Loya's Resolve: Teach and Mostima Meet

Seeing the mess on the floor, Teach couldn't help but touch his head. He turned around and said sheepishly, "Haha, Doyle, I'm sorry. It seems your business is ruined."

"It's okay, Teach. I should thank you for solving this trouble for me," Doyle said with a smile, shaking his head. He wiped a wine glass with a rag. "Don't worry about these bodies. The town has professional cleaners."

"Then I'll be going. I'll come back for a drink if I have the chance," Teach said as he walked towards the exit. Most of the people outside had already left. After all, the incident was over; why would they stay? What if they angered this powerful individual who could kill Schiller in an instant? However, today's events had a significant impact on them, providing plenty of material for post-meal chatter.

Watching Teach's retreating back, Loya seemed to want to say something but couldn't. Teach's figure had already disappeared outside the door. Loya sighed and couldn't help but lower her head.

Suddenly, a familiar voice reached her ears. Her eyes sparkled with surprise. She lifted her head and saw a familiar face. Teach's head poked out from the left side of the door. "Little Loya, you're my designated little chef. You can't escape. Keep working hard, and I'll come find you again next time." Teach waved and laughed heartily before leaving again.

This time, Teach wouldn't look back. Loya's heart suddenly relaxed. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Loya couldn't help but smile. She didn't know why she was smiling.

"What's wrong? Have you decided to set sail with him?" Doyle's voice came from beside her. He bent down, wiping up spilled wine and picking up the larger glass shards one by one, throwing them into the trash can.

Loya's small face flushed. "I didn't agree to anything! Don't flatter yourself." "Haha, you should work hard. A man like him will surely make a name for himself on the seas sooner or later. If you're too weak, you'll only become a burden to him," Doyle said seriously. Seeing his niece's shy expression, he felt a bit pleased. He hadn't seen her like this in a long time. At the same time, he felt a sense of admiration for Teach.

Loya's expression turned serious. Although she didn't answer, she had already made up her mind. Teach's gentleness had shattered the coldness in her heart, and his powerful strength gave her warmth.

Thinking this, Loya couldn't help but clench her fist and look forward. Suddenly, Loya froze. Right in front of her, behind the window, sat a dark green fruit, like a green cantaloupe but with an uneven surface.

"This, what is this?" Loya recognized it. As a resident of the New World, how could she not understand what this was? But how could something so precious be here?

"You mean this Devil Fruit?" Doyle said with a smile, turning to look at the surprised Loya. "Teach left it for you. He left something so valuable for you; it seems he has high expectations for you." Doyle placed the wine-soaked rag on the trash can and wrung it out forcefully, all the wine dripping into the bin. He then continued to wipe the floor.

"When did he put it here?"

"Just before he left."

"It's too precious. I can't eat it. Let's return it," Loya shook her head, refusing.

Doyle chuckled. "Are you sure? Teach left it for you. He said if you don't eat it, he'll feed it to the dogs."

"Feed it to the dogs?" Loya was stunned. A scene flashed in her mind. Although she didn't know the ability of this fruit, she knew about many abilities and the bounties of many Great Pirates in the New World.

She imagined a golden retriever floating in mid-air, its front paws holding swords. "Doggy Style: Ground Roll," "Doggy Style: Imperial Earth Roll." Abilities swept through the air and the earth, turning into giant dogs that leaped out to bite people.

In another scene, a large white dog with a crescent-shaped beard below its nose opened its mouth. A silver-white energy circle formed in the air and bit down on the ground, "Earthquake," bit down on the sea, "Seaquake," bit down on the air, "Quake Punch." A dog, with many people kneeling below, constantly shouting, "Pops, Pops." "I am the strongest man in the world." A dog said this to the whole world.

Thinking of this, Loya couldn't help but shudder, her scalp tingling.

Seeing Loya's reaction, Doyle was a little curious, wondering what terrifying things she was thinking. If anyone else knew, they would surely be beaten severely.

Snapping back to reality, Loya made up her mind. She reached out and picked up the Devil Fruit. After a deep look, she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and brought the Devil Fruit to her lips. She opened her mouth and took a big bite, her expression changing. She endured the disgusting taste, taking one bite, then another, until she had swallowed it all.

"It's really disgusting," Loya knelt on the ground, facing the floor. "Cough, cough!" She coughed continuously, as if trying to spit something out of her mouth.

"Little Loya, let me tell you a secret," Doyle said with a mysterious smile, seeing her like this. "Huh?" Loya was curious and stood up. "What secret?"

"Actually, with Devil Fruits, just one bite is enough," Doyle said, unable to help but laugh.

Loya's expression changed, and her body swayed. She instinctively steadied herself. "Just one bite is enough..." The words echoed in her mind repeatedly.

"I'm going to kill you! Why didn't you tell me?" Loya said angrily, picking up a kitchen knife.

"Haha, I was just about to tell you, but you ate too fast," Doyle laughed heartily, though he thought, If I told you, where would be the fun in that?

Loya didn't dwell on it. For some reason, her mood became cheerful and pleasant, as if she had returned to the happy times of the past.

Recalling Teach's figure in her mind, her expression turned serious. She looked at Doyle, her uncle. "Uncle, teach me how to become stronger." She wanted to become stronger. She knew her uncle was very powerful, not someone ordinary pirates could handle. Many pirates caused trouble in the shop, but Doyle personally dealt with them, stripped them naked, and threw them out.

She remembered that terrible incident. She thought she was going to die, but at the last moment, Doyle rushed back. She watched with her own eyes as her uncle killed all the enemies with his fists, one by one. The evil pirates who had harmed the villagers were no match for her uncle. It left a deep impression in her heart.

