situation; I don’t care who’s around. Do you understand?”

Nelson: “You’d dare threaten nobi - *Whack! *

Hitting Nelsons big belly, Bill knew just how hard he could go before causing real damage but instead went to stimulate pain.

He didn’t think this was a long-term solution. The fact was that a self-centered person could never be made differently from the outside. That change had to occur in the person’s own mind.

But Bill was not a therapist, and he could only work with the methods he knew of.

So, as the caravel cast off, heading towards the warehouse on the other side of the island, Bill thought about what his next steps would be – and how Nelson would have to stay an arms reach away all the while.