Mostima's Joining (1)

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

"Is that so?" A flicker of surprise crossed Mostima's eyes, but he quickly recovered. "You probably know who I am, but I'll introduce myself anyway. Canis Mostima, a Swordmaster and captain of the White Bird Pirates."

Everyone else went completely blank. "A-a member of the Whitebeard Pirates!" "Which Whitebeard? The Whitebeard?"

"Why would a member of the Whitebeard Pirates come here?" Cold sweat beaded on Hadman's brow, and his hands trembled involuntarily. "Is an ordinary member of the Whitebeard Pirates really this terrifying?"

"This has to be a joke! Hey, this is terrifying—he's actually a member of the Whitebeard Pirates." Even the usually composed Haduno had lost some control and couldn't calm down.

These waters were close to the Whitebeard Pirates' territory. Whitebeard's reputation alone could make children cry. They might never have seen him, but that didn't stop them from fearing him. The news was full of stories about those terrifying monsters using islands as their battlegrounds: so-and-so destroyed an island in a fight today; some place was flattened yesterday because of a battle between so-and-so.

"Why would a member of the Whitebeard Pirates come here? Could they have their eye on us and want us to become one of their affiliated crews?"

"Maybe they've got their eye on the captain and want him to become Whitebeard's son. That wouldn't be so bad." Some of the pirates had gotten the wrong idea. Unaware of the truth, they let their imaginations run wild.

"Let's talk inside, Teach. You're a guest today—and the first pirate from another crew to visit our territory." The words from behind reached Mostima's ears. His brow furrowed, an unusual sight that ruined the carefully cultivated image of a dashing swordsman. At least, that was how Teach saw it. Mostima quickly composed himself again, but Teach had still noticed.

Teach couldn't help but grin and strode inside, following Mostima.

"Back to your posts, everyone. I have something to discuss with our guest." Some things weren't convenient to reveal. At Mostima's words, the pirates promptly dispersed.

They dared to joke with Mostima, which showed that he was an approachable person. Although they were curious, they obeyed his orders without hesitation. It was clear that Mostima commanded their respect—or that they held him in high regard.

It was important to get the balance right. Being too approachable could undermine one's authority, and a pirate captain without authority was no good.

It was a spacious room, either a meeting room or an art gallery. The interior was bright and expansive, light streaming in through arched openings in the walls, which had no windows. There were thirty-six arched openings in all, arranged in three tiers of twelve. Each side of every tier had three openings.

The room contained only a small meeting table in the very center, with a sofa on either side. It seemed everything had been prepared in advance. Three-meter-tall statues stood in each of the room's four corners: a gladiator clad in armor and wearing a helmet with pointed horns; a scholar in a long robe, holding a book; a beautifully dressed goddess with golden-eagle wings spread behind her, a noble smile on her face; and, finally, an ordinary swordsman.

The four statues represented perseverance, wisdom, victory, and a life without regrets.

That was what Teach saw. The walls were hung with all sorts of paintings: simple sketches, oil paintings, and colorful works.

There were also sculptures, pottery, and flowers. Teach didn't know much about any of them.

Teach sat on one sofa, while Mostima sat across from him. Haduno and Hadman stood behind Mostima. Everyone else remained outside, scattered around the territory as if to prevent anyone from entering.

Teach remained silent. Mostima seemed somewhat agitated. "Teach, I'll call you that for now. Do you know? I once set sail full of confidence, only to discover something: only monsters can fight monsters. That kind of monster— I have to admit, I could never reach that level." Mostima gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Boss!" It was the first time Mostima had admitted his own shortcomings, and Haduno couldn't help calling out. His fists clenched in frustration. They had always believed Mostima could reach that level. He seemed to have no flaws: he had incredible talent, grew stronger quickly, and was practically perfect. All he lacked was time.

Mostima, however, understood his own situation very well. His body was his weakness—his physique, strength, and durability. No matter how hard he trained day and night, there was always a limit. That level was his ceiling; he couldn't go any higher. To attain the physique and strength of a monster, one needed both natural talent and relentless training. He could never reach that level.

But he wouldn't give up. It would take time, and he had his own advantages. He had enviable talent in swordsmanship, and he was confident he could become a Great Swordmaster and one of the sea's top fighters. That earth-shattering battle had never left his mind.

"So I've been waiting all this time, waiting for a monster to appear. And that's you, Teach. I've decided to follow you and reach the top with you." A brilliant, resolute light—and a glimmer of hope—shone in Mostima's eyes. He had chosen Teach: a man of tremendous strength and monstrous talent, much younger than himself. Teach looked almost like an adult, but Mostima could still sense a trace of boyishness in his face.

During their earlier clash, Mostima had been the only one who saw Teach clearly. He hadn't cared about the Mad Saber Pirates, who were weak in his eyes. Teach had a broad mind and didn't bully the weak; after all, only the weak picked on the weak. His smile was incredibly infectious, and he had a natural charisma. Those were the reasons Mostima wanted to follow him.

"Zehahaha! I'm honored you think so highly of me, Mostima." Teach listened quietly. A subordinate with both strength and brains was exactly the kind of person he wanted. He had already taken an interest in Mostima, but he couldn't simply take him in because of a speech like that.

"But I'm still a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, you know. Staying with them is pretty great." Teach smiled, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared into Mostima's eyes.

