(A/N)

Thanks to @Animefreak1145 for the review. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter, my dear gems ♡
-----

-Flashback-

"Helmeppo-san, where are the other paperwork?" Coby asked his friend and partner in work.

The pink haired man was completely preoccupied with his duties that he had forgotten about the young boy waiting for him outside.

Smoker opened the office door after knocking and sighed in defeat. This had been the 4th time this week alone that Coby had been too busy to do anything with him. However he never complained once since he understood how well his guardian loved his job.

"Coby, I'm going to go ahead. Is that okay?"

Coby gasped and looked at the clock, it was already really late and he still had a lot to finish up.

"I'm really sorry," He smiled apologetically and itched his head.

Smoker nodded and waved everyone goodbye as he left the station. Fearless as he is, he took the shortcut on his way back home, something Coby strongly disapproves of because of the many dangers that might happen to him.

He wasn't afraid though. He could always evade his opponents by turning himself into smoke and running away.

The night was silent in that area and he could enjoy the peaceful stroll as he watched the city lights illuminate from the distance.

"Hm? That's new..."

He paused before a rundown house with a single lit room, the window curtains were open but only a little light was given. He saw two shadows of what seemed to be a man with a boy.

"I've never seen them around here before," Smoker muttered to himself and flew over the rusted gates.

He could see the silhouettes talking, almost as if they were arguing about something. Taking a peek from the window, he could make out a tall blond giant holding a little boy with a fuzzy hat by the back of his shirt.

The boy growled in anger and thrashed about, but couldn't do anything. Smoker frowned and rubbed his ear as he listened in. But there was no sound.

"Weird... I'm not deaf, am I?" He tried to listen again by pressing his ear against the window, only for it to push open and make him fall inside the room. A loud THUD sounded as he hit the floor. "...Shit..."

A shadow loomed over him and he could smell the faint scent of smoke. Obviously it wasn't his Devil Fruit at work, otherwise, he would be aware of it.

This was the smell of smoke coming from above him.

"CORA-SAN, YOU IDIOT! YOUR SHOULDER IS ON FIRE AGAIN!" The boy wearing the fuzzy white hat scolded the tall man.

Cora-san, as the boy called him, began to hurriedly pat the flames away. Fuzzy Hat growled in irritation.

"Cora-san, get the damn fire extinguisher!"

Cora-san grabbed the fire extinguisher from the bedside and handed it to Fuzzy Hat, who sprayed foam all over Cora-san's face and shoulder. Smoker sweatdropped.

"You're not supposed to even smoke in the room. Tch." Fuzzy Hat hit Cora-san on the head. In retaliation, Cora-san threw Fuzzy Hat to the side like a sack of potatoes.

Smoker stared at the two with a confused expression. "The fuck is going on?" He muttered.

Cora-san looked back at Smoker, his painted smile contradicting the scowl on his face. Fuzzy Hat was still yelling at him, but Smoker couldn't hear what he was saying. He glanced at the boy and saw that he was inside a bubble that was keeping any sound from coming out.

"Devil Fruit..." Smoker deduced, glancing back at Cora-san, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you one of the government assassins I've been hearing about?"

Cora-san shook his head in denial. He pulled out a notepad from his pocket and began to scribble something down, then gave it to Smoker.

WE USED TO BE BUT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO ESCAPE FROM THEM, it read.

Smoker seemed surprised at the statement. No one really escapes the government's most dangerous tools. At least, not for long anyway.

"You're crazy if you think you can escape those guys," He told him. "Which one of them are you trying to hide from?"

Cora-san scribbled something again in his notepad.

DOFLAMINGO, he wrote.

"You guys are screwed." Smoker scoffed. "Not even the entire army can help you with that."

"No kidding," Fuzzy Hat growled. "That stupid pink feathery bastard is feared by everyone."

Cora-san shrugged his shoulders, before pointing at Smoker, and tilting his head. AREN'T YOU THE SON OF THE COMMODORE? He asked him.

"Yeah, what of it?" Smoker clicked his tongue.

Cora-san wrote something in his notepad to Fuzzy Hat. Whatever he wrote to him didn't amuse the boy. However, he seemed to contemplate his options, before sighing and giving in. He scowled at Smoker and walked closer to him.

"What?" Smoker turned his fists into smoke, ready to attack him if necessary. "Wanna pick a fight?"

Fuzzy Hat scoffed, glancing at Cora-san who was giving him a look, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I need you to relay a message for me." Fuzzy Hat told him. Smoker chuckled.

"If you think I'm gonna do anything for you then--"

"PLEASE." Fuzzy Hat gritted his teeth saying this. Smoker blinked, seeing the emotion in his eyes. "I just want you to tell (Name) that I'm fine. Tell her it's from Trafalgar Law. That's it."

Smoker frowned, studying the boy's expression. He seemed to be genuinely worried about this (Name) person. Although, it was none of Smoker's concern, he felt that it wouldn't be right to leave this alone.

"This (Name) you mentioned. Is this person close to you?" He questioned him.

"Yes," Law replied instantly. "She is the most important person in my life right now."

"I see..." Smoker sighed. "Alright. I'll send the message for you."

Cora-san knocked on the wall, getting their attention, and pointed out the window. YOU SHOULD LEAVE NOW. IT WOULD BE BAD IF YOU GOT INVOLVED MORE THAN YOU DID. He wrote.

"Don't let Doflamingo catch you," Law smirked.

"As if." Smoker retorted, turning his lower half into smoke and flying out the open window.

When he landed on the alleys, he looked up to see the lights of the room turned off, but the shadows of a tall man and a boy wearing a hat were visible behind the ragged curtains. Smoker quickly looked away as if he didn't see anything and continued to walk his route back home like nothing had happened.

-End of Flashback-

Smoker was sitting in the living room surrounded by a group of kids as he told the story of how he encountered Law. Everyone was quiet after hearing what happened. Not even the usually noisy Bartolomeo could say anything to break the silence.

"So that's how it all happened," Smoker told them, then turned to look at you. "His location is supposed to be a secret so that Doflamingo wouldn't find them but..."

"You wanted to send a rescue party anyway." Bellemere ended.

"Am I the only one wondering why the hell he's with one of Doflamingo's men?" Zeff muttered to himself.

"Guys," Shanks called everyone's attention. "We gotta find Luffy and tell him."

Everyone looked over to where you were sitting on the couch. They had half-expected you to be bawling your eyes out, but what they didn't expect was--

"Uhhh... Where's (Name)-senpai?" Barty's eyes widened at the sight of the empty seat. He looked at the seat beside him and saw that it was empty as well.

"Mihawk is gone too!" Bellemere gasped.

"Does it have anything to do with that open door?" Olvia asked as she pointed at the front door.

"DAMN IT, (NAME)!" Shanks screamed and bolted out of the house after you.

Smoker watched as everyone ran out the door one by one, leaving him alone in the house. He sighed.

"What an annoying group..."