I love Smoker because he showed WHY Koby believed in the Marines and wanted to be a Marine. Imagine living in a town full of pirates, that's constantly getting looted because it's the town Roger was executed in, and then this guy shows up and stops it all overnight.
Is Smoke one of the strongest characters in the series? Hell no, and neither is Tashigi. But, I respect the hell out of them, because, like Koby, they're true Marines: dedicated people who want to help others. Hilariously enough, I think Bell-mere and Smoker would get along pretty well.