"A man like you could never spend long under someone else, Teach," Mostima said earnestly, utterly certain. "I can sense the immense ambition in your heart. It just hasn't surfaced yet." Mostima and Teach looked each other in the eye. Listening to him, Teach fell silent.

Mostima knew he had been right, and Teach began searching for the companions he would one day gather.

As Teach looked at Mostima, his eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face. Hadman and Haduno's hearts gave a sudden thump. Something about Teach had changed. They couldn't put their finger on what it was, but he seemed even more terrifying. Before, they had understood in their heads how powerful Teach was. Now, his overwhelming presence pressed down on them—a pressure that struck at their minds.

Teach seemed like a completely different person. "Zehahahahaha..." His eyes brimmed with ambition and dominance. Compared to before, his grin was wilder and more commanding, and his laughter had a more captivating, almost sinister quality.

The powerful pressure made Teach's not-yet-imposing frame seem to grow taller in an instant. His strong, muscular physique left them deeply shaken.

"You're interesting. Very interesting, Mostima," Teach said with a laugh. He hadn't expected someone to ask to become his subordinate of their own accord. He hadn't even set sail yet, let alone formed a pirate crew. He'd imagined himself one day radiating such overwhelming charisma that, with a wave of his hand, countless pirates would beg to join him. He hadn't expected it to happen already.

"You've chosen me. Are you sure you won't regret it?" Teach asked with a grin, rising from the sofa.

"I'm sure. I've already made up my mind, Captain." Mostima smiled and lowered his head. He had even called Teach "Captain"—proof enough of his resolve.

Hadman and Haduno said nothing. There was no place for them to speak up here. Besides, they trusted Mostima's decisions. He had never been wrong before, and this time would be no different.

At the same time, Teach had stunned them. He had seemed like a different person before and after, almost as if he had a split personality.

The person before was Teach, and the person now was also Teach. His ambition had simply been suppressed for too long and had burst out in an instant, creating such a stark contrast.

The former was the self he kept hidden within the Whitebeard Pirates; the latter was his true self. There was no difference between them.

"Zehahaha! Then I accept!" Teach laughed heartily, spreading his arms. There was nothing false about Mostima; Teach could sense that he was sincere. Teach had never studied microexpressions, but as his Observation Haki became more finely attuned, he had often watched people's expressions and movements, trying to guess what they were thinking.

Over the past two years, Teach had gained plenty of experience.

He was also happy inside. Someone was willing to follow him. In his eyes, Mostima was a young Swordmaster with tremendous potential. His level of swordsmanship was already far beyond Teach's.

After all, Teach had only become a Swordmaster four months ago, while Mostima had spent several years at that level.

Teach slowly sat back down. It was time to discuss serious matters. "You know, the balance of power in this era has already taken shape. Roger, Golden Lion Shiki, and Pops—Whitebeard Edward Newgate, the three legendary pirates—led the Roger Pirates, Flying Pirates, and Whitebeard Pirates in ruling the seas." Since he hadn't left the Whitebeard Pirates yet, Teach still called Whitebeard "Pops."

"They possess overwhelming strength and prestige. Every other force has to defer to those three." Teach spoke, his eyes shining. This was his goal.

Mostima and the other two listened quietly. They knew little about all this. Having stayed in these waters, they had far less information than Teach. They had heard of many powerful pirate crews and famous pirates, but had never seen them. There were even some they didn't know about at all.

"The Roger Pirates have the fewest members, but every one of them is an elite among elites. With barely more than twenty people—fewer than thirty—they can rival either of the other two legendary crews. Even in a full-scale battle against Marine Headquarters, they could hold their own. The Roger Pirates are also the only crew with two fighters at the very peak of the world. Men like Roger, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion Shiki are what I call Emperor-class fighters. It takes two or even three Admirals working together to deal with them." Teach spoke gravely.

"Then who's the other one in the Roger Pirates?" Hadman asked. He seemed to have guessed.

"That's right, Pluto Rayleigh. They say he has terrifying strength no less than Roger's." Teach nodded. Even he couldn't help feeling shocked by the Roger Pirates' terrifying power. Although he had never seen them, he had asked some of the older men aboard his ship for information.

Could you imagine it? Aside from those two apprentice pirates, every member was at least Vice Admiral level, with only a few unusual exceptions falling short. Teach couldn't help asking himself: Roger, did you cheat or something?

"Next are the Flying Pirates, captained by Golden Lion Shiki, a Float-Float Fruit user known as the 'Flying Admiral.' They have the greatest influence in the New World, with countless powerful subordinates and affiliated crews. They have tremendous ambition and are expanding faster than anyone else."

"The Whitebeard Pirates are known for their unity, and their influence is enormous. Their captain—Pops—is a Tremor-Tremor Fruit user with the power to destroy the world. He's the strongest man in the world." Teach went through them one by one.

"Speaking of which, there's one other man worth mentioning: 'The Lone Red,' Redfield. Like Roger, he isn't a Devil Fruit user, but he's unimaginably powerful. He's a loner on the sea, with no companions, and he hates forming alliances with others. He lives by the creed of solitude and stands alongside Roger, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion through his own strength. In my opinion, he's the sea's fourth legend. But sooner or later, he'll suffer for having no companions." Teach smiled.

"If nothing unexpected happens, and this balance of power isn't broken, it'll be impossible for anyone to rise up and replace them." Teach's words hit them hard. "But there's no need to worry. This balance won't last much longer. Big Mom and Kaido are lying low, secretly building up their forces and waiting for the right moment to rise."