Looking at the mess on the floor, Teach scratched his head and turned around, looking a little embarrassed. "Hahaha, Doyle, sorry about that. Looks like your business is ruined."
"It's all right, Teach. I should be thanking you for helping me deal with this problem." Doyle smiled and shook his head. Holding a rag, he wiped down a glass. "Don't worry about the bodies. The town has people who take care of that."
"Then I'll get going. I'll come by for a drink sometime." Teach headed outside. By now, most of the people out there had already left. The matter was over, after all—what reason did they have to stick around? What if they somehow angered a strong man who could kill Schiller in an instant? Still, what had happened today had shaken them deeply, giving them plenty to talk about over dinner.
Watching Teach's retreating figure, Loya seemed to want to say something, but the words wouldn't come. His figure disappeared beyond the doorway. Loya sighed and lowered her head.
Suddenly, a familiar voice reached her ears. Her eyes lit up with delight, and she raised her head to see a familiar face. Teach's head poked in from the left side of the doorway. "Little Loya, you're my future little chef, so you can't get away. You'd better work hard. I'll come find you again next time." Teach waved and laughed before leaving once more.
This time, Teach didn't turn back. Loya suddenly felt at ease. She wiped the tears from her eyes and couldn't help smiling, though she didn't know why.
"What's the matter? Have you decided to set sail with him?" her uncle Doyle asked with a laugh. He bent over, wiping up the spilled liquor and picking up the large shards of glass one by one, then tossed them into the trash.
Loya blushed. "I never said I'd go with him! Don't get ahead of yourself."
"Hahaha, you'd better work hard. A man like him is bound to make a name for himself across the seas sooner or later. If you're too weak, you'll only hold him back." Doyle spoke earnestly. Seeing his niece's bashful expression lifted his spirits. It had been a long time since he'd seen her like this, and he also felt a sense of respect for Teach.
Loya's expression turned serious. She didn't answer, but she had already made up her mind. Teach's gentleness had shattered the ice in her heart, while his strength had given her warmth.
Thinking this, Loya clenched her fist and looked ahead. Then she suddenly froze. Just beyond her, behind the window, sat a dark green fruit. It looked like a green melon, but its surface was bumpy.
"Th-this is?" Loya recognized it. As a resident of the New World, how could she not know about something like this? But how could such a precious thing have appeared here?
"You mean this Devil Fruit?" Doyle said with a smile, turning to look at the astonished Loya. "Teach left it behind. He gave you something this precious, so it looks like he has high hopes for you." Doyle put the liquor-soaked rag over the trash can and wrung it out. The liquor dripped into the bin, and he went back to wiping the floor.
"When did he leave it?"
"Just before he left."
"It's too precious. I can't eat it. Let's return it to him." Loya shook her head and refused.
Doyle chuckled. "Are you sure? Teach left it for you. He even said that if you didn't eat it, he'd feed it to a dog."
"Feed it to a dog?" Loya froze. A scene appeared in her mind. She didn't know what power the fruit had, but she knew about quite a few abilities and had seen the wanted posters of many Great Pirates in the New World.
She pictured a huge golden dog floating in midair, a sword clamped in each of its front paws. "Doggy Might: Earth Roll!" "Doggy Might: Imperial Palace Roll!" Its power swept through the air and across the earth, turning them into enormous dogs that sprang out and bit people like mad.
Then another scene: a huge white dog, with a crescent-shaped mustache beneath its nose, opened its mouth. A silvery-white ring of energy gathered in the air. It bit the ground—"Earthquake!" It bit the sea—"Seaquake!" It bit the air—"Quake Punch!" The dog stood with countless people kneeling below it, all calling, "Pops! Pops!" A dog declared to the whole world, "I am the strongest man in the world!"
As the thought crossed her mind, Loya shuddered, her scalp tingling.
Seeing little Loya like this, Doyle grew curious. He had no idea what terrifying thing she was imagining. If anyone else found out, she'd surely be beaten to a pulp.
Coming back to herself, Loya made up her mind. She reached out and picked up the Devil Fruit, gazing at it for a long moment. Then she shut her eyes, gritted her teeth, brought it to her mouth, and took a huge bite. Her face twisted as she forced herself to swallow the disgusting taste. One bite, then another, until she had eaten the whole thing.
"It's so disgusting." Loya dropped to her knees, facing the floor. "Cough, cough!" She kept coughing as though she were trying to spit it back out.
"Little Loya, let me tell you a secret." Doyle looked at her with a mysterious smile.
"Hm?" Loya grew curious and stood up. "What secret?"
"Actually, you only need to eat one bite of a Devil Fruit." Doyle laughed as he said it.
Loya's expression changed, and her body suddenly swayed. Instinctively, she braced herself. You only need to eat one bite. You only need to eat one bite. Those words echoed in her mind again and again.
"I'm going to kill you! Why didn't you warn me?" Loya shouted, reaching for a kitchen knife.
"Hahaha, I was just about to warn you, but you ate it too fast." Doyle laughed heartily, though he thought to himself, If I'd told you, what would've been the fun in that?
Loya didn't press the matter. Somehow, her mood had brightened. She felt happy, as if she had returned to the joyful days of the past.
Teach's figure came back to mind, and her expression turned serious. She looked at Doyle—her uncle. "Uncle, teach me how to get stronger." She wanted to grow stronger. She knew her uncle was powerful, far beyond the reach of an ordinary pirate. When pirates caused trouble in the tavern, Doyle would personally teach them a lesson, then strip them and throw them out.
