Mostima's Joining (1)

After a long while, Teach recovered and looked at Mostima with a smile. "Haha, Mostima, it seems we get along well. Let me introduce myself, Marshall D. Teach, currently a member of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division."

"Oh?" Mostima's eyes flickered, a hint of surprise crossing his face, but he quickly recovered. "You should know me, but I still need to introduce myself. Canis Mostima, a Swordmaster, and the current captain of the White Bird Pirates."

As for the others, their minds went completely blank. "A, a member of the Whitebeard Pirates!" "Which Whitebeard? Is it that Whitebeard?"

"How could a member of the Whitebeard Pirates be here?" Hadman's forehead broke out in a cold sweat, his hands trembling involuntarily. "Is even an ordinary member of the Whitebeard Pirates this terrifying?"

"This is shocking! Hey, it's too terrifying, he's actually a member of the Whitebeard Pirates." Even the usually calm Haduno had lost some of his composure, unable to calm down.

This sea area was close to the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates. Whitebeard's fame was enough to make children cry. Even if they hadn't seen him, it didn't diminish their fear of him. The news was full of it: those terrifying monsters, using islands as battlefields, someone destroying an island today, another place being leveled because of a fight yesterday.

"How could a member of the Whitebeard Pirates be here? Could they have taken a liking to us and want us to become a subordinate pirate crew?"

"Could they have taken a liking to the captain and want to take him as one of Whitebeard's sons? That wouldn't be bad either." Some pirates had their imaginations running wild, fantasizing without knowing the full story.

"Let's go inside and talk, Teach. You're the guest today, and the first outsider pirate to set foot in our territory." The voice from behind reached Mostima's ears. Mostima, with a rare frown, disrupted his carefully crafted image of a dashing swordsman. In Teach's eyes, it was like that, and although he quickly recovered, Teach still noticed.

He couldn't help but smile and strode forward, led by Mostima.

"Everyone, get back to your posts. I have something to discuss with this guest," Mostima said. Some things were inconvenient to reveal. As soon as Mostima spoke, the pirates dispersed.

Daring to joke with Mostima indicated that he was a relatively approachable person. Although they were curious, they carried out Mostima's orders without hesitation, showing that Mostima still held considerable authority in their hearts, or rather, they respected him greatly.

The balance needed to be struck. Being too approachable might slightly diminish his authority, and a pirate captain without authority was not ideal.

This was a spacious conference room, or perhaps an art room. It was wide and bright inside, with light streaming in from the thirty-six arched openings without windows around the perimeter. There were three levels of arched windows, twelve on each side of each level, with three windows on each side per level.

Inside, there was only a small conference table placed in the center, with a sofa on each side. It seemed to have been prepared long in advance. In the four corners of the room stood statues about three meters tall: a gladiator in armor with a horned helmet, a scholar in a robe holding a book, a gorgeously dressed goddess with golden eagle-like wings spread behind her, radiating nobility and a smile, and finally, a swordsman, an ordinary swordsman.

These four statues symbolized unyielding spirit, wisdom, victory, and no regrets on the journey.

This was what Teach saw. The walls were adorned with paintings, some in simple sketches, some in oil, and some in color.

There were also carvings, ceramics, and flowers. Teach didn't understand any of it.

He sat on one sofa, and Mostima sat on the other. Haduno and Hadman stood behind him. Apart from them, everyone else was outside, in various corners of the territory, seemingly preventing others from entering.

Teach remained silent, while Mostima's expression seemed somewhat agitated. "Teach, I'll call you that for now. Do you know? I set out to sea full of confidence, only to discover one thing: only monsters can deal with monsters. Those kinds of monsters, I have to admit, are a height I can never reach." Mostima chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Captain!" This was the first time Mostima had spoken of his own shortcomings. Haduno couldn't help but cry out, clenching his fists, full of unwillingness. All along, they had firmly believed that Mostima could reach that height. There seemed to be no flaws in Mostima; he possessed great talent, his strength improved rapidly, and he was perfect, lacking only time.

However, Mostima was very clear about his own situation. His body was his flaw. His physique, strength, and defense, no matter how hard he trained day and night, had their limits. His ceiling was that level, and he couldn't go any higher. That kind of monstrous physique and strength required both innate talent and acquired training; he couldn't reach that level.

But he wouldn't give up. This required time to settle. He also had his advantages; he had enviable talent in swordsmanship and was confident he could become a great Swordmaster and a top powerhouse on the sea. That earth-shattering battle kept flashing in his mind.

"So, I've been waiting, waiting for a monster to appear. That's you, Teach. I've decided to follow you and embark on the peak together." Mostima's eyes gleamed with a determined light, a light of hope. He had set his sights on Teach, his powerful strength, his monstrous talent. Teach was much younger than him. Although he looked like an adult, Mostima could still sense a hint of youth on Teach's face.

During the previous conflict, he was the only one who truly saw Teach. He didn't care about the Mad Saber Pirates, whom he considered very weak. He had a broad mind and wouldn't bully the weak casually because only the weak bullied the weak. That kind of smile, an innate charisma, was what made Mostima want to follow him.

"Haha, I appreciate your regard, Mostima." Teach listened quietly to Mostima's words. Such a subordinate, combining strength and wisdom, was what he had noticed. Teach had already noticed him, but he couldn't just take him in with just a few words.

"But I'm still a member of the Whitebeard Pirates right now. Staying with the Whitebeard Pirates is quite good," Teach said with a smile, crossing his arms over his chest, his gaze fixed on Mostima's eyes.

