Anne (1)

New World, Sess Island.

Sess Island is a large island, a prosperous commercial hub. With its consistently unique, warm, and comfortable climate, it's a veritable "Island of Spring" and a famous tourist resort island in the New World.

Teach wandered the streets alone, bored. Fifteen days had passed since he left White Sand Island. Along the way, he had passed through four islands: Gem Island, Gran Island, Kuku Island, and Yellow Rock Island. Gem Island was rich in all sorts of gems and held great profits, making its power structure intricate. With numerous pirate and underground factions, it was extremely chaotic, lacking a fixed ruler. Every night, fights broke out over shares of various profits, and even taverns closed their doors to customers late at night.

Nothing significant happened, and Teach left after resting on the island for a while. However, Teach wasn't without his gains. Look at the green jade bracelet on his right wrist. The jade's color wasn't dazzling; it was a deep green, very profound. It looked ordinary during the day but emitted a faint, ethereal glow at night. Teach liked it very much. Each green jade was meticulously polished into a skull shape, drilled on the side, and strung together with a tough yet elastic plain rope.

Teach wore a black obsidian necklace around his neck. On a thin silver chain hung a small sword, meticulously crafted entirely from black obsidian. Teach had bought it from a small shop for five hundred thousand Belly.

Gran Island is a plant island, growing all sorts of plants, and it's very dangerous. Some plants are carnivorous. Plants are the overlords of this island, with poisonous insects and snakes attached to them. Besides that, all large and small beasts have been extinct on this island. Its primitive and unique ecosystem harbors many rare and precious herbs, and countless people go missing on the island every year.

Kuku Island is a volcanic island, with a large volcano that seems on the verge of eruption at any moment. Looking down from a high vantage point, molten gold-colored lava flows from the crater. The island's ground is deep red, with temperatures close to flames, reaching three hundred degrees Celsius. There are almost no plants on the island, but due to its unique environment, heat-resistant creatures like fire scorpions, fire lizards, and fire snakes have evolved to adapt to the island's conditions.

Such islands are unsuitable for human survival, but due to their unique geographical location, they serve as a central hub connecting five islands. Over the years, a town of thousands has developed on the island's edge. The ground underfoot has been covered with wood, ore, plastic, and other heat-insulating, high-temperature resistant materials at great cost, rising a full three meters from the ground.

No one occupies this island, and if anyone attacks or occupies Kuku Island, it will incur the wrath of the forces on the other islands, who will then unite to annihilate them.

Yellow Rock Island is rich in ore. The situation on the island differs from Gem Island; it is occupied by a Great Pirate with a bounty of seven hundred million Belly, who exports ore to obtain a large amount of Belly.

"Hey, handsome young man, want to try our freshly baked desserts?" There was a dessert shop ahead, and a beautifully dressed young girl at the entrance was beckoning customers. Seeing Teach, her eyes lit up, and she waved at him with an enthusiastic smile.

"Fufufufu, I'm not interested in desserts. If you had cherry pie, I wouldn't be stingy with my Belly," Teach chuckled. The girl heard this and said, "We do! I can make cherry pie. Come in first. Do you want sweet or savory cherry pie?" The girl beckoned Teach inside, her big eyes fixed on him.

"Bring me two of each first, let me see how the cherry pie here tastes." Teach found a seat by the window and sat down directly. Teach pulled out a tissue and tucked it into his shirt, appearing like a gourmet waiting to enjoy a delicacy. Teach was very serious about his favorite cherry pie. On a previous island, someone, relying on their backing, advertised their shop's goods as delicious, attracting many people. In reality, they cut corners, hired mediocre staff, sold things at high prices, and even resorted to forced sales. Those who bought from him had no choice but to swallow the loss.

When it was Teach's turn, he was directly angered. Teach crushed the heads of everyone in the shop with his bare hands, turning the entire establishment into ruins. The next day, the forces behind that shop owner were wiped out, their bodies lying in pools of blood, faces contorted in extreme fear.

