It is no wonder Teach cracked.
Since childhood he had known he was different. As he grew, he realized he might become a one-of-a-kind existence. For years he hid his light, waiting for the one thing that could realize his ambition to appear.
Now that thing had indeed appeared, but it was not his. A rookie had taken it.
The feeling of ambition and hope shattering, of more than twenty years of concealment turning into a colossal joke, was something no one else could truly grasp.
If not for Teach's comparatively strong will, he might already have fallen as Gecko Moria and Crocodile once did, his resolve collapsing and his Haki forever beyond his reach.
Driven mad by jealousy, Teach wanted nothing more than to leave the Whitebeard Pirates at once, rush to the first half of the Grand Line, kill Yami, and gamble that the Dark-Dark Fruit would be reborn nearby—or else keep waiting for it to reappear.
But the shred of reason he had left told him he could not do that.
It would be pure suicide.
The other side had not only escaped a Marine Admiral but also had a maid who wielded the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Against a combination like that, even if he hid his strength, he would absolutely not be their match.
So Teach had to endure, keep hiding, and wait for a moment when he could kill Yami.
"Wow… five hundred forty-six million and three hundred seventy-three million Berries. Master and Nami's bounties total nine hundred nineteen million Berries. That's almost enough to buy a Pegasus."
Out on the boundless sea, on the deck of the Pegasus, Yami's crew were also reading the day's paper.
Seeing Yami's and Nami's wanted posters, Karina couldn't help crying out.
"That bounty is outrageous."
Perona clicked her tongue. "Lord Moria's bounty was only three hundred twenty million Berries."
"Such sky-high first bounties prove the World Government and Marines have indeed set an ambush for Boss at Sabaody."
Robin analyzed coolly. "Now the whole world recognizes Boss and Nami. If we enter the New World the normal way, we must get coated at Sabaody. The moment we step on the island, someone will recognize us."
"I believe the coating area at Sabaody is already under the eyes of the World Government."
"Hee-hee. They definitely don't know Master is an unprecedented multi-fruit user. I have more than one way to enter the New World."
Nami's face was full of mischievous delight. "I'm very curious what expressions they'll make when I show up in the New World."
"Mufufufu. Once Master's secret as a multi-ability user gets out, the circulation of the World Economy News will probably smash records, and Master's bounty will soar again," Karina said with a laugh.
From Karina and Nami's reactions, it was clear their mindsets had changed utterly from when they first entered the Grand Line.
Back then, anything the East Blue didn't have drew shrieks of surprise.
When big-name pirates or certain top-tier Devil Fruits came up, they often contributed to global warming with their reactions.
That country-girl-in-the-city look always fed Yami's and Robin's sense of superiority.
But now, even when they discussed being targeted by the World Government and Marine Headquarters, the two showed no fear or unease, only teasing banter.
That was the change brought by broader horizons and greater strength.
After the battle with Gecko Moria, Nami had forged a strong heart. Faced with great pirates, she no longer felt the slightest dread.
In force of will, she left Karina and the other two far behind.
Barring surprises, Nami would still be the first among the four to awaken and master Armament Haki.
Karina's shift lay in her widened horizons.
Watching their reactions, Yami's lips curved up. His heart was filled with the joy of nurturing.
Except for the newly joined Perona, Karina, Nami, and even the mature Robin were gradually taking on Yami's shape.
Changing someone's fate, helping them become better, leaving one's marks all along their path of growth—this was immensely satisfying.
"That guy Blackbeard must be feeling absolutely miserable right now."
Looking at the newspaper in his hand, Yami laughed with the same mischievous delight.
He didn't know what the world was saying about him now.
But he was certain Teach had absolutely cracked.
The image of Blackbeard breaking down made Yami even happier.
Happiness truly is built on someone else's pain.
So Yami continued to deepen his bonds with the four girls while waiting for the Golden Lion to return.
In a few days, Perona fully blended into the group and became a new sister to Karina, Nami, and Robin.
After all, the three had such rich experience and keen eyes that after a short while together they understood what kind of person Perona was.
Once they grasped her nature and saw she was a very pure girl, the three instantly accepted their former enemy.
What shocked them was that Perona, who looked the same age as Karina and Nami, was actually nineteen and already an adult.
What made Karina and Nami even more envious and a bit deflated was that under her childlike styling, her figure was so curvy, bigger than both of theirs, second only to Robin.
Within a few days, Perona also came to recognize and trust her new companions.
Joining the enemy crew, she had been full of anxiety and prepared to be bullied.
But no—her new companions were all good people.
That Master not only possessed overwhelming strength but was extremely gentle. Though he teased about making her a maid, he never ordered her around like one.
The sailing ship called the Pegasus was far more fun than Thriller Bark.
Every day after waking, she no longer faced a gloomy castle. No longer limited to hugging a doll for company, she had companions calling at her door, dragging her to work out, to play ball, to sing and dance, to get lost in mazes playing hide-and-seek, to the casino to win Master's money at his own table, and more.
With a life like that, Perona fell on the very first day.
She stopped liking gloomy things and took the initiative to chat fashion with the other three.
On Yami's suggestion and with the three girls' help, Perona began to change her image.
First she let down the twin tails she called her steering wheel and turned them into long wavy hair.
Then, in the tailoring room, with fabrics procured through the Galley-La Company, the three made Perona a gothic dress on the spot.
Her look shifted from how she was two years before to how she would be two years later.
Add red high heels and a black top hat, and she looked exactly the same as in the original.
Just that change made Perona look several years older. At last she no longer seemed the same age as Karina and Nami.
By the way, Perona's eyes are very unique.
Normally they are large and black, but when she cries, her irises turn pink, the same color as her hair, and they are very beautiful.
A treasure girl who can switch between a twin-tailed sprite and a petite young lady—Yami couldn't help but fall for that, again and again.
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