A moment ago.
"Have you seen the captain? I've been looking everywhere for him," said a girl, adjusting her glasses as she addressed a fellow Marine inside the Loguetown base.
"Is it about Captain Smoker?" The recruit responded to his superior, Tashigi's questions.
"He said he was going to investigate a certain place and left not long ago. " As he responded, he opened the window to let the lingering smoke drift out—a signature sign that Smoker had been there.
The recruit lifted his foot steadily, his eyes intently looking at the stone balanced by Smoker. He'd be scolded greatly if Smoker returned only to find out his efforts were ruined.
"That's weird…" Tashigi placed her head above her palm, pondering deeply.
But then, she bumped the table with her leg, knocking the stone over. "Oh no! Captain Smoker's gonna kill me if he sees this!"
"Wawawa, I have to fix it before!" Tashigi moved her hands in a disruptive manner, picking up the glasses that had fallen over.
Two hours later.
With the help of a marine recruit, Tashigi managed to restore the stones to their original state after failing multiple times.
"Phew~ we managed to restore it before Captain Smoker returned," Tashigi said wiping the sweat off her forehead. Assured, she could drink a whole cola.
"No, that's not it! Isn't it weird that Captain Smoker hadn't returned after hours?"
"Captain Smoker may be catching a criminal."
Tashigi refuted her subordinates' words. "Even so, it's the Captain Smoker we're talking about. He is not the type to take time to catch a criminal… Oh no! What if he was caught instead? Let's head out to the place he is investigating! It's too suspicious!"
"Well.. well… Tashigi-chan is really a worrywart, he may be smoking on his break," the recruit smiled helplessly.
"No calling me Tashigi-chan!"
In the end, her subordinates tagged along with her because they were also curious at what happened to Smoker. Also, they were bored.
…
To marines, the exterior of Startend Internet Cafe was nothing but suspicious.
"Hm?" Tashigi fixed her glasses, reading the board. "PS: The Startend Internet Cafe is in no way directly affiliated with the World Government or Vegapunk. From manufacturing to services, everything is single-handedly managed by the owner?… suspicious…"
[Conqueror's Haki, is just one play away?] Tashigi didn't even know what Conqueror's Haki was.
Tashigi's eyes sharpened like a curious cat's, her body instinctively tensing. What if Smoker was tricked by the shop owner and was involved in mad scientist's testing?
As if to confirm her worries, she could see Smoker, sitting down motionless from beyond the window and this resoluted her. "Everyone! Charge!"
Pushing the door open, she said. "This is Marine! Hands off Captain Smoker and release him from your strange machinery!"
…
'I don't remember committing a crime yet!!?' Sakura smiled weirdly, feeling a cold from his back.
"We-welcome, Customer, I-, Smoker is just having fun playing our entertainment! It's nothing too suspicious!"
Sakura tried his best puppy-dog eyes. Unfortunately, the chubby cheeks and awkward tension only made him look more ugly.
"You jest! I am aware of your trickery! Release Captain Smoker now or we will fire as a warning!"
Sakura's actions backfired as Tashigi pointed her sword at him.
"Alright, alright, chill down a bit…"
There goes his peaceful day. He was scared of the Marines because he intended to commit his business legally. That's why he even bought a license for an extravagant price.
Selling his entertainment service somewhere in Grand Line wasn't an option. After all, he was extremely weak, and unlike other protagonists, his system didn't give him any protection, indirectly telling him to protect your shop yourself.
If he was kicked out of Loguetown because of a quarrel with a Marine, he'd have to turn into a pirate, train himself, steal money to restart his business, and then stop greedy pirates from making a mess at his shop.
How long would that take!? Not to mention, how hassle would that be! With Sakura's personality, he'd rather die than do it.
With a defeated sigh, he walked over and tapped Smoker's shoulder. "Hey, Smoker. Pause your game—your mom's here to pick you up."
The moment Sakura said this, a question was born in his head. 'What if in the future, you can pause online games by stopping time? It's a ridiculous idea but not too much—considering Doraemon's world that allows you to freely time-travel.'
Entertained at his out-of-topic thoughts, Smoker exited out of his game with bloodshot eyes. "What. Tashigi?"
