@rcngedslash
While he rarely showed his face in the actual warlord meetings, this had piqued his interest. Or his ire, more accurately. A new warlord. It wasn't yet public information that he was being considered for the position, but Issho had divulged some of the details of the matter to him. Both of them hated the warlord system. Both had seen it in play first hand in Alabasta and Dressrosa. He knew the histories of most of the warlords well enough to gauge their motives and aims. but this new potential menace was a complete unknown.
He wasn't privy to an actual invitation, so he just sat on the stairs opposite of the conference hall until the meeting was inevitably, exhaustively long time later, over.
His eyes narrowed when he saw him, the one that must have been him. But… he wasn't quite what he had expected. Dressed in a fine kimono with long smooth hair hanging in a low ponytail.
The man met his gaze, his eyes down-turned in what he suspected was a perpetually tired look. Smoker folded himself into a cloud of smoke and glided across the distance just to materialize in front of him, right in his personal space, with an intent to crowd him back into the room.
Ensign Pammer, who apparently had been assigned as the man's handler, stuttered objections beside him. "Take a break, Ensign, I'll escort Mr. Beheader out." The young marine was about to protest but a sidelong look from the Vice Admiral silenced him.
Finally with just two of them left in the conference room, he looked at the would-be-warlord and rumbled, "You don't look like a pirate."