She remembered the terrible incident when she'd thought she was going to die. At the last moment, Doyle had rushed back. She'd watched him punch every last enemy to death. The evil pirates who had terrorized the villagers were utterly helpless against him. The scene had left a deep impression on her.
Hearing Loya's request, Doyle's expression turned solemn. "Loya, are you sure? My training is grueling. I won't go easy on you." At that moment, the aura around Doyle seemed to change. It grew heavier, and he seemed more like the man he had been many years ago.
"Yes. I want to get stronger and fight alongside him." Loya was utterly resolute.
Looking into Loya's eyes, Doyle smiled slightly. "All right. We'll start tomorrow. Tonight, I'll put together a training plan for you. We'll build your stamina and strengthen your body. I'll teach you swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and marksmanship, then focus on the areas best suited to your talents and interests. You'll also need to spend time developing your Devil Fruit ability. That's the foundation of your strength. I can only give you some advice on that; the rest is up to you."
Out in town, nearly tens of thousands of people lived on the island. Teach strolled along the streets. Many of the establishments were meant for pirates, and the streets were bustling with casinos, restaurants, bars, clothing shops, and even a colosseum.
The island had no valuable resources. White Sand Town got its name from the tiny, sparkling white grains of sand on the island's shores. They looked beautiful, but had little value. The only way to make money from them was to turn the endless supply of sand into exquisite handicrafts and sell them. That was probably the island's only specialty.
Teach's Observation Haki swept over the area. The shops, taverns, bars, restaurants, and other popular places were all more or less new. Compared with the old houses that had stood for decades, not a single building or facility he saw looked more than four years old. The residents wore smiles and seemed relaxed and content. It looked like they were living well. What he saw here was different from what he'd seen outside; he was seeing things on a deeper level.
He'd asked around about White Sand Island in the past. It had been a miserable backwater and a gathering place for pirates. But ever since the White Bird Pirates had taken control of the island, everything had changed for the better. The island had once been home to only about twenty thousand people. The rest had moved here from nearby islands—residents, merchants, and pirates who had settled on the island.
Changing the entire island in just three years wasn't something strength alone could accomplish. Pure intelligence wouldn't be enough, either. Smiling, Teach found himself even more eager to meet the captain of the White Bird Pirates, Mostima, who was known as "Flying Bird."
He didn't keep his Observation Haki active all the time. If he knew everything in advance, there'd be no sense of adventure.
Besides, he had a feeling they'd meet again soon.
Why did Teach say they'd meet again? When the conflict had broken out at the hotel, he'd already sensed him. There had been three fairly powerful presences there, and the strongest had been a little stronger than the man who had challenged him.
Teach had also sensed a familiar presence among them: Ebby, the pirate who had charged people at the harbor and awakened Observation Haki.
"Oh, they have cherry pie here! Hahaha, boss, give me a slice—and three more to go!" As Teach strolled along, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he trotted over. It was a cake shop, and the air was thick with a rich aroma. His gaze was drawn to the beautiful cherry pie displayed at the front. He stared at it, his mouth watering. Teach swallowed, as if he could already taste the sweet-and-sour filling.
"Sure thing. Here's your cherry pie," the owner said with a smile. "That'll be two hundred berries." Teach paid, picked up the bag of cherry pies, and took a big bite of one. "Mm!" His eyes lit up, and he burst into laughter. "Hahaha, this cherry pie is incredible!"
The pie had only just come out of the oven. Its crisp crust crumbled against his lips, and the buttery taste slowly spread through his mouth, mingling with the wonderfully sweet-and-sour filling. Ah, Teach felt like he was about to fly.
Teach had been curious about why the original Teach liked cherry pie so much, so he'd tried some himself a long time ago. He simply couldn't resist the taste. It was just that good. After that, he'd made sure to have cherry pie every now and then.
Cherry pie tasted great, and plenty of people at sea enjoyed it. Teach just couldn't understand why Luffy didn't like it. He guessed it was probably because of the sourness.
Teach walked on until he reached a bridge. Beyond it stood a colossal building that looked like a palace: the White Bird Pirates' headquarters on the island. Their pirate flag fluttered at the highest point.
It had once been an abandoned castle. When the White Bird Pirates took over the island, they rebuilt it, giving it its current appearance.
Its brilliant white surface shimmered in the sunlight, dazzling to behold. Teach could tell the structure had been built with white sand from the island.
Someone was already standing on the bridge. Two men faced each other in silence, watching one another closely.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time," the swordsman opposite him said first, smiling. Behind him stood members of the White Bird Pirates. At their head were Haduno and Hadman, watching Teach warily, as if ready to fight at any moment.
Only after seeing Teach's strength with their own eyes had they understood how terrifying he was. Until they knew whether he was friend or foe, they were prepared to die in battle.
"How'd you know I'd come?" Teach asked with a smile. "Actually, I've been wanting to meet you for a long time, too!"
As soon as he said it, Teach froze, as if he'd just realized something. He and Mostima exchanged a glance, then both burst out laughing. "Zehahahahaha!" "Hahahaha!"
Teach couldn't help patting his head. I really said something stupid. Didn't I just answer my own question?
The people below exchanged bewildered looks. They had no idea what the two big shots were laughing about, but almost all of them relaxed at once. It looked like they wouldn't be fighting after all. Most of them had never seen Teach in action; they'd only heard from the few who had about how terrifying he was—how he'd killed Mad Blade Schiller in an instant.
Seeing Haduno and Hadman, the second- and third-in-commands, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy made them feel uneasy.
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