Even before he could blink, the conversation went from awkward to explosive as Smoker stood up and confronted Tashigi. Then, he turned and stormed off into Water 7 to cool himself off. After a pregnant pause, Karen rose from the table as well, calmly apologizing before taking her leave. Zenigata stood up to stop her, but he didn't. Instead he watched her leave quietly, wondering what in the world had just happened and why it had unraveled so fast.

As he sat back down, the Inspector stared at his beer. So much for a nice dinner between friends. Tashigi turned to him, which caused him to look up. "Wha...? Oh, no don't worry about it Miss Tashigi." He replied, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "I think everyone just has too much on their personal plates at the moment."