"Okay, esteemed customer, here is your cherry pie." The efficiency was high, and Teach didn't wait long. Four steaming cherry pies were brought to Teach by the girl.

"Try it, how does it taste!" The girl sat opposite Teach, resting her chin on her hands, looking at him curiously. For some reason, she felt Teach was very special. Although it was their first meeting, she felt a strong liking for him; he had a quality that drew people in.

She had long brown hair, tied with a blue headscarf, a delicate small face, and exuded an aura of youth and sunshine.

Teach had already been drawn in by the aroma emanating from the pie. He put on a transparent glove and grabbed a piece of cherry pie from the table. "Mmm, it's truly delicious, this cherry pie, fufufufu, I'm so happy." Teach savored the cherry pie in large bites. In a short while, the cherry pie in his hand disappeared, entering Teach's stomach.

Seeing Teach's blissful expression, which was an acknowledgment of her craftsmanship, the girl was very happy. Her big eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Savory crust with sour cherry filling. It would be even better with some black tea," Teach said. Although he liked drinking, tea was his habit, especially when enjoying cherry pie.

"Here you go!" Upon hearing this, the girl immediately poured Teach a large bowl of black tea.

"Anne, aren't you going to serve the customers yet! We're almost overwhelmed." A mature, beautiful woman in a floral dress, dressed somewhat plainly, walked out from the back kitchen, carrying a tray of desserts for customers. Seeing the girl, she called out to Anne.

"Okay, Mom!" Anne replied, standing up. "I'm sorry, the shop is very busy right now. I'll be back after I finish helping out. It should be less busy this afternoon." With that, the girl named Anne left to help her mother.

Teach smiled, picked up another cherry pie, and slowly savored it.

Soon, the cherry pies on the table were all gone. "Anne, bring me thirty more cherry pies, the usual, fifteen sweet and fifteen savory." Teach smiled and called out to Anne, who was walking by not far away.

From her mother's earlier words, Teach already knew her name. Hearing Teach call her name, Anne was taken aback for a moment, but quickly reacted, "Thirty? Okay, coming right up!" Anne smiled, her smile very infectious and friendly. She jogged to the back. Many regular customers frequented the shop, not only because the desserts were delicious but also because she would greet familiar faces warmly, which was another reason for the shop's popularity.

"Haha, thirty is too many. I'll make ten first. You can eat them while I make the rest. I've already asked Mom to help me, and they'll all be here soon." Anne chuckled, carrying a stack of cherry pies and placing them on the table in front of Teach. "It won't take too long!"

"Haha, no need. You go deliver the other customers' desserts first. I'm not in a hurry. Such delicious cherry pie should be savored properly," Teach said with a wave and a smile.

"Okay, thank you." Anne was a little surprised and very pleased by Teach's understanding.

Teach slowly ate the cherry pies. After a long while, Anne returned carrying an even taller stack of cherry pies. "Here are your cherry pies." She sat opposite Teach, stretched, and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue. "Ah, finally done with the rush. It should be easier from now on."

Anne looked at Teach, seeming to want to say something but unable to find the words. Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "Ah, I'm sorry, I don't even know your name yet?" She just realized she didn't know the man's name. Her small face flushed, feeling a bit shy and embarrassed.

"Fufufu, Anne, are you that unvigilant? You're interacting so easily with a stranger like me. How do you know I'm not a bad person?" Teach saw Anne's reaction and couldn't help but laugh heartily, taking a bite of cherry pie.

"For example, a human trafficker, who specializes in kidnapping pretty young girls like you." Teach suddenly put on an evil, terrifying expression, scaring Anne into shrinking her neck.

"Hmph! You can't scare me!" Recovering her senses, she saw the smile on Teach's face and realized he was just teasing her.

"I can feel that you're a good-" She paused, thinking. No, what she was saying didn't make sense. She wanted to say "good person," but how could she know? And looking at Teach's standard pirate coat, she didn't know what to say.