"That's perfect, y'all, come help me out. Shop owner, first-timer is free, right? Register us—using all the available computer(?)—for two hours," saying this, Smoker dragged Tashigi to sit next to him.
"Wait, Captain Smoker! This is too suspiciou-, hmm~♡,"
Tashigi tried to resist, but the second she sank into the gaming chair, a surprised and indecent sound escaped her lips.
"Ah…" Tashigi closed her mouth with her palm, her face reddened. Seeing this adorable side of her, the recruit willingly—even racing—to the available computer chair.
'Perhaps because they're marines? They behave quite well, and didn't interrupt the other customer,' Sakura thought to himself as he saw the saddened marine who couldn't secure a spot.
For the first time since he opened Internet Cafe, his store was filled up. 'Money! Money! Money!' Sakura could almost hear the "chaching~!" sounds playing a the back of his mind.
…
Inside the PlayGround, six white avatars popped out.
"Captain Smoker, is this okay now?" A feminine voice sounded out from the white avatar. Username: Katana's Home. Classic Tashigi.
Another white avatar spoke, "Captain Smoker said to play the Super Smash Bros. Universes and choose 'Online'… that must be it."
As instructed, five white avatars rushed over the Super Smash Bros. Universes' attraction and entered.
…
"Oh, you guys are finally here," Smoker looked over his subordinates.
They were down. Most of them wanted to vomit but nothing came out of their mouth.
The marine recruit held their stomach in stress, visibly traumatized by Evnything cutscene.
"Captain Smoker, I thought you were the most terrifying being in this world but my world's been changed."
"Captain Smoker, I'd like to take a 5-day vacation after today…"
Smoker clapped his hand, regaining their attention. "Now, enough joking. I've called you guys to help me beat up that annoying gorilla. I hate to ask this… but I need your help!"
"Wha-!? That Captain who can do everything by himself!? Is asking us for help!?"
Confusion filled the marines as they looked at each other. Some even checked if they weren't hallucinating.
"O-of course Captain Smoker! Assisting you is our greatest work!"
"Yes! Just tell us what we need to do!"
'Heh,' a smile spilled out of Smoker as the corner of his mouth visibly lifted. "Collect Banana."
"Gladly-, wait what did you just say?"
"Collect banana. Simple, right?"
"By the way, where is Tashigi?" While making these questions, Smoker's finger was instinctively pressing onto the [Retry] button believing his subordinates understood his instructions.
"Ah, now that you mention it, I wonder where she wen-," Smoker's subordinates finished his sentence but he couldn't hear the rest of his words.
Reminding Smoker that when the game has begun, three of his senses (touch, hear, smell) would be sealed off.
Smoker clicked his tongue and promised to himself, 'when I see that girl later, I will scold her.'
…
Meanwhile, Tashigi was on PlayGround. Not that she was lost, because, unlike a certain green marimo head, she had a sense of direction.
However, she was distracted, and intoxicated. Addicted, even.
"Ahahaha, ahahaha!!" Tashigi was laughing manically, her eyes spinning.
"This is so fun!! Ahahaha!" says Tashigi as she brandishes her swords to cut the fruit.
The satisfying rhythm of slicing fruit, the rising score, and the need to adapt to increasing speed—all while dodging bombs—was pure bliss for a swordswoman like her.
In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she forgot everything around her.
…
"O-observation Haki!?"
Sakura's pupils shook as he watched Tashigi cut the fruits behind her, while elegantly avoiding the bombs off her sword trajectory.
"Ph-phew…. The citizens of One Piece world certainly are talented! One attained Conqueror's Haki by playing soccer. Another got Observation Haki by playing fruit ninja."
"Smoker's not gonna awaken his Devil Fruit by gaming too… right... Right!?"
Sakura said rubbing his finger. If he said he wasn't jealous he'd be lying. Sakura had enjoyed his game but he never attained ability related to One Piece.
He gained V1's regeneration through blood absorption but it was too slow to be useful so he couldn't be too happy about it.
Yet Sakura overlooked one crucial fact: that so-called 'useless' ability had already saved his life once.
To clear the frustration over his talentless self, Sakura took out another Meta-Cola from the refrigerator and drank it in one gulp.
From his sides, Ralts fidgeted with her tiny fingers.