"Stopping Pops from drinking is like stopping a man from breathing!" Marshall D. Teach roared with laughter.
The nurse leaned back slightly, her brow furrowing in distaste.
"Blackbeard" Marshall D. Teach could only be described as profoundly unattractive. His appearance embodied nearly every stereotype the outside world associated with pirates—an unkempt beard, fierce features, tattered clothing, and a hulking frame.
His yellowing shirt hung open, exposing a hairy, bulging belly and chest. Strangely, despite his hefty upper body, Teach possessed disproportionately thin, short legs. His penchant for tight-fitting floral pants created a comical effect that defied any reasonable sense of fashion.
Though Teach was laughing heartily, his perpetually wide, bulging eyes always seemed to harbor an underlying menace.
When he laughed, his mouth stretched into a wide grin, revealing a haphazard arrangement of crooked and missing teeth. The young nurse disliked Teach not only because of his appearance but also because, despite being a long-time crew member, he possessed no remarkable qualities beyond his seniority.
With such poor physical attributes and unimpressive abilities, it was hardly surprising that a young woman who had joined the crew out of admiration for Whitebeard's legendary status would regard him with contempt.
Of course, the primary reason was simply that Blackbeard was extraordinarily ugly, which caused all his flaws to appear magnified in the nurse's critical gaze.
Teach might have appeared crude and simple-minded, but he was actually quite shrewd. Noticing the nurse's impatience and disdain, he ceased laughing and shifted his attention to the newspaper she was holding. "What's that you've got there?"
Teach's eyes landed on the front page, which featured two contrasting photographs—one in black and white, the other in vibrant color. Without waiting for a response, he reached out and snatched the newspaper from her hands.
The nurse looked irritated, clearly offended by Teach's rudeness. She opened her mouth to protest, but when she saw the cold, calculating expression that settled over Teach's face as he examined the newspaper, the words died in her throat.
This long-time, seemingly ambitionless crew member, who had spent years as an ordinary sailor, silenced her with nothing more than a single glance.
Teach returned his attention to the newspaper, a faint, sinister smile creeping across his face. "Golden Lion..."
Muttering under his breath, he began walking away, leaving the nurse standing dumbfounded in the corridor.
When "Golden Lion" Shiki had first escaped from Impel Down, he had paid a visit to "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate. Teach had been aboard the ship at that time and had personally witnessed the legendary pirate who had once stood as an equal to the Pirate King Roger and their own captain. Even then, Shiki's former glory had already diminished significantly compared to his pre-imprisonment days.
Still, Teach had never imagined that this titan would meet his end in the East Blue of all places.
Teach's expression twisted into something dark and unsettling. He understood all too well the immense fame this victory would bring to the newcomer named William, and he felt a sharp pang of jealousy mingled with bitter resentment.
William and Teach couldn't have chosen more divergent paths. William had opted to build his power base openly in a remote, overlooked corner of the world, far from the watchful eyes of global powers. He had risen on a relatively modest platform, methodically consolidating his influence step by step. Teach, by contrast, had chosen to bide his time within one of the most renowned pirate crews in the world, living inconspicuously under the shadow of greatness.
As Teach read the newspaper's account of William's exploits—how he had systematically expanded his influence in the East Blue, overthrown rival captains, seized control of a nation, attacked local Marines, established a trading guild, founded a bank, and united various pirate factions under his banner to dominate an entire region—his envy burned like acid in his veins.
Outwardly, Teach appeared to lack ambition, but in truth, he was a madman willing to stake his entire life on his towering dreams. He didn't aspire to be a minor king ruling over some insignificant territory; he wanted to dominate an entire era, to surpass even Whitebeard Edward Newgate, and to seize power on an unimaginable scale.
If he couldn't achieve that, he would rather remain a nobody for the rest of his life.
Yet, despite Teach's resolve to play the long game, he couldn't entirely suppress a gnawing bitterness. Watching pirates—many of whom were likely far weaker than himself—rise to fame while he remained an overlooked crew member, even being disrespected by a naive young girl, was difficult to stomach.
He, too, yearned for the spotlight—for the astonished, admiring, and fearful gazes of the world.
Suddenly, a pair of large hands snatched the newspaper from Teach's grasp.
Teach's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he quickly masked his irritation with his usual crude, carefree grin.
"I've been calling you, but you didn't hear me!" The crew member who had taken the newspaper complained. After briefly glancing at the front page, he tossed it aside carelessly. "Come help me move some supplies."
"Is it booze?" Teach chuckled good-naturedly. "If so, we'd better keep it away from Pops. He's been sneaking drinks despite his health concerns."
"So what if it's booze? Who on this ship can stop Pops from doing what he wants?"
The two continued chatting as they made their way to the ship's hold, where two other crew members were lounging around, attempting to alleviate their boredom.
On a low table before them sat an empty bottle with a chopstick stuck inside. They were scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to remove the chopstick without touching the bottle.
The crew member who had brought Teach along smirked smugly. "Still haven't figured it out, huh?"
He held out his hand, and the two frustrated pirates reluctantly handed over a few Berries each.
Teach observed the scene with interest. Gambling was technically prohibited on the ship, but these kinds of harmless games to pass the time were generally overlooked.
The crew member who had brought Teach suddenly had an idea. "Hey, Teach, why don't you give it a try? See if you can get the chopstick out without touching the bottle."
He pulled out a few Berries of his own and displayed them temptingly. "If you succeed, all this money is yours. If you fail—"
"Not allowed to touch the bottle?" Teach interrupted.
"Obviously not. If we could touch it, we'd have solved this ages ago," one of the lounging crew members snapped irritably.
Teach chuckled and stepped up to the table. Without hesitation, he flipped the entire table over with a powerful shove. The bottle flew through the air and shattered against the ship's frame, and the chopstick naturally fell free.
"Thanks!" Teach laughed heartily, picking up the chopstick from the floor and handing it to the stunned crew member. In the same motion, he scooped up the pile of Berries and stuffed them into his pocket.
...
"Damn it! My luck is absolute garbage—I'm done playing!"
In the East Blue, Tony also flipped a table in frustration, crossing his arms and sulking like a petulant child.
Manny and Angie exchanged knowing glances, understanding that Tony's anger stemmed not from the card game but from something else entirely.
Kuro had returned and, thanks to his role in the Golden Lion Shiki incident, had effortlessly reclaimed his position as Director of Security—a title that had originally been his. All of Tony's recent scheming and maneuvering had been rendered utterly meaningless. Worse still, his declining work performance had drawn William's displeasure.
Now, Tony found himself not only seething with anger but also gripped by fear. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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