"Teach, a man like you cannot remain subservient to another for long," Mostima said earnestly, and with great certainty. "I can feel the immense ambition within your heart, it's just not yet unleashed." Mostima and Teach met each other's gaze. Teach fell silent as he listened to his words.

Mostima knew he had spoken the truth, and Teach had begun to look for his future companions.

Looking at Mostima, Teach's eyes began to shine, and a smile appeared on his face. Haduno and Hadman's hearts leaped. Teach had changed. They couldn't pinpoint the exact change, but he was more terrifying. Before, they knew Teach was powerful in their minds, but now, that powerful aura was pressing down on them, a psychological pressure.

Teach seemed like a different person. "Zehahahaha..." Teach's eyes were filled with ambition and dominance. Compared to before, Teach's smile was more arrogant, more commanding, and his laughter more demonic.

This powerful oppressive feeling, Teach's not-so-tall frame at the moment, seemed to grow taller in an instant. His strong physique made a great impact on them.

"Interesting, very interesting, Mostima," Teach said with a smile to Mostima. Teach hadn't expected this either. Someone was actively asking to join his crew. He hadn't even set out to sea yet, nor had he formed a pirate crew. Although he had imagined a future where his Haki would overflow, and with a wave of his hand, countless pirates would beg to join his crew, he hadn't expected this to happen now.

"You've already chosen me. Are you sure you won't regret it?" Teach asked with a smile, getting up from the sofa. "Yes, I've made up my mind, Captain." Mostima smiled and lowered his head. He had already called him "Captain," which showed the firmness of his resolve.

Haduno and Hadman remained silent. There was no room for them to interject, and besides, they trusted Mostima's decisions. It had always been this way; Mostima had never made a mistake, and this time was no different.

At the same time, they were also shocked by Teach. He was like two different people, like he had a split personality.

The previous one was Teach, and this one is also Teach, but it was Teach's ambition that had been suppressed for too long, erupting in an instant and causing the contrast.

The former was himself hidden within the Whitebeard Pirates, and the latter was his true self. There was no difference.

"Haha, then I agree." Teach laughed heartily and opened his arms. Mostima had no issues; his sincerity was genuine. Teach could feel it. Although he hadn't studied micro-expressions much, ever since his Observation Haki had developed to a finer degree, he often observed others' expressions and actions to guess their thoughts.

In two years, Teach had gained considerable experience.

He was also somewhat happy that someone was willing to follow him. In his eyes, Mostima, becoming a Swordmaster at such a young age, had great potential. Currently, Mostima's swordsmanship realm was far superior to his own.

After all, Teach had only been a Swordmaster for four months, while Mostima had been immersed in this realm for several years.

Teach slowly sat down. Next, it was time to discuss serious matters. "Do you know? The structure of this era has already taken shape. It's the era led by Roger, Golden Lion Shiki, and Pops, Whitebeard Edward Newgate – the 'Three Legendary Pirates' – with the Roger Pirates, the Flying Pirates, and the Whitebeard Pirates ruling the seas." Since he hadn't left the Whitebeard Pirates yet, Teach still referred to Whitebeard as Pops.

"Possessing absolute power and prestige, all other forces can only submit to these three," Teach said, his eyes shining. This was his goal.

Mostima and the other two listened quietly. These were things they didn't understand. Having stayed in this sea area, their knowledge was far less clear than Teach's. They had heard of many powerful pirate crews and famous pirates, but they had never seen them, and some they didn't even know existed.

"The Roger Pirates, the pirate crew with the fewest members, yet each one is an elite among elites. With just over twenty, less than thirty people, they can rival any other two legendary pirate crews. Even when battling the Marine Headquarters, they can remain undefeated. The Roger Pirates are also the only pirate crew with two world-class powerhouses. Strong individuals like Roger, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion Shiki, I call them Emperor-level combat power, requiring two or even three Admirals working together to deal with them." Teach said in a deep voice.

"Then, who is the other one in the Roger Pirates?" Hadman asked. He seemed to have guessed. "That's right, Pluto Rayleigh. It's said he possesses terrifying power not inferior to Roger's." Teach nodded. Even he couldn't help but be shocked by the terrifying power of the Roger Pirates. Although he hadn't seen the Roger Pirates, he had inquired from some elders on the ship.

Can you imagine, apart from those two rookie pirates, everyone else is at least Vice Admiral level? Except for a few special individuals who are slightly weaker, Teach had to say, Roger, are you cheating?

"Next is the Flying Pirates, captained by Golden Lion Shiki, a user of the Float-Float Fruit, the 'Flying Admiral.' They are the most powerful force in the New World, with many strong subordinates and countless affiliated pirate crews. They possess vast ambitions and are the fastest-expanding force."

"The Whitebeard Pirates, known for their unity, also have an extremely vast influence. Their captain, Pops, is a user of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, possessing the power to destroy the world. He is the strongest man in the world," Teach stated one by one.

"Speaking of which, I must also mention one man, 'The Lone Red,' Redfield. Like Roger, he is not a Devil Fruit user, but his strength is incredibly powerful. He is a lone wolf on the sea, with no companions, disliking alliances, and adhering to solitude as his creed. He stands shoulder to shoulder with Roger, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion Shiki on his own. In my opinion, he is the fourth legend of the sea. However, without companions, he will eventually suffer a loss," Teach said with a smile.

"If nothing unexpected happens, and this structure isn't broken, it's impossible to rise up and replace them." Teach's words had a great impact on their minds. "But you don't need to worry. This structure won't last long. Big Mom and Kaido are both lying dormant, developing their forces in secret, waiting for the opportunity to rise."