Hearing Loya's request, Doyle's expression became serious. "Loya, are you sure? My training is very tough, and I won't go easy on you." At this moment, Doyle's aura seemed to change, becoming heavier, more like it was years ago.

"Yes, I want to become stronger and fight alongside him," Loya said with great determination.

Looking into Loya's eyes, Doyle smiled slightly. "Alright, we'll start tomorrow. I'll create a training plan for you tonight to improve your stamina and physique. I'll teach you swordsmanship, taijutsu, and marksmanship. Then, based on your talent and preferences, I'll focus on cultivating them. You'll also need to spend time developing your Devil Fruit ability, as that is the foundation of your strength. I can only offer some suggestions on this; the rest is up to you."

Outside, in the town, home to nearly tens of thousands of people, Teach strolled through the streets. Many of the facilities were prepared for pirates, and the streets were very prosperous, with casinos, restaurants, taverns, clothing shops, and even an arena.

Since the island had no precious resources, it was called White Sand Island because the sand on the beaches was fine and crystalline, looking beautiful but having little value. Only by using the continuous supply of white sand to create exquisite handicrafts could they sell them for some money. This was probably the island's only specialty.

Teach's Observation Haki constantly scanned the surroundings. These shops, taverns, bars, restaurants, and other crowded places were basically new. Compared to houses that were decades old, none of these buildings and facilities were more than four years old in Teach's eyes. The residents' faces were filled with smiles, relaxed and content. It seemed they were living good lives. What he saw here was different from what he saw outside; Teach saw a deeper level.

He tentatively inquired about the former White Sand Island. It was a desolate place and a gathering spot for pirates. But ever since the White Bird Pirates took control of the island, everything had changed, developing in a better direction. Originally, the island had only about twenty thousand people. The additional people were residents, merchants, and pirates who had migrated from surrounding islands.

Changing the entire island in just three years was not something that could be achieved by strength alone, nor by mere intelligence. With a smile, Teach looked forward to meeting the captain of the White Bird Pirates, known as "Flying Bird," Mostima, even more.

He didn't keep his Observation Haki active all the time. If everything were known in advance, there would be no sense of adventure.

Moreover, he had a premonition that they would meet again soon.

Why did Teach say "see you again"? When the conflict occurred in the hotel, Teach had already sensed them. There were three relatively strong presences there, the strongest of which was even stronger than the one who had provoked him.

Furthermore, beside them, Teach also sensed a familiar aura, that of Ebby, the pirate who had awakened Observation Haki and was collecting fees at the port.

"Oh, they have Cherry Pie here! Haha, Boss, give me one, and pack three more to go," Teach said, his eyes lighting up as he walked. He hurried over to a cake shop, the air filled with a rich aroma. Teach's gaze was drawn to a beautiful Cherry Pie displayed at the front. He looked at it, his mouth watering rapidly. Teach swallowed.

"Okay, here's your Cherry Pie," the boss said with a smile. "Two hundred Belly." Teach paid the Belly, carrying the bag with the Cherry Pie. He took a bite of the Cherry Pie in his hand, "Mmm!" Teach's eyes shone, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Haha, this Cherry Pie is incredibly delicious."

This Cherry Pie had just been made. The crisp crust around the cherries, the taste of butter slowly spreading in his mouth, combined with an extraordinary sweet and sour flavor. Ah, Teach felt like he was flying.

Teach was a little curious. He didn't know why the original him liked Cherry Pie so much, so he had tried it himself a long time ago. He found the taste of Cherry Pie irresistible. It was so delicious. From then on, he had to eat Cherry Pie periodically.

Cherry Pie tasted great, and many people on the sea liked it. He just didn't understand why Monkey D. Luffy didn't like it. Teach guessed it was probably because of the sourness.

Teach walked and arrived at a bridge. Behind the bridge was a giant building that resembled a palace. This was the White Bird Pirates' headquarters on this island, with their Jolly Roger flying at the highest point.

This was originally an abandoned castle. When the White Bird Pirates moved onto the island, they rebuilt it, transforming it into its current appearance.

The brilliant white gleamed with fluorescence, dazzling under the sunlight. Teach could tell that the buildings were constructed from the island's white sand.

By this time, someone was already standing on the bridge, right in front of Teach. Two people faced each other, silent, observing one another with serious, careful gazes.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time," the swordsman opposite him said first, a smile on his face. Behind him stood members of the White Bird Pirates, led by Haduno and Hadman. They eyed Teach vigilantly, as if ready to fight at any moment.

Having witnessed Teach's strength firsthand, they understood his terrifying power. Before knowing if he was friend or foe, they were prepared to die.

"How did you guess I would come?" Teach asked with a smile. "Actually, I've wanted to meet you for a long time too!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Teach couldn't help but freeze. It was as if he'd thought of something. He exchanged a look with Mostima in front of him, and then the two of them burst into laughter. "Fufufufufu!" "Hahahaha!"

Teach couldn't help but pat his own head. He'd been foolish, hadn't he? Weren't his words contradictory? He'd answered his own question.

The people below exchanged glances, somewhat confused, not knowing what the two big shots were laughing about. However, almost simultaneously, they all breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed a fight wouldn't break out. Most of them hadn't seen Teach fight before, and from those few who had, they'd heard how terrifying Teach was, how he'd instantly killed Mad Blade Schiller.

Seeing Haduno and Hadman, the second and third in command, looking as if they were facing a great enemy, made Teach feel a little uneasy.