After thinking it over, her small face flushed slightly. "Anyway, you won't hurt me." Anne looked very cute like this, and Teach couldn't help but smile. Because the stack of cherry pies in front of her was so high, it blocked her face, so she had to lean to the side to talk to Teach. Teach found her posture amusing.

To make it easier for her to talk to him, he pushed the plate of cherry pies aside so Anne could face him directly.

"Alright, what's your name?" Anne asked, somewhat curious.

"Marshall D. Teach. Although this name is still unknown now, it will surely make waves across the seas someday," Teach said with a smile, his eyes filled with confidence—no, his entire being was filled with confidence, exuding a powerful aura.

"Mhm, Teach, I'll call you Teach now. I believe you," Anne nodded, her eyes full of curiosity. "Teach, you must be a pirate, right?"

"Mhm, that's right." Teach took a bite of cherry pie and nodded.

"Have you formed a pirate crew yet? Do you have a pirate ship?" Anne asked again. "Neither? Why? Are you disappointed?" Teach smiled.

Anne was a little disappointed but quickly recovered. "Not that disappointed. Although I haven't seen one, I've heard about it. It's not easy to form a pirate crew. You need to find reliable companions and build a pirate ship capable of sailing the seas."

"Haha, you know quite a lot!" Teach smiled and grabbed a piece of cherry pie to eat.

"Then Teach, you're definitely going out to sea, right!" Anne seemed to think of something and became excited. "You can think of a name for your pirate crew and your pirate ship first."

Anne giggled excitedly, her big eyes fixed on Teach, making him feel a prickle on his scalp. "Do you want me to help you come up with names? I'm quite good at naming things."

"Demon from hell, Satan. How about the Satan Pirates?" "Also, Teach, what are you good at?" Anne asked, looking at Teach seriously like a consultant.

"What? Good at? Swordsmanship, claw techniques," Teach replied, somewhat confused.

"Then how about the Demon Sword Pirates? Or the Blood Claw Pirates, or the Demon Claw Pirates?" Anne became more excited as she spoke.

Teach couldn't help but frown. "Listen!" He raised his hand, interrupting the young girl's fantasy.

"What's wrong?" Anne asked, a little confused.

"Do I look like such an evil person? Why are they all 'demon,' 'blood,' and the like? Can't we have something more normal?" Teach was speechless.

"Haha! Don't you think it's cool like this? Pirates should scare people, make them feel terrified just hearing the name!" Anne said with a laugh.

"While the names of these pirate crews you suggested are very cool? A pirate crew's name is a very serious matter, and I've already decided on mine." Teach interrupted her, saying in a deep voice, "Besides, to make people feel fear, it's never relied on a cool name, but on powerful strength, a record of victories fought with every punch and kick, or brutal slaughter."

Anne was stunned for a moment. She was still a young girl, but she was very sensible. After hearing Teach's words, she immediately understood. She thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense.

"Then what's your pirate crew's name?" Anne asked, curious now that she knew Teach had already decided.

"Night Pirates," Teach said with a smile, his gaze drifting back to eight years ago when he became a new man. To become stronger, he trained hard, starting from scratch. How many nights did he weep alone in the darkness? Who could know what that felt like?

As a person unable to sleep, who could know his pain? Companioned only by solitude, befriended by darkness, it was a painful time. A gentle, golden-haired figure surfaced in his mind. Monica was special to him; she had shown him care when he was at his most miserable, helping him step out of the shadows and resolve to become stronger.

Now, he was long accustomed to solitude, accustomed to darkness. He was darkness.

He was already the new Teach, so naturally, he wouldn't tread the old path, nor would he follow the original plan of staying on Whitebeard's ship for over twenty years for that Devil Fruit.

That was the ability most suited for him. He firmly believed that one day, that power would come to him. And when that day came—darkness would devour everything.